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1963 Studebaker Daytona Wagonaire!

Vintage station wagons are some of the coolest cars ever made. They can haul numerous passengers and cargo in style and bring back memories of road trips and camping adventures. This one is a 1963 Studebaker Daytona Wagonaire, which according to StudeGarage.com, was one of only 12,000 built. It can be found here on eBay with a requested opening bid just shy of $11,000, and there is one bid but the reserve hasn’t been met yet. Located in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, this car has a big surprise in store! Check it out.

By far the coolest feature of these wagons is the sliding hardtop. This allows tall cargo to be hauled in the back, which is perfect for surfboards! It also is a great feature when you are sleeping under the stars. I’m not sure how functional and/or leak-proof they are, but the concept seems like a good one. If you’ve ever owned a sliding roof Stude, or know someone who has, let us know if they work well or not.

The interior looks like it has seen its fair share of Arizona sun. The dash is dried and cracked. The upholstery appears to have been re-done at some point but the seller says “clean original interior with zero rips or tears. Original door vinyl.”

The engine is the original 289 cubic inch V8 backed by an automatic transmission. If you aren’t too familiar with this model of Studebaker, yes, those are the correct yellow valve covers! There isn’t a lot of information in the ad regarding the mechanical condition, but the seller does say they can provide a video of the car running and driving. Overall, this looks like a pretty fun ride and will hopefully find a new home.

Comments

  1. Avatar alphasud Member

    I like the Studebaker cars and I like the last couple years of the Daytona. I think they are good cars and undervalued when compared to the big 3. If I had a Wagonaire I would also have to own a pre 70 Wagoneer. They would look cool side by side.

    Like 7
    • Avatar Steven Asprinio

      Good catch. The Wagonaire and Wagoneer were designed by the same man.

      Like 5
  2. Avatar Mark

    What a great cruiser! I’d freshen it up and drive it. What grandkid wouldn’t like to hit the road with Gramps in this thing and then someday have it passed on to them?

    Like 9
  3. Avatar stillrunners

    Think this one comes up for sale often…high on the ask versus the demand.

    Like 1
  4. Avatar TIM KOWLES

    In the early 70’s, a college fundraiser used one of those for a car bash and fundraiser. It made me sick to my stomach to see a rust free texas car beet to a pulp with sledge hammers to raise a few bucks.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Poppy

      I saw the same thing happen to a ’59 or ’60 Impala hardtop. I was so young, I didn’t understand what they were doing or why, but I had the same physical reaction, Tim.

      Like 0
      • Avatar chrlsful@aol.com

        U guys no how I felt (nightmares for a wk – of ’60 rancheros, ’55 Continentals) goin to da crusher during “Cash for Clunkers”-all over ona Coast 3,000 mi away from my protection !
        This 1? not so much as I’ve heard the water intrusion story…

        Like 0
  5. Avatar John Womer

    GMC revived the Wagonaire’s retractable roof design with the 2004 and 2005 Envoy XUV but they dropped it after selling 43,000 units.

    Like 2
  6. Avatar Richard Reams

    This retractable Studebaker was featured on Jay Leno’s Garage, and supposedly it was prone to leaking.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Poppy

      If think if you kept the gutters and drains free of debris that they worked pretty well.

      Like 1
      • Avatar Bill McCoskey Member

        The key to preventing water ingress is when you wash the car, or if you keep the car outside and it rains, park the car so that the back end points downhill, even if it’s just a little bit. This encourages the water [along with dirt, leaves, and pine needles] to flow out the back of the roof instead of down the front drain tubes.

        I’ve owned 2 Wagonaires, one was a loaded version with V8, A/T, P/S, P/DB, and painted a light tan. The other was just the opposite: a stripped 3-passenger version for the US Forest service, painted in Forest Service light green, without a back seat, just a wooden plywood platform, not even rear door armrests. It was a 6-cylinder, 3-speed, The only option was a heater.

        Bought the V8 car for $300, the 6-cyl car for $100, as running/driving cars. Both were very reliable cars, and we drove them as everyday vehicles. I did install a Borg-Warner factory overdrive unit in the 6-cyl car.

        Like 1
      • Avatar Dan Danforth

        I owned a 65 wagonaire and loved the sliding roof mine never leaked and I could cook supper in the back while my buddy drive down the hiway I also enjoyed scaring the pump attendants by popping up above them.

        Like 0
  7. Avatar Shawn

    What’s the reserve, or is there a one time offer?

