What kind of person sticks an old Studebaker flathead on an engine dyno? What kind of person builds a pretty awesome tubular intake and header for it? The same type of person who wants to make sure it doesn’t blow up while they are driving from Paris to Peking during the 6th Paris to Peking Motor Challenge. That’s a road trip that includes passing through Russia, Belarus, Northern Mongolia, and some place that may not have been named at.
Kind of like the ultimate vintage road trip, you have to have something older than 1941 to participate and there’s lots of “open air living” along the way. It isn’t quick, either. The challenge starts on June 12th and wraps on July 17th! Make sure you got the time off from your boss before committing and since this year is sold out you can get yourself setup for 2017.
While we don’t know what model this engine is going into, we’re hoping for a Champion or something of that nature. From the factory this was a piece that made about 80hp and with the addition of the Weber 2BBL and the tubular intake/exhaust and maybe some internal work it might be making 90? The focus here is obviously reliability and toughness so perhaps outright horsepower was not something that the builders were concerned about.
While they do not make a lot of power, these engines are as tough as nails and built to survive lots. Kind of a cast iron box, the simple mill has been updated with coil packs as well. We hope to see the car trudging through the interesting the exotic territories that all of the participants in the Paris to Peking Motor Challenge will be dealing with when they set off this June in search of adventure and exploration. Admit it. If you had the dough, you’d do it, too!
At least it hasn’t been swapped for an LS!
Those engine mods are bang on – they will give more power and reliability as you certainly don’t want to break down in the middle of the Gobi Desert!
Here in the UK enthusiasts of the anemic little side valve Ford 1172 engine have been doing similar things to them and 750 motor club members amongst them Colin Chapman were also tuning ancient Austin 7 motors in the same way.
Good luck and I’d love to see the car that the engine will be going into!
Geordie, I think dementia is setting in for you. It’s for 1941 and older engines. You have to let go of your LSX infatuation!
Hope we get follow up on the trip. Rooting for the” Studie”.
That is a champion engine, designed in 1938 and used in various forms till Stude closed it’s doors. Mine is turbocharged, now runs on propane, and set 3 records at Bonneville. On the dyno it made 240 hp and 290 ft-lbs torque.
That is a Champion engine. Special heads, intakes and more are available to improve power output from this engine.