TripleL40's 1956 Studebaker Pickup

[Triplel40]

Here's my big project, 1956 Studebaker Pickup. It has a '64 model 259 V8 and a 4spd. My grandfather bought it waaaay back when, and it had been wrecked, so he put a '55 front clip on it. He drove it for years, and my uncles drove it in High School, then in 1986 it was parked in his back field and that's where it sat until I picked it up in '09. Took it home, cleaned it up, got a nice '56 style front clip for it, then tore it completely apart down to the bare frame, with the intention of getting the body work done and getting it put back together...before college. Well Life, and college, caught up with me, and I can't afford to get the body work done, so I threw the '55 front clip back on it, and I'm in the process of putting it all back together.

I'll just drive it the way it is until I'm done with college and can afford to get the body work all finished up. Fired her up the other day and she purred like a kitten. Leaving for college in a week, but hope to get the brakes finished up during Thanksgiving break, and the wiring all done during Christmas, so it will be drivable next summer. Can't wait! We just moved, and its over at our old house still, but my goal is to drive it (under its own power) up onto the trailer to move it tomorrow!

*Edit: More pictures of it here: http://s1245.photobucket.com/user/35g5/slideshow/1956 Studebaker Pickup Project

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Wildbill0088]

Awesome! Love the old Studes they are few and far between up here

 

[twomanymontes]

That looks like a very interesting project! Good Luck with it

 

[ShadowRejects]

awwwhhh yeah!! love these old rigs!

 

[Triplel40]

Took the battery out of my 88 and hardwired it to the ground and coil wire of the '56, and strapped a gas can to the frame and put the fuel line up in it, and used jumper cables to run the starter...fired up and purred. Drove it up and down the driveway a few times, and maybe did a couple of donuts, then drove it up on the trailer. That little 259 is a torquey engine, and it likes to spin tires...gonna be hard to keep myself from wasting rubber when I get it roadworthy Oh man I can't wait for that day. Now working on clearing a spot to park it when I leave for college next week, then the plan is to do the brakes when I get back for Thanksgiving break, and redo all the wiring during Christmas break. I am going to drive this truck next year! haha
...and yes, I know my springs on my '88 are sprung...

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[grampadirt]

I remember those old Studebakers from my younger days,always wanted one.I'd love to have a project truck like yours.

Noticed the old Honda XL.....early '80s? I had a '79 XL500 for a few years.

 

[Triplel40]

I remember those old Studebakers from my younger days,always wanted one.I'd love to have a project truck like yours.

Noticed the old Honda XL.....early '80s? I had a '79 XL500 for a few years.

Yep '84 XL250R...kick starter came apart inside the case and brutally beat everything up, and cracked the case. I had my shop teacher weld the crack back up, so it runs now, but the kick starter just doesn't work most of the time, so I push start it mostly...fuel pump's going out in my 88, so I've actually been riding that little Honda more than I've driven my truck lately. Plan to ride the wheels off of it until that engine finally gives up, and meanwhile shopping around for a good used replacement engine.

 

[Triplel40]

Headed off to college now, but both trucks are cozily put away in the barn. My 88 got a little bit of paint, then developed fuel problems, so they are both lifeless creatures at the moment. Can't wait to get home in November and work on them!

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Triplel40]

Jeeze almost haven't updated this in a year. Well, during Thanksgiving break ended up finding some good deals online. Got a 20Gal Aluminum fuel cell, fuel line, brake master cylinder, and front wheel cylinders. Mounted the fuel cell in the bed, plumbed it, and installed the new master and front wheel cylinders. Everything was going together pretty smoothly...

That's when I found out nobody can get the rear wheel cylinders for it. I thought they were identical to the front ones, so I could just adapt the line to run front cylinders on the rear, but turns out they aren't the same, as the fronts have a smaller bore than the rears....back to the drawing board.

Just bought a bunch of exhaust tubing, mandrel bends, glasspacks, and tips, so putting together the exhaust is the next thing on my list.

After I get the exhaust welded up, all I should need to get it on the road are the rear wheel cylinders and a mess of wiring that needs to be replaced. Making progress though.

 

[gstubbz]

Any update on this?