1950 Studebaker - Atti-stude

The outside world sometimes views hot rodding as a purely nostalgic endeavor--a bunch of old guys trying to relive their youths through old cars and trucks. This characterization may ring true for some rodders, but for others the nostalgia factor is only part of the equation.

John VanMaele tells us that his attraction to his '50 Studebaker is partly sentimental, since he has fond memories of riding in his older brother's '50 Stude decades ago. But there's also a part of him that just wanted something different, a departure from the Fords and Chevys he'd been tinkering with. The Stude seemed like just the ticket.

Though the previous owner had started the project, John still had an uphill climb ahead of him. That became obvious when he discovered the poor fit of the '76 Camaro subframe. Kevin Broderick at Fabrications Unlimited was enlisted to properly locate the clip, and John had him install a Morrison rear four-link while he was at it. Air springs were added to all four corners, and eventually a quartet of BFG-wrapped Billet Specialties wheels found their way under the pickup.

A big-block Chevy was decided upon for power, which soon led to the "Stud Rat" moniker being bestowed upon the pickup. It's a stout powerplant, too, filled with 10.5:1 pistons, a Comp Cams camshaft, Weiand intake, and 750cfm Edelbrock carb. Hedman headers and Flowmaster mufflers provide the appropriate rumble. John chose to row his own gears by backing the big-block with a Richmond five-speed box.

Like the chassis, the body needed plenty of work, too. By word of mouth John found Roger Duran (Duran-ized Rods, Edwardsville, Kansas), who immediately dove into the bodywork with assistance from Fred Pullen. Aside from smoothing out all the bumps, scrapes, and wrinkles, the pair finished off the Nissan taillight installation started by the previous owner. Kevin Broderick again lent his fabrication skills by building the smooth tailgate. A rolled rear pan and custom contoured front bumper added a little more distinction before Roger sprayed the Lemon Ice paint and custom graphics.

The final order of business was making the cabin more inhabitable. Russ Edwards gets credit for covering the Cavalier seats, custom door panels, and other interior pieces in tan leather. The balance of the cab is also pretty classy, with a custom mahogany dash (filled with Auto Meter gauges), Vintage Air, a Delco stereo with Kenwood speakers, and a Grant wheel on the '68 Chevy tilt column. John did as much of the assembly and detail work as he could, getting lots of assistance from his little brother Bob.

Just like those days gone by riding with his brother, John says he likes to get this Stude "on the street to go through the gears." But it's not just an empty-headed speed addiction; he can get a little philosophical, too. "Being a gearhead," he says, "at times I wonder what is more important--looks or get-go. We can't have it all most of the time, but is sure is great to work at it!"