Info on SL70/2?

[AndyP]

Hi all. Long time lurker, first time poster. I've been in love with the sports/prototype/endurance/CanAm cars since I was a kid. My favorites are the Lola T70 and its variants (especially the T70 Mk3B coupe), the Ford GTs (the MkII and Mk IV in particular) and the McLaren M6 and M8 series of CanAm racers.
Is there anyone out there who would have any information on T70 SL70/2? The little I've found was in the Lola T70 chassis numbers list on www.wsrp.wz.cz./chassis/chassis_lola_t70.html. Does this car still exist? I is listed as belonging to a Bob Erickson ca. 1999. What I am specifically interested to know is information regarding a photo and discription of the car that appears on www.racingsportscars.com/photo/Mosport- ... photo.html. In that photo there is a sticker of the Studebaker "Lazy S' logo with "Studebaker" below it. In the description of the car it says that it has a "Studebaker V-8 5900cc N/A" engine. Does anyone know whether or not this is true? Or can anyone direct me to someone who does? Also, how many/what races did this car run with this Logo/engine combination?
Thanks for your indulgence,
AndyP

[Writer]

Hello Andy P.

Yes, SL70/2 still exists. Bob Erikson restored it, after it had moldered away for thirty years! I believe he sold it a few years ago.

I had always believed that the car, with David Hobbs driving, used a Chevrolet V8, not a Studebaker engine but perhaps I'm wrong? I'm not up enough on Studebaker engines of that period to know if they produced such a big V8 but I would have thought it entirely probable. Can anyone else help on this?

John Starkey

[Johan]

Did SL70/2 have fender vents similar to the "lighter chassis" "SL70/1" ?

[AndyP]

Hi John,
Sorry it's taken so long to respond. As I was sending a rather wordy response, my computer decided to have a long series of malfunctions. One CPU, two motherboards and a host of other problems later I had completely forgotten about this thread.
I'm a die hard Studebaker fan (my other automotive vice) and as much as I wish that SL70/2 was raced with a (real) Studebaker engine, I doubt it. Studebaker engines went out of production when the main plant was shut down in December of 1963. They were heavy and had a small displacement (600+ lbs and 289 cid in it's largest "normal" production form) and had very little performance aftermarket support.
Studebaker continued production at their plant in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada untill March of 1966. Since the foundry and machine shop in South Bend was no longer in operation, Studebaker sourced their engines from McKinnon Industries, a division of GM. McKinnon (Chevy) supplied the 194 and 230 cid 6cyl and 283 cid V8 for the '65 and '66 models. Although I've seen evidence that Engineering planned to use a four barreled version of the 327 for 1966, it never happened.
The most likely scenario is that Studebaker sponsored the car and that it was powered by a "Canadien Studebaker" small block Chevy. I'm going to try and contact the man who was in charge of PR for Studebaker in Canada and see if he might remember anything about it.
Andy

[bazthesnap]

Sorry andy I can not help with that chassis no but do know a bit about Lola T 70. SL76 148 if that helps,
Bazthesnap

[katcube01]

Studebaker had a 304 cid v8 engine in a R4 config in
the Avanti. I think it had dual 4 bbls. With paxton they
had various performance engines mostly with their 289.

The lola in question probably had a Chevy engine. In
fact many Studebaker Avantis had 327 or 350 engines
dropped in after they blew their original engines.

The Canadian Studebakers of 1965 and 1966 had 283
chevy engines. The valve covers had the Studebaker
logo on it.

The 304 was as big as it got and was special order or
aftermarket from paxton/granatelli. These guys provided
performance equipment for the 289/304.