M E Morrison
Member
I agree. I had a 1962, with a 289 & a Borg Warner T10 four speed. I punched it out to a 299, and put in an Avanti R1 cam. It was faster than it should have been.
Wish I still had it.
Studebaker Alert!
- Thread starter THE PILGRIM
- Start date
I agree. I had a 1962, with a 289 & a Borg Warner T10 four speed. I punched it out to a 299, and put in an Avanti R1 cam. It was faster than it should have been.
Wish I still had it.
kthom
Member
I believe I remember (somewhere in the foggy, dusty, dark corners of my memory) that the Studebaker pickup was built (I think during the 1950's at some point) with a four speed transmission that had the shifter mounted on the column instead of the floor. I do remember for sure that the Studebaker pickups built during the late 40's and 1950's were strong and dependable machines. They didn't rate many admiring looks, and they were certainly not seen as often as Fords or Chevys, but almost as often as the Dodges in my part of the world. And I recall that the folks who had them (many of whom were farmers) drove them for many years and long hard miles. Most folks who owned both Studebaker cars and trucks seemed to like them and get along with them well even though they also suffered some teasing and ribbing about owning them. Some earlier years of the cars that were four doors had suicide doors for access to the rear seat. I know of a couple of incidents where some one (most a kid, I think) opened a back door of one of those models while moving down the road. Neither case involved any injuries, although one kid was nearly yanked out of the vehicle. In both cases though, the door opened hard all the way back to the rear fender and resulted in a pretty serious and expensive repair job to get the back door in functioning condition again.
I also remember when the local Studebaker dealer became the dealer for the new Rambler automobiles. Their reputation was not good, although there seemed to be a fair representation of them on the road. But it seems to me that the Studebakers are mostly pretty fondly remembered, especially by those who owned the Hawk models.
I also remember when the local Studebaker dealer became the dealer for the new Rambler automobiles. Their reputation was not good, although there seemed to be a fair representation of them on the road. But it seems to me that the Studebakers are mostly pretty fondly remembered, especially by those who owned the Hawk models.
M E Morrison
Member
I remember the hillholder on my father's 51 Studebaker Champion. The overdrive also worked, but there was a knob on the dash that I recall could be pulled out to deactivate the overdrive. As I remember, one got into overdrive merely by taking one's foot off the gas and then gently (?) getting back onto the gas.
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peterdeb
Member
One of my Dad's first cars. I remember standing on the back seat and being able to look out the rear window. Somehow as a 5 year old I loved that car and bawled like the dickens the night he sold it. That was 65 years ago.
model70hunter
Member
There were a few Studebakers around when I was growing up, some guys loved the 55-59 models and stock piled them in their back yard.
I read that a Caddy engine was put in early 50's Studebakers and they were fast.
One of my uncles had a late 40's Studebaker big flatbed truck. Loaded lots of hay bales on it.
I read that a Caddy engine was put in early 50's Studebakers and they were fast.
One of my uncles had a late 40's Studebaker big flatbed truck. Loaded lots of hay bales on it.
bgrone
Member
Studebaker
Studebaker had a lot of firsts; one of the first with disc brakes, they built an electric around 1913. I have a copy of Hot Rod Magazine from 1963 with a Lark convertible on the cover, the article noted that it had set a class record at Bonneville at 163 mph with a Paxton supercharged 289. A few years back I saw a 1951 starlite coupe for sale at Good Guys Show in Des Moines, it was mostly rust free and restorable .Wish now I had snagged it, 1951 was the year of my birth in South Bend, my father worked on the assembly line at that time.
Studebaker had a lot of firsts; one of the first with disc brakes, they built an electric around 1913. I have a copy of Hot Rod Magazine from 1963 with a Lark convertible on the cover, the article noted that it had set a class record at Bonneville at 163 mph with a Paxton supercharged 289. A few years back I saw a 1951 starlite coupe for sale at Good Guys Show in Des Moines, it was mostly rust free and restorable .Wish now I had snagged it, 1951 was the year of my birth in South Bend, my father worked on the assembly line at that time.
