1949 Studebaker 2R5 Pickup Restoration, custom build

[Deadbodyman]

we're making progress. Last night we got the drive shaft back from being welded. It's a newer GM Aluminum shaft. All the universals fit, we just had to shorten it about 10". So thats installed, and finished.



Then we've been working on the transmission cover for in the cab. With the new bigger 700R4, we had to notch, patch, and expand the studes, trans cover. We also had to cut a hole for the floor shifter. Here is a shot of the underside, so you can see the amount of material we had to add and what we had to cut and change.

then here is the top side, "all glassed in" as my dad kept saying, lol. Coat of fiber glass, and some paint. Still has some minor tweeks needed but its all but done. Going to get carpet and a nice shift boot, so it doesnt need to be the prettiest


We also filled all everything with fluids. Engine oil, Transmission fluid, and Rear Differential Gear Lube. So Now she rolls, shifts, and steers. We got brakes, coolant system, and wiring and she can actually run!

[jclary]

Your cover modification looks great. I'm impressed with the tightness and small size of the shifter opening. Should make it easier to seal against road grime, noise, and invasion from invading rodents.

[Deadbodyman]

Exactly we are keeping it as small as possible

[Deadbodyman]

ok, its been a while since i posted, i apologize, there hasn't been a whole lot of picture worthy work going on, and we got about 6 projects on the truck in the works, but not done.

Anyway, we did get the transmission cover done, and bolted back in.

then we've been working on the brakes. We got a new BIGGER, yet compact, dual master cylinder and brake booster. We also made our own bracket to mount it on the frame under the cab, like the OEM one. All new lines, all new splitter T's all new flexible hoses and lines for the wheels, and installed all that

The brake plumbing:


master cylinder and booster with hand made mounting bracket



And lastly, we made a plate to cover the original master cylinder access hole, and made a new one.



like i said, we been working on other things. we also completly re-designed the brake lever setup to work with the new MC/booster. New mounts, new rod, new grease fittings, shorter, changed the angle, removed the clutch pedal, etc. We have the fuel system 75% done. I got real nice, stainless braided line with AN fittings. I'm also in the middle of re-doing the Studebaker factory heater. Got its re-wired, cleaned and painted, just got to polish the cover and re assemble and its ready to go as well. So definitely more pictures to come soon

[Deadbodyman]

also once, the brake lever is in, and they are bled, that means we have the brakes, drivetrain, and fuel ran. so we'll be able to start working on the engine wiring, and she'll start, move and stop pretty soon.

[52-fan]

I'd like to see some more details and pictures of the master cylinder. One of the things I don't like to see is a big brake booster on the firewall of an old car or truck. Your set up looks clean.

[JoeHall]

I like the attention to detail, and that everything seems to be well thought out. From what you have shared with us, it looks like you are gonna have a one-of-a-kind truck, that is gonna be second to none mechanically.

[Deadbodyman]

52 fan, pics are hard to get under the truck like that. the 2 i posted, are pretty good pics of what the bracket and set-up looks like. Its located under the cab bolted to the frame right at the cab mount. Pretty much exactly where the factory master cylinder is located for that truck. We didnt mount it on the firewall, for a number of reasons. The firewall on these trucks is not flat up and down, its angled. Also the lever setup would be wrong. Also we wont have all the much room to be honest. one final note, this booster is only 7" diameter, so its smaller then some of those huge things you see in cars.

[Deadbodyman]

ok, well we got all the mounting brackets done for the brake lever configuration. We used the existing pedal, just shortened it and changed the angle a little to line up with the new m/c, booster. We also made a connecting rod with adjustment or the travel in the lever. We made a rod for the pedal to swivel on to replace the old brake, clutch lever and M/C bracket and pivot. We mounted it on the old transmission cross member and into the frame. we secured it with snap rings, and lock collars. Its got a new grease fitting, and belleville washers to keep it all in place and secure. Again its hard to show pics when its on the truck. Its a tight, congested, dark area.



we also ran fuel line, but i needed one more fitting, so once that's here and hooked up i'll have pics, also mocked up and got a game plan for the new gas pedal and throttle cable set up, and we'll get pics of that soon. And we are hopefully done with the home made alternator bracket. This motor had the weird GM alternator with the mounting ears at 12 and 7 oclock. So we had to make a bracket, cause nothing sold works or fits our set up.

