51 Studebaker truck project

[mike528]

Found this thing at a local scrap yard while shopping for useable metal for other projects and had to have it. showed some pics of it to my parents and we brought it home a week later. a little bit of the back story we are related to the Studebaker family on my moms side and have a special interest in Studebakers, combined with the family farm and some of the old deeres we have. Progress on this will be slow. The plan for now is to get it running again and put a flatbed on it and maybe do a few local car and tractor shows. maybe take it to the family reunion or two. Once i have a bigger shop a repower and new drive train will probably be started.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

That is an amazing junk yard find! Intact glass? Minimal rust?

 

[mike528]

the floor boards and steps need replaced but arent too bad. all of the glass is good and motor turns over freely.

 

[captain14]

Cool project. Did you get a backstory on the truck? How it ended up at the scrapyard?

Please post your story as you do the work on the truck.

 

[mike528]

it was from the owner of the scrap yards personal stash. he had it as a farm truck for several decades but he was not the original owner.

the current plan for the eventual re power is a dana 80 rear out of a newer dodge or ford truck, with an air ride suspension. The front end and motor are dependent on what kind of a deal i can find from a donor truck. 4x4 would be cool but not necessary. front will be air ride as well and undecided on ride height. will definately be keeping the original frame.

 

[motoretro]

it was from the owner of the scrap yard owners personal stash. he had it as a farm truck for several decades but he was not the original owner.

the current plan for the eventual re power is a dana 80 rear out of a newer dodge or ford truck, with an air ride suspension. The front end and motor are dependent on what kind of a deal i can find from a donor truck. 4x4 would be cool but not necessary. front will be air ride as well and undecided on ride height. will definately be keeping the original frame.

It would be neat if you put a Stude V8 in it, they're great engines. You could put a auto OD or manual w/ OD behind it via a adapter.

 

[Ben Buck]

Mike , what year is this find ?

 

[Badgerstate]

Found this thing at a local scrap yard while shopping for useable metal for other projects and had to have it. showed some pics of it to my parents and we brought it home a week later. a little bit of the back story we are related to the Studebaker family on my moms side and have a special interest in Studebakers, combined with the family farm and some of the old deeres we have. Progress on this will be slow. The plan for now is to get it running again and put a flatbed on it and maybe do a few local car and tractor shows. maybe take it to the family reunion or two. Once i have a bigger shop a repower and new drive train will probably be started.

Thats going to be an awesome, fun build.

 

[mike528]

It would be neat if you put a Stude V8 in it, they're great engines. You could put a auto OD or manual w/ OD behind it via a adapter.

Planning on a 6.0 LQ4 and would like to keep a manual transmission behind it. I already have a motor and am more familiar with it. Other motor consideration is a 12v Cummins


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

 

[jhn9840]

The find of a lifetime there. Looking forward to more.

jhn9840
John

 

[BORING HOP YARD]

This will be a great project, glad to see you give it a 2nd chance!

 

[Jim greengo]

Cool old truck.

 

[toplessHO]

this is pretty close to a you **** find.
Keep this going as you progress

 

[matt_i]

Ahh a flathead!

You don't see many of those around! A model of compact simplicity although not efficiency.

The Gen 3 "LS" engines are wider thru the exhaust manifolds than the Gen 2 350/383 engine family. Same applies to the 8.1 vs. 454 families. Shame to have to cut up frame rails for the wider width if you didn't have to.

A nice TBI/HEI setup would run for ages and give you lots of basic torque to get around.

 

[mike528]

dont plan on cutting any rails if I dont have to. with the exception of 4 link hangers and bag mounts. exhaust manifolds will probably be long tubes and I will probably try to do those myself. other issue is finding a transmission that will work and possibly adding cross members for that. havent taken any measurements yet. have a couple years until I dig into it that far. just going to try to get it running and driving when it warms up.

 

[mike528]

Starting to warm up here in Ohio (maybe) and plan to move it indoors to start working on getting it running and driving yet this year as it is, and find a flatbed for it.
Still in the research phase for the long term goals, trying to figure out which parts I need to keep an eye out for so I can snag them at a good price. due to the engine power goals decided to shop for a rebuildable 4l80 to beef up and keeping it 2 wheel drive, still on the fence on air ride.
Does anyone have any recommendation for the front axle? I am hoping to find an older 1-ton 2wd dodge or ford rolling chassis to get the axles, power steering and brake system from. Particularly a dana 80 rear end.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Gotta be 4x4.......