Fordillac V-8 Engine Complete

[royesses]

Yes, a number of Studelacs were built between 1953 and '55. Bill Frick, the artist Built a number of them, using Studebaker Coupe/Hardtop bodies and Cadillac engines, half a dozen still exist, maybe only one or two in driveable condition. The 330 Cu In Cadillac engines far surpassed Studebaker's 232s.

Bill Frick and my Dad, Johnny Rocco(his racing name) built them. Our family album had many pages of photo's of all the parts and modifications they made. They were selling to a lot of wealthy people on long Island for their teenage sons. Bill and my dad stopped selling them when those teenagers started wrapping them around telephone poles and ramming into bridge abutments. My dad built a British AC chassis with Caddy engine for Sebring in 1954. Erwin Goldschmidt/Johnny Rocco/Beau Clarke/Lex Du Pont were the drivers. Goldschmidt over reved it on a downshift and blew the engine shortly after the start. Bill went on to doing stunt driving for Chevrolet commercials ( died doing that if memory serves me correctly)and my dad kept doing his racing. He was champion at 5 different tracks in NY and NJ in 1958 in the NASCAR modified division. Cancer killed him in April 1973. Just some trivia.

 

[T Bredehoft]

Bill Frick and my Dad, Johnny Rocco(his racing name) built them.

Thanks for the details. I only know what the Studebaker Drivers talk about.