For those of you who want more details on the various Porsche-Studebaker cars, take a look at Dede Sewards' blog:
https://dedeporsche.com/2012/11/03/p...ject-type-542/
She certainly found a lot of the history and some good photos, including the stuff on my website, LOL!
The strange positioning of the trunk lid was not done by Curtis-Wright or Studebaker. I don't think the Lark ever made it South Bend, just the C-W facility in NJ. The lid change was done by the last owner because the car overheated frequently. Curtis-Wright put the engine in the trunk behind an incredibly thick steel plate and installed a small Porsche vent in the trunk lid. The rear windshield was narrowed and 1/4" thick steel plates were used to replace the corners and stiffen the body. Apparently there was not enough air circulation. The car was never intended for production, just as a mule to eventually test Wankel rotary engines. They didn't get beyond evaluating how the car performed with the tiny 1300 cc Porsche engine, which certainly weighed much less than the Champ 6 with automatic that the car originally came with. Porsche's only involvement in this car was to sell C-W a used, rebuilt circa 1953 Porsche engine that they apparently had in a warehouse in NJ. I drove the car around the circle in my driveway on one day and noted that it didn't have any "punch", though it might have been interesting to try it on some winding country roads with the engine wound up. [Tom Walgamuth: you would have loved an opportunity like that!] When it was at my house, it didn't have the hydraulic brakes working, only the handbrake, and the dual Weber carbs gushed gas all over the place. I had to shut it down before it caught fire, and that would have been embarrassing. I was just babysitting the car for a few weeks until the transporter arrived to haul it to the Museum. However, the previous owner had driven it all over New England for many years before the car was donated to the museum, so it was roadable - or had been. I'm sure that getting the carbs rebuilt and installing some new wheel cylinder kits and brake shoes would have the car running just fine. I've dreamed about seeing it driving around at a meet in South Bend. I'll help raise the money.
The small Porsche Type 633 car was an entirely different project.
https://dedeporsche.com/2012/11/03/p...ject-type-542/
She certainly found a lot of the history and some good photos, including the stuff on my website, LOL!
The strange positioning of the trunk lid was not done by Curtis-Wright or Studebaker. I don't think the Lark ever made it South Bend, just the C-W facility in NJ. The lid change was done by the last owner because the car overheated frequently. Curtis-Wright put the engine in the trunk behind an incredibly thick steel plate and installed a small Porsche vent in the trunk lid. The rear windshield was narrowed and 1/4" thick steel plates were used to replace the corners and stiffen the body. Apparently there was not enough air circulation. The car was never intended for production, just as a mule to eventually test Wankel rotary engines. They didn't get beyond evaluating how the car performed with the tiny 1300 cc Porsche engine, which certainly weighed much less than the Champ 6 with automatic that the car originally came with. Porsche's only involvement in this car was to sell C-W a used, rebuilt circa 1953 Porsche engine that they apparently had in a warehouse in NJ. I drove the car around the circle in my driveway on one day and noted that it didn't have any "punch", though it might have been interesting to try it on some winding country roads with the engine wound up. [Tom Walgamuth: you would have loved an opportunity like that!] When it was at my house, it didn't have the hydraulic brakes working, only the handbrake, and the dual Weber carbs gushed gas all over the place. I had to shut it down before it caught fire, and that would have been embarrassing. I was just babysitting the car for a few weeks until the transporter arrived to haul it to the Museum. However, the previous owner had driven it all over New England for many years before the car was donated to the museum, so it was roadable - or had been. I'm sure that getting the carbs rebuilt and installing some new wheel cylinder kits and brake shoes would have the car running just fine. I've dreamed about seeing it driving around at a meet in South Bend. I'll help raise the money.
The small Porsche Type 633 car was an entirely different project.
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