Technical Stude Pickup Warehouse Find

I think it’s time to send the Austin gasser on down the road. I haven’t done much with it lately aside from dragging it to some shows. I could use the space and I can always use the money.
What’s happening with you? Any new projects?

 

TOO much work, though glad to be working, the A is sitting no time, been looking for a little beater to cruise for now, I enjoy your pick up progress postings.

 

Thanks. I moved the Stude to the top of the list at the expense of the other projects but now that it’s pretty reliable I’m trying to get back on the Morris and the roadster. I’m trying to get some paint on the Morris.

 

Kool you got some nice stuff...

 

Just when you thought that this thread had flamed out, new stuff happens…..
The second pickup, Frankie’s 413 powered one is lost to time… But the third Stude pickup in this saga is still in the Pisano family, the one built by Carman for his own use. It’s been significantly upgraded, it looks bitchin and it’s running although not being driven.
I recently bought the Pontiac engine that powered it way back in the ‘60s.
While the Pontiac engine in the Stude pickup that I bought is a mild mannered daily driver, Carman’s Studie had some serious balls. This engine has an M/T stroker crank, 12:1 compression and a roller cam. According to the casting numbers he started with a ‘59 block and ‘61 421 big valve heads. Although it was freshened up a few years ago it still has the same components in it. It was pulled and replaced with an LS.
It has an Edelbrock 2x4 intake with two AFBs, a factory F.I. distributor, a deep sump oil pan and an adapter for 55-60 Pontiac engines to Chevy automatic transmissions. One interesting point, although it’s built on a ‘59 short block it has ‘61 heads and intake and doesn’t have the earlier reverse flow water system with the elbows on the front of each head.
I have no idea what I’m going to do with the new engine at this point as I have a ‘62 389 all machined and just about ready for assembly that I was going to install in my truck, but the original ‘59 389 is running great.
I just couldn’t let this piece of history go to someone else. This engine was thumping around our town in that shortened Studebaker pickup when I was in high school.

I also got the old homemade headers…..along with some other odds n ends.

 

Oh-oh. Sat nite Spl will be making it's' appointed rounds... Quick-change front clip w/wing-nut motor mounts, anyone??? . Do I fore-see the Poncho FI units finally getting to hit the street?
Marcus...

 

Right now I’m focusing on cleaning up my Austin and making it a less menacing driver so the Stude will just stay as it is as long as it continues to run reliably. I do need to improve the brakes a little. I have a to-do list of improvements but none are mandatory at this point.
I’m down in LA for another week playing catch up on maintenance (and getting a little relief from the scorching NorCal heat). I’m also putting some time in on my buddy’s 29 sedan.

 

One of the items on my list of improvements is the tailgate. The Stude has a custom made smooth tailgate that is bolted in place. No hinges, so it really doesn’t open without wrenches to remove it. I was thinking about candidates for tailgate hinges. I think ‘49 Ford trunk lid hinges might work. I envisioned them mounted vertically. Both the tailgate and bed closeout are flat. I thought that I had a pair in my stash to try on but apparently I sent them down the road with the old Vic-chero and it’s parts car.
Does anyone have a pair that they could take pictures of and maybe some basic dimensions?

 

I went to the machine shop to check on my ‘62 389 that I dropped off for some work. I’ve been bad about getting over there and hanging out with my friends, life gets in the way sometimes. Rummaging around upstairs looking for gauges and stuff I ran across the roller rockers that I had bought for the 400 Pontiac for my Tempest. I got one out and took it to the machine shop to see if we might use them on the other engine. We found some rocker studs that should work well. We need to pull out the stock studs, thread the openings to 1/2-13 and spot face or mill the head surfaces. Since they are pretty busy right now, I offered to take the heads home and extract the studs and pull out the oil passage plugs.
Got one done last night, pretty easy.
No big hurry on the new engine, the old ‘59 389 is still running strong but I’m kinda committed at this point.

 

I sure enjoy driving it around, it never fails to get conversations started. Even the gal that manages the local Oreilly came out to check it out. Folks out our way appreciate old pickup trucks.

 

I love that truck !

 

Thanks! I haven’t had much to report lately. The old truck just keeps running fine. I am moving slowly forward with a new engine and transmission but with plenty of other projects I probably won’t swap it in until the current engine or transmission stumbles (or I have a bunch of spare time, lol).
I probably should dress the front frame horns and put a front bumper on it.

 

Hopefully your place and folks you know in LA are safe. Those thumping ponchos are cool, my older brother ran one in a 60 Catalina stock car in the late 60's.

 

They did good in the stock and super stock classes in the early ‘60s. I was a fan of Hayden Profitt, Ramon Lowe, Jay Hamilton, all local Pontiac racers. Dempsey Wilson ground a mean cam for Pontiacs back then. Art Carr built up some bullet proof automatics for them too.
We put a rebuilt ‘60 Pontiac Trophy 425A 389 (4 bolt mains!) in the flatbottom ski boat that my Dad built for our family. We eventually switched from the TriPower setup to a 780 Holley on an Edelbrock intake because my Dad got tired of having to freshen up three carburetors at the beginning of each waterskiing season. It ran better but didn’t look as cool. I’ve always had a special attraction to Pontiacs.