A Studebaker Story Phase Two - The Hawk

[landman]

This is a story which leads in a drawn out roundabout way to a few oncoming projects. About 40 years ago, I saw a beautiful 62 GT Hawk under the canopy of the hotel I was checking in. It instantly went to the bucket list. Fast forward about 20 years and the search was on. I looked at many and settled on this one, a 64 with 289 four barrel, AC and 4 speed. It was a late production unit having been built 7 days before the end and I was proud of its originality.

A couple of years later I entered it in an all Studebaker show. there were only four GTs  including this red one which won for obvious reasons. The guy had shown up in a 1 ton dually Dodge with a V10 pulling an enclosed trailer with this gem in it, all painted in the same red.

Later that day, one of the judges pointed out that mine got second only because of a glaring point of originality. They never made a four speed with A/C. A search for the build sheet proved him right, it was born automatic. Go figure.Note the build date, Dec 13 63. studebaker shut down production in South Bend on Dec 20 63.

Edited December 22, 2020 by landman

[landman]

Chapter two, the model.

I only won second with the Hawk but I won first with my 53 Starliner. they had told us to bring any Studebaker models we had.

 

Edited December 22, 2020 by landman

[landman]

Chapter 3, the GN

At the same show there was a stunning black 54 (barely seen on the left below). I can't find the pictures of it.

It had been built using the drivetrain and interior of a Buick Grand National. The workmanship was similar to the 53 below.

 

 

Edited December 22, 2020 by landman

[landman]

Chapter 4, the R engines. While I was aware that the Supercharged cars were called R2, I wasn't aware that there was a series of R engines. My first encounter was with this one, an R3 transplanted in a 57 Golden Hawk. I had gone to see the white.63 GT next to it. The R3 is 304 cubic inches as opposed to the R2's 289, and it has a pressurized carb.

The guy said he found it in a crate in California while looking for some parts. Here is two crates worth some cash, an R3 AND an R4. The R4 is also 304 but runs two four barrels.

And then of course there is the R5 of which only two were built to run at Bonneville. It has two superchargers.

Edited December 22, 2020 by landman

[Earl Marischal]

Are they the same R Series engine as used in the Avantis?

Hawks were the first American car to impinge on my consciousness when I was about 5 or 6 in the mid 1950s.

steve

Edited October 16, 2016 by Earl Marischal
Additional info

[landman]

Chapter 5, the ideas begin to happen. A while back I bought a resin '62 GT with the intention of recreating my 64. They said you're to use the 53's chassis as a base, which I have. The initial plan was to use the rest of the 53 to

do a GN conversion. Turns out I have a GNX as well.

While all this was going on I discovered here that some old Avanti kits can be done either with an R2 or R5. So I got a couple. Then the idea of doing the whole series to display in my engine shop dio came about. So I bought a couple more engines on eBay.

Edited December 22, 2020 by landman

[landman]

So, it didn't take long to realize that my skills aren't up to doing the mods required to turn a 62 into a 64. And I hate to butcher my 53 which is the only model I ever won anything with. So here's the plan:

1. Build the 4 engines. R2, R3, R4 and R5.
2. Build the 62 Hawk using one of the Avantis as a base, since neither of the two Avantis will have engines.
3. Use the second Avanti to do the GN conversion or maybe with a Corvette engine like this superbly executed Avanti I saw at a show. Two of them together one stock the other with the Corvette.

Looks like I have my work cut out.

Edited December 22, 2020 by landman

[wayne swayze]

I have a soft heart when it comes to Studebakers. In '65 I owned a '61 limited production Hawk. Borg Warner tranny, Stewart Warner guages, V-8 with factory dual exhaust and more! Crashed it on Christmas day! Very fond memories of that car!

[MrObsessive]

That's a neat story Pat!

I have a fondness for Studes also particularly the Hawks. An early childhood memory of mine is riding in a '57-'58 Hawk occasionally, which looked a lot like the one you have pictured. I can also remember being in an accident in my Uncle's '59 Lark when I was 7-8 years old (in the later '60's), so each time I see one of those, all I can think of is that accident!

No one was hurt, but the Lark barely made it home as its front suspension was pretty banged up (my Uncle hit a parked car).

I'd LOVE to see Moebius come out with a whole series of Hawks as they were basically the same car from '56 till the end in '64. Naturally there were some detail changes through the years, and the biggest change would be the roofline starting with the '62's and the cut down fins. 

