Daytona delusions

[junior]

Eyeballs and your butt in the seat is the only way you'll know. The mods look like they were done by someone that took the time to make them look good, a good sign. As with any car this age it needs to be driven to see if it meets your expectations. Nothing like 0-70 mph at a reasonable pace to find clunks and vibrations. Then cruise for some miles and watch the instruments. I doubt overheating will be an issue this time of year in the Duluth area but you need to see temp, oil pressure etc and then how it stops. You could ask if someone in the area can test it but you still need to know how it fits you. The good news is if you don't like the seats it's pretty easy to find a set from a local yard that will fit. With the size of most cars today, their seats will generally fit well in older cars and give much better comfort.

Mike is correct about asking your old shop but if they can fix an SBC, I can't imagine they can't in your neck of the woods or they wouldn't probably still be in business.

Bob

Yup...what Bob says.... and the engine of choice is really six of one, half a dozen of the other. The chance of a Stude engine/trans breaking is no better or worse than an a Chubby combo. What really matters is the person who is going to maintain and work on your car needs to be a competent mechanic that has a solid understanding of how to trouble shoot and repair old-school cars as you know that any half-century old car will need to be worked on sooner or later. Once you find, or if you still have that mechanic, have them look at the car you want to purchase and get their blessing. If they figure the car is a solid runner then buy it, have them service it at least once a year, and enjoy it. cheers, junior

[sweetolbob]

Eyeballs and your butt in the seat is the only way you'll know. The mods look like they were done by someone that took the time to make them look good, a good sign. As with any car this age it needs to be driven to see if it meets your expectations. Nothing like 0-70 mph at a reasonable pace to find clunks and vibrations. Then cruise for some miles and watch the instruments. I doubt overheating will be an issue this time of year in the Duluth area but you need to see temp, oil pressure etc and then how it stops. You could ask if someone in the area can test it but you still need to know how it fits you. The good news is if you don't like the seats it's pretty easy to find a set from a local yard that will fit. With the size of most cars today, their seats will generally fit well in older cars and give much better comfort.

Mike is correct about asking your old shop but if they can fix an SBC, I can't imagine they can't in your neck of the woods or they wouldn't probably still be in business.

Bob

[jclary]

...https://duluth.craigslist.org/cto/d/glidden-1962-studebaker-lark-daytona/6745639486.html[/URL]

I've heard countless times, that rodded cars make for difficult maintenance. Then again, McKinnon small blocks were quite a smooth fit for '65-66 Lark types. If I were to get this Daytona, I'd ditch the side pipes and put the bumpers back on, among other things. While conceding that an SBC drivetrain detracts from the full Stude experience, I've been telling myself the familiarity of the drive train might actually aid my guys at the shop. Am I kidding myself? The mike is yours...

Today, if you go buy a brand new vehicle, you will find that it is an assembly of parts sourced from all kinds of various locations and businesses. The main difference in these new cars and a rodded (custom) car is the documentation and purposeful engineering of the components for compatibility. So, in my opinion, on a modified/rodded car, the key is to have it well documented and the quality of how it was put together.

To address your title "delusions"...that will depend on you. How realistic your expectations match up to the reality of the car? In real life, just as in a pleasant dream, you might start out with a great happy experience, only to find a nightmare awaiting over the next hill. For someone with little experience or who simply don't like tinkering with tools, views mechanical quandaries as misery instead of a challenge, and dependent upon a mechanic for support...owning one of these cars can turn nightmare at any moment. Components break, mechanics become sick, and garages change personnel and others close up shop. The more you are willing to do yourself, the less you are depending on someone else. Only you can decide how much you are willing to put up with to enjoy one of these relics of our past, regardless of how it is put together today. As long as you recognize this reality and adjust your expectations accordingly...the better off you will be. So go for it and share the experience here.

[Kurt]

[LarkR2Clone]

Looks like a nice car. I would also get rid of the side pipes. I would not have a problem with the drive train that is in it.

James

[drpreposterous]

Hmm, kinda wish I'd put a little more focus into that

[Mike Van Veghten]

Pretty simple really.
Seems like you might ask...the shop that you trusted your original Studebaker too..!

Mike

[drpreposterous]

It's been several years since I had the privilege of owning and driving a wonderful '60 Lark. it was my first, and thus far, only Stude. After foolishly selling it, I find myself more and more wanting the Stude experience again. But unlike many of you, I haven't put in time and effort under hoods and on creepers in my life. I'm a darn good nurse, just not a wrench man, and at my age (59) unlikely to change that.

That, of course, makes the prospect of owning a Stude without racing to the poorhouse a dubious enterprise. But the itch wants scratching. Is it crazy to figure my local shop (which admirably kept my '60 in shape), would be able to help me keep an SBC powered Daytona going?

https://duluth.craigslist.org/cto/d/...745639486.html

I've heard countless times, that rodded cars make for difficult maintenance. Then again, McKinnon small blocks were quite a smooth fit for '65-66 Lark types. If I were to get this Daytona, I'd ditch the side pipes and put the bumpers back on, among other things. While conceding that an SBC drivetrain detracts from the full Stude experience, I've been telling myself the familiarity of the drive train might actually aid my guys at the shop. Am I kidding myself? The mike is yours...