'62 Daytona - A nostalgic project

[black56hawk]

Charlie hasn't torn up my GH seat yet.

[mbstude]

Charlie hasn't torn up my GH seat yet.

Charlie isn't 170 pounds of Yellow Labs.

[Colgate Studebaker]

Cooper and Bandit look very happy to be going for a ride!!

[mbstude]

While at the SDC national meet I picked up a complete NOS brown and white bucket seat interior (door panels, seat covers, and console cover), though I don't plan on installing it anytime soon.

I also picked up a second set of door and quarter panels. I wanted black, though I could only get green and brown. But, that's what SEM vinyl paint is for.

[mbstude]

Front seat is in. I also made up another shifter handle for the Hurst, using an NOS one for bench seat Larks.

[mbstude]

The summer heat is finally breaking.. Which means more garage time and progress on the Lark.

Today I ran a new metal fuel line from the tank to the pump, as well as a return line. Rather than drill a hole in the new tank, I routed the return line up through the trunk floor and plumbed it into the filler neck, mimicking the factory installed vent tube.

I'm using an original (rebuilt) Avanti R1 fuel pump and filter assembly with the built in return line port.









In other news, the charging system stopped working. I had previously rebuilt the generator and installed an NOS regulator, and all was well. While running the engine today, the generator light came on. I rebuilt another generator, and it worked for about 5 minutes and then the light came on again. Verified with a volt meter, no juice. I installed two different new regulators, still no juice. Tried polarizing it, still nothing.

So for the first time on any Studebaker I've had, I caved and ordered a one wire alternator.

George always ran an alternator on the car and he'd be giving me hell for putting a generator back on it anyway.

[M-Webb]

Good job on that fuel return line, should help with vapor lock, which I assume is why you are doing it. Putting the Holley EFI on my truck and that having a return line is one of the reasons I decided to give that a try.

230A output, crazy! As you know, I also am converting my truck from a generator to the factory type alternator that came with the 289. Still need to figure out the last bits on the proper wiring conversion connections. You didn't want to use a factory correct alt., didn't have one?

[62champ]

It is still in the low 90s in this part of the world - no relief or rain until next Wednesday - might dip into the mid '80s - burrr.

I have not had a '62-'66 Lark since 2002 and the '62 Daytona I bought a couple years ago reminded me how careful you have to fill the tank to keep it from splashing fuel everywhere. I got used to a '60 Lark from 2002 to 2019 - super easy to keep from overfilling (and if you do - the painted body work does not get wet . . .)

The photo of the inside of the filler neck reminded me, it is just a straight shot into the tank. Modern vehicles have a baffle just inside the filling neck that that has a hole just big enough for the end of the fuel filler to go in. It seems like that baffle is there to keep the fuel from kicking back through the opening - I wonder if something could be fitted just inside these filler necks on these later Larks to do the same?

Daytona is looking ready to take on the world.

[mbstude]

Good job on that fuel return line, should help with vapor lock, which I assume is why you are doing it. Putting the Holley EFI on my truck and that having a return line is one of the reasons I decided to give that a try.

You didn't want to use a factory correct alt., didn't have one?

Vapor lock prevention, and it keeps the higher fuel pressure from the R-series pump from potentially overwhelming the carb needle and seat.

My local electrical shop won't touch the old Prestolite alternators as he isn't able to repair the stators that are often bad. Since I'm not making any attempt at keeping this car "stock", it's function over form. The Tuff Stuff alternators are made in the USA and come with a warranty. That's good enough for me.

The photo of the inside of the filler neck reminded me, it is just a straight shot into the tank. Modern vehicles have a baffle just inside the filling neck that that has a hole just big enough for the end of the fuel filler to go in. It seems like that baffle is there to keep the fuel from kicking back through the opening - I wonder if something could be fitted just inside these filler necks on these later Larks to do the same?

Daytona is looking ready to take on the world.

I've seen more 62-66 Larks with gasoline stains below the filler cap than most any other car. A baffle in the filler neck wouldn't be a bad idea.

And it's getting close to being ready for a test drive, but I still have a lot of work to do. Suspension and brakes are next.

[bezhawk]

What is the bracket on the water manifold just above the fuel pump?

[mbstude]

What is the bracket on the water manifold just above the fuel pump?

AC compressor and idler pulley mount.

[mbstude]

This weekend's fun: New HD leaf springs, sway bar, and shocks.

I'd been dreading this just because of what a PITA it is to replace the shackle bushings in the frame. I don't think there's any easy way to do it (at least with the rear fenders and gas tank in place). For me it's always a fun game of finding out how many pieces of all-thread I can break.

[M-Webb]

Nice job as usual Matt. Yeah, anything under the car and you can pretty much be sure it's going to end up a PIA type of project. Especially if on the ground and not a lift. But at least it looks like you have a nice clean concrete floor to work on. And I see that clean work on the gas return line too, good job on that!

I feel you on the all-thread. I got a piece of SS all-thread to use for putting the cam gear on my 289 rebuild project and testing the end play. All was good on the end play part, easy. But then when I went to use it to put the alum gear back on, it got tighter and harder to turn as it got close, but not close enough. I did put some oil on the cam hub to let the gear slide on, but I didn't on the nut on the all-thread. Phil Harris had warned me to do that on the similar crank gear install set-up, which I did do, but I had forgot about it for the cam gear. Mistake. I ended up stretching out the threads on the all-thread and ruined that. Fortunately it was just the all-thread and I still had another 5'-6" of it left to make another fresh 6" section. I remembered to lube up the nut this time and it went on the rest of the way relatively easy. Lesson learned on that. But I also didn't ruin the threads in the cam hub hole, so that was best of all! Was happy about that.

[mbstude]

I finished up the alternator install after fabri-cobbling (Jerry Forrester term) a mounting bracket. It's a GM style "one wire", but also has a dedicated Ground terminal, and another terminal to plug the "idiot light" into.

I unwrapped the harness and repurposed the original generator wires, and all of the original voltage regulator connections have been removed to keep things tidy.

It's charging and the idiot light works. So far so good.

[mbstude]

Today's fun: Pulled apart the front suspension. Years ago, George installed Delrin inner control arm bushings, but for some reason didn't replace anything else. The tie rod ends, center bellcrank pivot, king pins, and outer control arm bushings are all trashed.

Good thing I have a great local source for Studebaker parts.