Looking at this car. Would you hot rod it, custom or return it to it's beauty from the 1941 model year. Putting a big block in it might not be a good idea. I wonder?
Considering how much isn't there (are there boxes inside with all the trim, grilles etc?) you may be better off building either something rough or something radical. Otherwise another car might be a better choice.
Hot rod it with a Stude V-8 they aren't small, light or fast but they sure are cool. 2nd choice for me would be a Nailhead Buick.
as a studebaker lover i would go with a packard v-8,374 or 352.there are some 320 cid packards out there go with the bigger engines.,a 5-speed,and a dana 44 rear.different is cooler than sbc any day.
How much do you like the car. If you dont plan on keeping it for a long time it will be difficult to get the money you spend on it back. Its a lot of work to do it high level, and you are missing many key parts, if you dont love the car I'd say get it running with whats available, have some fun and pass it on. Could be a cool cruiser, may have to stray from "traditional" to stay low buck and use later model parts to get it going, thats a lot of interior if youre having it done. I know "the love of building" arguments but consider how long you want the car.
I plan on keeping the car forever. I have seen the gasser cars and while I like them I don't want to walk that way. A stude motor is a way to go. What about a performance inline 6. I have all the trim and the bumpers are at the chromer now.
Bought this one on ebay... man the things are hard to get parts for!!! And expensive some guy was just selling a pair of tail lights fo $500! ..and I need parts! Front bumper... odds and ends..... Going with a 5.0 and a t5 with mustang ifs ( I wonder if they have the same 4 bolt wheel pattern... I don't have the car home yet, but it's in WV on my big brother's trailer. These things are light!
I am hot rodding a 46 stude. I love the look, I wouldn't think twice about buying that car but I like oddballs.
I'm with gotgas here, even if he does drive a rusty old wagon. I'm going to be hionest with you if you are into restorations you are in the wrong place we are hot rodders and customizers. There is a 41 Stude coupe hat makes it to the HAMB drags every year. It runs gas class and has for decades. It doesn't need to be a big block to run gas class a small block will do you just fine. I would suggest that you do try and build it clean. There are enough crappy builds in the name of traditional out there already.
The reason '41 taillights are expensive is because they're popular to use to customize other cars, not because Studes themselves are that popular. We had a decent '42 4dr here a couple years ago and I forget what it got traded off for now. Studes are good cars but a lot of the guys into them are cheap, they're cheap like Kaiser guys are cheap, I was on one of their forums and couldn't believe some of the imbecillic non-car-guy kind of comments I read. So that might be the best way to score parts is to find some of those clowns.
Very few Studes were ever really popular with the hot rod crowd. And you are right most of us Stude guys are so tight we squeek. We got into Studes because no one wanted one and they didn't weigh as much as a tri-5 chevy. What you got somethin' against pink wheels???
Yea someone once said that beauty is only skin deep but ugly goes to the bone. I know there are some remarkable sheet metal men on the HAMB but there aint no amount of plastic surgery in the world that can help that heap. That car needs to wear one glove and dance.
I like the orphans!!! Build it!! My 60 Lark will be out soon, straight axle, 413, and all the goodies!!!
I like the dashes on these studes.. and they make decent hotrods... I found something that stated the wieght of a coupe @ 2200 lbs..
Hold on there, I'm a stude guy and I am not cheap. I am not a clown either. Studebaker folks are old is what you see. I have post war and prewar Studebakers. I don't consider myself anything that you are proclaiming. Those are some foolish statments. Yes, their forums are family oriented. You will not find them cursing and calling others cheap. They are older folks that have alot of dignity about themselves. Wow, those are some hard core words for some real nice people. Look to your left That 55 Chevy is no cheap car. I have a street rod that ain't no cheap car either.
Thanks for helping me make up my mind. I'm putting it back to original. You know that car has been in movies ....right yes it has. It did pretty good for a cheap car
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