Projects Stuck on my project. 1940 Studebaker coupe

I've had this '40 stude project for a couple years now. It's undergone countless configurations and I've actually built and installed 3 seperate motors only to change my mind on them. I took a summer away from wrenching on it to try and get a firm direction nailed down, also to build a new garage. Now it's fall and I'm no closer to an idea of final product in my head.

At first it started as a hot rod project. Nothing special. Basic no frills. This posed it's own set of problems due to frontend setup not having much room for a V8. So I lopped off the frontend and installed new frame members and then installed a parallel leaf suspension with 7" drop axle. Looked pretty good, but created it's own set of issues with the steering. Which I have most of the way worked out.

Then I got the bright idea of a gasser after seeing some of the willys and stude gassers from back in the day. I fell in love. Bought a straight axle to mount to the parallel leafs for an easy conversion. This is where I'm currently stuck. One of the other members did a photo shop of it as a gasser and I'm not sure if it's teh style or proportions or what, but I think it looks like crap. Now, I'm second guessing my decision to go the gasser route.


The doors were shaved before I got it and a lot of the trim as well. Seems kind of stupid to have a "door slammer" with remote poppers. Unfortunately the old mechanisms are gone and bear claws were installed. So there's no going back to original at this point. I'm also not a big racer, so wondering what the point is of a street-driven gasser.

conversely, I am also missing the running boards that would make it a great looking hot rod/ kustom. I can fab up a set, which would probably be easier than re-doing the doors and such.

Kind of wondering where to go from here. It's either back to the original idea of a hot rod and keep it low budget, stick on the gasser track, or try for a taildragger style custom.

Lately the taildragger idea has been seeming to make the most sense. Since the body has already had a lot of mods, and the cab has a low profile that already looks slightly chopped, and the rear swoops quite a bit, I'm wondering if this isn't the natural choice.

If it goes that route, I'd be considering a chassis swap to a Dodge Dakota chassis and then install air bags and a c-notch. Basically drop it to the weeds, add some fender skirts, simple black paint job, wide whites, fab the running boards and a nice interior.

I'd like to hear some constructive input, and maybe something will pop out at me as what to do with it. I'm planning to get back to wrenching on it this winter to have it pretty much ready for next season.

Here's some pictures...

 

I think the top pictures look pretty good.

I guess its just crowd I hung with but the first thing to go on just about anything was the running boards.

You have the perfect little holes on the bottoms of your front fenders for your dumps. Leave it down on the snout with your dumps at the rear of the fenders. Slide a decent exhaust under neath and shoot for the street brawler look.

Oh I might paint it if it were mine but that just a personal thing I guess.

 

I should probably mention that I'll be taking the body off and stripping it anyway this winter. I also wasn't real keen on the floor work that was done in it, so I'll be re-doing that as well.

 

I say slam it and skirt it.... itd be a good looking mild kustom

 

My opinion is as long as you keep on deiciding to change it every little bit and re-do things over and over you'll never get done.

Just do it. Get it on the road and then if you want to change things, change them.

 

You live in Ohio - the Gasser capitol of the world. Plenty of people there would love to have that coupe to build a Gasser - you can probably trade it for a Ford or Lincoln or whatever taildragger you've always wanted. It's a win-win deal.

 

can't get rid of it. I already take too much heat for my vehicular A.D.D. (usually never own a car longer than 1yr). I've had this one for two. If I let this go, it would be the cherry on top and lead to massive amounts of chiding. haha.

But you are correct, I'm getting a lot of pushing from friends to get it up in th air. Some say the photoshop job is just ugly because the original photo was at a bad angle and the perpectives are bad. I'm guessing that's right.

I suppose, I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and get the straight axle underneath it and see what it looks like to get a realistic idea of what it will be like.

 

Man, its a great looking car. I was all about the Gasser until I saw the first photo of it sitting low. I say drop the ass, fab some running boards and skirts and drag that tail. It's such a sleek looking car that a little attention to detail and some slick single colour paint and its gonna look plain evil. You're already half way there in my mind....That's my two cents

 

Gasser no, taildragger yes.

 

Do what you like! Just keep it looking good (like a Studebaker should)!

 

Let me help you out, well at least show you a photo or two of my '40 Commander...maybe give you a little inspiration...



...I went thru several changes before I found the above look...below is my HAMB drag racing look...



and this is my highway rod running look...


Now IF I can help you with parts...I have a few...I do have pair of "rocker covers' I had built for my Studey years ago...when it was a "street rod"...They are for sale if you'd like to have them as I don't think I'll ever go back to the street rod look...again...

And I'd be glad to give you a little guidance, or what help I can, if you want to PM me...that old Studey can be cool...

R-

 

I favor the gasser look, but think we should all follow our own personal muse, wherever she leads us. Art (and beauty), after all, are in the eye of the beholder.
I'm looking for a complete front suspension from a '40 stude, in order to follow my muse. Do you still have yours, and are you willing to part with it? PM me with pics if you're interested.
Waldo

 

Could still be built as a gasser, but maybe not quite so high. I like the low custom route also. Stude coupes have some nice lines for either. Whatever you decide on, stick with the plan. Good luck.

 

Are you going to drive it everyday? I used to have a 55 two-door wagon, gasser-look, straight axle, tilt, big-block, 4 speed. What a horrible car to drive any farther than a quarter mile at a time. Now your Stude, slammed, skirts with 38 buick chrome trim on them, the President chrome trim on the hood and a dark color would be tits! Mold in streamlined running boards covering lakes, bag it and drive it.

