Thread: Update & Photos: Corvette w/ Stude Champion 170!

quote:Originally posted by BobPalma



But the car is real and the engine room looks downright "funny," as you can imagine.

Anyone have a photo of it? BP

Hey Bob...I love the prospect. However, I don't think the engine could have looked any funnier than those late '50's and early '60's Chevy sedans with their own stock 6's under the hood. This car could set the "Standard" for revenge of all the various make customs sporting a SBC engine!

John Clary
Greer, SC

Life... is what happens as you are making plans.
SDC member since 1975

Think we should invite that guy to an International , but that would mean another division for non studebakers but studebaker powered



[IMG]
Home of the Fried Green Tomato
"IF YOU WANT THE SMILES YOU NEED TO DO THE MILES "

1960 Champ
1964 Daytona HT

Non Studebakers with Studebaker power would be an interesting class if you could get anyone to come. We know there are old style street rods with Studebaker power. There have been jeeps etc. in the past, but most likely not show worthy. Probably never happen, but a novel idea.


1952 Champion Starlight, 1962 Daytona, both w/overdrive.Searcy,Arkansas
"I may be lazy, but I'm not shiftless."

quote:Originally posted by BobPalma

But the car is real and the engine room looks downright "funny," as you can imagine.

....as would an '82 Firebird with an Iron Duke 4-cylinder under the hood. That was actually an option simply to meet CAFE standards. I havn't heard if any were ever ordered, though.

Craig

Richard Quinn
past editor: Antique Studebaker Review

CACO? My kinda guy!

Keoni Dibelka / HiloFoto
In Hawai'i; on Hawai'i; on the Windward Side
If da salt air never chew 'em up bumbye da lava will...

Unbelievable ....can't think of anything else to say

[IMG]
Home of the Fried Green Tomato
"IF YOU WANT THE SMILES YOU NEED TO DO THE MILES "

1960 Champ
1964 Daytona HT

Actually Craig, I had several of those 'Birds with the 4. Not a racer, but they did pretty well, and were really good cars.

Robert (Bob) Andrews- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys)
Parish, central NY 13131

I happen to have a 185 sitting on my garage floor , maybe I'll print these pics off and sell the engine to some Corvette guy for big bucks !



[IMG]
Home of the Fried Green Tomato
"IF YOU WANT THE SMILES YOU NEED TO DO THE MILES "

1960 Champ
1964 Daytona HT

Congratulations to John and Alba Koebl...quite an inspiration for originality. Let's see, maybe we could make them life members of SDC, if they're not already.

Years ago, Ron Hall told me about seeing a Corvette with a Champion six engine; it was at the Iola, WI, meet. With not too many of these out there, this may well be the car.

George

george krem

Wow, seeing is believing.

But a serious question...
Why would someone use a Studebaker six over something else?
Is there a technical/packaging/weight reason why someone would use a Stude instead of a Chevy, Ford, Mopar, AMC or whatever?
Or is it as simple as the price was right for a NOS engine vs a Chevy crate motor??

63 Avanti R1 2788
1914 Stutz Bearcat
(George Barris replica)

Washington State

I love it, I love it, I LOVE IT!!! NT


Neil Thornton
Hazlehurst, GA
'57 Silver Hawk
'56 Sky Hawk
'51 2R16 dump truck
Many others.

quote:Originally posted by JBOYLE

Wow, seeing is believing.

But a serious question...
Why would someone use a Studebaker six over something else?
Is there a technical/packaging/weight reason why someone would use a Stude instead of a Chevy, Ford, Mopar, AMC or whatever?
Or is it as simple as the price was right for a NOS engine vs a Chevy crate motor??

Well, John, John Koebl today told me he was a Studebaker man and actually wanted an Avanti when the Corvette came along. Available Avantis were too expensive for his wallet right then and the Corvette was priced right, so he bought the Corvette instead.

This Corvette was a daily driver; that's why he put all the miles on it and wore out the original driveline. The original engine and trans were needing major attention and the gas crisis was looming and he still needed daily transportation, so he had this wild idea.

(I'll submit John Koebl's name for The SDC Wild Idea Award, should we ever initiate something of that order.)

A neighbor had an older Champ engine laying about, so he pulled the Corvette motor and fiddled around with the old 170 engine to see if it might work before he "sprung" for an NOS long block. He said the Corvette's six was manufactured in 1962 as a service replacement engine assembly, even though OHV sixes were the production engines at the time.

