1963 Studebaker Champ 8E 1/2 Ton Custom

1963 Studebaker Champ (T-cab) 8E Half-Ton Pickup 

Who knew Studebaker made pickup trucks? Aside from Studebaker fans. we here at MotoeXotica Classic Cars knew and we are proud to present this hot rod custom 1963 Champ (T-cab) 8E Half-ton truck. are rare body style and only one of about 5. 00 examples made in 1963.

The silver paint on this customized and restored truck is thick and in very good order. with only minor blemishes visible on the top right front fender near the hood and on the passenger side cargo box exterior. The glass panes are clear and crack-free and the lights are also clear and intact. This truck rolls on Cragar SS five-spoke wheels with three-spoke center caps. which are surrounded by Falken radials. size 235/45ZR17 in front and 275/40ZR17 in back. Tires have plenty of tread and the Cragars look great.

Under the hood is a Chevrolet 350 CID V-8. with an Edelbrock four-barrel carburetor. Edelbrock performance RPM intake manifold and an aluminum radiator. This engine is backed up by a Turbo Hydramatic three-speed automatic transmission. In addition. the engine bay is fitted with billet and chrome. Other features include a JEGS electric line lock and a Gasser customer suspension system.

The truck's body panels are solid and straight. including the cargo box. which is customized with a diamond-plate floor and Rhino Liner interior walls. There are also two cargo tiedowns in the front bed corners. close to the cab. The engine bay is very tidy and the battery looks new.

Inside. a custom interior greets the driver upon opening the doors. The silver and black folding bench seat is eye-catching and in excellent shape. The black carpet is also in excellent order and complements the seat and instrument panel well. The black headliner is also in great order. The silver instrument panel has a black padded top. Inside that dashboard is a custom Auto Meter quad gauge pod and nestled near the driver's A-pillar is a Sunpro Super Tach II tachometer. There's an aftermarket three-spoke steering wheel mounted on a tilt column that is in very good condition. The inner door panels in great shape while the mirror glass and shift lever are in good order. Rounding out the interior is a custom Pioneer stereo with a WMA/MP3 player. In addition. the factory AM radio is still in the dash. This vehicle is an air-conditioning and heater delete model.

The Studebaker Champ was produced from 1960-1964. Designed at a time when Studebaker's truck line had not seen major upgrading in more than 10 years. the company. which had endured years of declining sales. was forced to use a number of existing components.

The Champ's chassis and cargo box were the same as what had been used for Studebaker's ½ and ¾-ton trucks since 1949 but the cab section was very different. An entirely new cab was out of the question because of cost considerations but the new Lark compact car body proved just the right size and shape to suit the purpose.

The engineering staff took a four-door sedan. cut it in half behind the front doors and modified the front half slightly to fit the truck chassis. The only new sheetmetal stamping required was the back wall of the new cab. Minor modifications for mounting of the cab to the 1949-vintage truck frame were also made.

The Lark's front end was retained as well but funds were allocated to give the Champ a new horizontal-bar grille that delivered a tougher look.

The Champ is seldom given credit for introducing a feature that is nearly universal among today's pickup trucks: the sliding rear window. which was available from the start. proved to be quite popular among Champ buyers. It was truly one of Studebaker's better ideas and caught on later among the major truck makers.

With a cab based on a sedan body. the Champ was among the first pickups to offer true "car-like" comfort. with a wide. comfortable bench seat and a handsomely styled interior. Other manufacturers took until the late 1960s and early 1970s to follow the Champ's lead.

While it didn't prove to be the savior of the Studebaker truck line. the Champ also pointed the way to a smaller yet still rugged pickup. something Dodge later claimed as a "first" with their mid-sized Dakota. which was introduced as a 1987 model. nearly 27 years after the Champ.

Competition to this Studebaker in 1963 included Chevrolet's C/K 10 models. Ford's F100 and F150 pickups and Dodge's D100.

This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis. Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows
254. 1 miles since restoration. It is sold as is. where is. on a clean and clear. mileage exempt title.  GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!

VIN: E5133837

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