1951 Studebaker Champion Starlite Coupe PT build

[Larry R]

Hello: I am new to this forum, but think I have found a home. I have been building my Stude (for the second time), for more years than I care to remember. I first purchased the car in 1965 and built it up primarily as a street/drag car. It was definitely a budget build as I was a college student at the time. I was able to purchase a Dodge V8 from a friend and, along with a Torqueflite transmission, it was installed in my Stude. It made many trips to Lions drag strip as well as San Fernando and Orange County. It was not very fast but I had a lot of fun with that car. I went on active duty with the USN in 1968 and after completing training in late 1969, I was stationed back in California at Alameda Naval Station.
I found that I had little time for the Stude then so I sold it. I regretted it but did nothing to see if I could find it and get it back. Then in 1993 a friend from my old neighborhood sent me a photo of a Stude that was for sale. When I saw the photo, I instantly knew it was my '51 Stude. I called the guy and verified it was in fact my Stude, and he was willing to sell it. The car was still in California, just a few miles from my Mom's house. I was by then living in Texas, (still am), so I asked him to hold the car until I could fly out there and look at it. It had been repainted, involved in a wreck on the left front of the car and no longer had the engine or transmission in it. We struck a deal and he towed it over to my Mom's house for storage until I could retrieve it. The car needed a total rebuild but it was rust free and the damage was very fixable. But, there is always a but, I was deeply involved in the resto-mod of my '57 Chevy, so the '51 Studebaker had to sit for several years until I could get to it.

The Stude has:
SB Chevy 350 4 bolt, forged crank and Dart heads
Weiand 177 blower, Hooker headers,
Holley HP throttle body fuel injection, TH400 "Switch Pitch" transmission,
Gear Vendors overdrive, '70 Camaro narrowed 12 bolt, 3.55 ratio, Positraction, Ford bearings and Moser axles.
Aluminum driveshaft, Cal Tracs.
'68 Camaro front clip with Global West upper and lower A arms and a Guldstrand anti sway bar.
Rear leaf springs, with a Studebaker anti sway bar and panhard bar.
Ididit steering column
Custom wiring harness and much, much more.

I will post more photos when I can.



Me and Stude circa 1968


Me and Stude circa 1993

Frame construction

What it looks like today