1951 Studebaker Custom
If you're into classic cars there is no doubt you have heard of the famous George Barris. Barris has cemented himself in the hall of fame of car customization history but did you realize there are some lesser known names that helped him along the way? One of those names is Dick Dean. Born Richard Dean Sawitskas, Dick Dean was an automobile customizer that had his hand in some of the top historical cars out there. He grew up working for his dad's dealership who would outsource body work to the legendary Bill Hines. He eventually started pinstriping for extra cash and from there learned how to chop tops. In 1959, his work caught the eye of George Barris at Detroit Autorama who offered him a job and that's where everything changed. He went on to run Barris Kustom City where his work can be seen in the Dragula Munster car, The Monkeemobile, The Green Hornet, Beverly Hillbillies car, Ectomobile (Ghostbusters), Batmobile and more. If not enough legends have been named it is important to note he also worked on the Goldenrod and a Challenger for Mickey Thompson to attempt land speed records. We mention the "Sultan of Chop" because this very cool 1951 Studebaker Starlight Coupe is one of Mr. Dean's personal creations. It was built for a customer out of California and now resides in Texas. Studebaker style is cool on its own but this one has been modified to be a one of a kind creation. When you talk car customization not many people will point to a Studebaker but this car will have you asking why not. It has been chopped 3 inches, channeled 4 inches, shaved, and the hood was peaked. The resulting profile is hard to not admire. It is a car that will stand out wherever you take it especially wearing that bright Yellow paint. The modifications were so well done and complement the already cool Bullet nose design perfectly. Custom pinstriping has been added all across the deck lid that looks great. The car rides on a set of Cragar SS wheels which look perfect on a car with this old school style.
Under that custom hood is a 350 small block Chevy motor that runs well and has been modified with a tri power set up, Yellow accented Edelbrock valve covers, custom Yellow air cleaners, an Edelbrock intake and lots of chrome. That is combined with an 700R4 automatic transmission that shifts well and sends power back to the Ford 9 inch rear.
The interior of the car is all custom with Beige and Brown that looks great. It has power adjustable bucket seats up front that sit to each side of the fully custom built center console. This is where you will find the power window controls, Pioneer stereo with screen and cupholders. The dash is all custom with old school engine turned trim and topped with Haneline gauges, LED indicators, Vintage Air controls and adjustable vents. The Ididit tilt column is painted Beige to match and has a custom Lecarra steering wheel. Even the headliner is custom with a raised scallop design that looks great! The trunk offers a ton of storage space and houses a custom fuse block and the fuel filler.
This cool custom could be in your garage for $50,000.00!
