Studebaker Cruisin'

[TFucili]

My friend has a '63 Champ pickup. It's been sitting a bit, and he has a potential buyer, so we dug it out today, threw in a battery, a little prime down the carb, and off she went. It has a 259 V-8, and 3 on the tree with electric overdrive. Get up to about 45 in third and lift off the throttle and she slides right into OD. The thing drives amazingly nice for a truck of that vintage!

 

[jgillott]

Very nice. I love the old trucks like that.

 

[Wayne M.]

I Like! A little bit of Americana and a different time I never knew.

 

[ScottLewis]

I drove a Stud. P/U (my dad's) while in high school in the late 1950's. Even towed a tractor and 3 wire baler behind it for a while. It had a small 6 along with the 3 speed and overdrive. Years later I bought and fixed up a '52 model for my daughter. I installed a Chevy 6 w/ Power-glide transmission, painted it 2 tone brown, chrome wheels, new upholstery and all. This was in the mid 1980's. They were fairly small and light compared to today's trucks.

 

[photowrite]

Beautiful looking truck!

 

[crispyboy]

Very nice truck! Back in September I toured the Studebaker Museum in South Bend, IN. It is a very worthwhile tour if you ever get there.
I did get to ride in one of our relatives Studebaker truck about 25 years ago. His father used the truck to do veterinarian work in Billings, MT back in the 50's and 60's. The truck had a work body and the automatic overdrive gear.
At the museum there was a Studebaker Golden Hawk - what a marvelous looking car!

 

[AnOldBiker]

Brings back one heck of a lot of fine memories. Looks great, and Thanks for posting. Made this old mans day.

 

[Bill Stockard]

Very nice truck! Back in September I toured the Studebaker Museum in South Bend, IN. It is a very worthwhile tour if you ever get there.
I did get to ride in one of our relatives Studebaker truck about 25 years ago. His father used the truck to do veterinarian work in Billings, MT back in the 50's and 60's. The truck had a work body and the automatic overdrive gear.
At the museum there was a Studebaker Golden Hawk - what a marvelous looking car!

Back on the '50s, the father of one of the boys in my high school class owned a new Studebaker Golden Hawk. IIRC, it was equipped with a Packard V8 and was one of the fastest cars anywhere at that time.

Bill

 

[Wayne M.]

Back on the '50s, the father of one of the boys in my high school class owned a new Studebaker Golden Hawk. IIRC, it was equipped with a Packard V8 and was one of the fastest cars anywhere at that time.

Bill

If I were a man of that generation, that would be my car. Ever see that dashboard?
Now take that hawk engine and drop it in that truck.

Packard and Studebaker both had V8's. Were they the same?

 

[TFucili]

After the Packard engine, they put a supercharger on the Studbuster 289 and that was a real go-getter. I have a picture of my dad with his Stude Champion after he got out of the service. I tend to be drawn to manufacturers who are "out of the mainstream" or "underdogs", and have always had a soft spot for Studebakers.

 

[Wayne M.]

After the Packard engine, they put a supercharger on the Studbuster 289 and that was a real go-getter. I have a picture of my dad with his Stude Champion after he got out of the service. I tend to be drawn to manufacturers who are "out of the mainstream" or "underdogs", and have always had a soft spot for Studebakers.

I agree. Always going for the underdog.

 

[Bill Stockard]

After the Packard engine, they put a supercharger on the Studbuster 289 and that was a real go-getter.

Yep, I remember that too, but I never did see one. There was a combination Studebaker, Packard, and Kaiser dealer in our local town during the '50s. IIRC, they sold Willys Jeeps also. The Jeep brand is the only survivor.

Bill

 

[TFucili]

Speaking of motoring oddities, another friend's grandfather signed on as a Tucker dealer. He had actually gotten the initial parts shipment before Tucker buckled to outside forces(I personally do not think he was the scoundrel that he was made out to be). In the aftermath, my uncle ended up with a brand new Tucker radio, still in the original box. He passed away this Spring, and I fear his lady friend sold it at a yard sale for next to nothing. Quite a conversation piece!

 

[Bill Stockard]

Packard and Studebaker both had V8's. Were they the same?

I don't know whether a Studebaker and Packard manufactured the same V8 engine. By the '50s both cars were becoming a rarity in our area. Another boy's father when I was in high school drove a Packard and a neighbor drove a Hudson. Both the Packard and Hudson were smooth riding "road" cars at that time compared to my father's Chevys.

Bill

 

[TFucili]

After the merger(Studebaker-Packard Corp)they shared some stuff, but I believe the Packard and Stude engines were unrelated before the merger, and likely after the Packard name went away.

 

[TFucili]

Well, the Champ has a new owner. It's not even mine, and I'm sad to see her go!

 

[Grizzly]

I Like! A little bit of Americana and a different time I never knew.

nice......

 

[fest3er]

... and have always had a soft spot for Studebakers.

Me too.

"Bear left!"

"Right, frog."

 

[Wayne M.]

Looks like that engine was shared between Packard who designed it and Stude. Then when Kaiser came up and became AMC etc, they made their own V8- the 327 which had nothing to do with GM.
I love obscure engines and seeing them in street rods, etc.