The flying Lemon

[DBasher]

I think I've figured out how to post pics, time for a lil participation on the forum

I've been going down to Bonneville for the last 13-14 years, I took a bit of a break when my oldest son Lincoln was born. Dad and I had always talked about building something to run instead of just watching and helping.
Fast forward to 2010, my dads health isn't what it used to be and he's heavy on the sauce. Out of rehab and needing something to do and spend money on we start looking for a car.

1961 Studebaker with some parts missing but pretty solid.

[DBasher]

Dad and I are kinda pokin around the car here and there, gathering parts and learning about Studebakers. We end up ordering a cage from Art Morrison and find some new Kirkey seats online for a good price. Fiberglass hood is ordered and I end up stripping the bumpers off a 4 dr that's sitting in the woods behind my place
I'm getting a lil antsy so I have my mom take dad outta town for two weeks. Pulled the car down to a friends place and called the neighborhood gang for a powwow.
The longest two weeks of my life, working 8-10hrs a day than another 7-10 on this. We had one guy out of 6-7 that paints for a living, an electrician worked on the front fenders, a Vet did a door and the bumpers, concrete guy, cad designer, plumber...learn as we go right

Not to shabby

[DBasher]

We think we're ready, I've read the rules a bunch, the car is still stock but kinda looks fast, let's roll.



Sunrise on the salt, love it.



Going through tech for the first time was nerve racking, long way to go to be turned around. We got dinged on one little item that was easy to fix. Rules stated 2 throttle springs, we had two but they wanted one forward and one back in case a bracket failed.
The hoods off the car, and one of the inspectors is standing next to me with his clip board not saying a word, just staring. I say "well, what do ya think?'' he looks over at me real serious and says "looks like you pulled the motor out of the wrecking yard" and smiles "have fun boys"
We're going racing! or maybe just faster than the speed limit...

[Ron in SoCal]

Great story! Hard to tell, but I think you skipped the part about the cage install?

[DBasher]

Ya, as I get my pictures organized I'll show what I can. A lot of the photos had been taken with a cardboard camera.

The cage "kit" was a decent start. The crew at Morrison are great and real easy to work with. I've done a few odd ball deals with them (custom trailers, International pick up) and they've always gone above and beyond. Doing it again I'd just bend it up myself. I can tell you though, plan ahead. I'm 6'4" and don't bend as well as I used to. Doing certain bars first would have kept me from "caging" myself in the back seat area.
I'll find the pics and post them up.

I didn't make any runs the first year, this was more about helping my dad achieve his goal of building and racing...The truth is I was out of money and the car wasn't really going that fast, I'd be back.


We run the car in the 130mph class, less rules ($$) but you've only got 1 mile to get to 130. Sounds easy enough, I can tell you that after 3yrs we aren't there yet. After the run Bill comes out, hands you your slip and congratulates you for running where some of the best in the world have laid tracks-[p

Right out of the gate, fresh off the trailer, new paint, cage and some race seats we run...
109mph

Five runs later we upped it to 112 and change. The funny part is when in the pits and guys come up and ask "how fast it go?" I'd tell them the speed we just ran. You could easily tell the spectators from the racers and especially the Stude nuts. Spectators response was "huh, looks faster than that" racers wanted to know more about it and lend a hand. The Studebaker crowd was over joyed and impressed that a lil stock stude could do so well.

We pulled the car away from the pits to get some poser shots before we left.


The last two are pretty neat. The weak was over and we did what we could, he just stood there looking at the car, thinkin who knows what.

Finally I told him to go stand next to his new addiction.


I'll post more pictures as I organize the files. We've made some changes to the aerodynamics added some more paint and even did some motor work.


Dan

[Payton King]

Thanks for posting

Need to add the salt flats to my bucket list

[GregWeld]

Awesome Dan!!



Hope your Dad is doing the program! I've got 28 years in so far!


Love the Stude dude!

[Rick Dorion]

What a great story. I love that car. Your Dad is a lucky Pop.

[rustomatic]

I just found this thread--I like the content. A guy up the road from me is nearly done building one of these Studes for La Carrera Panamericana. I'm jealous, and motivated for a new goal four years from now, when I get done with my next life goal: law school.

[DBasher]

That's funny, I have a goal of buying an early falcon and using it as a track car, LOL
Good luck with law school!

Dan