Buck and a Half Baker   

Randy Haubrich from Grafton NH has been building and enjoying hot rods since he was 13 years old in 1959.  “My first one was a Model A that I Z’ed the frame, channeled the body, and the next year I added a flathead with trips and a suicide front end.”  Through the years and multiple builds, a trip to the salt flats of Bonneville was always on the bucket list.  Fast forward to 1999, Randy put the salt quest into high gear when he found a 1953 Studebaker hardtop for sale at an estate auction in St. Johnsbury VT.  The car was a rust-free specimen from Fresno California running with a Cadillac engine already installed, so the bones for his build were a great starting point. A body man by trade, Randy removed the hardtop and replaced it with a roof and doors from a sleeker ‘61 Silverhawk.

In 2006 after a lot of hard work, Randy and his wife Bonnie were 4 days from loading up their ‘Stude for the trip to Bonneville when the ‘59 Caddy engine gave up the ghost in a major way in their driveway.  Not good at all, but Randy did what hot rodders do.  “I had a bone stock and frozen 1960 390 cu in Caddy sitting in the corner of my shop so we dug it out, installed it, and got it to turn over.”  Upon the initial start-up, a couple of pushrods got bent, so they were removed, straightened on an anvil, checked on a piece of glass, and re-installed.  Mr. and Mrs. Haubrich arrived at the holy ground of speed and laid down a very respectable run of 130 mph on their short 26” tall tires.  In true Bonneville racer helping racer fashion, Les Butters who had blown up the engine in his ‘53 Studebaker loaned Randy a set of 28” tall tires which upped his trap speed to 144mph. “The stock engine we installed used a quart of oil on each run, but it sure was a lot of fun” Randy recalled.

A post-Bonneville freshen up of the Caddy was performed by Ed Kimbal who installed a set of Chevy rings and a Chet Herbert roller cam which had been used in several engines dating back to 1961.  The total investment for this bullet was $293.00.  A Demon carb feeds the engine that sends power through a Schiefer flywheel with a bronze insert, 11 inch Ford clutch, and heavy-duty pressure plate flows into a 1937 LaSalle 3 speed transmission filled with 1952 gears.  A Ford 9” rear end with a set of 2:50 gears bolted to the Strange spool utilizing a pair of Moser 31 spline axles finishes up the link from engine to pavement. A set of Avanti traction bars and 2” lowering blocks round out the back half.  Upfront Randy fitted an anti-sway bar and cut one coil out of the springs.  Braking chores are also vintage with drums on all corners, using 11X2 shoes up front and 11X2 ½ bringing up the rear.  Inside an 8-point cage surrounds an aluminum seat with engine reporting duties handled by Stewart Warner gauges.  A coat of Ford Wimbledon white paint was applied by Randy.

Through the years and multiple builds, a trip to the salt flats of Bonneville was always on the bucket list.

When the high-speed racing action started at the Loring Air Force Base in northern Maine, Randy, and his ‘Stude showed up and in 2018 laid down a career-best of 157 mph.  This hot rod is also registered and inspected for the occasional street run.  “I’ve got less than $400.00 invested in the engine, it runs great and is very reliable,” Randy said.  He is quick to offer thanks to his wife Bonnie, Ed Kimball, Jesse Lamos, Bill Harthan, and Wayne Woodbury.

This white Studebaker is a rolling billboard highlighting the hot rodding spirit of having a dream, building it, and going as fast as you can behind the wheel of your creation.  It never gets old.

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