Your '53 looks very clean! I need to restore the '58 Golden Hawk I converted years ago, but just haven't had the ambition to get to it yet.

[landman]

Are they the same R Series engine as used in the Avantis?

Hawks were the first American car to impinge on my consciousness when I was about 5 or 6 in the mid 1950s.

steve

Yes, many Avantis had R engines. But they were available in other models too. 

 

[Craig Irwin]

I remember an R engined Daytona getting a lot of press in the muscle cars mags a few years back.

[louie]

Good stuff, always like to learn more about studebakers and really enjoyed reading this. 

Thanks.    Jeff 

[landman]

So I started with the R2. Of the 4 engines I have , one is the one from the Starliner. It is actually more detailed than the ones in the Avanti kits. I'm using that basic engine along with the R2 stuff from one of the 2 in 1 Avanti kits. It all fits except one of the pulleys which required a small shim on the front cover. I'm attempting to make an earlier version which had the supercharger on the side and still had the expansion tank, like the one below.

Neither kit has the ignition shield so I scratchbuilt one.

I also made the spring for the idler pulley which isn't on the part.

 

Edited December 22, 2020 by landman

[PARTSMARTY]

I love the story and I love Studebakers.

[Foxer]

got a front seat with beer cups and popcorn.

[landman]

The R series engine build is continued here:http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/117585-the-studebaker-series-of-r-engines/

Edited December 27, 2016 by landman

[Crazy Ed]

Pat wonderful Story and great info. I'll be watching for the progress reports.

[Modelbuilder Mark]

This is going to be cool! 

[Dave Van]

Grew up in a 63 Lark wagon with the sliding roof.  So all Studie's hold a soft spot for me.  We drove it, my parents did, cross country twice. Great cruiser. 

[Tom Geiger]

Great Studebaker story!   My father was a Studebaker man,  having fallen in love with the '53 Lowey coupe.  He bought a used '54 4 door sedan and that's the car I was brought home from the hospital in when I was born in 1958.   In 1962 he traded it in on a new Lark sedan.  That was our family car until 1966.  

Many years later I bought an identical Lark sedan.  I took it apart for restoration and found it's rust had rust!  The car was so eaten away that I wouldn't attempt to restore it.  I tried to sell the project, with all the NOS parts I had collected and found no takers.   So I advertised the parts, and sold them for much more than I wanted for the entire project car.  I then sold parts off that car, including the six cylinder drive train to a fellow who wanted to put it into an old Stude pickup.  I let him roll the carcass away! 

[landman]

On 10/16/2016 at 2:32 PM, landman said:

So, it didn't take long to realize that my skills aren't up to doing the mods required to turn a 62 into a 64. And I hate to butcher my 53 which is the only model I ever won anything with. So here's the plan:

1. Build the 4 engines. R2, R3, R4 and R5.
2. Build the 62 Hawk using one of the Avantis as a base, since neither of the two Avantis will have engines.
3. Use the second Avanti to do the GN conversion or maybe with a Corvette engine like this superbly executed Avanti I saw at a show. Two of them together one stock the other with the Corvette.

Looks like I have my work cut out.

Update on the plan.

1. the four engines are done.

2. Tried out the resin GT on the Avanti chassis. Different wheelbase, and I couldn't use the GT tub on the Avanti chassis without major mods. the Resin GT is made to go on a Starliner chassis. So we're back to that. I want to keep my Starliner so I have to get another one. Do all the Starliner kits have the same chassis?

Edited December 22, 2020 by landman

[DumpyDan]

Gonna be watching Pat, your work is awesome and the thought that go through head must be....Well Awesome.

[landman]

I'll do this '62 to "look" like my '64 instead of being a '64. First order of business, the vinyl top. Is the Masking tape applied over the primer & paint or directly to the body and then replaced with the black painted version?

Edited November 15, 2016 by landman

[landman]

Made some windows .

Edited December 22, 2020 by landman

[landman]

Decided to sacrifice my Starliner anyway. Removed the frame and placed the Hawk body on it. Very close fit. The rear wheel wells will need thinning out a bit and the front frame rails rest under the front apron.

Two choices here: 

1. Cut the frame so it slips inside the apron.

2. Gouge out the underside of the apron to accept the frame. There is enough "meat" to do this.

What do you guys think?

Edited December 22, 2020 by landman