Sweet Rides - The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

1928 Studebaker Commander / 1996 International 9200 Semi-tractor
Owner/Builder - Snapper Schomaker

The idea behind his latest ride began with a Photoshop concept that combined a Caterpillar powertrain with a classic ’28 Studebaker Commander touring-car body that Snapper’s father owned. The engine, Eaton/Fuller 10-speed manual transmission, and front end come from a ’96 International 9200 twin-axle tractor (a big rig) that was discarded at a salvage yard. Snapper left the engine and transmission in the frame but cut 27 feet off the rear, to which he grafted a Freightliner AirLiner suspension.
While the front suspension uses the truck’s factory leaf spring, Snapper cut half of the spring and designed an airbag system that supports the front axle. In the rear, the modified big rig suspension holds an Eaton RS404 rear axle. The Studebaker cab has its own, smaller airbag setup. As a result of the changes, the buggy now rides approximately 20 inches lower than stock.
Powering the buggy is a bone-stock, 12.0L Caterpillar C12 engine, which makes 425 hp and 1,550 lb-ft of torque. Once the powertrain was in place, getting the rig rolling was the next challenge. Snapper visited the local Mack dealer, which happened to have a wrecked truck in the yard, equipped with a pair of 22.5-inch, super-single rear wheels. After a few quick measurements, Snapper was pleasantly surprised to find that the big Alcoa hoops and Michelin tires blended perfectly with the Studebaker body. The front wheels are standard 19.5-inch motorhome units, also fitted with Michelins.
With the chassis finally rolling, the vintage Studebaker Commander body was next. The body, original interior, and seats were in beautiful condition, featuring plenty of room inside and affording easy access through the standard front and suicide rear doors. The gauge package and wiring harness are a direct lift from the International tractor, which means the buggy’s aluminum dash is filled with enough modern instruments to make any long-haul trucker feel right at home! Everything works, including the cruise control, sequential windshield wipers, tachometer, and pyrometer, as well as the air suspension.
Externally, Snapper’s vision was to have the truck look like a bulldozer rolling down the street, so he created a diamond-plate casing up front, then incorporated a grille from a CAT 966 front end loader and a 631 CAT scraper’s headlights. The buggy’s cab is equipped with Dynamat sound insulation, a power adjustable front seat, and Vintage Air air conditioning, making it a wonderful highway cruiser with about a 300-mile range.
Snapper says the biggest problem with rapid acceleration is that he can’t shift the non-synchronized transmission quite fast enough. About the time the engine starts to build boost, it’s time to shift. He knows he could install an Allison automatic but says “that would take all the fun out of it.”
The engine makes plenty of power once this unique, alternative ride gets up to speed, and thanks to 2.93 rear-end gears, it offers the best of both worlds. The high gears help the engine make enough torque to relocate Gibraltar to the North Atlantic and support a cruising rpm of 1,100 at 65 mph, delivering fuel economy of a very respectable 20.1 mpg. Snapper smiles when he says the truck gets the best mileage of any vehicle he owns!
Snapper completed a majority of the 13-month build himself, welding all the additions, then doing the bodywork and primer. When it came time for the finished paint job, naturally he chose Caterpillar Yellow, which was applied by Graceland Automotive in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The stripes pay tribute to both old and new Caterpillar branding.