Studely

I am 48 years old and still relatively new to hot rods and customs. That is to say, I've been into cars as long as I can remember, but high school was pretty much all about muscle cars. While I've admired early cars for a very long time, I almost always associated them with either high dollar restorations or street rods. In early 2006, I began itching for a '50s sled, and fell in love particularly with the '55-'56 Mercs. I met some people who have been into kustoms all their life, and while looking for a driver/project I was encouraged by Big Rich to check out a '53 Studebaker. Although it needed work – mostly to look better – it was a good running car, a real driver, and it spoke to me about what it could become. I bought the car, then Greg and Lindsay helped me DA away the hideous Barney purple flames and ugly white paint. Greg shot it with a stock blue PPG primer/sealer, and I drove it to Paso Robles (25th, the last one) from Colorado Springs three weeks later – all essentially without a hitch. Since then we've lowered it, shaved the door handles and mirrors, welded up the side vents, smoothed the deck lid and rest of the body, and have plans for some more mild kustom alterations. The car still runs like a champ. Even though I would still love to stumble across a '56 Montclair much the same way I did the Studebaker, I love the Stude like crazy. I'm also searching for the right hot rod to build, but money dictates that I take one thing at a time, more or less. In 2007, Johnny Walker offered to sell me a very nice '28 Sedan body to start my hot rod project, but I passed due to lack of funds. I kick myself now, but one of these days I'll get something going again...