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37K Mile Barn Find: 1962 Studebaker Lark

I hope that this one doesn’t fall down the rabbit hole of having “two too many doors” because this 1962 Studebaker Lark is sure in beautiful condition. It can be found here on eBay in Grand Island, Nebraska, a few miles off of Interstate 80, and the seller has a buy-it-now price of $14,900 listed.

The styling of the Lark, especially the four-door version, isn’t for everyone and four-door cars sometimes aren’t the most popular here. Yet it’s funny, and not ha-ha funny, that most people now drive four-door pickups but they continue to comment on not liking four-door cars, weird. It’s impossible to argue with the condition of this beauty, though, no matter how many doors it has. The Lark was revised in 1962 by none other than Brooks Stevens and they sold around 90,000 of them in 1962.

The distinctive two-door wagon went away for 1962 and that would be my first choice for a Lark, but I’d have to go back a year since 1961 was their last year of production. The seller says that this car was purchased from an estate sale 17 years ago and has mostly been in storage since then. It has only 37,738 miles on it! The seller thinks that it may have had one lacquer repaint and you can see that when they did that, they painted over the door strikes, one of my pet peeves. One of you will know for sure if they’re supposed to be painted, and for as nice as the car looks, unless it’s headed for Pebble Beach it probably doesn’t really matter. We all have those little detail things that pick away at our sanity, that’s one of mine.

Let’s see a show of hands for all of you who either had or have clear plastic seat covers or your parents or grandparents had them on their cars? This is one good looking interior! It has a three-speed manual with a column shift as you can see, but there are no detail photos of the interior at all which is a bummer. From what is shown both front and rear, it looks like it’s in fantastic condition and those are reportedly the original dealer-installed plastic seat covers. Is that a tissue dispenser on the floor?

Yowsa, now this is a clean engine compartment! I yammered on and on about how painted-over door strikes are something that bothers me, but a clean engine compartment is one thing that gives me more joy than almost anything else in the classic car world. The engine should be Studebaker’s 170 cubic-inch inline-six with 112 hp. There’s no word on how it runs but I would have to believe that it runs and a quick message to the seller would clear up any questions about this gorgeous Lark. Any thoughts about this good-looking Lark?

Comments

  1. HoA Howard A Member

    Surprised the author didn’t mention it, but Wiiiiiilbur Post drove a car like this in the popular TV series, Mr. Ed. Studebaker was the sponsor for 5 years, and did little, if anything to save the make. This is a great find, the O/D is a welcome option, and I’m not sure what that thing on the floor is, a cooler of some sort? While I like clean engines too, it makes me suspicious. Engines are only clean once, when brand new.

    Like 7
  2. Avatar Car Nut Tacoma

    Wow! It’s nice to see an original survivor, one that hasn’t been rusted through. I’ve never seen a 1962 Studebaker Lark, let alone one this nice. It looks pristine, other than faded paint, but that can easily be fixed. And 37k miles is pretty low for a 57 yr old car.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Fordfan

      My dad’s 59 Ford galaxy had the plastic slip covers and i remember getting in and getting the chills until the heater started working usually 15 minutes
      My focus starts blowing heat in like 4 minutes

      Like 2
      • Avatar Car Nut Tacoma

        That’s a good way to protect the seats.

        Like 1
  3. Avatar al leonard Member

    I believe the box on the floor is the heater……………..blows heated air out the ports on the top…..no defrosters here!!

    Like 2
  4. Avatar al leonard Member

    no heater core/hoses thru firewall……electric heater??? NIce restoration nonetheless….

    Like 2
    • Avatar Poppy

      That’s a factory-correct Kleenex box on the floor. The heater hoses used to run under the floor to an underseat heater core, but in ’62 they started with a underdash heater core. The air cleaner is hiding the holes in the firewall. But notice that black strip on the cowl above where the heater hoses would enter the firewall…that’s a washable cabin air filter!

      Like 7
      • Avatar LS

        No heater… no wonder this car survived, it was not driven in the winter where it would have rusted away… the interior would have been too cold without a heater.

        Like 1
      • Avatar WayneC Member

        The heater core in 59 and 60 was on the right inner fender with duct work under the dash. In 61 and up, they had everything under the dash.

        Like 3
    • Avatar WayneC Member

      That is a tissue dispenser on the floor. If you look under the hood, you will see the heater hoses. One by the water pump in the front, then the other that goes behind the valve cover in the rear.
      I recently sold my ’62 Lark HT with the 6 cup and Overdrive. They may not be fast coming a way from a stoplight, but I have the ticket for 82 in a 55 zone. Its the only ticket I have had since 1968. That one was in a Lark, too.