Quite a story. (And a lesson for us, too: John said he has been welcomed at Corvette meets and encouraged to join their club. As everyone knows, I'm the last guy to encourage pulling a Studebaker engine and replacing it with SOB, but that opinion takes a back seat to SDC comraderie and respect of a fellow hobbyist's accomplishments...IMHO, of course.) BP

This was always about the No. 2 or 3 thing to do on my list after winning the lottery.
Another dream dashed on the rocks......

quote:Originally posted by shifter4

This was always about the No. 2 or 3 thing to do on my list after winning the lottery.
Another dream dashed on the rocks......

Dang, Bill. I was hoping you'd go through with that one. I even have a running 170 flathead that I'd donate to the cause.

Matthew Burnette
Hazlehurst, GA

I guess there is a first for everything. What transmission is he using?

Joe Roberts
'61 R1 Champ
'65 Cruiser
Editor of "The Down Easterner"
Eastern North Carolina Chapter

quote:Originally posted by JRoberts

I guess there is a first for everything. What transmission is he using?

Joe Roberts

Pre-1958 Studebaker T-96 short-tail overdrive, Joe. The car still has the Corvette independent rear suspension in it. When he ordered the 4.56:1 gears at the Chevy dealer for that rear end, the parts guy winked and said, "I'll bet you're going drag racing!"

John said he just smiled.

He said the car weighs about 3,200 pounds and the 4.56s were needed for tolerable acceleration, which he says is "surprisingly good."

All things are relative, of course...[8D] BP

This is even better than the '69 Z28 with the Ford Windsor motor in it!
And to think I could have swapped one of my R2's into my '70 Vette coupe!
R2Andy

quote:Originally posted by sbca96

LMAO on that one, Tom

Thanks for it

But I would PAY to take that out for a drive! Gotta really mess with your head[:0]

Robert (Bob) Andrews- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys)
Parish, central NY 13131

Guess my thought of a Model A engine in a DeLorean doesn't seem that crazy now, huh?

Jim
Often in error, never in doubt

____1966 Avanti II RQA 0088_______________1963 Avanti R2 63R3152____________Rabid Snail Racing

Bob Palmer, am I reading this right? Did the corvette come with a Chevy six from new? I did not know that[?]

Dave Pink
Victoria, Australia

1913 SA25 Town Car
1916 SF Roadster
1925 ER Tourer
1925 Panel Delivery
1953 Champion Sedan
1957 Golden Hawk


Studebaker Car Club Of Australia Website
http://www.studebakercarclub.net

THAT IS AWESOME!! [8D][8D][8D] Or, as Bob says: "Cool Beans!"

I wish they would pull up for judging at Bloomington just to see the looks on the Vette owner's faces!! PRICELESS!! I bet this nice couple would be chased off the grounds by pitchfork and torch wielding Corvette owners!!

Frank Remlinger
SDC# A004602R

Wow, thats incredible! Mr.Remlinger, I totally agree with you, that would priceless.

Dylan Wills

'61 lark deluxe 4 door wagon

Is that the same 85 hp 170 that I have in my '50 Champion or did he spruce it up a little so it might be able to beat a Pinto in a drag race?



1950 Champion 2 Dr. Sedan

Okay, it is an odd rod...but it doesn't accomplish anything else except make some Stude lovers gleeful that some Corvette owners will be repulsed. The Corvette lover's retort will be that is the first time a Stude 170 was in a good looking car rather than the normal homely looking Stude. Getting 23 mpg out of a SBC manual trans combo is not hard, just skip the hot rod parts and gear it for mileage. During past fuel crisis some of the hot magazines have done mpg engine builds where they got 30 mpg from SBC's.

It would make me stop and check out the car if I saw it at a car show because I enjoy looking at the odd rods - with no chance that I would want one for my own.

Thomas

Yes Dave,1953 and 1954 Models of Corvettes could only be had with a six cylinder.

quote:Originally posted by davepink53

Bob Palmer, am I reading this right? Did the corvette come with a Chevy six from new? I did not know that[?]

Dave Pink
Victoria, Australia

1913 SA25 Town Car
1916 SF Roadster
1925 ER Tourer
1925 Panel Delivery
1953 Champion Sedan
1957 Golden Hawk


Studebaker Car Club Of Australia Website
http://www.studebakercarclub.net

quote:Originally posted by davepink53

Bob Palmer, am I reading this right? Did the corvette come with a Chevy six from new? I did not know that[?]