[doug]

In post #94, the first picture, the brake flex line looks close to being too short. Have you turned the steering from lock to lock yet?

[junior]

...And we are hopefully done with the home made alternator bracket. This motor had the weird GM alternator with the mounting ears at 12 and 7 oclock. So we had to make a bracket, cause nothing sold works or fits our set up.

Why couldn't you use the factory bracket...I thought you yanked the whole sbc/auto trans unit from the GM and put it in the Stude...was there a clearance issue? Keep up the good work, you're making great progress. cheers, Junior

[52-fan]

52 fan, pics are hard to get under the truck like that. the 2 i posted, are pretty good pics of what the bracket and set-up looks like. Its located under the cab bolted to the frame right at the cab mount. Pretty much exactly where the factory master cylinder is located for that truck. We didnt mount it on the firewall, for a number of reasons. The firewall on these trucks is not flat up and down, its angled. Also the lever setup would be wrong. Also we wont have all the much room to be honest. one final note, this booster is only 7" diameter, so its smaller then some of those huge things you see in cars.

Thanks for the reply. I didn't mean to ignore your courtesy.
7" sounds like a nice compact size for the booster. You are quite an engineer with the sturdy brackets and pedal work.

[Deadbodyman]

52 fan, thanks, i have to give most of the credit to my father, he's a career machinist and mechanic. i'm trying to learn everything i can

Junior, i couldn't use the factory alternator bracket because the original Chevy setup had power steering and Air conditioning, which i either didn't want, or couldn't use. So all that stuff, (alternator, a/c, ps pump were all on 1 cast aluminum bracket, in a serpentine belt system. So we removed all that, got a new short water pump, new crankshaft pulley, new water pump pulley and converted the alternator to a v-belt style pulley. I know some people are going to wonder why i didn't just change to power steering and put the A/C in. But in order to run the a/c i would've had to put a bunch of stuff in the truck i didn't want, hoses, vents etc. not to mention the A/C in the Chevy was shot, so that would've been extra cost there to replace it. And i already had my IFS front end, that had the manual rack and pinion unit. Plus i like the fact that its not TOO modern, and now the motor looks more like an older style SBC.

and Doug, yes we did check, the lines are braided steel lines, and they are pretty stiff, and actually when we move the wheels back and forth they barely move.

[Deadbodyman]

i also got a couple new pictures.

We got the gas pedal installed. We originally wanted to use the stude's gas pedal, but the Studebaker's throttle system, was linkage which pushed and controlled throttle, but the Chevy motor is cable and it actually pulled to control throttle. So good thing we saved the Chevy gas pedal and lever system. My dad fabricated a basic "L" angle to mount on the firewall, and then basically bolted the Chevy's whole lever setup to that, also drilled a hole in the fire wall to feed the cable through and that's that.



we also got some work done on various other little things. And we started getting a game plan and dismantling a trailer hitch to add on, so i can pull small trailers or something. wiring the motor soon!!!

[Deadbodyman]

hey guys,

been awhile, but nothing really has been done to the truck worth taking pictures of. It's been a little slow going lately, We tried for a few week to retrofit the chevy windshield wiper motor into the studes wiper setup, but it just wouldnt work. we couldnt get it positioned right, the motor operated differently and it wasn't working well or at all at times, so we scrapped the plans, and forked out the dough for stude designed aftermarket. In doing so we have to wait on new wiper arms since we kind of ruined ours in the process, but we'll get that finished soon.

we did finally figure out the alternator bracket and found a belt that worked

we also got the fuel system done. All the lines are run now and secured.

We have however been working on the radiator. We want and kind of need to use the studes factory radiator support. The new radiator is shorter but wider so we put the radiator in front of the support, and made our own brackets and supports for it to fit. With a little issue with the fill cap hitting the hood when we closed it, we got it all figured out. Had to cut holes in the support for all the hoses and lines to go through, but its all done. We are going to run the plumbing tonight, and fill it up. the only thing now is to figure out where to redesign in the front grille supports.
then we are going to make a nice stainless or aluminum cover for the gap between the radiator and support on the top.


I also have gotten back on the body a little. Cleaning and sanding the underside of the fenders front and rear. Then i'm going to shoot a coat of undercoating on them. The i'm also going to strip the paint from the entire truck, and get it in primer and find all the dents, and rust.

In between that, we want to start to figure out the miles of wiring we need, and start mocking up the exhaust.