Vintage Street Racer Project
NOTE: There is a another version of this thread on the SDC Forum. An attempt will be made to update both threads at the same time. Why dual threads? Well, there are quite a few who post in one site but not the other. I don't want to limit good feedback and suggestions that may only be available on one site or the other. The original post was on 07/17. There may also be another thread on the Jalopy Journal site as well.
07/17/07 - I've had this car since 2003. It was bought in South Lake Tahoe, CA for $880 as a roller (no engine or transmission). When I purchased the car, the idea was to just toss a Chevy crate engine at it and be done. But over time, and after spending too much time on this site (SDC) 
, I have changed what I want this car to be.
I've always had a bit of hot rodder in me, and this car will reflect that. But I have been greatly influenced by Dick Steinkamp's '54 Starliner, Ron Butt's '59 Lark, and the '65 Commander that was on Ebay that belonged to Boyd Coddington's favorite customer, Scotty. This car will be a restomod.
Dick once mentioned that he built the Starliner the way he would have wanted when he was in high school. I like this idea and it has stuck with me (I hope I didn't embarass you Dick 
). Having been raised in metro Detroit within a stones throw of Gratiot Ave. and Woodward Ave., I like the stories of the Big 4 engineers taking their latest, greatest machines out to the street to do battle. I can picture in my mind Jimmy Addison's '67 Plymouth GTX (given to him by the Chrysler engineering staff) lining up at the light against one of Ace Wilson's Royal Bobcat GTO's (Ace Wilson owned Royal Pontiac and did all the serious tuning on the Pontiacs in the area including stuff sent by PMD). This makes me think of 4-speeds, slapper bars, mag wheels and other period speed equipment.
So with minor exceptions that shouldn't be visible, everything on the car should be no older than 1967. No high schooler would have had a brand new car, but it wouldn't have been uncommon to have a 3 year old car. My car, as you can tell from the production order, was equiped typical for the time. While my car came with a 4-speed, it came with a 289 2-bbl, an open 3.31 rear axle, bucket seats and a console. Extras included a push button radio, Climatizer (heater), white wall tires and full wheel covers.
So based on this, what would a young guy do to improve his Daytona in the late '60's? On the outside, a set of 15" X 6" Cragar S/S wheels mounted with the latest performance polyglass tires (7.75X15) with gold or red stripes? A set of traction bars tucked under the rear axle? A set of 3.73's or 4.10's? Inside he might have an aftermarket AM-FM radio, an 8-track tape player, a reverb unit and rear speakers. Maybe even a wood steering wheel and hurst shifter to be a little sporty.
Under the hood there would have been a change to a 4-bbl carb and intake, a cam change, the heads ported and headers. Because our boy isn't rich, and because then as now, superchargers and their pieces aren't easy to come by, it will most likely stay a R1 'want-to-be'. The change to a dual master cylinder would be for safety. A dual exhaust with Thrush style glass-pack mufflers to clear out the spent gasses with nice mellow tone would add to the package. Can anyone think of anything else?
This is the car as it currently sits in the garage;
I'm going to track the build in this thread. This can be real good or real embarassing (I'm hoping it's going to be good ). One other thing. My one concession on this build my be adding A/C. While I don't think too many cars patroled Woodward with the A/C on, living in Florida has kind of made this something to think about .
OK, I'm open to suggestions and feedback.
__________________
Just another day in paradise!
1964 Studebaker Daytona - 289 V8 4-BBl, T-10 4-speed, 3.73 Twin Traction Rear End, Front Disc Brakes, Dual Exhaust, Front Bucket Seats and Console
Cost to Date: $2125.60
Last edited by Swifster; Aug 31, 2007 at 11:07 AM.