'59 Lark Gasser

[yeroldad]

I have a '59 Lark, full cage, tilt front end, I beam front axle, a Gasser. I have a few motor choices, but haven't decided which one to use, or find something else, more nostalgic. I have a well built 460 Ford with a well built C6. Too new in my opinion. I have a stock '56 Cadillac motor with the hydro, but that's older than the car. I would love to put a Studebaker motor in it, but I don't have one, and I'm sure it would take a small fortune to build one for the car for racing. Suggestions? Anyone have something they'd like to sell cheap or donate to the cause? I'm in Eastern Washington, south of Spokane.

[StudeRich]

Your Car your choice, but I have never heard of anyone doing a "Power Upgrade" being concerned with Year of Engine !
It's Modified so whatever works and is affordable should be good, Cadillac's in Studes. were quite popular.

Two Door Sedan or Hardtop Lark?
Two Door Sedans were the most popular Drag Cars:





Holman and Moody "Track Car", below:

[yeroldad]

It's a sedan all right, and I am leaning towards the Cad motor. Jack Vines said he has a dual quad manifold for it, but I was thinking of making a tunnel ram type manifold. I'd get a cam ground and do some porting, compression increase, etc. I could put a turbo 400 behind it. I already have some steep gears for the rear end.

[bensherb]

If it were me, I'd go with the 460 Ford. Heck you already have it, and it's a 1968 introduced dinosaur too, so it wouldn't be unusual to find in a nine year older drag car body, it should look right at home. It's a drag car; remember there's no replacement for displacement! That is unless you come up with a hopped up 1970 500ci Cadillac instead. I'm thinking maybe an 8-71 and old school Enderle ribbed top "bug catcher". I always loved that look. Big is always better right? I'm an FE guy my self, never been big on the Lima. To be fair, I'd say like most do "I bleed Ford blue" , but today it came out red. I'm sure it was blue before it leaked out though! That's what's cool about Studebaker, they're Red ,White and Blue, so we're all covered!

[yeroldad]

Yeah, the 460 is probably the way I'll go. Funny you would mention Cad 500 motor. I built one for my (sold it) 46 Chev PU. Short flatbed, I built a 2x4 frame, 4link 9", M2 front suspension. That 500 dyno'd at 534HP and 610LBS torque, at 2200 RPM!. Smoke the 15" wide tires for blocks, ran low 13's, with 3.00 gears. And it got 17MPG @ 75MPH. I sold it to dump more money into my (straw bale) home. Wish I still had it, just like every other Hot Rod I have owned.

[bensherb]

Funny you mention a '46 Chevy pickup. I've had one since 1973. I put a Chevy small block, powerglide, big Chevy rear end, Mustang II front end and power brakes, and Chevy tilt column in it decades ago. Yep, that Cad is a monster. I used a couple of them in a '33 and a '40 Willys long ago too. I like your dyno numbers; I never dynoed one but I always thought they were under rated.

[yeroldad]

Ben, Something most people don't know about the Cad 472-500 is that is weighs 60 pounds more than a SBC. With a alm. intake and headers, it's pretty close to the same weight. Forged crank, extra hard block, etc. Bullet proof.

[daytonadave]

Don't forget about Mike Salamunovich's 59 Lark "Studependous" in the Los Angeles area. I still have a letter he wrote to me in 1972. He was not a member of SDC then. He got his high performance stuff from STU-V Products in CA.
He is a SDC member as of 2016 when I called him. Mike does not know where the drag car went. It was painted a dark brown metallic lacquer.

[yeroldad]

Cool article! And running in the 11's is very impressive. Musta had some real steep gears in that rear end! One reason why I am considering a Stude 289. I was offered a 259, which I know can go out to 289.

[Mike Van Veghten]

Eastern Washington -

One big thing about a modified chassis....it's UNIVERSAL...engine and transmission wise !!!

A simple engine and trans., mount change, and wha-la, a different power plant !
A big Ford this month, and a small Chevy, next month ...simple.

The way that I did my 60 Lark wagon, a simple motor plate, and trans. crossmember change, I can go from a Stude engine, to a 392 Chrysler Hemi, as quick as it takes to dig the different parts off of the shelf...!!

So, yeah, as simple as a motor mount change...DON'T let a brand name hold you down to one brand.
Use your imagination, keep things open and simple, no need to make life changing decisions, that ONLY...go one way ! Keep your options open.

Mike

[Silver Hawk 59]

"Run what you have" would be my 2cents... Those big Fords deliver every time and it's a bit different in a Stude to boot! We'd like to see some pictures of your rig!

[yeroldad]

Right now, there ain't much to look at, but when the weather gets better I'll post a couple pics. And yeah, that 460 is heathy, and I have a better intake and big roller cam to put in it. Had it in my '51 F3 flatbed. It ran in the low 15's, the few times I ran it down the track, and it weighed ~ 4K lbs. Got wrecked, so I pulled the motor and there it sits, for some 20 years! I am a "anything but a chuvy" guy.

[PackardV8]

Something most people don't know about the Cad 472-500 . . . . Forged crank

Minor point of order, the big Cad has a cast crank and cast connecting rods. Plenty strong for the horsepower, but just not forged.

jack vines

[shifter4]

Here is Richard Poe's Gasser . He runs a Normally Aspirated Studebaker engine . It is a contemporary gasser . It is quick .

[Silver Hawk 59]

Lots of ways to go...

[yeroldad]

Jack, you are partly correct. '71 and up were cast, pre '71 were forged.