Extreme StudeTed Trent from Amesbury, Massachusetts, owns this other ground-up project that's coming around the corner to completion, and he's having the team give his '55 Studebaker Champion the full-on Extreme makeover. Starting with a bone-stock original car, the crew mapped out a bulletproof chassis, starting with 2x4-inch boxed steel 'rails that incorporate Corvette C4 front suspension components along with Air Ride Technologies 'bags all around. Out back, an ultra-stout Strange 9-inch rear is ready for plenty of abuse.
To be sure the Stude will have plenty of grunt to match its radical character, Ted decided a mammoth 638-inch injected Merlin V-8 would do the trick, linked to a 4L80 tranny for quick shifts. With the body receiving more than its share of metallurgical updates, the car had to have an assertive attitude, so it got a 3-inch front chop to give the roof a hard wedge look, continued on with a clean shave. Then the crew buried the 'rails in the dirt. It's easy to see it will only be a matter of time 'til this Stude rips the plaster off the ceiling of the shop when it gets fired for the very first time.
Wicked OldsIt would be really disappointing if the owner of the shop set out for a weekend of hell-raising on the streets of downtown Portland in a car that couldn't live up to the name of his business. For Paul White, it took quite a bit of time at the drawing board, with metalman Ray mapping out plans to design a drop-top that could set the radical-custom world ablaze. Having always been a fan of late-'40s Oldsmobile convertibles, Paul knew Ray would have his work cut out for him when it was time to restyle the big tub he dragged home, especially since it had seen better days. But with taking on such a radical car, there would be little left of the original once the cutting started to transform the ugly duckling into a rolling sculpture.
To get the car to sit right, Alan Berry of Gorham, Maine, fabbed up a custom chassis, to which Ray added Corvette C4 spindles all around with custom-made control arms complemented by Air Ride Technologies airbags. Wanting to have plenty of wow factor, as well as brutal horsepower, Paul contacted Carroll Shelby for the same combination run in his Series 1 sports cars. That included a Vortech-urged Olds Aurora V-8 linked to a torque tube that's coupled to a Pantera six-speed trans out back. With the wild drivetrain in place, Ray commenced to work his voodoo on the body, which so far includes some major sectioning, pancaking, and a healthy 4-inch chop to the top. Still awaiting its final sculpting, all we can tell you is this Olds will be like none other seen before. Stay tuned for future updates on this East Coast custom haven, where wicked stoke things are always happening.