I've been out of town for work the last week or so, and it has been awhile since an update. Not much has gone on at the body shop since my last visit, so my hopes that it would be ready to return to me for the engine install by the end of April appear to have been overly optimistic if not downright disappointing.
But work on the project continues--I'm still gathering things, like the cast valve covers above (which do nothing for the car other to look cool.) On the improving performance side, I've made a deal on a power steering set up for the car.
To be truthful, I'm not a big fan of power steering; at least not the "way-too-easy" American automobile style power steering of the 60s and 70s. This said, the manual steering on my car wasn't very good either. I've been trying to track down a replacement steering box to improve the steering feel and performance but have had little luck finding the right one out of a later model Studebaker. Some people have had luck adapting steering boxes from different cars, such as the Mitsubishi Montero or the Chevrolet Astro van, and while I find these intriguing as a project, I have to be practical: if there's any chance at this point in time for me to get the car on the road this summer, I need to avoid as much customization as possible: only bolt on options for me from here on out.
Now there is one bonus to all of this: the use of power steering will enable me to use a later option known as "quick-steer arms." This, in addition to the other mods I've purchased (front disk brakes, larger front and rear anti-sway bars, progressive front springs) should make the handling quite modern.
