"StudeFord"
Jeff and Melissa Davis, of Port Republic, VA, figured they'd share a little somethin' with us about their recently completed '46 Stude:
"Just thought I'd show you what some of your readers' trucks look like, so I'm sending you some photos of my '46 M-5 custom Studebaker. I bought the truck in early 2005 and I worked on it in my spare time. I finished it in September 2007. The engine is an all-new 5.0 Ford and the trans is a C-6 automatic. The rearend is from a '57 Ford Fairlane with 3.70 gears. The cab is about 75 percent original. The interior is custom with Auto Meter gauges, a handmade fiberglass console, fiberglass kick panels, and a '69 Mustang steering column. I built the new bed using 1/8-inch steel for the side panels and roll pan. The tailgate is all new as well, except for the Studebaker stamp that was cut from the original tailgate. The rear fenders have also been widened 1 inch to make room for the M50 Mickey Thompson tires. The wood in the bed is walnut. On the dash we added wood with a laser-engraved Studebaker logo. The running boards are handmade from fiberglass. After about 600 hours of bodywork I painted the Studebaker Viper Red."
We must say it's not often we run across Studebaker pickups, unfortunately. And to run across a Studebaker built with the underpinnings from the Blue Oval, well, we have to say we're headed to buy some lottery tickets! This just might be our lucky day in more than one way.
Editor's Note: Getting your truck into Readers' Trucks is a snap, of the camera, that is. All it takes is a stack of good-quality photos of your ride that are in focus and well lit. Due to the volume of mail we receive, we regret that we cannot return photographs. Send photos of your truck (no Polaroids or printouts) to: CCT, Readers' Trucks, 774 S. Placentia Ave., Placentia, CA 92870. It is important that you include a detailed description of the modifications you have made to your truck, including any interesting stories behind it.