HomeEventsBonneville Salt FlatsSpeed Week: Speed-Seeking Studebakers #3 Kristin Cline September 11, 2010 Bonneville Salt Flats, other cool cars 10 Comments I’ve already covered the two record-taking Studebakers for this 2010 Speedweek in previous articles of this Speed Seeking Studebakers series (#1 & #2). So before looking at more racing Studes, I wanted to show you some of the fine Studebakers that spectators were driving around on the salt! To begin with, is Bob Weaver’s 1953 Studebaker Coupe. I’m not sure color has as much to do with speed as the aerodynamics body of the Studebaker coupe – but in this case yellow=fast! My 5-year-old nephew exclaimed “Yellow cars are the fastest” while wandering around Gene Winfield’s shop a couple of months ago, and in this case I’d say he’s right! It isn’t just the yellow color and aerodynamic body that’s making this Studebaker go fast. This special Stude has a Chrysler Hemi powerplant! I was amazed at how snugly it fit in the engine compartment. This hot rod sure looks just as pretty under the hood as above it! Any Studebaker-fan knows that us Studebaker owners are a quirky bunch of folk! So I wasn’t overly surprised when I saw this 1950 Studebaker convertible coupe roll up. If the airplane-nose isn’t enough to make this old car stand out, then the fishnet & high-heeled leg sticking up out of it is! Of all the strange and original shifters I’ve seen, this one takes the cake! From hot rod, to quirky, and now to round it off in the more rat-rod category – is this chopped up truck seen at the nightly car show at the Nugget Casino in Wendover. I loved its custom airplane-styled windsheild and lime-green accents. Its nice rusty patina is offset nicely by that touch of chrome on its wheels too! Lastly, of course I was there on the salt with my own 1955 Studebaker Champion Coupe. (Note: Did you know that a “coupe” is differentiated by a “hardtop” by the B-pillar inbetween the front and rear-seat windows?) Stude liked it out on the salt! We had tons of fun meeting new friends…like this sleek blue #653. Continue onto the next story to read more about this racer! (To be posted in a couple of days!) 10 Responses Jesse September 12, 2010 I’m completely jealous of all these fun events you get to attend out there. It looks like so much fun on the flats. Unless I’m mistaken, it looks like you did end up getting the flatface wheels, huh? They look pretty awesome. Reply greasegirl September 13, 2010 The flats is the best time ever! I did get the moon discs for Stude…she looks cute doesn’t she! Reply Jesse September 13, 2010 They absolutely make her stand out in a crowd … unless that crowd happens to be 3 cars, and one of the other two has the moon discs as well. I imagine that’s a rare crowd to be in though, so I definitely say they rock. Reply The Gear Head Skeptic September 13, 2010 I am LOVING the moon disks! Nice choice. That leg gear shift lever is…. interesting! 🙂 Thanks for the coverage. I wish I could have been there this year. Maybe next year with my old man, now that he is fully retired. Reply leon lyon January 12, 2011 That rat rod cut up truck is mine,I,m sure you noticed the studebaker grill shell emblem on it.The year before I actually had a 1930 presidents coupe on the chassis which is pretty rare , however I was doing a 800 foot burnout in Idaho at Tony “forget about it”Traditional Trash car show and I lost control of the car and slid it under the front of a semi truck,so to make it out on the salt this year I ripped the studebaker off the chassis and threw that roadster truck together for the salt.Now I picked up a 1935 studebaker dictator ,and hopefully I”ll have that out on the salt this year,Thanksfor putting the pictures on line,Later Reply greasegirl January 19, 2011 Leon- Love it! Nice work – we’re going to have to meet up at this coming Speed Week! I want a burnout lesson 😉 -Kristin Reply leon lyon May 19, 2011 I just watched your video about your studebaker,it looks like you should maybe be the one to give me a lesson on the whole burnout thing if your Stude has a 383 stroker in it ,that should turn the tires just fine!If you look up world famous burnout on you tube you can see the rusty rat rod Studebaker coupe winning the burnout contest in Vegas a few years in a row before I wedge it under the semi in Idaho.Then last year I won the contest with that roadster pickup you took pictures of on your site here.I like your 55 STude ,my friend from Colorado has one.i just picked up a 1958 Studebaker Hawk,can’t seem to get enough Studebakers cars all there body styles are pretty cool!My buddies and I’ll have to look for that coral stude out on the Salt this year! Leon- Don Morgan July 14, 2012 Hi my name is Donald Morgan Ohio