Thread: 1950 Studebaker Champion Mordoor project!

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My plans for the car are to update the front and rear suspension and the interior keeping most of the body stock appearing.

Here's the front suspension put together for now.



I got a got a good deal from a friend on the tires and wheels. They had only about a 1000 miles on them. They are Coker tires and Chevy rims the trim rings I had from my 95 Chevy pick-up. I kept them when I put new rims on the truck and saved them.



I pulled the rear end out and made some new spring hangers for the front and rear. I have a 2003 Chevy S-10 rear end for it and it fit perfect. I was going to use the stock S-10 springs but they had too much arch and the back end was too high might have been a little stiff too. I didn't want to use lowering blocks so I got a pair of lowering leaf springs from Chassis Engineering. Those are the S-10 springs in the picture.


Close up view

Once I got the front and rear suspension in I mocked up a Chevy Small Block with a 700R4 inplace to check for firewall clearance. I had to move the firewall back 4".

Here a shot from the front.

And one from inside. I'm using a Lokar shifter.


Here's the engine I will be using. Its a 400 Chevy from Speedway Motors. My ex brother-in-law had it in a 71 Chevelle. He pulled it out when he sold the car. It had only about 10k miles on it. He left it at my sisters house and she called me one day and said for me to come get it out of her gargage. I said OK!

It was just a long block but the price was right. Free!

The only place there was rust was on the drivers side floor and body mount. I cut out the floor and put some beads in it and welded it in.



When I built the trans tunnel I used the old tunnel just raised it up about 4". I left a removable panel so I could get the linkage easier.

Here's the body mount I had to replace. I found a replacement on a site on the internet. So I didn't have to fabricate one.


Front view with new recessed firewall. I think on 51 Studes the year of their first V8 they had a recessed firewall to make room for their V8. The booster and master cylinder were out of a 78 Firebird.



As was the brake pedal assembly and steering column (with key). The seats are 6 way power, heated leatherfrom a 2003 Trailblazer $300 for the pair. I also got the center console and over head console for another $100.

The driveshaft tunnel I made on a 3' sheetmetal brake making a small bend every 1/8"-1/4". Sure wish I had a slip roller.



Here's a shot of the dash. I had to add 4" to widen the original dash to clear the Vintage air conditioning condenser. It can get hot here in NM and I want to be comfy!



There's a view of the console too. It fit perfect!

Another view of the dash.



I made a cardboard template for the front of the dash and cut it out of 18 gauge.



Finished dash with Auto Meter Gauges in Billet Specialties Bezel. I used the original glove box door.



Test fit in car.

I finished up the dash and got it in the car. Started making a mounting place for the CD/DVD player. I need to make some sort of side panels to go from the console to underneath the dash to cover this area and mount the heater vents.



Got an electric wiper motor from Newport Engineering. O boy, no more vacuum wipers that only worked when it wasn't raining! Bolts right in place of the original motor.





Here's a shot of the 6 way power Leather seats and console from a 2003 Trailblazer.

Put on a new power brake booster this one is 7" diameter. The stock GM one was hitting the fender. As it is I will still have to modify the fender for clearance.



Steering Shaft using a SS Borgeson double universal Chevy splined to double D.



I'm using a support in the middle since it has 3 universals in the shaft. Lower universl is a SS Borgeson Mustang II rack to double D