Pictures of the project, and more details are on 'Sheba's page.

I purchased the coupe in July, 1996.  The previous owner had installed a Chevy 350 and transmission, along with a Dodge Sure-Grip differential.  Not what I would have liked, but he did a nice job.  Rather than bore you with how the engine was built, suffice it to say that he provided time slips that recorded a consistent 13.4 second quarter mile @ 104 miles per hour.  I would like to have a supercharged Stude 289, but we'll have to wait for the Chevy to crater.  I drove the car for a few months, getting a feel for it, and deciding how to approach the project.  The work began in January of 1997.

The car steered like a truck, and was all go, and no stop.  I did some research and decided to sub-frame the car with a Mustang II front suspension.  It now has power disk brakes and rack & pinion power steering.  The transmission has been replaced with a 7000R4.  My objective was to build driver, using modern concepts, while staying as true as possible to the original lines of the car.   I found the Starlight to be very complimentary to modern accessories, a tribute to its designers.  I get many comments about how the mirrors and door handles, "Look like they belong there."

The only body modification was some chrome removal (most of which was already missing).  The headlight and tail-light trim pieces were too pitted and damaged to re-chrome, so were painted body color.  Door wind wings were removed, with Dodge Dynasty electric mirrors being being installed where they had been.  Everything in the doors was shot.  On right hand turns, the driver's door would open.  Chevrolet pickup door latches and striker bolts were installed, along with power windows and door locks from a Chevy pickup.  Dodge Intrepid outer door handles were installed, along with a power antenna from a Chrysler LHS.

Buick Riviera power seats were used.  Roger Bowers, of Stillwater, Oklahoma, recovered the seats, installed the headliner and carpet, and hand crafted the console and padded vanity panels under the dash.  The vanity panels not only offer some knee protection, but allowed me to conceal the Vintage Air conditioning unit and vent tubes, as well as providing a place to  install the air conditioning vents.  An overhead console form a Dodge Dynasty was installed.  Seat belts and shoulder harnesses were added front and rear.  He took the headrests to Oklahoma City to have the word, "Studebaker," stitched on them, but only after having to convince the folks that the Studebaker Corporation would not sue them for copyright infringement. 

The car is now Candy Apple Red, with gray carpet, gray vinyl and red and red cloth interior trim.  Besides the power accessories already mentioned, it has a Chrysler Infinity stereo, electric trunk release, alarm with remote entry, Caddy tilt/telescope column, cruise, and some other whistle-pretties. 

One of the best  parts of this project is all of the great Stude folks I have met.  It caused me to become acquainted with the Internet, and the members of a group called alt.autos.studebaker.  For those of you that are not familiar with this resource, let me tell you that you need to check it out.  It is nothing less than an International Swap Meet.  I was able to keep modifications to the body to a minimum because to the hard to find parts that I discovered there.  Serviceable parts that I no longer needed were shared with this group.  Technical advice, and help finding cars and parts are the order of business, but like any good swap meet, there is some good-natured ribbing that takes place, you get to know one another quite well, and lasting friendships are made.  This group persuaded me to join SDC, and like most advice you find there, they told me right!

This group also caused me to expand what few computer skills I possessed.  They kept insisting on seeing pictures of the project as it progressed, so I learned to build a home page.  the page can be found at www.davesplaceinc.com 

It has pictures of the car in various stages of being rebuilt, from the day I bought it to present.  Also, form that web site, you can get onto the Studebaker Web Ring, and visit close to 100 web sites managed by Studebaker buffs, including SDC's home page.  (You can join online!)

Besides the many new friends I have made through SDC and the News Group, I could not have seen this project through without the help of Craig Schupp, a body man by trade, and Norman McNickle, our local Chief of Police by vocation, but a Jack of all Trades and Master of Most by night and weekends.  Thanks to these guys, everything except the sub-frame and interior was done at my home shop, on the banks of beautiful Lost Creek, rural Payne County, Oklahoma.  They stayed at my side with the project for two years, and we're still friends!

You should never try to restore or build a Studebaker without Turning Wheels, the vendors that advertise there, the Internet news group, and a couple of good friends!

The car was also featured on the cover of the magazine:

In the "About Cover Photos" section were these comments:

Our front cover features a striking modified 1954 Starlight Coupe owned by member Dave Lester of Stillwater, OK.  For more information on the car, see Barlow Sopher's column on page 6.  For inclusion here, Dave sent in the following:

As a child, I always dreamed of building a Studebaker Hot Rod... when I grew up.  It is rumored that I never actually grew up, but built the Studebaker anyway.  The project began in January of 1997, and was finished just in time for the National Darryl Starbird car show in Oklahoma City in January, 1999, where is was selected as one of the Top Ten in the Mild Custom Class.

More recently, (April 2000) the car visited Nashville, Tennessee, for the Studebaker Southern Nationals where it was awarded Best of Show, Modified Class.  I contribute this success to friends Craig Schupp and Norman McNickle, who I invited over to my shop to "play cars" every weekend and many evenings for two years.  Do you suppose I might have read Tom Sawyer a few times?