Region Chapter President of SDC. we have the largest one day Studebaker show in the world held each August the last Saturday of the month this year it well be held August 25th. 2012 show hours 11:00am to 6:30pm this event has drawn in past up to 186 Studebaker’s and 35 Packards & many other Independent makes. from all over the country. we have food vendors, event shirts, awards, door prizes, 50/50 drawing, music by a top D.J rock and roll music. we are trying for over 200 Studebakers this year plus all the others also. event held at Summit Racing Retail Store, Tallmadge, Ohio. meet Hotel Quanity -inn 330-794-1050 special rate of $65.00 bring some of your cars, show our area your hobby as we will show our. need more info. call Don 330-882-3235 or e-mail dmorgan828@yahoo.com be a part of our great show this year Reply greasegirl July 14, 2012 Don- Thank you so much for the invite! I want to plan a trip out to a large Studebaker show…but won’t be able to do it this year! I would love to get more involved with SDC though 🙂 Have a great show! -Kristin Reply Comment & Join the Conversation! Cancel reply
Jesse September 12, 2010 I’m completely jealous of all these fun events you get to attend out there. It looks like so much fun on the flats. Unless I’m mistaken, it looks like you did end up getting the flatface wheels, huh? They look pretty awesome. Reply
greasegirl September 13, 2010 The flats is the best time ever! I did get the moon discs for Stude…she looks cute doesn’t she! Reply
Jesse September 13, 2010 They absolutely make her stand out in a crowd … unless that crowd happens to be 3 cars, and one of the other two has the moon discs as well. I imagine that’s a rare crowd to be in though, so I definitely say they rock. Reply
The Gear Head Skeptic September 13, 2010 I am LOVING the moon disks! Nice choice. That leg gear shift lever is…. interesting! 🙂 Thanks for the coverage. I wish I could have been there this year. Maybe next year with my old man, now that he is fully retired. Reply
leon lyon January 12, 2011 That rat rod cut up truck is mine,I,m sure you noticed the studebaker grill shell emblem on it.The year before I actually had a 1930 presidents coupe on the chassis which is pretty rare , however I was doing a 800 foot burnout in Idaho at Tony “forget about it”Traditional Trash car show and I lost control of the car and slid it under the front of a semi truck,so to make it out on the salt this year I ripped the studebaker off the chassis and threw that roadster truck together for the salt.Now I picked up a 1935 studebaker dictator ,and hopefully I”ll have that out on the salt this year,Thanksfor putting the pictures on line,Later Reply
greasegirl January 19, 2011 Leon- Love it! Nice work – we’re going to have to meet up at this coming Speed Week! I want a burnout lesson 😉 -Kristin Reply
leon lyon May 19, 2011 I just watched your video about your studebaker,it looks like you should maybe be the one to give me a lesson on the whole burnout thing if your Stude has a 383 stroker in it ,that should turn the tires just fine!If you look up world famous burnout on you tube you can see the rusty rat rod Studebaker coupe winning the burnout contest in Vegas a few years in a row before I wedge it under the semi in Idaho.Then last year I won the contest with that roadster pickup you took pictures of on your site here.I like your 55 STude ,my friend from Colorado has one.i just picked up a 1958 Studebaker Hawk,can’t seem to get enough Studebakers cars all there body styles are pretty cool!My buddies and I’ll have to look for that coral stude out on the Salt this year! Leon-
Don Morgan July 14, 2012 Hi my name is Donald Morgan Ohio Region Chapter President of SDC. we have the largest one day Studebaker show in the world held each August the last Saturday of the month this year it well be held August 25th. 2012 show hours 11:00am to 6:30pm this event has drawn in past up to 186 Studebaker’s and 35 Packards & many other Independent makes. from all over the country. we have food vendors, event shirts, awards, door prizes, 50/50 drawing, music by a top D.J rock and roll music. we are trying for over 200 Studebakers this year plus all the others also. event held at Summit Racing Retail Store, Tallmadge, Ohio. meet Hotel Quanity -inn 330-794-1050 special rate of $65.00 bring some of your cars, show our area your hobby as we will show our. need more info. call Don 330-882-3235 or e-mail dmorgan828@yahoo.com be a part of our great show this year Reply
greasegirl July 14, 2012 Don- Thank you so much for the invite! I want to plan a trip out to a large Studebaker show…but won’t be able to do it this year! I would love to get more involved with SDC though 🙂 Have a great show! -Kristin Reply
