Wilder Street Rods Gallery
Original 1939Studebaker Coupe Express
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The 39 Street Rod Body design is based on the 1939 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup. The radical modern restyling is careful blending of the classic elements of Street Rod design with obvious adherence to the original style lines. The original 39 Coupe Express had a rather Slippery profile straight out of the factory. Since it possessed a subtle custom look at manufacture, this made refinement & updating less of a challenge. The radical studebaker re birth is accomplished with a 4.5 inch top chop, 8 inch bed channel,
6 inch front clip channel, 4 inch bed section, Completely rolled & filled bed, shaved & filled doors, integrated running boards, seamless cab, frenched lights & muted trim.

The most notable style lines are the nose length, fender shape, side windows, and the overall cab shape. The body channel is the most significant appearance altering modification.

The successful design for the modified Coupe Express exists in a few carefully selected "theory to practice" custom build ideas… Long, Low, Smooth, & Simple.  It could also be called "elegant and sleek and smooth"
To expand on the custom build ideas in this case means a nice long clean & uninterrupted line. This is , achieved by the elimination of anything that could be interpreted as "visual clutter" like  bumpers, door handles, side mirrors, hinges, drip rails and hood trim. The minimal use of chrome and and the filling of original body was a must as these are  unnecessary visual distractions. 

With it's curves & lines, this interpretation of the original 39 Coupe Express does not require a statement to be made in paint. With all rod builds, care must be taken to avoid overstatement of any basic quality design lest the stylization of the modified body be lost on unnecessary add-on’s. To the extent that paint can be a distraction, the style of the 39 Studebaker Custom Street Rod is best served by the careful avoidance of flames, graphics, accent lines or any other similar “add on” color hype that could misdirect the overall design. This is of course subject to individual preference.