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Charles Sawka

    I’m old enough to have owned 3 Studebakers in my life but I never got a chance for one of these. I can’t believe the comments from the main post. SMH.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Andy Pennington

    I two had three Studebakers. two Lark Regals, and one Lark Custom. great cars. My Dad was going to buy a new 1967, but they stopped production in 1966.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar CJinSD

    What’s the point of having an eleven thousand dollar minimum bid if it isn’t the reserve? There really are people who get off on wasting the time of others.

    Like 3
  11. Avatar Solosolo Member

    Ideal for transporting upright fridge/freezers, kitchen cupboards etc. and you don’t have to beg, borrow or steal a truck should you need to move same.

    Like 1
  12. Avatar Vince H

    The seller has no idea what original is. Interior has been redone. When was it repainted? I have never seen one done in 2 colors. The body and interior both need work. He should take the money and run.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar Al Kress

    My father had one in the solid Green. Sliding roof did not leak but he
    rarely opened it. His friend was the Studebaker dealer in town so he purchased whatever cars he sold. Dad even had a couple Studebaker
    trucks which would have been same size as a Ford F 550. with 12 to 14 ft.
    bodies on them. They lasted a long, long time. One was stored for over a year and they put a new battery in it and it started up on the first try.

    Like 3
    • Avatar chrlsful@aol.com

      hada lght duty p/u truck too – kinda parallelogram shaped grill on the ’48 – ’63 I’m thinkin of. 2R or 22R, a 1/2 ton often in white…

      Like 0
    • Avatar chrlsful@aol.com

      hada lght duty p/u truck too – kinda parallelogram shaped grill on the ’48 – ’63 I’m thinkin of. 2R or 22R, a 1/2 ton often in white…

      Like 0
    • Avatar chrlsful@aol.com

      hada lght duty p/u truck too – kinda parallelogram shaped grill on the ’48 – ’63 I’m thinkin of. 2R or 22R, a 1/2 ton often in white…

      Like 0
  14. Avatar Paul

    Good and interesting cars. This one is overpriced for its condition, given the cost of taking it to a higher level — a fairly complete cosmetic refurbishment and, as with all used cars, considerable mechanical work to make it safe and reliable. Two tone was not a factory option, so the top has been painted.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Bill McCoskey Member

      Paul,

      Look on the top of the tailgate — the top decorative trim piece is missing, you can see it was painted white before assembly. This car came out of the factory all white paint.

      Like 1
  15. Avatar Mountainwoodie

    These are interesting cars thats for sure.

    This is what could be charitably called a ‘used car’. The corduroy or velour inserts on the seat and the special order plywood rear seat back make it worth somewhat less to a discriminating buyer like myself. I’d be willing to give the seller twenty five hundred ……

    Like 0
    • Avatar Bill McCoskey Member

      Mountainwoodie,

      The back seat is a regular folding wagon seat, it’s just missing the loop pile carpeting that serves as the floor when the seat is folded flat. The carpet on the cargo area is modern indoor/outdoor carpet as well.

      Like 0
  16. Avatar Mark P

    The comments about cars being destroyed just to raise money, actually at a demo derby when a car is moving on its last breath kind of gets to me. That car at one time was someone’s pride and joy whether it was a Caddy or a Chevette. I drive my trucks until it’s not feasible to keep them, its tough to walk away, that things taken me to tell and back many times. I know, I’m nuts.

    Like 4
    • Avatar DON

      I sometimes look back on old photos of cars I’ve derbied and I think ” those parts would be worth a lot today !” But then I remember they would have been crushed out anyway by now as no one wanted them then. Its a sad fate for some cars, but better to go out in a blaze of glory then to just get crushed .

      Like 1
    • Avatar Solosolo Member

      I’m with you Dude!

      Like 0
  17. Avatar Will Owen

    There is a totally correct one – of course! – in the Automobile Driving Museum in El Segundo, CA. It is this color; although I’m not sure how many it came in, this is what I’ve seen the most, and it’s very attractive. I have not seen it outside, but at its spot indoors the sliding roof has always been open. Seems to me I’ve heard docents allow as how it does then to leak a bit, but if I had the garage space and the money at the moment I think it’d do just fine in Pasadena … and there are not many Studebakers I’d say that about.

    Brooks Stevens was the designer who made Loewy’s ’53 masterpiece into the Hawks and the Lark, and of course this. He was also the mad genius behind the Excalibur, and several sports cars based on such unlikely vehicles as the Henry J, using Willys engines. He was one of the few designers I wish I could’ve lived next door to!

    Like 2
  18. Avatar Steve Clinton

    Seeing these old Studebakers (and AMCs) brings a tear to my eye.

    Like 2

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