1951 Studebaker Champion

1951 Studebaker Champion Starlite Coupe By the 1950s, Americans expected to have cars and travel widely. Even people of average income wanted their cars to reflect their personalities. If you wanted to turn heads, then Studebaker was the brand for you. Studebaker competed for customers with Ford, Chevy, and Plymouth, using airplane inspired styling and radical wraparound rear windows. This model seems to leap forward even when standing still. Thehenryford.org  For consignment, a 1951 Studebaker Championship Starlite coupe showing 129,293 miles, but the true miles are unknown. This work in progress is sitting on the chassis of an '89 S10 and there's a 4.3 liter behind the bullet nose!  Exterior We've got a combination of unpainted panels, primer areas, a smoothed filler and if you put on some wipe on a clear coat, you could call it a day as is. But a body like this also deserves some color, fantastic, rearward sweeping lines that start with the front, sharply angling back and of course, capped by the legendary bullet nose detail that along with the side ornamentation, looks very much like an airplane over the smiling grille below and between teardrop shaped headlights. Cadillac style pointed amber marker lights now adorn the front while double red '59 Caddy units live out back. The wrap-around rear window really could pass for a windshield and creates an open greenhouse with unobtrusive B-pillar. 14-inch red steel wheels wear full covers, wrapped in staggered size tires with a late 2019 date code. There is surface rust, cracking filler, ill fitting add ons, and just general patina on the outside.  Interior Though the door panels are rough with some patina and peeling panels, the layout is consistent with everything about the Studebaker, slightly different than the other guys, here with vertically stitched glossy red vinyl over a white panel over a plaid multi colored lower. More modern bucket seats are in front in black vinyl, while the rear bench is white cloth and in poor condition with tears and soiling. A three spoke steering fronts the familiar S10 dashboard with arching blue gauges and plastic toggles, all showing some patina. The remaining dash is the Studebaker's with holes and wires and yet the glovebox ornamentation remains. The floor is barren steel with rubber mats and the headliner is what we'd call barn find condition. Yeah, she's a diamond in the rough, but let's get to what's underneath!  Drivetrain Here we have GM's venerable 4.3 liter V6 and it's a new, remanufactured example with fuel injection. It's backed by a 700R4 4-speed automatic that sends power to the 10 bolt rear axle. We note a newer aluminum radiator, hoses, and belts under the hood in an otherwise driver quality bay. The battery has been relocated to the trunk, and the car runs on a 12 volt system.  Undercarriage Driver quality here too with plenty of surface rust, and oil presence limited to a cross member. The exhaust looks fresh in comparison, a single system with a stock style muffler that sends the tailpipe sideways to exit in front of a rear wheel. Power disc brakes are up front with power drum in back and suspension is made up of coil springs in front with leaf springs in back. Drive-Ability The dash and engine sound are familiar to we S10 owners, and the raw interior gives us a Streets of Fire vibe while the outside is a bit Mad Max. Whatever movie we're in, the car gets around the test loop with typical S10 V6 power, which is decent, and the car tracks straight and stops on demand. We note the wipers and heater blower are not working but all other functions available for the driver operate as intended. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.   Amazingly, this is only the second Starlite we've represented at the mall. Maybe it shouldn't be a surprise as only 14,000 w