1964 Studebaker Daytona – Ontario Chapter SDC 50^th Anniversary Project

Bob Suszek and Jake Huschilt beside the loaded 1964 Daytona

                In October 2019 I received an email from Peter Downey about a 1964 Studebaker Daytona that had been sitting in a garage for the last 40 years

and the current owner, Jake Huschilt of Waterloo wanted to give it away to someone who would restore it and get it back on the road.

 I quickly emailed him to see if it was restorable as it may just be a parts car and would take too much to get it back on the road. 

I asked him if he had it registered in his name and that in order to accept this car I would need a clean registration to pick it up. 

It was currently not in his name and he assured me that although it had been in his garage for a long time the engine turned over

and was a good restoration candidate. I emailed him info on how to get it registered in his name and about getting a tax appraisal ($40)

and getting a registration slip as UNFIT to allow me to pick it up for my idea of using it to help celebrate our Chapter’s 50^th anniversary

in 2022.  I contacted Chapter Member Russ Carnes to see if I could borrow his Car Hauler that we had used in previous years to move 3

other projects so all was in place to pick it up if he gave me the green light. Low and behold about a week later he asked about getting

an appraiser and so I used Goggle to track down one in Waterloo and he got it appraised to get the ball rolling.  About 4 days later he

indicated it was it in name which had taken some effort on his part but he was successful which was the green light to ask him his

intentions on his car.  He said it was ready for me to pick it up in about a week so I contacted Bob Suszek to see if he was interested in

helping me pick it up as it really was a 2 man job to load a dead vehicle onto a car hauler.

                On the 25^th of October I hopped in my Ford F250 with Car Hauler and started the trek to Waterloo to pick up my latest Project.  I picked

up Bob on my way past Oshawa and around 11 am we arrived in Jake’s place.  I was given initially 2 photos which showed promise

that it was restorable but you never know until you do a frame inspection and check body condition. He had initially indicated it was a

1965 Daytona with a 283 Chevy engine but they didn’t make a 4 dr Daytona in 1965 so I needed to see the VIN Plate and also the engine. 

As suspected it was a 1964 Daytona with a 259 V8 and that VIN Plate matched the registration so we were good to go. The frame was in

good condition but the body had some rocker and wheel-well work damage along with trunk and battery box holes.  The interior was in good

shape but the front bench seat was torn and the rear part of the carpet was ratty but all in all it is very restorable but would require

some in-depth body, upholstery and paint work to get it to the standard I wished to get it up too.  Bob and I loaded up the car with

the help of Jake and a friendly neighbour of his and we rolled down the highway through Toronto and I reached home around 5:30

and parked it in my driveway.  Over the next week I got it registered in my name and started an in-depth list of what it would need

and cost to complete this project. In the second week I returned the Car Hauler and prepared the car for winter storage by changing

all fluids, spark plugs/wires, fogging the engine,  newer tires/wheels and putting it up on jack stands with a car tarp.   I have started fabricating

the patch panels for the areas that need new metal while repairing the rear bench seat. Now the main object of this project is to get

another Canadian Built Studebaker back on the road along with making a profit to put towards the costs of our 2022 50^th anniversary

celebrations.  I thought with a lot of work on my part with assistance from other Chapter Members, along with parts donations and

using some parts that I had left over from our own 1964 Cruiser project we had a very good start to complete a Frame-on restoration

I have sourced all of the remaining parts that are required to make it right and get it where it needs to be to pass a safety check in 2022.

        Thanks go out to Jake Huschilt who donated this car, Peter Downey for spreading the word, Bob Suszek for helping me pick up this car

and Russ Carnes for the loan of his Car Hauler.  Additionally thanks goes out to Verne  Brinsmead for donating two good used fenders

and Bill Patterson for his donation of wider Avanti wheels. This project will take hundreds of hours to get it up to the condition

where we can sell it.  Looking forward to our 50^th anniversary in 2022 when we can get this beauty back on the roads of Ontario.

1964 Daytona - Model Y8 Auto Trans

Vehicle Specifications

Check out my  1964 Daytona Restoration

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