Dave Pink

It's PalmA, Dave...but don't fret, that's a common mistake.

No, this Corvette, like all other domestic ones beginning with the 1956 model, as well as most 'all the 1955s, had a V-8 in it. This car is a fabrication, and a well-done one at that. BP

quote:Originally posted by 50Champ

Is that the same 85 hp 170 that I have in my '50 Champion or did he spruce it up a little so it might be able to beat a Pinto in a drag race?

Not quite, Dave. This is a 1959-1960 engine, so it was rated at 90 HP. It also has larger main bearings than your 1950, an 8.3:1 compression ratio instead of your 7.0:1 (due to a better cylinder head design), and a variety of lesser refinements. BP

I give him credit for originality and creativity but the car it came out of probably drove better than the Corvette it's in now. I had a '68 and '69. The hardest riding cars I've ever owned. The quality of the '68 was very poor. They made some improvements in the '69 but when you take away the acceleration part of the Corvette experience you have nothing positive left.

The '68 had a leak in the T Top that would allow a drop of water to hang from the rear view mirror. It was in the perfect spot to hit me in the eye whenever I would accelerate through a right turn. Dash lights would go out when I hit a bump...I could go on and on.

ErnieR


On its way to a 15.097 Island Dragway Great Meadows NJ Spring 2006.

I like the awesome fan shroud, the red hot coat the engine is wearing, and the very cool high performance intake filter. I just wonder if he has a "Powered by STUDEBAKER" sticker somewhere on the back!

John Clary
Greer, SC

Life... is what happens as you are making plans.
SDC member since 1975

Got to love it. After seeing so many car shows in my young life. It only takes one or two to see every combination of sbc in a street rod! Its nice to see something different. I walk through the shows looking for the rods that have anything else for a power plant. Try it next time. My vote would go for originality on this one. [^]

Gordon

ME LIKE! Only needs Cathcart goodies and split exhausts![]

EDIT: I'm with you, Gordon. Curious that most custom cars are customarily propelled by an SBC. Custom???


1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1963 Cruiser
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door

Did some a## O just use the words Studebaker and homely in the same sentance?
Just aint right bro.
Dean.

quote:Originally posted by bige

I give him credit for originality and creativity but the car it came out of probably drove better than the Corvette it's in now. I had a '68 and '69. The hardest riding cars I've ever owned. The quality of the '68 was very poor. They made some improvements in the '69 but when you take away the acceleration part of the Corvette experience you have nothing positive left.


ErnieR

I had a '68 roadster and agree that it wasn't a great car (the roadster probably rattled worse than your t-roof!). I do believe there were TWO positives though, the acceleration was fun, but the "wow factor" from kids young and old with a "thumbs up" nearly every time it left the garage was impressive. If they only new what the car was actually like to drive.....


Skinny
Watertown, SD

You are certainly correct...I was 20 years old when I bought the '68 and after I sold it to drive a Coupe Deville I missed the 'wow factor' ( female attention factor more like it ) and bought the '69 in spite of the experience with the '68. The '69 was a 427/390 with power steering so it was a little more tolerable.

Speaking of interesting engine swaps there's a guy that has an early 60's Comet Wagon with a Flathead V8 in it. I see it at Macungie and Carlisle frequently.

ErnieR


I had a '68 roadster and agree that it wasn't a great car (the roadster probably rattled worse than your t-roof!). I do believe there were TWO positives though, the acceleration was fun, but the "wow factor" from kids young and old with a "thumbs up" nearly every time it left the garage was impressive. If they only new what the car was actually like to drive.....


Skinny
Watertown, SD
[/quote]

A Studebaker engine in a Chevrolet, Now that's what I'm talk'in about!!!!!!!

It's about time somebody did it, I love it!

Bill

My Rod & Custom magazine arrived today, with a picture of a model A roadster with supercharged '63 G.T. engine.

Thankyou Mr PalmA, sorry for the error[V]. After rereading your post, i realised my mistake. 41Frank, I know that the early model corvettes were six's, I thought that Bob Palma was saying the '68 was originally a six. My mistake.

Dave Pink
Victoria, Australia

1913 SA25 Town Car
1916 SF Roadster
1925 ER Tourer
1925 Panel Delivery
1953 Champion Sedan
1957 Golden Hawk


Studebaker Car Club Of Australia Website
http://www.studebakercarclub.net