Josephine, a "Moparistic" -55 sedan

[Champion V8]

Yes I've been thinking about that, the best might be to get another radiator but I'll see how high I can get this one, the new hood has a narrower space since it's more pointy. Now it's morning here & I'm of to work, more Josephine for me in the evening...

[Champion V8]

When I got home I found my son Ozzian sick with fever so there was less time to work on Josephine but in the end I got some time & started to fabricate brackets for the radiator but I drilled one wrong & then I had to quit so I'll make a new one tomorrow, & tomorrow I'll be home cuz Ozzian is sick & Sonja has to be at the cafe so I reckon I can do the rest then. Probably.

[Champion V8]

It's been quite difficult this... If I mount the rad as high as I prefer the lower water pipe comes at the U-stand for the original radiator so I have to put it lower even thou I think it comes to low / near the ground.
If I find another nearby I'll change...
So in the end I got tired of the rad job, made the second bracket & painted them, then I started on the front, first I got the hood down all the way by cutting off some -55 bits:

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Then I started cutting & welding, tomorrow I'll do the left side too:

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[Mike Van Veghten]

A man with a mission.

Mike

[Champion V8]

Mission... Yeah!
Today I had such a bad back so I had to drive back home, could hardly walk with my back straight, layed down for a looong time & then I felt better so I went & fixed the left side too, & that went fast! Then I drove back to work & so on...

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Next thing is planning the opening shape & get back to the radiator.

[Champion V8]

When going around & closing doors for the night I made a black cardbord piece, hanged it on the peak with tape & took a picture...

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So opening the sides a bit & raising the underside... soon...

[Champion V8]

Made black-&-white copies of that last picture toningt & got going on ideas but even thou I fancy them as custom styles I'm gonna go more Studebaker style, but here are the ideas:

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[Mike Van Veghten]

Very nice.
I like the lower version better. A little more character. A little like the 50 / 51 Stude grill openings.

Yes sir, looks good, nice work. Now to transfer it to metal and start welding.

Mike

[Champion V8]

I'm gonna see what it's like if I open more outwatds, a touch of the real thing...

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[Champion V8]

I was going to work when Sonja called me & said it was no use since it's raining & my back is bad so now I lay in the sofa designing Josephine's face... (ah, the stuff folx can do when having their own companies)
So I think I'll set for the last pic where the indicators are inside the grille:
(I prefer the openings to be more rounded than the original 53-54)

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So now I just have to "wait for reality"... I'll need a bumper, would prefer a split one for the number plate between. I also levelled up the pix, I happend to see they were slanted & that made it difficult to draw horisontal.

[Champion V8]

Looking at original fronts I realized I should make the point more angled / narrow at the bottom so I went out & cut the cardboard piece + made it shorter too, took a photo & made another scetch...
(& I'm not sure I'll need / want a bumper)

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[Champion V8]

It's been some busy days with old friends visiting & music in the cafe' & I've been avoiding working on Josephine cuz it sudenly got a bit difficult. The biggest problem is the radiator, or rather the "u" the original one fits in, it's in the way for the lower hose when I put the rad in front of it. So I wonder if any other x-brand fits in the "u"? This is the way it looks now, I sprayed black to see the opening:
(I haven't fastend the rad yet)

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[Mike Van Veghten]

I can't help radiator wise.

Mike

[Champion V8]

It's ok Mike, I'll have to sort it out myself or hoping to be lucky someone else knows.
(The biggest physical problem at the moment here is that we only have Sonja's Subaru to use, wheelcylinders & hoses for the Chrysler are on their way from a friend in Mineapolis & Josephine is in pieces & the scrapyards who have old US cars are closed when I'm free from work)

[r1lark]

I was thinking nox, you can use the two front grilles from a Volvo Amazon in the Studebaker! Then both the Josephine and the Chrysler will have similar looking faces. (Maybe not sisters, but at least cousins, right?)