Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA, Time Warp
SEMA 2008: Choppin' Block '31 Studebaker Model 54

Click above for high-res gallery of this really low Stude
Toyo Tires has one of the coolest booths at SEMA this year. We already showed you the Tetsu Bentley they have on display, but they also have a sweet Evo and GT-R, a custom Cayenne and this beautiful hot rod. It's based on a 1931 Studebaker Model 54, but features a few modifications... to put it mildly. Motivation comes courtesy of a Chevy 350 with an Edelbrock intake, three, two-barrel carbs with open stacks, and a "Zoomie" open header exhaust system. The custom chassis rides on an equally custom air-ride suspension and Centerline smoothies wrapped in Toyo Proxes. As you can probably tell from the pics, it also has a totally customized body and interior that makes it one of the most attractive cars at the show. Check out the gallery for a bunch of high-res pics.
Photos copyright ©2008 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
casey 6:50PM (11/06/2008)
this is my favorite SEMA car so far, but i wish it hadn't been painted, that's my only beef. the design of this customs is totally RatRod, my favorite genre of customs, and they look best in polished bare metal.
i hate to think about how rare '31 Studebakers are, though. depending on which body style and model they started out with, they could have ruined a full classic, as recognized by the AACA. i'm very conflicted about making customs out of authentic antiques.
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Throwback 8:56PM (11/06/2008)
I agree, by far the coolest ride this year.
R? 6:50PM (11/06/2008)
What's the point of a low rider if you must chop a hole in the roof to fit inside??
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Dunc 7:38PM (11/06/2008)
How do you know that your head would stick out the top?
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JDMlover 7:51PM (11/06/2008)
Believe it or not...
This beat the skylines Ring time and broke into the 6's!!
I will post the vid soon
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TomG 12:37AM (11/07/2008)
Chevy 350? Yuck.
Any fool can do that.
Shoulda dropped in a Stude R4, or better yet a Packard 374 with factory dual quads...wanna be different? Play the game. Don't stop with the body, go all the way!
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akboss 8:34AM (11/07/2008)
Nice job on choosing classy, understated wheels. I hate seeing these beautiful cars fitted with 28" quadruple-chromed deep-dish wheels, and for that reason this scores significantly higher for me.
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Keith 1:09PM (11/07/2008)
Does it ever move off that pad? I see _maybe_ 1/4" of ground clearance?
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C4IV5 4:32AM (11/24/2008)
Tough to to see it from the pictures, but the spec sheet (13/13) mentions an "Air Ride" suspension. You may not be seeing any ground clearance at all---an adjustable air setup allows for different ride heights, in this case, 0". One assumes the car would be raised when in motion.