The Studeliner - '53 Studebaker salt flats streamliner

[Bernard Kron]

I've had this in mind for a while so I sat down at the bench and did some preliminary work. AMT '53 Studebaker done as a salt lakes streamliner. Tubular frame, Potvin Blown Chrysler from the Carl Casper Undertaker kit (therefore the hood stays stock and smooth), bobbed front fenders, skirts all around, slammed, Moon Discs, open rear end with mesh grill to exhaust air, color undetermined at this point.

I sketched out the shape I wanted on the bobbed front fenders, traced a template and then made masking tape templates to make the cut. Here are some pics:

I decided to go for the radical kit chop. It looks surprisingly right with the skirts and slammed stance. I particularly like the way the line of the rear window flows into the bustle on the rear deck. See the pics of the initial mockup below.

This project is gonna take a while. Lotsa filling and sanding and filling and sanding and filling and sanding and...

Thanx for lookin',

B.

Edited July 1, 2010 by gbk1

[High octane]

Wow Bernard,looks like you got yourself into quite a project and a good one too. I'll be watching your progress as it looks great already.

[Bernard Kron]

Wow Bernard,looks like you got yourself into quite a project and a good one too. I'll be watching your progress as it looks great already.

Thanx Nick. This one will take a while, at least if I stick to all the things I intend doing. I figure bodywork first, then the engine followed by the chassis and bellypan and finally the interior. Probably I'll do the engine alongside the bodywork in order to get the "imagineering" going on the chassis ASAP. I have other, simpler, builds on the bench for when this one frustrates me and I need a break.

[Hornistfuller]

this thing looks awsome, kinda like a 1950s interpretation of the new porche 911s. its gonna turn out sickkk id recommend faring the tailights into fins, without any lights or chrome inserts or anything.

[Romell R]

this is gonna be a fun one ...i'll be watchin

[Bernard Kron]

Thanx guys!

...I'd recommend faring the tailights into fins, without any lights or chrome inserts or anything.

That's pretty much what I had in mind. I'm also thinking of leaving the back end open with the rear edge of the upwardly curving bellypan forming the bottom of the opening. Then I'd fill the whole thing with mesh set back a little from the outer edges. We'll see if my chops are up to it...

[MikeMc]

Itching to see this one B !! Love the Potvin idea...great look and with a tube frame...whats a few inches!!

I like the body work...IMHO drop the front of the roof a smidge....and a degree more rake on the A pillars..you'ld have to section the roof a bit.....BUT as always just go for it!!!!

[Raul_Perez]

WOW, Bernard!!

That is one wild ride you've got going on there!!

And, you know how much I like custom body work!!

I can't wait to see where this one goes!!

All this, AND a Potvin!! That's almost too much for me to imagine!!

Keep us posted on this one!!

Later,

[Guest Johnny]

Lose the fender well flare to smooth the sides out too!

Really an ambitious project! Love Salt Flats cars!

[rustybill1960]

Nice subject!

I have been apprehensive about my own build,(same car with an alisson aircraft engine),

I will gladly watch your build for tips on my own.

Thank You!

I have gotten as far as some body modifications, rim choice, engine and driver placement, a full roll cage and suspension types. Maybe some kind of sickly green for paint?

I just want to see someone elses, motivation!

Your front looks like the '63/'64 front end.

I like what your doing so far.

Later Russ

[Bernard Kron]

Thanx for all the props guys, they are very much appreciated! Below are pics of the body in primer. Cleanup went much more smoothly than I thought. Still some touch ups to do but I'm well along in the process. I will leave shut lines on the skirts and include Dzeus fastener details on them to sell the fact that they are removable. It is, after all, a race car not a custom. Additionally, I'm pretty much through sanding down the fender flares. They are not quite so prominent as they were but I have left a shadow line to give the area some contour. Making Lowey's carefully considered design totally slab sided would be a mistake IMHO.

Chromed engine parts are in the stripper bath. The basic engine will come from the kit. The Undertaker engine is too horrible for words so I'm only using the intake manifold, blower drive and pipes from it. The blower, injectors and pop-off valve are from the AMT double dragster. I need to get the engine at least mocked up so I can begin designing the chassis.

Thanx for lookin',

B.

[Raul_Perez]

Looking good, Bernard!!

Actually, this body design has me thinking of something I want to make similar to the taxi cab in the movie "The Fifth Element".

Hmmm...

[Bernard Kron]

Looking good, Bernard!!

Actually, this body design has me thinking of something I want to make similar to the taxi cab in the movie "The Fifth Element".

Hmmm...

Thanx Raul! Wait'll it gets its full bellypan!

