Finally...the Stude Gt Hawk Review (dial Up Beware!)

[mr moto]

More of these are still appearing on Ebay and I think anybody tempted to bid on one should go in with his eyes open. This is a pretty poor job with lots of ... let's say "challenges". Here are few general shots that will show the contours and surface texture.

You can see how bad the general surface is. The rocker panels aren't straight and the roof is somewhat concave at the rear. Also the "Gran Turismo" scripts are missing from the body sides but that seems like a pretty minor point compared to everything else. Here's are the bumpers and grill.

The grill is pretty lopsided. The chassis plate that comes with it doesn't fit under the body and besides that it's obviously not a Studebaker piece. It's from a unit body car - something that Stude never had.

Now here's the interior tub compared to the ones from the AMT '53 on the left and the R&R 56 Golden Hawk on the right.

I'm not sure how it ended up so short but that plus the grossly too wide tunnel is the cause of a poorly proportioned front seat unit.

The dash (no picture) is a copy of the one from AMT's Avanti - not a Hawk dashboard at all. So, I guess you get the picture! Two thumbs down for this one!!

[MrObsessive]

Wow! I'm so sorry you got stuck with that piece of ######! I have the R&R '56 Hawk, and it's downright nice casting with very little cleanup.

I was going to comment when you posted this the first time that the chassis wasn't right. You're correct....Studebaker never adopted the unibody frame right up 'til the bitter end in 1966.

This is really a shame 'cuz there's really a need for a nice, currently offered casting of a 1962-64 Stude Hawk GT.

[mr moto]

This is really a shame 'cuz there's really a need for a nice, currently offered casting of a 1962-64 Stude Hawk GT.

Modelhaus, are you listening??

[jbwelda]

aw, i think that will buff right out.

[Ayatollah]

Is that the guy in Arizona that always has the old Caddy "promo-style" limos?

[Dave in Seattle]

Is that the guy in Arizona that always has the old Caddy "promo-style" limos?

I dunno if we are talking about the same guy in that location, but recently a party there who auctions a '32 Ford hearse sent me a link to a completed auction that gathered no bids at a price, and then offered to sell to me off-auction for $10 MORE than that! I had already heard that the quality was sub-standard, so declined......

[Darin Bastedo]

Modelhaus, are you listening??

Hmmm. I'm listening. that doesn't look too hard to do right.

[Ron Hamilton]

I told you to run!!!

[mr moto]

Hmmm. I'm listening. that doesn't look too hard to do right.

If you're up to the job you know where you can find one customer!

[Darin Bastedo]

If you're up to the job you know where you can find one customer!

There is a local studebaker club that a friend of mine belongs to. lemme see if I can track one down to Measure and photograph

[Jantrix]

Yeesh! Challenges he says! Man, it's ###### tough when you have orange peel BEFORE you paint.

I grew up in a Studebaker family. Everyone on my Dad's side had one. I was the only kid in my graduating class of 1986 that drove a '65 Stude Commander Wagonaire to school everyday. Unfortunately the Studes are all gone now, my Dad and Uncle sold them off years ago. But I know my Dad would really dig more Studebaker models. The '53 and the Avanti are great but a 1959 Silver Hawk would put my Dad in tears. I know he'd like to build a decent version of this as well.

[MrObsessive]

I grew up with Studes in a way too...... My Uncle on my Dad's side had a '59 Lark that I was involved in an accident in as a kid! Nothing serious...............it was a fender bender in that my Uncle ended up hitting a '50's Desoto turning a corner. It was a coral color (Tahitian Pink?) and it was in very good shape (until the accident) for what was then around a 10 year old car.

My Uncle on my Mom's side owned a Stude Hawk (Late '50's early '60's post coupe with fins) that I can remember riding around in as a little one!

My Dad had told me a story that the best man at his wedding drove a then two year old '57 Stude Golden Hawk (with the Paxton Supercharger). My Dad was late for his wedding (Imagine that!) and he said he had never seen a car move that fast up to that point. He said it was kinda scary because he never expected his buddy could make the car get out of it's own way and make everything a blur!

I lived above what was an old Studebaker dealership for 10 years------my landlord up until 6 years ago was still working on Studes from time to time. Still to this day (I moved in '04) there's a '62 Hawk GT, a '65 Commander, and a '60(?) Lark parked in the garage rotting away.

I started (and sorta finished) a '58 Golden Hawk years ago...............The hood got damaged years ago by the last cat I had. (He was notorious for climbing on the darndest things!) That may be one of those rebuilds for next year as I keep seeing it in my display cabinet.

If I get time, maybe I can take some pics of it and post here.

[mr moto]

There is a local studebaker club that a friend of mine belongs to. lemme see if I can track one down to Measure and photograph

A good source of info is the Studebaker Drivers Club forum:

http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/sdc_forum/default.asp

These guys are interested in models as well as 1:1 and will gladly answer questions to help out a model builder. They've posted great reference photos for me in the past. Like, have you ever seen an Avanti's gas tank? Me either until I posted a question on the SDC forum. It's hidden between the back seat and the trunk. One of the members posted pics of the gas tank exposed during his Avanti's restoration.