Projects 53 COOP (Studebaker) gets a major makeover

Keeping on with the taillight, I finished off most of the metalwork (at least on the side you can see. I am pleased. Now to make the driver side look the same....



Tomorrow I will start on the other side...

 

nrgwizard-

I tried the simple way, but it turns out I like your idea better. I collaborated with Cody Walls, in Delaware, about lengthening the trim piece (kinda scarey). He also agreed that it would look better extended. So I mocked it up:




At the C pillar it may still work without extending the trim, as I plan to do a "tribute" two-tone blue paint, but with metallics and a fade instead of a hard line.



I'm gonna play with it before I start cutting, perhaps moving it forward about an inch, but I'm liking it better than it was.

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

Hey, Irishjr;
You're welcome. Glad it turned out that good. . On the trim cover piece, you could extend it a few ways. Get another piece n cut, then tig weld. As you know the material is thin. Did I mention "thin" ? . You could do an extension by cutting & butting w/a cover piece like Stude did on the window trim. Another way might be w/a thin backer piece made from scrap trim, & silver-soldered(or maybe reg solder, can't remember trying that) one or both joint ends. Or jbweld. Hardest part of the mod would be the perfect-joint required. I don't think a perfect joint would distract from the mod, & would offer "a clue". Not sure on which end I'd do a visible joint, near the color-change just might move the eye from the joint to the paint. I do believe I'd use a modified trim clip at, or near the joint for strength. The back end looks about right where it is. If you extend the 'T' section twixt the fender/body joint, & cut back the trim mount, that just might look good too. I'm no welding expert, since a trim piece will be sacrificed, I'd spend a little time cutting the cast-off into thin strips for welding filler. At least the material would be the same, & theoretically, should polish out w/o a trace. BTW, since you're extending the fender trim, maybe consider putting the front tip just under the window surround trim, just a hair in front of the drain gutter.. I always thought that the fender(hide-em) trim was too short, visually.
Marcus...

 

Interestingly enough, I just ordered an extra trim piece I found on eBay. In my discussions with Cody, I had suggested the same backing with a trim piece and silver soldering. He was not keen on it because he had never tried it. I am confident I can do it with my oxy-acetelene welder. When the trim piece comes in I will try a splice on it. If the silver solder joint is too apparent, I can always have the whole piece chrome plated.

I guess all great minds run on the same track...or not!

 

Tailight looks awesome Irish...it was meant to be in my opinion...

 

Quite honestly, I've always thought that Studebaker nailed it with their design and that no one's body mods really improved anything, simply changed it and usually with unfortunate results. Your mods so far are very nice. Trimming the Packard lens to make it smaller and to better fit the Stude fender was inspired. It actually looks like it could have come that way. Go the extra mile and extend that stainless trim so it fits right, maintaining the look at the window and ending in the correct location. It'll be worth it. Keep up the great work.

 

Thanks to all of you who have suggested things on the taillights. I really appreciate them and ultimately I am REALLY happy with the results.
UPDATE:
The extra trim piece arrived. Unfortunately, it was bent:



Unfortunately, I had to submit a claim with Mr. DeJoy's USPS.
Fortunately, I will probably get my money back.
Fortunately, I only needed some end pieces.
Fortunately, it provided me with enough pieces to try the splicing.
Fortunately, the silver soldering with a backup piece worked.

Test piece:


Fortunately, I did a neater job on the actual trim. It polished out pretty good, although I still may send it out for chrome plating.



So thanks to all for how well it looks:

 

Gorgeous style on the taillights and trim, can't wait to see more!

 

Any updates?

 

Looking great Irish!

 

Masterful improvement on an already awesomely designed car!

 

Hi just found this thread very nice. A couple of months ago I bought a 53 Studebaker Coupe i think the same colour as yours Maui and Nocturne Blue. Next winter I will start working on it. I am in no hurry I am only 66.

 

OK! OK!

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back on the project.

Nice 'Baker Tomastudor. I like the color combo ! The body on yours looks nicer than mine, too.

Following my two stage fall in the garage...first fall was soft tissue tear....second fall was complete tear of rotator cuff, it was on to another orthopedic doctor.

