Another new to me (old custom) Studebaker..

[junior]

Has this one been discussed before on this forum?... appears to be a nice restoration of the original custom!

http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_car_photos/customcars_i_like/studebaker_custom_cars/junked-1953-studebaker/studebaker-2013-02-.html#media

(24 photos in link)

cheers, Junior

[GThawkwind]

Oh wow! I think I saw the pre resto remains of this car in a few old threads, it looked toast, I guess not.

[clonelark]

From beautiful front end to ugly.

[PlainBrownR2]

Yeah, I know that vehicle, the owner was a lifelong neighbor of ours. He was pretty heavy into the Studebakers at that point, owning quite a few of them(buying, selling, and driving, not collecting), notwithstanding also driving quite a few of the Avanti's when they first rolled out. We bought his '63 Avanti R2/Powershift from his family to match the twin that we already had after he had passed awhile back. I knew of the car, but I didn't know it either still existed, or was still around until that photo album appeared.

[junior]

From beautiful front end to ugly.

perhaps, but it is period-perfect and I`m happy that someone took the time to restore it. I`m willing to bet it looks a lot better in real life. I would also have to agree that Bourke got it right for the 53 and nothing will ever look better including subsequent revisions from 54 right up to the 64 from Studebaker itself. Cheers, Junior

[DEEPNHOCK]

Let the fins finish growing and it would almost look like a Bertone BAT5....

[rockinhawk]

Let the fins finish growing and it would almost look like a Bertone BAT5....

What is that? I hope not a Studebaker!

[52-fan]

I've never been a fan of canted headlights, but, taken in its proper era, that is not a bad looking custom.

[sweetolbob]

perhaps, but it is period-perfect and I`m happy that someone took the time to restore it. I`m willing to bet it looks a lot better in real life. I would also have to agree that Bourke got it right for the 53 and nothing will ever look better including subsequent revisions from 54 right up to the 64 from Studebaker itself. Cheers, Junior

It's hard to improve the 53/54 front sheet metal but it sure is a major improvement on the 55's, JMHO. In any case, it is a custom and I'll judge it at that. I like the car.

Bob

[studeclunker]

I concur with Bob entirely. Outstanding custom and I'm delighted to see it didn't go to waste as so many customs do. I really don't like customs as a rule, but this is really a nice one. Then again... he did start with a really beautiful car to begin with, so where's to go wrong? Too bad it's not in dark green...

The Bat5 was a 1953 Alfa Romero Concept car. I loved it growing up and still like the car. No classic production car was vandalized in the creation of the Bat5 (LOL).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_BAT

[PlainBrownR2]

To get the custom to the way that he did, they chopped it, channelled it, restyled the front end, added in the canted headlights, added in the rear taillights, added in the '58 Hawk fins, and to smooth it all out, removed all of the trim, closed up the trim holes, and came out with a very slick custom. The only thing different is the color, and the Chevy stoneguard that's in the front scoop, and I can understand why that's up there. Even better, it was all leaded in(oh there's that horrible, horrible term again), so I'd say there was a certain level of skill involved. Of course there must have been quite a bit of work put into it, because they made Car Craft magazine with it. Most of us here don't even get our designs off of the drawing board, or the forum for that matter. The rest of us start something like that, and then a few years later, it finds itself on Craigslist in a half finished state. This one did not. Now, if you're gonna poke fun at a vehicle that had alot of manhours put into a street rod, because that's what it is, just remember, they made Car Craft with theirs, many many years ago. Since a few of you think that it looks odd(and I mean it's a 60's custom after all), I know a few of you already have one foot in the grave, and one foot on the banana peel, so I have to ask, have you made Car Craft with yours?

[Noxnabaker]

I would only want the grill-corners different, happier, for the rest I like it A LOT!
Maby some color also, I aint to found of bad-weather-"color".
That's my very own bad taste...

[jimmijim8]

The guy for sure did a whole lotta work to save a significant piece of nostalgia. A custom car. Not my cup of tea but kudos to the guy that saved it from the bone yard. cheers jimmijim

[PlainBrownR2]

The car was not modified recently though, the car was modified in the 60's. The car was built at the time when the likes of Ed Roth, George Barris, and the like were building their cars, so it's really a time capsule. There wasn't anything about rarity, value, history, or provenance, you did these things because they looked cool, as it was just another vehicle at that point. What had happened here, was the new owner had stumbled upon the old custom, bought it, and simply refreshed it, so it could be driveable again. That's the other kicker, is that cars like these might be modified, driven until something goes bust, or sold, and then it's never heard from again. That's what happened here. He sold the vehicle, but years later, he didn't know where it went, but had some idea of where it was. The only thing that's different is the new owner just painted the metallic silver color, added an interior, drivetrain, and that Chevy grille in the front, to make it streetable again. The rest has remained unchanged for over 50 years.

[clonelark]

I like this one better.