      Like 5
  5. Avatar Bob C.

    Early on, the Skybolt six developed a bad rep from cracking cylinder heads. Hopefully, this isn’t one of them, or been resolved.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Vince H

      They cracked because people ran them hot. Never cracked if you didn’t overheat them.

      Like 3
      • Avatar Car Nut Tacoma

        That makes sense.

        Like 0
  6. Avatar Jeff

    I must say the Lark is super sano however it’s uglier than ex mother in law.

    Like 7
  7. Avatar Fred W

    Pie in the sky pricing. If it was a V-8 hardtop in same condition, maybe close to 10K. Looks like a $4500 car, plus a bit for the low miles if documented.

    Like 9
  8. Avatar Tom

    I agree with Fred. This an insane price tag. I love Studebakers I have owned 5 and still own 2. One of them is my 1960 lark 4 door. Almost this nice of condition that I paid $3000 for. It does have the 230ci out of an impala in though, which does make finding parts a lot easier. Good luck to seller. There is a person for every car.

    Like 2
  9. Avatar Carsurfer

    unfortunately, this is the least popular year for the lark. couple that with a four door 6 cylinder manual transmission and this car maxes out at 5K… And yes I do own larks so I feel the pain.

    Like 5
  10. Avatar George Mattar

    Super beautiful not Another 62 Impala. Too much money for a car You could not drive in today’s traffic with soccer moms going 90 in their gas sucking Escalades that are what 400 hp? Take it out early Sunday mornings when mommy is gu still home before the mall opens and drunks are home sleeping off the 23 beers they had Saturday. Love it.

    Like 7
    • Avatar John T.

      Love the straight-6 with the three-on-the-tree, Should easily be able to do at least the legal speed limit. But I hear that the charges were dropped … The Judge declared that you can not make a case out of 23 bottles! 😀

      Like 8
  11. Avatar Skorzeny

    Wow. For this kind of money I would rather get the ‘72 Charger. Still, this is in fantastic condition…

    Like 1
  12. Avatar FordGuy1972 Member

    This is about as clean and original as you could hope to find. While I agree the price being asked seems too high, I do think it’s worth more than $4k or $5k. Four doors, especially ones in such outstanding condition, are starting to come up in value. Two doors are certainly more desirable but a similar model with two extra doors gets you the same car for a lot less money. And haven’t we seen enough two doors?

    While I agree there has been some restoration under the hood, the interior and exterior seem to be original and the color make this little Lark a real standout. I like the three-on-the-tree manual, too; they’re fun to use. To me, a true survivor is the most desirable car to have, just as it left the factory as opposed to an over-restored car. Like this Studebaker Lark, my ’64 Fairlane 500 Town Sedan is a low-mileage, completely original car in and out. It’s a treat to drive and I’ve yet to see another up where I am. At your local Show ‘n Shine, original cars, no matter how many doors they have, always draw a crowd.

    Like 2
  13. Avatar Pete Phillips

    I love this car because no one else at the local shows will have one like it, and it will draw a crowd. Easy to work on; Studebakers are amazingly easy to get parts for; runs on regular fuel. It will easily keep up with most modern traffic, given the overdrive gear it has (chrome handle next to the hood release handle). I agree that it is over-priced, though.

    Like 3
  14. Avatar Car Nut Tacoma

    If you think 4 doors is too much for a car to be considered a “classic”, then this probably wouldn’t be the car for you. For most of us, this would be perfect. And you don’t need a big fire breathing V8 engine to enjoy the car. If you want a V8 engine, I know Studebaker offered a 62 Lark with a V8. Keep looking. I’m sure they’re out there. In the meantime, check this baby out. :)

    Like 4
  15. Avatar Old Car Girl

    I have the exact same car. Similar miles but not in as good condition. No rust. Needs interior work. I bought it from the original owners Estste when he passed. Although I’d sell mine for substantially less. It’s a fun car and runs great!

    Like 5
  16. Avatar Comet

    Nice car! I’m sure they wouldn’t sell well today, but I wonder if anyone still installs those plastic seat covers?

    Like 2
    • Avatar Stan Marks

      The last time I saw plastic seat covers, was back in the 50s, in my cousin’s living room. Of course they had the plastic runners, on the carpet, to match. And you didn’t dare step off. Oy!!!
      Funny thing, when you sat on the cushion, it always made a sound like someone passed gas. LOL!

      Like 5
  17. Avatar claudio claudio

    wow,this is a nice car .you would not see me dead in it but I can appreciate and laugh about it now ,the 2 door wagon would get more of my attention but I could not bring myself to pay good money for a car that looksgood/odd but offers no driving pleasure whatsoever

    Like 0

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