West Coast R3 builder?

[SN-60]

To stir the pot some more...and simply as a rhetorical exercise...let's say some enterprising soul with the technical and production ability plus money decided to obtain the technical drawings or reverse-engineered some Studebaker V8 blocks and cast a number of R3 engine blocks and heads. This would be with using modern production techniques. Let's say the only visible differences would be the engine casting numbers, serial numbers and date codes. We'll leave costs out of this just for the fun of it. The same goes for aluminum R3 heads using modern flow and casting techniques and tricks. New design camshafts as well.

There are such companies doing that now with small-block Chevy engines, heads, cams, etc. They seem to be doing a good business for those wanting to build engines without resorting to dealing with GM for engines and accessories. Why can't this work for Studebaker performance guys? Again...we'll leave start-up costs and retail costs out of it.

Would this upset the purists amongst Studebaker enthusiasts? Would a completely new R3/R4 engine made from new castings, modern design and production techniques, new hi-po cylinder heads, cams, pistons, connecting rods, etc., be any less a Studebaker engine other than who made it? I know Lionel Stone tried that with aluminum heads and intakes with varying degrees of success and people want to buy those products when they can be found even if they require bench work to make them operate properly.

If someone wants a Paxton SN-60 rebuilt with new planetary balls made using the latest techniques for quality and consistency would that make the blower a genuine Studebaker? The same for parts such as wheel bearings, air and oil filters, fuel line, etc. We can take this to absurd degrees.

When you get down to it, Avanti Motors did much the same thing. They took what was essentially mostly leftover Studebaker parts and added a different engine and other detail parts and the end result was still an Avanti...unless you're a purist.

I certainly would fully support what you say above......AS LONG AS THESE 'NEW' STUDE V8's, VIRTUAL TWINS TO THE 'REAL DEAL', ARE NOT REFERRED TO AS THE 'REAL DEAL' !!!.......

There's only ONE original 'Mona Lisa'.....should artists that create virtually EXACT copies of that famous painting refer to their wonderful copies as 'The Mona Lisa'?....Think about it!....SN-60

[Gunslinger]

It's a little tougher to counterfeit the Mona Lisa...everyone knows where the original is, no matter how good a counterfeit another might be. No one will be fooled...and if they simply want a good copy to hang in their house, a copy will suffice as no one will mistake it for the original.

I also never said new build R3 engines would be referred to as the real deal. That's why I mentioned identifiable casting number, date codes and serial numbers. There will always be those who will restamp engine blocks trying to make a counterfeit...ask the Corvette crowd. There are more big block Corvettes out there with "original" engines than Chevrolet ever built. The same goes for Mopar big-block and Hemi cars. Supposedly about 70-75% of sports memorabilia on the market today is counterfeit. As long as someone perceives money to be made, there will be counterfeiters. It takes due diligence on everyone's part to not be taken in by crooks in this or any other hobby.

[SN-60]

It's a little tougher to counterfeit the Mona Lisa...everyone knows where the original is, no matter how good a counterfeit another might be. No one will be fooled...and if they simply want a good copy to hang in their house, a copy will suffice as no one will mistake it for the original.

I also never said new build R3 engines would be referred to as the real deal. That's why I mentioned identifiable casting number, date codes and serial numbers. There will always be those who will restamp engine blocks trying to make a counterfeit...ask the Corvette crowd. There are more big block Corvettes out there with "original" engines than Chevrolet ever built. The same goes for Mopar big-block and Hemi cars. Supposedly about 70-75% of sports memorabilia on the market today is counterfeit. As long as someone perceives money to be made, there will be counterfeiters. It takes due diligence on everyone's part to not be taken in by crooks in this or any other hobby.

Very well said.