Gorgeous 1952 Studebaker DOHC V8

[BobPalma]

A few of us have seen the DOHC Studebaker V8 engine Indianapolis 500 competitor J. C. Agajanian had built for the 1952 Indianapolis 500. It's displayed at The Speedway Museum in Lincoln, Nebraksa, which should be on every gearhead's bucket list...at the top.

'Just today picked up this June 1953 Hop-Up, one of the earliest hot rod magazines of the postwar era. You can see what it says across the top:



Within its pages is the most thorough, 6 full page report I've ever seen about the engine, with extensive photographs. I wish I could copy and reproduce the whole thing, but that's a bit daunting. Here's the opening page:



Here's a full-page piece of line art of the engine. Beautiful. (The day they make a small-block Chevy this pretty, bring me some ketchup: I'll eat it):



This engine is a work of art...art accomplished in 1952 from the best new V8 of the postwar era...in my never-so-humble opinion on the matter, of course! <GGG> BP

[Dick Steinkamp]

Here is that beautiful motor (along with a couple of random Stude guys ) in Lincoln at Speedy Bills...





Here are some more pictures...

Stude DOHC V8

[jlmccuan]

Pics I took after Speedweek 2011.

http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x98/jlmccuan/DOHC%20Studebaker/?albumview=slideshow

[BobPalma]

Super, Dick and Jim. Thanks so much for the supplements.

Nice overview from Dick's group:



BP

[ddub]

I see the displacement is 274. Do we know the HP?

[kmac530]

Says right in the first page 370hp, and to my surprise and delight, it was funded by my old pal J. C. Agajanian.

[kmac530]

Such a stock based block even the motor mount is the same as my 232 and 289. Same lifter cover. Amazing.

[jlmccuan]

The block even has lifter bores visible in a couple of pics. Also, several interesting differences in the two displayed engines. I'd love to get a look at the third for comparison.

[8E45E]

And here's what it could have been YOURS for as per the ad in the June, 1982 Turning Wheels!!



Craig

[SN-60]

Every time I see a picture of the Studebaker Indy V-8 I think for a second I'm looking at a V-8 NOVI. I guess everyones thinking back then ran in similar directions. The NOVI had the blower, but otherwise the two engines, at a
quick glance, look very similar. If the NOVI had the beefy Stude 5 main bearings as opposed to the Ford style 3, perhaps it would have held together and won the Indy 500 at least once!

[Don Jeffers]

And here's what it could have been YOURS for as per the ad in the June, 1982 Turning Wheels!!



Craig

When I was a teenager, I dreamed of this engine for my '53 hardtop.

I never knew it was for sale in '82. If I had, I might have been able to have bought it instead of my R2 Avanti. Oh well, I know the museum made far better use of it than I ever would have.

A beautiful engine from Leo Goosen for my favorite marque. Mr. Goosen was the designer of several beautiful engines. The story of Leo is an interesting one in itself.

Many thanks to all for the photos, the links and bringing back beautiful dreams.

[BobPalma]

And here's what it could have been YOURS for as per the ad in the June, 1982 Turning Wheels!!



Craig

Amazing, Craig; I don't remember that ad, either. 'Probably because it might as well have been $65,000 at the time.

That is the same year I corresponded with the owner of one of the single-digit 1971 Hemi Cuda convertibles, thinking of buying it as it was in nice original condition.

But he wanted $6,000 for it! I mean, who could afford $6,000 for a nice, original, authentic 1971 Hemi Cuda convertible 30 years ago; outrageous!

(I still have the little photos and correspondence with him somewhere.) Ah, hindsight is so wonderful. BP

[8E45E]

'Probably because it might as well have been $65,000 at the time.

It was the same situation for me back in '82. But it was that wonderful cutaway line drawing of it that remained in my mind all these years later. Yes, pictures ARE worth a thousand words!!

Craig

[jnormanh]

Every time I see a picture of the Studebaker Indy V-8 I think for a second I'm looking at a V-8 NOVI. I guess everyones thinking back then ran in similar directions. The NOVI had the blower, but otherwise the two engines, at a
quick glance, look very similar. If the NOVI had the beefy Stude 5 main bearings as opposed to the Ford style 3, perhaps it would have held together and won the Indy 500 at least once!

Sure they look alike.

The Novi V8 was conceived by Bud Winfield, and the Stude 4 cam by Willie Utzman, but they both came off the drawing board of Leo Goossen and many parts for both were built in the Miller/Offenhauser shop. The Stude failed at Indy because Utzman decided to make the crank himself.

Three mains or not, AFAIK, the Novis never broke a crank.

[SN-60]

For more on this try "Bobby Unser and Parnelli Jones talk about Andy Granatelli", on You Tube