1964 Studebaker Daytona Wagonaire 5.7L HEMI

3rd Gen HEMI projects and products.

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scottm
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1964 Studebaker Daytona Wagonaire 5.7L HEMI

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1964 Studebaker Daytona Wagonaire 5.7L HEMI
http://forums.restomods.com/threads/hem ... onaire.55/
A little over ten years ago I got my wife a 64 Studebaker Station-wagon similar to the one her family had when she was a teenager. It was underpowered with a 259 OHV V-8 and three-on-the-tree but without overdrive, the most strenuous non-power steering and brakes that were worthless at best. Of course she wanted it to remain "original" but she couldn't drive it as it was and I didn't want to for safety reasons. It took years to convince her to let me resto-mod it. Now, from the outside, it appears all original and even the interior looks fairly stock as we used a custom set of gauges compatible with the 5.7 Dodge Hemi and its five-speed automatic that came from an 05 Dodge Truck, Ididit Column and banjo steering wheel. The floor shift however does give a clue that something is different. It has a Mustang II style coil-over suspension with rack and pinion power steering and four-wheel power disc brakes (necessitating custom made 15 inch wheels to allow for the large rotors while keeping the original hubcaps). Power is transmitted to a Nine-Inch Ford Rear End with 4:11 Detroit Locker. The only thing I wish she would have allowed me to do was to tub the rear as the torque from the truck hemi is so great that the tires "light-up" with very little throttle (it needs some extra-wide sticky tires on the rear). This is a Daytona Wagonaire Model Studebaker and the rear roof slides forward to allow items like a refrigerator to be carried (basically turning it into a truck). I don't think very many of these Wagonaires still are operational as the rear roofs leaked like sieves (which we finally fixed) but we are still battling leaks around its doors and windows so it only goes out in good weather.
More Photos: http://www.thehemi.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=8803

This is a pretty cool restomod wagon! Great use for a Gen III HEMI. :D
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