so i drug home my grandfathers 36 studebaker last night. ended up being a really late night. got to bed at 2:30 in the morning. but i'm way freaking excited. my grandfather bought the car in california back durring WWII. he then drove it back to utah and parked it because he got a newer car and started driving it. fast forward around 40 years and 2 of my uncles head down to southern utah and drag it to salt lake. unfortianatly they pulled the front of the car off and pulled a bunch of stuff off the engine and then let it sit outside for ten years. so the motor had a bunch of water in it. i plan on pulling it out and see if i can rebuild it. if not i'll be on the look out for a stude flat head 6 motor. i want to do a full resto on the car and keep it all stude. when i get home from work today i'll take some pics and post them on here.
Way cool! 36 and 37 Stude Dictators have the best front ends and grills ever made, Deco works of art. Love to hear you want to keep it all Stude! I have 6 cyl. flatheads in my truck and 53 Champ coupe. They run great and forever. Some of speed equip available too. Pretty much same motor for years, so fitting in another shouldn't be a problem.
For reference, the hood and radiator shell/grille from a 36 Studebaker are easily adaptable to 33-34 Ford coupes/roadsters, and even sedans. The shell and grille must be shortened a bit. A fabulous racecar nose for little money.
i think that my biggest plan is to try to get the car up and going before my grandfather dies. i would love to pull up in it and say to my grandfather "hey lets go for a ride"
Stude had some of the best V8's around too...and a lot of speed equipment was around for them...it'd take some searching, but a rodded V8 in that Stude would get you some good hiway cruising... Great idea taking Gramps for a spin before he leaves you...he'd love it...!!! R-
The dictator Six became the commander six and was used without major changes in the truck line into the 60's, so finding and engine that will prety much bolt in should not be very difficult. Do check thing like motor mouts though. yours is mounted under the timing chain cover and if memory serve that was at least up until WWII. I think I remember my '49 commander having the same mout system, but that was a long time ago and I have not had a commander engine in anything since about '85. the later engines will have insert bearings, unlike your '36 with babbit - just something to think about when choosing and engine.
Contact the Studebaker Drivers Club for parts, knowledge, and general support. These guys will love to help you - check out the Forum, 'kay? http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/
already a member on the forum and they seem like a bunch of great guys. i have some great news i pulled the head off last night just to see how bad the damage was and there is very little rust on the cylinder bores. i was way excited. of course a couple of valves look completly toast but i'm going to buy a complete engine rebuild kit and replace all the valves anyways. but so far i haven't been able to find the carb for it. it could be in the car under all the material from the seats that have fallen off. only spent a few minutes last night pulling stuff out of it. i'll take some pic's tonight. it has 2 hoods inside the cab from i don't know what and it had a front axle in the cab also that i don't know what it is off. but i do seem to have alot of the parts i'm going to need to restore the car. i should have time tonight to take a really good inventory and make a list of what i'm missing. oh yeah and i found a plate in it from 51 when my grandfather registered it in utah.
i'm going to talk to my uncle about the parts that are missing this weekend when i figure out whats all not there. he also said to me that the origion wheels are at my other uncles house. so the quest for the missing parts begins.
Way cool! Post up some pics I love the deco fronts on them! Nice dashes too! My dad used to have a 40' Stude President 5 p*** club sedan (whew, that was a mouthfull!) similar to the one I pictured below. Some a-hole stole the front clip off it and some other stuff while it was at his shop, never did find a replacement...
cool post, i wish i could find my grandfathers 56 chevy,anyway gonna be awesome you two going for a ride.
yeah i sure hope i make it he is in his mid 80's right now. the good thing is he gets up and goes for a walk every morning. so he's keeping active and thats a good thing. so as long as something in his body doesn't give out i think i'll make it.
My dad sold his 36 dictator 4 door a couple years ago. It has the most beautiful dash cluster I had ever seen. Good thing I hadn't seen it before he sold it, or it might not have been in the boxes of parts!
The SDC site is great. The people on the forum know their stuff and and are so ready to help. I was impressed. Makes me love the marquee even more.
Hey any of you guys know where someone could find a 37 stude, car or p/u??? a friend of mine wants one, dont ask me why
Looks like a pretty solid old car, and having 60+ years of family history connected to the car makes it all the more special. I'm currently working on a '55 Ford that my parents bought new.
Wow nice project! get the engine rebuilt, take care of the brakes and rest of mechanicals, tires, then take Grandpa for a ride just as it sits. Then when you blow it apart, you'll know he got at least one ride in the car. See if Utah will let you register it with the 1951 plates.
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