 

Unfortunately, I tried for months last year to damn near give the frontend away on this board. Best I could do was get somebody to take the spring. Got tired of moving it around so it ended up heading to the recycler last fall.

Kind of what I'm thinking.... I love both looks. But drivability is the key. I don't race, so building a race car seems kinda pointless. Aside from that if I was going to build it as a gasser, I'd want to do it period correct and if I'm not mistaken, since the rules are so stuffy these days, the best I'd ever hope to run as "period correct" would be the 1/8mi. Fun, but not exactly a 1/4mi.

The more I think about it, the more that the sleek luxury style kind of seems like a decent direction. A chassis swap to get IFS, rack and pinion steering, and easier options for air bags seems kind of nice.

Since I already have the frontend relatively done, I think I'll just stuff the straight axle under it and remount the sheetmetal and see how it actually looks as a gasser before I make any big decision.

I do have to say that street driving a straight axle car with skinnys up front seems like a hell of a chore......

Guess I just need to buckle down and reflect harder.

 

It'll make a great taildragger or Gasser!
For the taildragger, you can fab running boards-and skirts too if you have to.

Instead of a photoshop, place the car way the hell up on jackstands, and stick some appropriate wheels/tires (borrow some if you have to) then stand back for a look/photos.

You could do the same thing for a taildragger; drop it on the ground, fab some skirts from posterboard (painted primer grey) and toss a pair of WWW's up front.

 

Taildragger all the way if it were mine!!

 

"Kind of what I'm thinking.... I love both looks. But drivability is the key. I don't race, so building a race car seems kinda pointless. Aside from that if I was going to build it as a gasser, I'd want to do it period correct and if I'm not mistaken, since the rules are so stuffy these days, the best I'd ever hope to run as "period correct" would be the 1/8mi. Fun, but not exactly a 1/4mi."

may be some compromise in the middle

or flip a coin and go with it.

not a stude but this is good for inspiration



<IMG class=thumbnail title="It's the stance that we're so obsessed with. The car rides on a set of factory frame rails that have been boxed. The frame is narrowed 4 inches on either side in the rear and the rear suspension is a custom built ladder bar set up by Tube Chassis Designz. It uses Strange springs and coil-over shocks and Strange brakes are used all around. Up front, it's the factory original beam axle and leaf springs. Jim reports that on the strip, the car needs to be driven the whole length of the track and it like to nose around some on the top end. Jim's son races an 8-second Mustang and likes that ride better than this 10-second '40! » Click to zoom ->" alt="It's the stance that we're so obsessed with. The car rides on a set of factory frame rails that have been boxed. The frame is narrowed 4 inches on either side in the rear and the rear suspension is a custom built ladder bar set up by Tube Chassis Designz. It uses Strange springs and coil-over shocks and Strange brakes are used all around. Up front, it's the factory original beam axle and leaf springs. Jim reports that on the strip, the car needs to be driven the whole length of the track and it like to nose around some on the top end. Jim's son races an 8-second Mustang and likes that ride better than this 10-second '40! » Click to zoom ->" src="http://www.bangshift.com/assets/galleries/2241/tn_sartori_1940_ford_23_.jpg">


http://www.bangshift.com/gallery/Jim-Sartori-s-10-second-1940-Ford-Deluxe-gallery.html

 

not bad looking. I don't know. It's real cool looking for sure, but I guess I'm looking at more of one extreme or the other. Maybe I should consider middle ground instead.

 

Make it a hotrod, no sky-high fake gasser look.
Especially if you plan on actually driving this one more than around the block.
r

 

Drop that ass on the ground, too many wanna be gassers that can't race on the road already. Once you bag it, you can have the gasser look too by pumping up the front bags!

 

Jon,
I lean towards custom with that car. I think you will get much more use out of it.

 

haha.... don't let Dale see this.....

Nate- I need to get with you on something. Drop me a line when you get a chance. Later.

 

Don't build a "styling exercise" if you intend to use it a lot. Build it for comfort. Find me someone who enjoys driving any distance with the nose up or scraping the ground. Which-ever way you go, take in to account the caster/camber/toe-in weight transfer which you will be living with when driving the car most of the time, as this changes when you pump your air in and out of those bags. I personally would favor a slight "rubber rake", which I am doing on my 37' Stude. It will have a ground clearance of about 8" and will fearlessly go into junkyards and grass fields.

 

I don't normally do one-word posts, so I won't.

Stude, COUPE, SA-WEEEEET!

 

A photoshop of the coupe over a club member's (Dale) chevy

 

makes my stomach turn every time I hear someone say "gasser!", have to be hands-down the ugliest and most foolish-looking cars ever

 

I'm sure there are plenty of people that feel the same way about ass draggin lead turds, but have kept their opinions to them selves and respected other peoples tastes.

 

hahaha... let's get ready to rummmmbbblllleeeee.......

funny, everybody has their own tastes... and I can't even narrow my own down between 3 options. I think I'm jealous.

Got the straight axle, so it's going under it to see how it looks. If it blows. I'll drop it back down. Have been keeping my eye open for cheap dodge dakotas for a chassis swap if the gasser idea blows up in my face. I ain't got Mustang II money.

 

if it was mine, i'd make it into a 3 window coupe taildragger...if someone could photoshop that i think i would look kickass,,,the nose is a little long compared to the rest of the car,,making it a 3 window would give the ass more length and balance things out,,,,