By the end of the 1950s, Studebaker’s E-Series pickups had not been updated in ten years. Being an independent manufacturer short on cash, Studebaker had to get creative in developing a refreshed pickup for 1960. Using the chassis and bed section from the 1949 pickup, Studebaker used the front half of the new Lark sedan as a cab. This “new” truck was called the Champ and would be built through the end of production at the South Bend plant in December 1963. Available here on eBay in Bellingham, Washington is a 1963 Champ in the rarer ¾ ton version.
This Champ is said to have last been driven in 1990 and has been sitting in storage since then. Despite a good portion of its original Apache Red paint being sanded or worn away, the body appears quite solid, probably because it spent its whole life in the northwest, having been originally solid in Idaho for government use. The previous owner began a cosmetic restoration which included welding in new rocker panels. Both the left and right floorboards appear to be free of rust and the underside also looks quite solid. This truck has the full-width bed that was first available in 1961. If this bed looks familiar yet out of place, that is because Studebaker bought the tooling from Dodge who used it on their D-Series line of pickup trucks. The lines of it do not match the narrower Lark cab but it gets the job done. A heavy duty diamond plate rear bumper is a nice practical addition.
The interior has a reupholstered bench seat and a dash pad that appears to be uncracked. With the Lark cab, Studebaker advertised these trucks as having car-like comfort inside. The door cards, dashboard, steering wheel, gauges, and switchgear all appear to be in nice original condition. It seems like it would not require much more than some floor coverings and a radio to complete the interior.
Under the hood is an optional 259 cubic inch V8, which was the smaller of the V8 engines available in 1963, the larger being the 289. Power is a delivered through a three-speed column shifted overdrive transmission. The seller mentions that this engine has not been started but does turn over. After sitting so long it will need a tune-up and fresh gas, at least to get it started. New hoses and drive belts would also be a good idea. The brakes will also need to be overhauled, but the seller mentions that parts are available from various Studebaker vendors. These trucks were available in both ½ ton and ¾ ton versions and this is one of the latter, with only 689 built in 1963. These heavier duty spec trucks received a beefed-up rear axle, heavier leaf springs, and eight-lug wheels.
With just over two days left, bidding is up to only $3450 with no reserve so there is potential for a good deal on a solid Studebaker pickup project. As with all old pickups, there is the question of whether to fix this one up enough and use it for hauling or towing, or to do a thorough restoration and enjoy it on drives to the ice cream stand. Which would you choose?
Pretty nice old Stude and it’s at a reasonable price at the moment.
Absolute favorite pickup of all time. I know, that’s a hefty claim with my background, but always felt sorry for Studebaker. Maybe it’s a Rambler thing, but the Champ had the neatest style for a truck, bulletproof mechanicals, and as stated, RARE! A guy in N.Wis. had one, he wouldn’t sell. That tailgate is almost unavailable, as many were taken off and went missing. This a smokin’ deal, ( not that kind of “smokin”) I’d love to have it. Wonder if they’d trade a squarebody for it?
And I welcome Jonathon to the clan!
Looks like a Fisher “Step’n’Tow” rear bumper, made in the state of Maine in the ’50’s and ’60’s. They were very rugged and protective of the truck, had the ability to tow with a ball, and included the provision for towing a farm wagon or trailer with a hitchpin. The big selling point was that the tailgate could swing straight down, allowing you to back right up to a loading dock for loading items too heavy for the tailgate to handle. Perhaps someone on the west coast made something similar, but this looks just like the Fisher bumpers we commonly saw here in New England (the same Fisher of snow plow fame, by the way.) Nice truck!!
Those Stude V8’s were something else, with forged crankshafts, connecting rods, and gear-driven camshafts. It was a smaller, but similar to the Cadillac 331.
And all of them had solid lifters during their entire run .
Neat beast. Great price if it doesn’t go a lot higher.
What’s with the wires wrapped around the underside of the truck?
Other than that, it looks to be in pretty good condition. Would be fun to drive it as is.
Trailer brakes
I thought the beds were sourced from Dodge?
This Stude needs to be brought back to life
Sold for $5,850.