The dream behind this project is to build a fantastic handling and driving Studebaker, that looks awesome and is also very comfortable on long haul road trips.
The backbone behind all of our builds is the mechanicals, so it’s something we don’t take lightly here at Jellybean AutoCrafters. A well done mechanical system gives you the freedom of the open road and being trouble free while doing so.
The pervious restoration left much to be desired of, so it needed to go back down to bare metal, then start all over again. We were extremely fortunate to locate 4 NOS (New Old Stock) fenders, so all 4 corners were taken care of quite simply. We located the best set of doors we could, then repaired them as need and tightened up all the gaps to modern specifications.
Replacement floor pans for a ’54 Studebaker are extremely poor quality, so we hand fabricated the entire floor, from the firewall, all the way to the rear of the trunk.
As for the performance aspect, here’s how we exceeded the client’s expectations on all fronts.
This combination gives it a great ride on the street yet be a major contender on the track.
Fuel injected LS3 (435hp)
2 ½” dual exhaust with performance mufflers
Tremec 5 speed manual transmission
Speed Tech’s Chicane Suspension (capable of 1.03 G in a 60′ skid pad)
Vented and slotted 13″ discs with 4 piston calipers, etc.
The main intent behind the build is to tour around Canada and the US so it’ll see a lot of miles per year.
In its first year after completion, it went to Calgary several times and down the US coast several times, going as far as Oregon. Once the Covid situation is under control, it’ll go across
Canada and the US on holidays and such.
We have a reputation for building vehicles that are not only beautiful when they are on display, but they also drive very well, they handle very well on the track and are extremely reliable for the long run so, we know the clients will enjoy every mile for years to come.
Happy trails Karen and Vince
Thank you for untrusting Jellybean AutoCrafters with this build, it is appreciated
We would like to extend a big congratulations to Karen and Vince on getting another win, this time by way of a cover feature in Muscle Car Plus magazine.
Muscle Car Plus is a high end, Canada wide car magazine that has to pick and choose which vehicles to feature because there are so many great vehicles to choose from, so to get an article printed in the magazine was very cool but to get the cover shot, is another win for the car the clients.
This really is a fantastic car that does extremely well at high end car shows but also performs just a well on the street, especially on twisty back roads but you’ll have to pick up a copy of the magazine to see how we accomplished that in this old classic Studebaker.
It was a wonderful experience for us to work together with the clients from well before they even acquired the donor car for this project.
The Studebaker is a dream come true for them and we couldn’t be prouder and more pleased with how it all came together as it really is a stunning machine.
Head over to Lordco or other auto parts stores and pick up the latest copy of Muscle Car Plus magazine to read the whole article.The dream behind this project is to build a fantastic handling and driving Studebaker, that looks awesome and is also very comfortable on long haul road trips.
The backbone behind all of our builds is the mechanicals, so it’s something we don’t take lightly here at Jellybean AutoCrafters. A well done mechanical system gives you the freedom of the open road and being trouble free while doing so.
The pervious restoration left much to be desired of, so it needed to go back down to bare metal, then start all over again. We were extremely fortunate to locate 4 NOS (New Old Stock) fenders, so all 4 corners were taken care of quite simply. We located the best set of doors we could, then repaired them as need and tightened up all the gaps to modern specifications.
We had a great time at the Medford Oregon Rod and Custom Car Show this weekend.
We were given the royal treatment by the show staff, the host hotel (Roque Regency) was fantastic. We met some great people, saw some unbelievably beautiful vehicles as the competition was extremely high plus we took home two trophies. One is a sponsors pick and the other is a 1st place in the 50’s Pro Touring class. Not bad for a car that’s a driver, not a show car. I
We want to thank
Our clients for entrusting is with their dream ride and our staff for making this experience possible.
We are honoured to be awarded these prizes, they were the icing on the cake of a great long weekend.
We are at the Medford Rod and Custom Car Show this weekend so if you’re in the area, come by and say hello.
As owners of Jellybean AutoCrafters we’d like to brag up our team a bit.
