Mike Prydula is a big fan of Studebakers who has owned 30 of them over the years and drove his first Studebaker at 13.
He even has a Studebaker tattoo.
However, it would be safe to say his 1963 Studebaker Daytona Lark ranks among his favorite Studeys of all time and will likely be with him for as long as his tattoo.
Jim Sutherland
Mike has put his own stamp on his ’63 Studebaker Daytona when he improved numerous cosmetic and mechanical features in the process.
A good example is the car’s engine. It began life as a 289 Studebaker small block that is not to be confused with the famous Ford 289 engine. In fact, the Studebaker small block shares much of its early lineage with the Cadillac V-8 built in the late 1940s and early 1950s, consequently it had no Ford influences during its production run.
Mike wanted to squeeze more ponies out of his Studey’s 289, so he bored it out to the max and gained a sizeable horsepower boost for his efforts. He also added an electric fuel pump to give his Studebaker a more efficient gas delivery system to the 4-barrel carb setup.
The Studebaker has a floor-mounted Avanti 3-speed automatic transmission that can easily handle the beefed-up 289 and transfers the power to a low gear 4:11 rear end.
Mike’s Studey also has a power-assisted dual master brake cylinder with a front disc and rear drum setup that can slow the car down in a hurry if the situation warrants it. Mike installed front and rear stabilizer bars on the Studebaker so it could handle the curves better than a typical Studey from that era.
Mike’s Studebaker has a flawless black paint job that required plenty of effort to reach that high level of quality because he was willing to take the time to get it right since black is a color that magnifies even small imperfections.
The bright work on the car was a concern for Mike so he painted the inserts in them to solve the problem because they had severe scratches in them. It was an excellent decision in our opinion here at MyStarCollectorCar.
Mike chose to get rid of his Studebaker’s front bumper because the valence under it was streamlined enough to give the car a cleaner look without the bumper.
Mike wanted to dress up his Studebaker with luxury items and chose a glove box vanity mirror setup that is accessible for passengers in the car’s front seat. This rare option was not found in most Studebaker Larks in 1963. His car also has an electric clock as an added luxury item in the Studebaker, along with custom cupholders for front seat passengers.
Another item in the Studey (that was not common for 1963 domestic vehicles) are front and rear seatbelts, although these could best be described as a safety feature in the car.
Mike upgraded the car’s electrical system to ensure it was more dependable after over 60 years but stayed true to the Studebaker school for most of his build. He describes his car as “kind of an R1 (Studebaker’s performance version) clone”, in his words, an apt description of his very cool Studey from a bygone era.
These days, it is simply a matter of very happy motoring in Mike’s favorite Studebaker.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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