Yvon Landry's 1953 Studebaker Commander

November 2009

The name Studebaker is a familiar one. Although the company faded from sight like many other makes, it left an indelible impression on the automotive landscape. Although beautiful in design, the 1953 models were fairly underpowered. Yvon Landry's 2002 Camaro-silver beauty featured here is a fantastic example of how these stunning cars can be updated to today's standards. What's more, despite the high-end craftsmanship found in Yvon's coupe, it's a serious driver. He rolled 11,000 miles on the odometer last year and has already racked up 4,000 so far this year.

He collaborated with Dan LaSalle of DL Auto Fabrication to refine the coupe and make it more comfortable for the open road. The body was basically left stock with the exception of a custom rear pan. The chassis was updated with an S10 front clip and a triangulated Camaro rear suspension and was crowned with a round of 17" American Racing Salt Flat wheels with cast-finished center and low profile tires.

A GM LT1 was fitted neatly under the hood with a Ron Francis wiring harness, a massaged firewall and a custom radiator shroud. The EFI-fed mill is backed by a 4L60E trans with a Lokar shifter.

Navigating those thousands of miles is fun and easy thanks to a supple red leather interior. Yvon drives comfortably in a pair of 98 Isuzu bucket seats while twirling a Billet Specialties steering wheel. He monitors speed and engine status with a full set of Auto Meter gauges nestled in a 1962 Studebaker Hawk GT dash. With an interior as nice as this, and an exterior as smooth as the Stude's, we wouldn't want to stop driving it either.

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