Before you jump to an immediate conclusion about this 1953 Studebaker truck, let us explain for a second. There’s a lot going on here that you have to consider before you lump this thing into a normal, preexisting category in the world of hot rodding. Firstly, the only thing on this truck that’s 1953 Studebaker is the cab. The chassis is a C30 Chevrolet piece. The bed is custom made. The engine is a DT360 International in-line six that would normally be found in a school bus or similar vehicle. The transmission is the Allison that came attached to the DT360 from the factory and the rear axle is also from a vehicle like a school bus and it is wrapped in super single style big rig tires.
Like we said…hold your judgement for a minute.
The thing looks crazy, especially with the super singles out back but we actually like it. This looks like no other truck we have ever seen. Some paint would do the thing good and it would make it look even more dramatic. If you were to paint this sucker orange and shine those rear steamrollers up, you could visualize the crowds forming around it!
The stance is mint with the front tire tucking ever so little up into the fender well and the huge rears being about half covered by the rest fenders. The engine is a bit go a quizzical choice but only if you are considering all-out performance. The DT360 does not have the aftermarket support that the same displacement Cummins has, it is far larger and heavier, and it does not quite have that Cummins sound. What it does have is the ability to run until the end of time and it probably scoots the truck down the road fine because it is small and light. Anything can be hot rodded and with some more turbo and a tweak of the fuel system, we’re sure that these engines can be made to lay big rubber and hustle his thing down the highways and byways.
So what do you think? Pro Towing?
Link: This 1953 Studebaker truck has International parts built into it – Pro Towing?
That’s freakin’ cool…
Quite simply the BEST pick up I have ever seen!
I appreciate this story.
A friend ran a business where he used a medium-sized 1975 International dump truck.
The truck was a work of art-nothing on the inside or outside that wasn\’t needed.
The dash layout,the side signal/marker lights, the beige understated color-everything covered with nothing beyond necessary.
Great factory planning and execution.
This project also saved a Studebaker \”anything\” from the Reaper.
Roll on down the highway!
That is a wicked cool truck. Love it
Believe it or not, I think the rear tires are too big to work asthetically, like they don’t quite fit. Other than that, pretty cool though I’d have gone with a DT466 – also really common and they make good power and besides, more is better.
Dan
I feel the same way about the rear tires, that and it has about 8″ too much wheelbase. We ran a 408, 434? And a 466 truck. The one with the 408 outran the other two and got better mileage to boot.
I like it. Still looks like it’s reasonably useful as a pickup truck too.
I could not hate this any more if it were painted pink with purple polka dots. To my eye, there is no balance, wheels are set too far back and they are far too big to be asthetically pleasing …. looks like somthing my kids built out of legos…But, thats just my opionion and we all know what thats worth.
I agree with Dan on the rear tires, they look out of place and almost cartoonish. Other than that i like it. It is a cool truck that with a little bright work and paint could be taken to the next level easy.
Glad the cab and fenders weren’t modified much. 1953 is the rarest model year of the R-series trucks out there. The super-singles would work better with more a functional ride height and a width closer to original. While not a fan of Stude chassis swaps, I understand especially if you want modern brakes, axle ratios, etc. I also get the getting away from Studebaker power – try finding a cam for a 289 other than regrinds of 50-plus year old patterns, not to mention the cylinder head limitations, as well as the fact that there’s just too damned much block metal. Engine weighs nearly twice as much as an LS. But a C30 chassis? I’d rather hang from my balls in a s&m dungeon with Hillary and Ginsberg both holding the crops than to stoop that low.
the sidewall height difference on the tires just looks silly, looks like its ready to hook to the sled at the tractor pulls.