Edited June 25, 2010 by gbk1

[Wagoneer81]

This is looking sweet! You're giving me ideas for my next streamliner. I built a '53 Stude Salt Flats Racer about a year ago using the stock chassis and the twin supercharged Hemi from the original kit and was thinking about doing another with a radically chopped top and a V8 sporting a front-mounted supercharger. You've got some good ideas for streamlining the body. I'll be watching this one with great interest!

[Fuel Coupe]

NICE!!!!

[curt raitz]

Surprise, surprise...a Studebaker Salt Flat Racer!

Excellent

Now you'll be joining Raul and I with a Studebaker Salt Flat Racer build

I really like the way you're goin' with this one, I followed the same scheme...potvin blower in front, but I cheated - used a Jimmy Flinstone resin body.

here's a couple of pix of my "Salt Lickin' Stude":

have fun...

[Bernard Kron]

Thanx to all for the kind words!

Curt, I considered using the Flintstone shell but I didn't wanna work that hard on the bodywork! But I do like his setup for a 'chute set into the rear deck lid. I'm trying to decide if I want to cut into it...

[Raul_Perez]

I've always thought that the Potvin setup is just too cool!! One of these days I'll find something to put one in other than a dragster...but I'm not sure what's long enough to hold that much engine without pushing it all back into the passenger compartment.

I do like the way Curt put the radiators on each side of the Potvin to make room for the engine without moving it back...

How do you plan on getting all of the parts for yours under the hood, Bernard?

I want to see more!!

Later,

[Bernard Kron]

...How do you plan on getting all of the parts for yours under the hood, Bernard?...

I just finished a preliminary mockup of the engine and layed it into the kit chassis and body to see where it lands up. What was immediately clear is that the firwall will have to go, regardless. My plan is to scratch up a tubular frame and run the engine without a radiator, just a recirculating water tank. All of that gives me a lot of lattitude; without a radiator and flexibility as to where to put the water tank the setback won't be too bad. My biggest concern right now is chassis design and the tin work under the hood and in the driver's compartment. The fact that it's a streamliner with a full belly pan means that the car has to have proper wheel wells front and rear, unlike a drag car. This thing's gonna take a while...

[ARTEMIS1759]

I think it looks great man. You putting the skirts back on. I would not personally. Rarely ever saw one with skirts just the disks. I always have love the Potvin blower set up. I have custom 42 Chevy I designed with a 346 Caddy flathead and a potvin blower.

[Farmboy]

I had started out building a salt flats screamer but partway thru gave in to the heavyup musclecar theme. The kit chop worked ok for me. I used beer can aluminum to build the interior, tubbed it and left off the fender skirts. Thought you'd like to see:

[Bernard Kron]

I had started out building a salt flats screamer but partway thru gave in to the heavyup musclecar theme. The kit chop worked ok for me. I used beer can aluminum to build the interior, tubbed it and left off the fender skirts...

Thanx Mike. Nice rendition of the underlying kit's approach to the chopped body. I like the McDonalds/Coca Cola theme. Are the decals from a stock car? They really look like the belong on this one. Any pictures of the interior work? I need all the inspiration I can get, It's gonna be heavy weather once I ditch the kit chassis!

Edited June 26, 2010 by gbk1

[Farmboy]

Decals are from the 1/24th Revell McDonalds Funnycar kit. Don't have any in progress photos (I built it quite a while ago). I'll see if I can pull off a couple of thru-the-window shots that would be of any help. I basically walled off the rear seat area right behind the driver's seat and aluminum covered the transmission hump/floor so i ended up with a pretty spartan cockpit.

Edited June 27, 2010 by Farmboy

[Bernard Kron]

The Potvin driven blown Chrysler Firepower Hemi is done and establishes the ground rules for fabricating the tubular frame . It's very long, almost 64 scale inches, over 5 feet long! This compares to the same block and transmission with a regular top mounted blower at about 39 scale inches. But of course it's very low. The block, heads, pan, valve covers and in-out transmission are all from the AMT '53 Studebaker kit, the blower manifold, front drive, pipes and injector pump are all from the Polar Lights Carl Casper's Undertaker Dragster kit. As nice as the blower manifold parts are from this kits (and the only Hemi specific parts I was able to locate at a reasonable price), the main engine parts and blower from this kit are quite horrible so that's why I didn't use them. The main blower case and end plates and injectors are from the AMT Double Dragster Chevy engines. I stripped all the chrome and finished the bare metal parts in various shades of Testors Metalizer. The length and width of the engine determine the layout of the chassis which in turn will determine the exhaust manifold layout. That's next up on the to-do list for this project. Below are some pictures of the engine.

Thanx for lookin',

B.

[Raul_Perez]

What can I say??? Potvins are just too cool!!

Keep up the GREAT work, Bernard!!

Later,