Caddy powered Studebaker truck

[SuperBuickGuy]

I've owned this truck since 1985.... almost made it completely street legal; and now I've decided to take it a slightly different direction.

This is non-running, but the original direction

I put the truck on a 4x4 chev 3/4 ton frame - 14 bolt posi rear, d44 front, 203 transfer case, t350 tranny that is dual bolt pattern. That combined with a fortunate move netted me a 500 cubic inch caddy.

What the pictures don't show is how rust this truck is..... everything around the lower 5" is rusty...... so I wasn't too upset about building a 4x4 out of it.


granted the shop was useable in May, and I promptly buried the truck..... not a front-burner project...... started wiring it, it has dual exhaust.... drives great.



anyone knows the caddy motor is a huge torque monster, but at 8.1:1 compression or 7.9:1 it's not anywhere near its potential. So I happen to have some heads from a 425


That raises the compression to 9.5:1... I already built headers for the motor, and now might as well make some power with the extra room under the hood by eliminating the upside-down intake runners (they flow uphill)....
all of this combined to make me consider doing a modernization of the original build..... and today I got a 98 s-10 frame

I've had the centerlines around for awhile waiting for a worthy project and here it is..... so for the next few months the Buick remains on hold while I wait for parts to appear and I'll build myself a truck.....
thinking of using some airbags for the rear to keep it in the weeds while still maintaining its load carrying capabilities....
so now the 81 truck is up for sale

[JOES66FURY]

Re: 2R Studebaker truck

I am interested ot see how thi turns out...I have seen them built as 4x4;s and slammed...I like them as 4x4's myself but I dig things on bags....so this should be cool

[squirrel]

Re: 2R Studebaker truck

whatever you do, just don't leave it at stock height!

[cantvalve16]

Re: 2R Studebaker truck

That looks like fun. I love a good 'anything goes build'.

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: 2R Studebaker truck

Time to add my two cents. It's your duty to get a 4-6-8 Caddy setup working on that Caddy 500 mill all efi'd up and controlled with MegaSquirt ;D Take my dream and run with it (so I can later copy you ;D)

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: 2R Studebaker truck

well it does have a 6/8 system on it now.... a couple valves hang open after it's been sitting for awhile ;D (thus the reason to put the other heads on it).......
I probably will use one of my EFIs on it.... but at this point, I think getting it to the point where I can get in it and drive would be a good start ;)

[timo]

Re: 2R Studebaker truck

I love the Studebaker trucks but I'm wondering....does the 429 head bolt onto the 500 block directly?? Thanks ???

[seanm]

Re: 2R Studebaker truck

I love the Studebaker trucks but I'm wondering....does the 429 head bolt onto the 500 block directly?? Thanks ???

Not the 429, it is a 425 head. The 472/500 engines also had smaller 368 and 425 brethren that are dimensionally the same. The 425 head has a smaller chamber than the late model 472/500 head so it is an easy way to increase compression.

[furyjim]

Re: 2R Studebaker truck

what year is the 500 you're running? the 425 head yields a mid-9 CR with a soap-dished 75-76 500 piston, though some 425's have a smaller valve like the 368, the added compression with a stock cam is worth less power than maintaining the larger valve diameter
Caddy Games! its been a while since i played with 500s... but if i recall correctly- a 75-76 small chamber head [the low CR is in the piston] on a 70-71 hi CR 500 will yield close to 11:1 since the early engines have much less dish to the piston, more of a relief than anything.
just for fun, cc the chamber on your orig head and the 425 head- use a graduated syringe and eye it if you have to- nothing fancy- to see how much of a difference there is between the 2

[mustang13]

Re: 2R Studebaker truck

Just remember, our east coast boss on here likes um with tall skinny tires.

[seanm]

Re: 2R Studebaker truck

what year is the 500 you're running? the 425 head yields a mid-9 CR with a soap-dished 75-76 500 piston, though some 425's have a smaller valve like the 368, the added compression with a stock cam is worth less power than maintaining the larger valve diameter
Caddy Games! its been a while since i played with 500s... but if i recall correctly- a 75-76 small chamber head [the low CR is in the piston] on a 70-71 hi CR 500 will yield close to 11:1 since the early engines have much less dish to the piston, more of a relief than anything.
just for fun, cc the chamber on your orig head and the 425 head- use a graduated syringe and eye it if you have to- nothing fancy- to see how much of a difference there is between the 2

You have your early and late heads backwards. The early heads are the small chamber 76cc heads, later heads are 120cc. 425's are in between cc wise.

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: 2R Studebaker truck

76cc - pre-74 472, 92cc 77 up 425, 120cc 74-76 500.....Should give me 10.0 to 1 ish compression... the only real downside with the 425 heads is that you have to be careful to keep the motor from overheating and getting hotspots.
And yep, will change the cam or have this one reground by tacoma cam.

Keep firmly in mind why I'm doing this - I have the parts and I have a total of $140.00 in this motor - including the headers..... I'm going to blow the budget with the gasket kit, but I'm okay with that (for now ;))

Also, if you're doing the same thing as I am - remember to get the oil pan off the 425 as well - then you can put the 500 in about anything.

[rightpedal]

Re: 2R Studebaker truck

I did the 425 head on 76 block. It had the paw cam and the stock intake. The trick on the heads is to drill a steam hole in the block. Use the 425 gasket as a guide. It pinged bad and liked to over heat until we did the modification. Ran perfect afterward. We had it in a 72 blazer that truck would PULL HARD.

Cool truck
Steve

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: 2R Studebaker truck

thanks for the heads up about the steam holes....

[NASBackyard]

Re: 2R Studebaker truck

Cool truck, I made a floor pan for one of those when I worked at a fab shop. Neat Caddy trivia to know also.