After overcoming many challenges in designing, engineering, fabricating and building this 1954 Studebaker, the guys put in the extra time and effort in not only getting the car done & into the trailer on time to get to Pomona, California for the GNRS event, they flew down to set the car up and attend the show then load everything back into the trailer again.
These guys work hard, have a great attitude and are very talented in what they do. We couldn’t be more pleased.
Taking 1st place in our class today at this event is a big compliment for the team.
A ton of hard work for over 3 years went into the 1954 Studebaker but taking 1st place in our class at the GNRS which is one of the top custom car shows in the world is a bonus to having the client be very pleased with the build.
The amount of custom touches and hand fabrication on this car would take an hour or more to explain but that’ll be a post for another day.
Congratulations to our awesome staff who put in all the effort over the years.
Thank you all
Mad rush today. 10 guys on this ‘54 Studebaker all weekend to make sure it’s ready to be loaded into the trailer and get to the GNRS in Pomona California next weekend. The adrenaline is pumping and the guys are all doing great.
At the shop, good times and hard work go together.
It’s great to have a fantastic crew that believes in and “buys into” what we do. No attitudes, just head down and getting the job done right.
The dash on the ‘54 Studebaker is coming along very well.
Utilizing the factory layout but enlarging the gauge holes and adding Classic Instruments, suits the build perfectly. The Addition of the custom built clock that fills in an “empty” area on the dash, is the icing on the cake.
We sourced a factory radio and upgraded it to AM/FM with Bluetooth, Handsfree and a USB port to bring the tunes into this millennium. The front speakers are in the original location directly under the radio to keep the dash looking stock but still have modern sound.
Almost 4,000 hours of design, engineering and fabrication have gone into this Studebaker so far, so it’s very close to the finish line. Come see it in person at the Grand National Roadster Show at the end of this month.
Progress update on the 1954 Studebaker Champion Pro Touring car.
Just over 30 hours of engineering and design went into making everything fit this clean and not being visible under the dash, plus all the labour to fabricate the bracketry and install it all. The Heat/A/C system, wiper system, original yet modernized radio, speakers, several computers, several hundred feet of wiring, pedals, fuse box, etc. all had to be configured in such a way to fit it all in and still have enough air flow to keep the computers and radio cool. There is hardly a square inch that isn’t accounted for, it fits that perfectly so it was well worth the effort and time.
More than 2500 hours of labour are in this project and there’s still a ton of hours left, but the EFI LS3 engine, hand fabricated Stainless Steel headers, 5 Speed manual transmission, Heat/A/C and most of the wiring is now installed so it starting to look like a car again.
Here’s the ‘54 Studebaker Champion, fresh out of the paint booth. Not wet-sanded or polished yet, just straight up excellent quality products, a ton of prep work, top notch equipment and a talented painter using our in-house designed application procedures.
We’re building this ‘54 with a fuel injected LS3, Tremec 5 speed manual transmission, Speedtech suspension front & rear 13” rotors all around,etc.
This will be an awesome performing, major head turner.
Here are a few more details of the 1954 Studebaker Champion.
The donor body left much to be desired of so it created some excitement but we were fortunate to find all four NOS (New Old Stock) fenders and two “good doors”. Most of the floor, trans tunnel, trunk, both rocker panels, trunk lid, etc. are fabricated in house.
A ton of labour later and it’s well on its way to be a fantastic Pro Touring vehicle.
Mechanicaly it sports an EFI LS3 all aluminum engine with 435HP, Stainless Steel headers, Tremec 5 Speed, Speedtech suspensoin front & rear capable of pushing 1.03 in a 60 foot skid pad, etc.
Watch for this one, it’ll not only be a gorgeous car but also a great contender.
The backbone behind any build is the mechanicals so it’s something we don’t take lightly here at Jellybean AutoCrafters.
This ’54 Studebaker Champion Resto Mod has a Fuel injected LS3 (435hp), Tremec 5 speed manual transmission, dual friction clutch, 9″ – 373 posi, Speed Tech’s Chicane Suspension (over 1G in a 60′ skid pad), Viking dual adjustable coil-over shocks, vented and slotted 13″ discs with 4 piston calipers,etc.
This package will give it a great ride on the street yet be a major contender on the track.
