This Studebaker has quite a story behind it. Apparently, it was owned by a teacher who parked it sometime in the 80s. Before that though she had a Ford 289 V8 and C4 transmission installed in order to make it easier to find parts. So, other than the engine and tranny, the car is original and in decent condition. The original engine is included with the sale, but which one would you stick with? It’s located in Los Angeles, California and is listed here on eBay for $3,000!
Unfortunately, the seller doesn’t include any photos of that engine. Seems strange since that is the most interesting part of this car’s past. I’m not sure if it’s factory or not, but I like the plaid seat inserts. This car may have sat in a garage since the 80s, but it looks like it’s sitting outside now in some sort of scrapyard. Let’s hope it hasn’t been out there too long because it doesn’t take much time for the elements to work their magic on an old car like this.
When my father worked for Chick Norton Buick in Tulsa, one of the last cars he built before we moved was a 64′ Stude with a caddy engine, for the Kosac brothers who were wrestlers back then.
I think they actually came with that set up. I remember my grandfather had one with a 289 v8.
Stude had its’ own 289 not related to the Ford 289.
This seems like a fair price for this stately Stude sports coupe. I like the idea of Ford power with the posi-traction. Driver side rocker is suspect, but fuzzy pics, make it hard to gauge rust.
Different engine……………
Studebaker also had a 289 cu in motor. Not just Ford.
That’s right. Guess the Ford mill made sense. Wonder if they had to modify the motor mounts?
I very much like those Stude Hawks! I remember working on a Golden Hawk when I was a young mechanic. I always thought it would be a heavy sled,then I got to drive it and was shocked by its get-up-and-go!
One of my best friends in High schools dad was a well known racer. One of the wonderful cars he had was a 57 Golden Hawk. What a great car. He had bought it new because it was the fastest thing on the road in it’s day. It had a 3 speed overdrive trans along with the factory ( Paxton?) supercharger. It was unbelievable how hard it pulled while progressing through 6 gears and the variable whine of the supercharger. It was a really super car.
If this teacher had only known about the Studebaker Driver’s Club…they made it very easy to get parts, even back in the pre-internet days of the eighties. On the other hand, easy to get parts now, and know what they cost. Or, can leave it a Ford 289, and get it where it’s a pleasant looker and driver, and call it fine. There are show-car versions of this already available elsewhere. Turn it into something to spend time with the significant other on road trips, maybe with the dog piled into the back seat, and just have a few hours each week of en-route-to-getaway fun.
I had one. Studebaker engine don’t like to sit for years at a time like Fords do. They cruise nicely up to 100 mph but don’t handle all that well.
Auction ended, unsold.
The Hawk is a beautiful car.
But to save money, Studebaker put the body on a chassis that dated back to the early 50’s. Not saying that was a terrible thing.
I hope to own a 4 speed Hawk or an original Avanti one day.
What Brooks Stevens did on a shoe string budget to create the GT Hawks from the dated finned Hawks in the early ’60s was nothing short of miraculous. The first mockup was shown in March, I believe, and cars were in the dealerships in September. Granted, much of the sheet metal and virtually the entire chassis/drivetrain carried over, but all new trim, all new interior, new roof stamping….
I suppose the Ford motor is ok, but Studebaker was a very popular car, I can’t imagine having trouble finding parts. To the lay person, they probably wouldn’t know the difference anyway, but I’d put the Stude’ engine back in. It was a heck of a motor, every bit as good as the Ford. At a small car show last weekend, there was a Hawk like this, only a ’61, red with a red and white interior. I voted it #1, even though, I don’t like voting for ANY car, that’s not why I’m there, but I’m sorry, that red Hawk was the nicest car there. ( I thought)
Studebaker made some interesting cars in the early 60s. The Hawk variants & Avanti could be ordered with a blower and a 4 speed. Still they bring no money for some reason unless so equipped.
The biggest problem with the Studebaker engine was it was HEAVY. .The Ford engine is about 450 lbs, the Studebaker 650 and up. It’s like carrying an extra passenger.
Plaid seats look like add-on covers. Originals would have been all vinyl with horizontal pleats or vinyl with pleated cloth inserts. ’62 vinyl was notoriously weak at the heat welded pleat seams. ’63 and ’64 vinyl interiors were vastly superior.
I prefer the ’63 and ’64 models personally. 1963 introduced a lot of firsts. First year for alternator, first full year for the full-flow block, first use of the Carter AFB 4bbl (some would say the earlier WCFBs were better), first year for the disk brake option, first year for the painted headlight bezels. They also had more subdued fender spear inserts.
I saw one slightly better than this recently in Redwood City (Emerald Hills) California. My Stude buddies and I decided that it would have to be given to me for free in order to have a chance of getting my money back out of making it a “driver”. Money pit for someone. I will buy a good one from a Stude Club member if I need a second Stude. Sad, but true for many cars
It would be very expensive to put the Ford 289″ engine in the Hawk, the most problematic is that the Ford engine has a front oil pan sump and would be in the middle of the front suspension and steering. Studebaker used a Borg Warner automatic transmission, almost identical of a mid-size cast iron Ford (also Borg Warner) tranny. A layman probably couldn’t tell it apart. So, I think something is very fishy with this car, and I would a;most be willing to surmise that whomever changed the engine, put a Stude 289″ engine and the owner assumed it was a Ford Engine. Also, I can’t see the automatic ident on the column if it was an auto.
Ford sold more cars during the 50s than anyone, sometimes for less than cost. GM and Chrysler were able to make enough that time but not the independents. It didn’t matter how good a product was if it didn’t seem modern to the public it wouldn’t sell. That was a period when car models changed at least every three years some only lasted one year. (1960 Ford for one) Hudson, Packard, Studebaker RIP all great cars!