He asked, "Wanna joint?"

I thought he was refering to marijuana.....

I got a Reverse Replacement:



I'd never heard of a reverse replacement and now I have one! They put the metal ball in the shoulder and the socket in the arm bone, then tie the muscles to the shoulder bone. Amazing!

• Outpatient surgery...in at 6:30 AM and home by 4:00 PM
• NO PAIN....I'm in favor of that. I have taken no pain medicine, so the only pain in our house is my being a pain-in-the-ass to my wife
• No physical therapy. Right now I am only allowed to lift 1 lb. and have some excercizes to do that have me laying flat on my back and raising my arm as much as I can using the other arm.
• May be allowed to do anything (except fall!) after 4 to 6 months.

But don't let a little thing like that hold ya back, Irish.

So the day after my surgery, I got a call from a gent I hadn't talked to in about 2 years. I was looking for a repro set of grille surrounds for 53 COOP. I contacted Classic Enterprizes Studebaker parts, who marketed them, but the boss had retired. I contacted the boss, Lamont Radwinski, but he had none left.

BUT HE KEPT MY PHONE NUMBER.

Long story short, someone returned a set (project abandoned) and he offered them to me. I got 'em and they are beautiful:



Here is where I am on the taillights. I also welded the bumper bolts, flush front and rear, and sent them and the top-of-fender trim off for chrome plating.




So now, with my limited use of left arm, I am relegated to light duty. Up in the woodworking shop, I am concentrating on finishing the dash. I engine turned the stainless for the glove box lid and glued it to the lid with panel bonding epoxy. I turned and polished a bezel for the latch and glued it in place. Came out pretty good, if I do say so myself.



Also, as part of my "light" duties, I was able to remove the seats and rear console and load all the pieces into the back of my 4Runner to take over to the upholsterer. I have had 9 hides hanging in the shop for a few years that I bought for $65 per hide. The upholsterer had an open slot, and I will be wanting to get the cockpit cleaned out for choppin' the top. Works for me!

I may not be posting too much until I get the dash done and then gotta take it easy for a while.

Later, Gater(s)....

 

Worth the wait! Say, what's the over-rider from? Very slick...

 

If by the "over-rider", you mean the bumper guard around the license plate, it's 100% stock 1953 Studebaker. I looked for ways to improve it but Raymond Loewy/Bob Bourke just did it right! On the front bumper, I removed all bumper guards for a really minimilist look (sorry, no pic).

 

Sometimes the hardest thing to do, is to take it easy. Rest up and get good as new !

 

Shoulder is getting better, but still limited to 1 lb., so I'm feeling like a one-armed man....

Took the seats and hides to Bobby Sapp, in Milford, Delaware. Bobby did a lot of interiors ffor Ramsey Moser of Ram's Rod Shop, in Dover, DE.
Back when I was building 33 COOP, I bought the 392 Hemi from Jerry Bowers, who built the Shortcut High School Ford school bus:


The engine was stored at Ram's Rod Shop. That was back in about 1997, when I first met Ram, who was then building Scrape for Terry Cook. Bobby Sapp upholstered Scrape. Unfortunately, Ram recently died of cancer. his metal work was magic. I will miss him...

Just another tale of personal connections that makes this hobby COOK!

Well, I've been working on the dash and it's just about done. So here it is with the AM radio cover:



Pull off the cover and voila, a hidden modern radio :



Waiting for delivery of ignition switch, wiper switch, and headlight switch from Ron Francis.

That's about it for now........

Dreamin' about the chop!!!

 

I've done this chop in my head over the last couple of years. Now it's time to begin...
to review, these two profiles were done on my computer using Powerpoint (I don't have Photoshop). I just played around until I got it looking right for my taste:




Next I put a vertical red line on a verifyiable part of the door that I could proportion to full size. Then zooming in on a large monitor, I used a caliper to measure the unchopped line and chopped distance (being carefull not to scratch the monitor). I then proportioned that to the full size 15-1/2" height. I came up with a 2" vertical chop:




So that's what I gonna do!

