If you've been following us for a while, you may remember this 1925 Studebaker Big Six truck. It spent most of its life as a hearse and fire truck before it was locked in a barn for almost 20 years. It finally saw the light of day in June 2021 and, almost five months later, it took its first drive in decades.
Saved by the folks over at YouTube's "Vice Grip Garage," the truck was in surprisingly good shape for an almost 100-year-old vehicle that spent decades off the road. Amazingly enough, the 354-cubic-inch (5.8-liter) slant-six agreed to run again without major repairs, but the truck was far from being road-worthy at the time.
Come November 2021 and the owner revisited the project, this time around hooked to get the old Studebaker driving again. He fixes a few more engine components, inflates the tires, and voila, the Big Six is no longer a sleeping giant. And not only the six-cylinder mill starts right away, but it also runs well enough to push the heavy truck through its first drive in almost 20 years.
Sure, the joyride is rather short and takes place in a backyard, but it still counts. Because this old Studebaker was doomed to rot away in a barn just six months ago and now it's on its way to celebrating its 100th birthday as a running vehicle. And that's just wonderful.
If you're not familiar with the Studebaker Big Six, it was produced in many forms from 1918 to 1927. An automobile by 1920s standards, the Big Six was also converted for commercial duty, as it was usual back in the day. Conversions included pickup trucks, flatbeds, ambulances, fire trucks, and even hearses.
Studebaker sold all Big Sixes with 354 inline-six engines. Originally rated at 60 horsepower, the mill was upgraded to deliver 75 horses by 1926.
A cool fact about the Big Six is that they were popular with bootleggers during the Prohibition era due to their ability to reach up to 80 mph (130 kph).
Granted, this truck won't hit such a speed anytime soon, but the fact that it can move under its own power is as spectacular as it gets.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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