STU-V

[Mike]

Was STU-V, in Los Angeles, a Studebaker dealer in the mid '50's?
Miike

[8E45E]

More here: http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...3441-stu-v-car

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?85719-Any-one-recall-quot-Stu-V-quot-San-Diego-area-Studebaker-Performance-shop-from-the-1970s

Craig

[Mike]

Thanks for the references to STU-V. I still want to know, were they an Official Stude dealer, that is did they sell new cars, or what?
Mike

[Alan]

Try this Mike.

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[Buzzard]

Thanks for the memories.
On or about 1971 I built an R4 clone for my '63 GT Hawk after being inspired by the Granatelli related article in CarLife magazine, I believe. STU-V was my major vendor for the Dual Fours, Air cleaner, Intake manifold and linkage. It was all correct NEW factory part numbers for everything. There were two intake port configurations available, stock ports or R3-R4. I retained the smaller ports and chose to modify my existing heads. Recognizing that the cylinder heads were the weak link in the package, I sought information from Iskenderian and heavily modified the heads using Isky springs, retainers etc. Ford 406 Valves and started porting. As far as I was concerned, Chris Banke and the STU V setup was the proverbial "Cat's Meow". Jahn's Pistons custom forged the 12.5 to 1 pistons, Total Seal supplied the chrome rings(which took forever to break in) and Frost & French supplied the 288 degree camshaft over which Racer Brown waved his magic wand. Years later it still runs like hell and uses all the CFM available.
How STU-V acquired all this stuff I was never clear, just thankful I found it.
Bill

[PackardV8]

Thanks for the references to STU-V. I still want to know, were they an Official Stude dealer, that is did they sell new cars, or what?
Mike

David will have to confirm, but AFAIK, STU-V was never an authorized new car dealership; always a small shop performance parts vendor. They designed and had some parts built and bought out most of the Granatelli remaining stock when Paxton closed.

jack vines

[Mike]

David will have to confirm, but AFAIK, STU-V was never an authorized new car dealership; always a small shop performance parts vendor. They designed and had some parts built and bought out most of the Granatelli remaining stock when Paxton closed.

jack vines

Thanks, Jack, that's what I kind of expected. I'm trying to track down the story that a Stude dealer modified a number of new '55 Speedsters with Paxton/ McCulloch superchargers. I have the road test of a STU-V Speedster. Was that the origin of the story? It makes a difference if the installation was done by a Stude dealer on new cars.
Mike

[Alan]

Mike, John McKusick had a shop right on the corner of Pico Blvd and Velasco. It was only a 30' x 30' building with a small parking lot in the rear. His son still owns the building and works out of it. In 1959 I went there and bought a set of his lightened rocker arms, they set me back a whole $15. I was making $.85 an hr. and working 20 hrs a week, that was almost a weeks pay. He was the Lional Stone or Henry Morgan of the 50's and 60's. It was all hot rod stuff, manifolds, adapter bellhousings and engine parts. He did the machining and a place on the same side of Pico about 3 doors down did all his castings.

[Hawklover]

There is no greater source of STU-V information than Jon Myer, who was in the thick of it back in the day. Living very close to where "all the action" was taking place. Jon should write a book.......my life with Studebaker performance.

Was STU-V, in Los Angeles, a Studebaker dealer in the mid '50's?
Miike

[Mike]

Mike, John McKusick had a shop right on the corner of Pico Blvd and Velasco. It was only a 30' x 30' building with a small parking lot in the rear. His son still owns the building and works out of it. In 1959 I went there and bought a set of his lightened rocker arms, they set me back a whole $15. I was making $.85 an hr. and working 20 hrs a week, that was almost a weeks pay. He was the Lional Stone or Henry Morgan of the 50's and 60's. It was all hot rod stuff, manifolds, adapter bellhousings and engine parts. He did the machining and a place on the same side of Pico about 3 doors down did all his castings.

Thanks Alan. The road test I have is from "Motor Life", August 1955 and mentions McKusick. The modified Speedster was significantly faster than a Golden Hawk the same magazine tested a year or two later. I find it believable because of the higher compression ratio of the Speedster and its lower gearing, (OD vs auto). The VS-57A supercharger also produced a little more boost, no gasket between the scroll cover and sc body. The Speedster used a 4 BBL carb, which may or may not have been better than the Golden Hawk air box and 2 BBL.
The test was done by Dean Moon, presumably of Moon Equipment Co. "Moon Eyes", and their drag cars. It's from Motor Magazine, and the text is available at the VS57 web site, under road tests, www.vs57.com/index.htm. The magazine article is only one page and includes two photos, one of the smoking rear tires on the Speedster, and a poor shot of the engine compartment.
Thanks to everyone for all the information about STU-V.
Mike

[Mike Van Veghten]

Mike -

Just for reference - Back in the timeframe you are talking about the STU-V stuff, "Moon Equipment Co" (or, "Moon Equipped") was the name of Dean Moons shop.
It didn't become "Moon Eyes" until after Dean and his wife died and the business was sold to Shige Suganuma from...Japan.

Mike

[studegary]

Thanks, Jack, that's what I kind of expected. I'm trying to track down the story that a Stude dealer modified a number of new '55 Speedsters with Paxton/ McCulloch superchargers. I have the road test of a STU-V Speedster. Was that the origin of the story? It makes a difference if the installation was done by a Stude dealer on new cars.
Mike

Where does it make a difference? Either way, it was not a factory authorized modification. They were similar to the Studillacs that were built as new cars by Frick, who also was not a Studebaker dealer.

[Xcalibur]

Ah, yes... I still have one of the larger-port, carbs facing-front, Stu-V intakes out in the shop somewhere, with the matching 2-bbl carbs.

A local kid bought it decades ago being told it would fit a 289. Of course, it didn't fit... his Ford. He found out what it was and tracked me down to unload it. I had no need for it but bought it because I felt sorry for the kid who also had a very pregnant, young wife.

[jims53]

Mike, John McKusick had a shop right on the corner of Pico Blvd and Velasco. It was only a 30' x 30' building with a small parking lot in the rear. His son still owns the building and works out of it. In 1959 I went there and bought a set of his lightened rocker arms, they set me back a whole $15. I was making $.85 an hr. and working 20 hrs a week, that was almost a weeks pay. He was the Lional Stone or Henry Morgan of the 50's and 60's. It was all hot rod stuff, manifolds, adapter bellhousings and engine parts. He did the machining and a place on the same side of Pico about 3 doors down did all his castings.

Alan I enjoy reading your comments on this forum, no BS, just telling it like it was. You were there, first hand information. By the way I was making $1.00 an hour 20 hours a week working on Studebakers in 1959... Jim

[Dick Steinkamp]

I had the earlier Stu-V intake on the Kart Hauler...with the carbs turned sideways. It made for interesting carb linkage but at least you could get air cleaners on the carbs.