With my grandson, Sam's help (he's in from Denver for the holidays), we are doing a lot of geometrical planning and getting ready to slice and dice.

First is to get it sitting level and on stands, remove the windshield, and brace the posts. Getting the windshield out is going to be rough, as the rubber is hard as rock, so a chisel on the inside will be required. I want to save the windshield as a backup (unfortunately there is some minor fogging at the bottom). Same for the back window, which is probably the most difficult part. I may bury the window partially in the package tray. However, I have other options I will save for later.

I guess later is now. Back in 1997, I was shown this internet stuff by my librarian wife, Judy. The family joke is how I said "I don't see any purpose for it!" Many times since, I have eaten those words.

In my many searches for assistance on burying the rear window into the package tray, I recently stumbled onto the following "How to" on Kustomrama:



https://www.customcarchronicle.com/custom-cars/custom-glass/#comment-3710

WOW! Game changer!!!

This covers making a form for a custom-made windshield. Unfortunately, it was writen by an Aussie, so I had to find a USA manufacturer.

Here are two of them in the east:

Pennsylvania: https://www.customcarchronicle.com/custom-cars/custom-glass/#comment-3710

Florida: https://www.curvedglasscreations.com/custom-auto-glass

For now, I will leave the rear glass in place, but I will be contacting them soon. Being able to keep the glass/pinchweld relationship, will allow me to use the replacement rubber (modified along with the stainless trim), so I am hoping this will be a viable and affordable solution.

By for now. Gotta get back in the garage...

 

I LOVE chopped Studes, looks fantastic, keep up the good work!

 

It appears like you ought to be able to lower the back window a fair bit by removing the height from the curved metal, where the base of the window rolls into the catwalk. Remove the curved transition and flatten it out. It might be all you need.

 

I doubt that your top hat will fit, after the chop.

 

Commonly referred to as the "Gentleman's Chop" .

Mike

 

I have the seats out being upholstered. before I took them out, I sat in the car measuring my head clearance with the headliner.....I'm glad the calculated chop ended up at 2"! Otherwise, what hair I have on top of my head will get grease on the headliner.

This ain't no "gentleman's Chop". That's too easy......

 

As usual nice work Jim. Hope you heel quick

 

Great work. Hope you get better soon

 

Getting ready to cut. Spent today aligning the driver's side door and removing some paint where my main cuts will be.



Here's the plan:

1. I am using a laser level to mark all cut lines on the A, B, and C pillars. All cuts will be level, so that I can move the top forward to align at the A-pillar
2. Will be ciutting the back just in front of the window and leave that work for later.
3. Then cutting the A pillar near the top, the B pillar near its top, and the C pillar to remove the leaded seam.
4. Once cut, will remove the top and clean up the inside for good welds.
5. Next grind all posts to the horizontal lines and put the top back on.
6. Then move the top off center to align the A pillaron the passenger side and weld at that pillar. This will offcet the top about 1".
7. Cut the center from the front of the windshield to the cross line and cut the cross line on the passenger side from the center to the side cut line above the door. This line will be about 8" back from the top of the windshield. (I know that it probably be easiest to cut dow the center, but with my new shoulder, I will not be abe to reach that far for hammer welding)
8. This will allow me to move the driver's side toof, including windshield frame, the same 1" and weld the A pillar.
9. Make the 2" filler and weld the center of the windshield top, This will provide a fixed, strong, and symmetrical windshield frame.
10. Cut the cross line and line above the door on the driver's side and remove that part of the top.
11. Align and shorten/lengthen the top of the door frames and rear quarter window frames on each side
12. Re-install the rear top and decide where to best cut and fit filler panels.
13. Rework the rear window frame and filler panels between the rear top and the re-sloped rear window frame.

Sound like a plan? Wish me luck......

 

Will you paint the cov e?

 

There were a lot of the two-tone blue '53 Studebakers when I was a kid. I am planning to pay tribute to that combo, but with a twist by using eye-popping metallics light blue on the bottom and dark blue on the top with a minor Gene Winfield fade up the C-pillars.

Not contrasting painting of the coves.....

 

Very cool decision!

 

No turning back now......