Projects 53 Studebaker Coupe Southeast Gasser Build and 1950 Buick Sedan

Planning on it. Car is legal with them now.

 

Ahh...front bumper...please..!
It weighs nothing, and the car looks MUCH better with the bumper in place.

Mike

 

Haven't decided yet. It needed stripping and repaint (race weight fibergl***) anyway. My brother feels the same as you !!

 

Funny about the light weight bumper. One of my friends was over helping when the bumper arrived UPS. Rhonda called me and said " you have a big package from UPS, I picked it up but there's nothing in it !! " My friend picked up the bumper and told me.. "my old lady's false teeth weigh more than this!" I asked the guy to build it light and he did a great job ! Of course I've had to repair it more than once because SOMEBODY was supposed to be watching clearance loading it on the trailer !

 

scoop looks good, figgered the wheels would be OK, ****abunchabumpers

 

Gittum Dave !

 

If its that light I vote for the bumper.

 

Probably going back on. Shows too much radiator with it off.

 

Finished the 54 scoop and hood today. Diddled with the brakes, ran it out of fuel, couldn't do a road test. Maybe tomorrow. Also going to cut the high-back seats down. Got that from Quain's group. Spread a little more bondodoodle on the G***er, changed directions on the piston and rod combo. Needed a little more squeeze. Waiting on the roll bar guy to work me in to finish that up. Think I'm going to bump the gear up to 5.50 to 6.20 range, made a deal on a double kick-out oil pan. Will post some pics when something other than body work happens, still at it. Now the 54 is SNDR legal and steadily on the 53 G***er. I love it !.

 

Congrats on getting this far.

 

Yea ! The pistons for the G***er 306 showed up yesterday. With a little decking and head milling, they should hit 13.5 to 1 with no problem. Hopefully this year... still kinda on schedule if my pocket-book holds up !

 

I am having trouble with finishing one car and you doing 2 or 3 . I need a bigger pocket book. I would post on mine ,but sanding bondo and fitting my front end to tilt is pretty boring stuff.

 

Hi fiddlepicker.Looking good.Love those old Studebakers.A 53 coupe was my first car.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

You're ahead of me if you're working on tilting front-end. I'm still doing body work and buying engine parts one thing at a time on the 53. Luckily the others have been operational for a while and don't have to do much to them. Can't afford breakage right now. G***er is ****ing up the budget ! I could handle a lottery win ! The Band is on an extended break right now so I have more time to diddle with the cars.

 

Thanks Leo. I kinda like them too !!

 

What Band??

 

Fiddle Picker, his ancestors and family were/are great musicians Enloe. I would need to use my toes as well as my fingers to count the instruments Johnny plays, and a good singing voice also

 

COOL

 

We have a family band that has been together for over 30 years, The Royals Brothers Band. And as you can imagine sometimes we get frazzled with each other and take some time off. We get over it, rehe**** a little and get back on stage. Thanks for asking and thanks Dave for the kind words.

 

Just got back from AMS Friday night Drags. Not as good as last event. Cody's driving the 53 Wagon, wins the first two rounds with a good margin then the harmonic balancer came apart doing a burnout for the third round, said it started shaking like hell , the starting line guy said it was shooting sparks out the front so he shut it down. Luckily one of my friends was able to tow us and load us on the trailer with his four-wheeler.

 

Bummer. Time for a Good balancer. Hope it didn't beat the front main out.

 

Hopefully no more damage. I'll get to that one first opportunity. Can't complain, crank hasn't been out of the engine in 10 years. Balancer has been off 4 times for cam upgrades/experiments and the elastomer always looked good and we only turn it 5500. Like I said, can't complain.

 

Looked closer at the 53 Wagon, it got the timing cover also. Still not expensive so far. Replaced the front wheel cylinders, grease seals on the 54 Coupe, brakes are a lot better. Looks like SIM is not going to happen for us. My truck is still in the shop, transmission electronics problem and the motor-home is having a brakeing problem, looked into renting one.. already tied up this week-end. Guess I will anxiously await the You-Tube video !! For the first time in four months, didn't touch the G***er this weekend. Maybe the roll-bar guy will call so we can wrap that up. May take the 64 Nova to AMS Friday night and play with it, been a while since it ripped down the track !!

 

Johnny I'd strongly suggest that when you get the timing cover off, rig up a dial indicator to check runout on the crank snout. I have known of blowing up a harmonic balancer actually warping the crank snout.
If you don't have access to dial indicator equipment, let me know and we'll work something out for me to come up and bring my equipment after SIM.

 

Ten4. Thanks Dave.

 

Decided to stay in the area for the weekend so I replaced the balancer and timing cover on the 53 Wagon this morning. Good thing, took it to AMS Friday Night Drags tonight and got the "W" and the hardware !!! Cody did a great job wheeling it ! Makes a Dad Proud ! Waiting for updates on Union qualifying. First one we've missed this season.

 

Good job. We won't be going to SIM either. Had a disaster this week. The 57 shorty I have been working on for a year and a half. Got it wired and running on a supposed good 350 and it wouldn't keep water in it when I went to road test it. Tore it down and cracked head and cracked block.
Starting on a test stand to make sure the one I am building for the car is right before it goes in the car.

 

Thanks Southcross. I've got several sets of buildable 76cc heads if you end up needing some. Post a pic of the 57 Shorty, I am in to odd as you can tell. Still waiting on SIM updates, of course it's still early. DOM gave me a ring yesterday and held his phone up and said " listen to that" (G***ers blasting down the track). He was rubbing it in that he made it to SIM and we were at home. He had challenged me to a run, his Roadster my 54 Stude. Turns out he didn't take his car anyway, still has clutch woes. I'm still grinning about the win last night !

 

I found everything I need to build a 350. My machine shop has a 4 bolt block that is already machined and ready to go and he has a set of 993 heads. Just need some pistons rings and gaskets.
Here is the Shorty wagon before ***embly.

 

Looks like a cool ride !