Ride Nickname:
The Bucket List Dream
Make:
Studebaker
Model:
825
Year:
1963
Introduction / Overview:
World Famous Burke Bros Avanti Bonneville Race Car
Raced by the Burke family for over 40 years. Six members of the 200MPH club in this ride. Has gone 240+. Holds the record for C/CBFALT at 239.208 set in 1979 with Steve Burke behind the wheel.
Drivetrain:
We will be using a rare R5 twin Paxton Supercharged 304 CID Studebaker V8 for El Mirage. Coupled to a Borg Warner T10 four speed and driving a 9" Ford differential with 3.0 gears.
For Bonneville things just didn't work out as planned. So we improvised. We used a pure stock 1957 Studebaker 289 V8 with a Novi 2000 supercharger. On paper it looked good for about 130 to 140 tops. But this engine wants to race. We hit 159 mph despite a blown head gasket between cylinders 5 & 7. So we will put some head gaskets in it and go for 170 at El Mirage in November.
Chassis:
Original Avanti frame rails. Front early Ford tranverse leaf spring straight axle. Rear Mopar S/S leafs. Ladder bars and 9" differential.
Wheels:
Falken dirt tires for El Mirage and Land Speed tires for Bonneville
Body:
Currently sporting the paint job that was on the car when it last raced. In June it will be repainted in a 1960's nostalgia theme with Bill Bukre's favorite color purple incorporated into the scheme. As you can see by the updated picture the car is now a work of art. Sharp and shocking screaming yellow (the color the car was when it set over 20 land speed records in the late seventies and early eighties) and Bill Burke's favorite color, purple. Not just purple but a really cool "Splash" effect that looks like the paint is still flowing and wet. Ed Whippie is a master air brush artist and this work of art shows what he is capable of. He is the best.
Interioir:
Full race mid engine car with full dog house and driver located in back seat slightly left of center. Full cage and full accompaniment of safety equipment. Bad Ass old school built in 1969 and built stout. Most unusual feature is with the exception of the seats the full interior is still intact.
Lifestyles:
Classics, Race only