Skeetr57
Member
Studebakers were good cars back when. Several of my relatives owned them, and I got to drive several. The only weakness I know of was that the brakes were not up to the task. When I worked at a service station in the '50's. I hated to see a Studebaker come in for a grease job, as they had over 20 grease fittings, as compared to a half dozen or so on most cars. One of my friends has a 1929 Studebaker Commander Roadster with a straight 8 flathead engine that I have driven. It is a good looking car that competed with the Buicks of the time in price, looks and performance.
Erich
Member
THE PILGRIM, this one lives on Forrester NW, just N of Lomas, here in the Duke.
Bet it runs like a Champ!
Bet it runs like a Champ!
OP
THE PILGRIM
Member
THE PILGRIM, this one lives on Forrester NW, just N of Lomas, here in the Duke.
Bet it runs like a Champ!
Ok!
This is your next assignment -
Find the Stud that I saw on Academy.
It was headed East toward your house.
I doubt if there are many 53-54 Studebaker Coupes, Multicolor with rust up your way.
M E Morrison
Member
That was a common myth, but not true unless the owner had modified it. However, some of the Golden Hawks had Packard engines, with superchargers, and they were pretty fast for the times.
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That was a common myth, but not true unless the owner had modified it. However, some of the Golden Hawks had Packard engines, with superchargers, and they were pretty fast for the times.
Actually, the last Packards where nothing but rebadged Studebakers.
BigBill
Absent Comrade
I saw this Studebaker last year when I was at Trader Joes of all places. I thought it was a cool looking car but didn't know what it was until my dad chimed in that it was a Studebaker Champion. While I snapped these phone photos the owner walked up to his car with his groceries. Busted! He was happy someone was appreciating it, and he chatted with us for a couple minutes about how he refinished it. My parents had a Studebaker back in the day but I don't know what model. I know they both liked the car.
Well it's not a pro street mod yet.....
BigBill
Absent Comrade
This was when we had real iron/steel cars to drive. You could stand on a fender. Try that today with the 1/2 plastic and half sheet metal cars of today? The cars I grew up repairing are in museums today. I got old so fast. Do you think if I went faster in reverse I could turn back the time? The 50's were the best. Rock n roll, the big bopper. Easy cars to work on.
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Memphis
Member
The closest I have ever come to owning a Studebaker was an old Gravely walk behind bush hog/mower that had 7.6 hp supplied by a Studebaker single cylinder air cooled engine. It was a bona-fide beast with a screw on automotive oil filter and Wico magneto. That thing started first pull and sounded classic when running. Don't know for sure if it was true but did hear Studebaker made the motor.
Roger
Roger
A friend shared his old family studie with his sisters,we all borrowed it one winter weekend for a trip to steamboat springs and tire chains got us over rabbit ears pass.On the way back late Sunday night we decided we didn't need them and Dave launched us off of a curve and down into a little valley.A wrecker pulled us out at 10 pm and we kept on going.That car was a tank [emoji1]
Our neighbor in the early 60's had a dealership, C&G Motors, in Cromwell, CT. Took my parents for a Friday night ride in a new Avanti. I have no doubt it was the fastest they ever went in a car.
The neighborhood hot rodders' first car was a green '59 Lark four-door with a 352 Packard and home-made water pipe traction bars.. Don't remember as they ever really got it running.
Great thread.
The neighborhood hot rodders' first car was a green '59 Lark four-door with a 352 Packard and home-made water pipe traction bars.. Don't remember as they ever really got it running.
Great thread.
My Dad bought a new white 1950 Studebaker, probably in Fall of 1949.
I was 14 and had a fairly new driver's license. I got to drive it quite a
bit. At first I thought it looked like a torpedo with 4 wheels. I think it
got the nickname "bullet nose". Best as I remember it was a nice little
car. Too bad we didn't have the foresight to keep all those old cars that
are classics now.
I was 14 and had a fairly new driver's license. I got to drive it quite a
bit. At first I thought it looked like a torpedo with 4 wheels. I think it
got the nickname "bullet nose". Best as I remember it was a nice little
car. Too bad we didn't have the foresight to keep all those old cars that
are classics now.
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