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This 1966 Studebaker Commander Is One Nasty Little Beast! Blown 383 Chevy And A Five-Speed!


This 1966 Studebaker Commander Is One Nasty Little Beast! Blown 383 Chevy And A Five-Speed!

The jig was up for Studebaker in 1966. Production at the South Bend, Indiana plant had been shuttered for two years and the company exited the auto manufacturing business altogether on March 16, 1966. Finding any 1966 Studebaker is a needle-in-the-haystack kind of deal, because less than 9,000 cars made their way off of the Hamilton, Ontario assemblyline before operations ceased. It wasn’t a sudden affair…Studebaker had been hemorrhaging cash since the early Fifties…but looking at this 1966 Commander, you have to contemplate what might have been if the company’s fortunes had been more favorable. The car itself looks so close to it’s compact rivals, the Ford Falcon and Chevy II, but underneath the car parts that dated from the early 1950s were still being used.

commander 2

Except in the case of this particular Commander. Originally denoting the second-cheapest version of the Lark platform (Challenger was the cheapest), this Commander is truly a leader of something. The description has everything laid out: “That big 383 is based on a 4-bolt main block stuffed with an Eagle rotating assembly with H-beam rods. Special blower pistons and a roller cam were selected to work with the BDS 8-71 supercharger and two Holley double-pumpers. RHS cylinder heads handle the force-fed mixture and an MSD ignition system lights it up. It’s a tight fit in the Stude’s little engine bay, but workmanship is outstanding, with custom side panels and a smooth firewall and lots of attention to detail. There’s a big aluminum radiator up front that keeps it cool even with the A/C running and you’re really going to dig how the headers snake out through the sheetmetal inner fenders. A Tremec TKO600 5-speed manual transmission sends all that supercharged horsepower back to a custom 9-inch Ford with 3.70 gears inside, so it’s quick but easy-going on the highway. The chassis has been extensively modified and upgraded with rack-and-pinion steering, ladder bars, and 4-wheel disc brakes, plus a custom Flowmaster exhaust system that sounds wicked. Traditional Torque Thrust wheels are probably a low-key choice and they look awesome wrapped in big-n-little 205/75/15 radials up front and 29.5×12.5-15 Hoosier meats in back.”

Ever heard the phrase, “Dynamite comes in small packages”? Here you go.

eBay Link: 1966 Studebaker Commander

commander 4 commander 3


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8 thoughts on “This 1966 Studebaker Commander Is One Nasty Little Beast! Blown 383 Chevy And A Five-Speed!

  1. ANGRYJOE

    in before “someone” cries about it having an Chevy engine! Neat little car…looks like a boat load of fun…..

    1. Bryan McTaggart Post author

      Fun fact: after the Studebaker engines were used up for the final run of cars, any vehicles left got either Chevrolet straight sixes or 283 V8s.

  2. steve-o

    Wouldn’t look twice at them then, would die for one now…………..

    Think anyone will have the same feelings for a Prius in 50 years?

  3. Chevy Hatin' Mad Geordie

    Neat car – apart from those hideous tail lights.

    An AMC big block would have been better even though Studebaker walked on the dark side for engine suppliers in their death throes.

    The only feeling one will have for a Prius in 50 years will be the urge to reduce it to its constituent atoms and barbecue its driver over a gasoline fueled grill. But by then EPA might have forced everyone to drive an electric car – so its a good job I live n the UK!

  4. Nick D.

    Pretty cool, although I don’t like injector hat-styled scoops on top of carbs (One or the other, boys) and the skulls on the butterflies are a bit much.

  5. Will

    I like the Studebaker bodies of the 60’s. the steering wheel and buckets just don’t go with the car. and then there is another chebbie in it because the owner is just not smart enough to build a studie engine.
    yup, using a chebbie is like using the same condom day after day……

  6. BSD289

    Great looking car, but damn whats with centre console and those ‘racey’ seats. Get em’ out now!

  7. Dave the Bartender

    I saw, and rode in this car when Ray built it down here in FL and it didn’t have those seats, console or top hat. Guess everyone’s taste is different. Looks aside, the craftsmenship is top notch for sure.

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