Whether it’s the fins on a 1959 Cadillac, a 1956 Buick hood ornament or the “bullet nose” on these classic Studebakers, the aerospace industry was a fascination for the country during the space race and influenced automotive design heavily during that time. These cars look like they could take off and fly around at any minute. A project in need of a lot of TLC, this particular Studebaker is offered for sale here on craigslist in El Cajon, California for $2,400.

As you can see, there is quite a bit of rust to repair on this one along with lot’s of body work to fix all the dents and dings. The ad does state that the car suffers from “some rust holes and some on the pan at the front.” I would assume they mean the floor pans. There also seems to have been a poor job of painting done at some point. I don’t know if it was from a spray gun or rattle can, but the drips and runs are obvious and not pretty.

The interior looks rough, but salvageable. It will probably need a full restoration, but all the small parts seem there. It would appear that the original color was a light blue. Not sure why someone put all the carpet inside? Perhaps to cover up the rusty floor? The interior is simple and utilitarian, but touches like the dash mounted rear-view mirror keep you on your toes as you look at the details of these cars.

Here’s a good look at the unique back window in these cars. Another nod to aerospace, doesn’t the window look like the windshield of an airliner? While this project certainly has it’s issues, it deserves another chance at life. Said to be running when parked only a couple of years ago, it shouldn’t take much to get it running again. The body work and interior will take a while to sort out, but in the end you’ll have a unique car you can be proud of.