"Make it water tight" made me smile. I never could get mind not to leak and I asked a serious Studebaker guy about it once and he laughed and said "they leaked when they were new!".
"Make it water tight" made me smile. I never could get mind not to leak and I asked a serious Studebaker guy about it once and he laughed and said "they leaked when they were new!".
In reply to a_florida_man :
I'm interested if you decide to pass. I love reviving old cars like this. I just brought a 75 Suburban back to life that had been sitting for 20 years or more.
Cotton said:In reply to a_florida_man :
I'm interested if you decide to pass. I love reviving old cars like this. I just brought a 75 Suburban back to life that had been sitting for 20 years or more.
I can't imagine a scenario where I might pass, but if I do I'll let you know.
Golden Hawk fins are fiberglass and the quarters do unbolt. For a full detailed accurate report on the 1956 Hawks find a copy of Tuning Wheels April 1985. plenty of back issues around, might even still be available from SDC. Noter that the Studebaker club is a Drivers Club!
In reply to TurnerX19 :
Will do!
Update!
So for the few that have invested in the last 3 pages, I'll start off with saying "hang in there".
I got an update on the owner's thoughts on selling... and its a little complicated, so let me add some background information.
The car belongs to one of my good friend's father. He lives in upstate New York. I met him once when he was down here in Florida. A very nice man, and very much a car guy.
He has owned the car since about 1975, and he is the second owner!
My buddy can remember riding around in it as a kid a few times in the 70's around the time his dad bought it.
His dad enjoyed it for several years, but when it began to need a few things, it took a back burner to working and raising a family. Luckily they lived in the same location the whole time so it was easy to keep it safe, but it was also easy to not feel pressured to "do it now" because, well... it was safe.
For the 70's 80's and 90's he kept the tires up and annually turned the engine over. Circa 2000 ish it was moved to the small garage it is in now. That made it a little harder to get to, and a lot easier to let the time go by.
That brings us up to a few months ago, when Chris (my buddy, lets start using names, lol) asked me about the cars at his dad's house and what they might be worth, because his dad had decided that it was time for them to move on. The most significant car is the Golden Hawk. The other two had been outside and had not faired as well, unfortunately.
I ball parked some ranges based on stories and descriptions without photos, as a starting point. I didn't give it much thought after that, until last week. Last week Chris was at his parent's house, and could send some pictures of the cars in question. That's about the time I started this entry.
Evidently the Golden Hawk was under cover, and under items when they started and it took a while to get the car uncovered to take the pictures you've seen so far.
That's when the nostalgia set in for Chris's dad, and he decided that he isn't quite ready to let go. He wants to get it out and all of the debris out of the way, air up the tires, look through it. Sit behind the wheel. See it look just a little bit better for once.
Yeah.
I know how that feels.
It's always easier for me to sell a completed project than it is to sell an unfinished one.For me that's a 6 month to 2 year old project that I might start to balk on. (Which sometimes you do get back, ;) thanks again Stafford 1500). I can't imagine having one for 28 years and making that call. You don't just flip that switch.
Hearing about his reluctance to sell the car, I immediately started to feel different about the car.
I can imagine being in his situation.
For me, It is no longer wanting to get a unique project. Not at all.
I want to see him behind the wheel once more. I want to see him returned to the drivers seat as much as I want to see this car reach it's unrestored potential. I'd like to see him take his wife, his son, his grandson for a ride.
That is what motivates me on this project now....
I'm willing to bet you all understand.
I think it is a large part of what makes us all "car guys".
My dad had an old Stude when I was a kid , I do not remember much about it ,
I would be scared to bid on this without looking at the floors and rockers as it looks like it got a lot of moisture thru the years ,
I love the idea of letting the owner drive in it once again , even just around the back yard :)
These are great cars--there have been some amazing ones that raced the La Carrera Panamericana. When together, in slightly better than stock shape, they handle pretty decently, especially with some good shocks. They had a ton of cool way-ahead-of-their-time engineering . . .
In reply to californiamilleghia :
Hopefully something cool will work out!
In reply to rustomatic :
This is what I've been learning in the last week. Especially the 56.
I have all of the detail info that I do because I bought a 1/25 scale resin cast body shell to convert the very common AMT 1953 Starliner kit around 1999, and took a bunch of film pics at a SDC international meeting, where I think I paid $2.00 for that issue of Turning Wheels. I have yet to build the model. Same disease, smaller scale
TurnerX19 said:I have all of the detail info that I do because I bought a 1/25 scale resin cast body shell to convert the very common AMT 1953 Starliner kit around 1999, and took a bunch of film pics at a SDC international meeting, where I think I paid $2.00 for that issue of Turning Wheels. I have yet to build the model. Same disease, smaller scale
A much more manageable "scale". :)
Lot less susceptible to rust too! 
So is the current plan/hope to build it for the owner?
In reply to jfryjfry :
Yes, but it will still require the owner to allow it to change hands. That may not be easy.
When this started I was interested in owning it just because of what it is, and what it could be.
Now the added incentive is seeing him get the chance to enjoy it once more.
Really hard to say how or if it will move forward.
If I hadn't heard of his desire to personally move forward with the car, I probably would have dropped it last week. Long term owners are ready when they are ready, no sooner.
Now I'd like to see him, see the car rejuvenated and back on the road.
This is sort of how the deal on my dad's Austin Healey (mine now) came about.
I met the car's 3rd owner (2nd owner was HIS dad) and genuinely found a friendship.
Four years later he sold me the car for my dad. He could not keep it up properly any longer, but still wanted to be involved with it in some way.
We struck a deal, and ever since he has had "visitation rights", kept up on the car's status, and driven it a few times.
BTW, I see I have 940 posts (941 after this lol), so keep up with the questions.
59 more posts till full dork!!!!!
a_florida_man said:BTW, I see I have 940 posts (941 after this lol), so keep up with the questions.
59 more posts till full dork!!!!!
I've been following along. Is there any way to "back date" the hood and grill to the earlier and prettier version?
a_florida_man said:BTW, I see I have 940 posts (941 after this lol), so keep up with the questions.
59 more posts till full dork!!!!!
Should be good for a few more, how about an update on the XKR project. Any movement on that one?
Indy - Guy said:a_florida_man said:BTW, I see I have 940 posts (941 after this lol), so keep up with the questions.
59 more posts till full dork!!!!!
I've been following along. Is there any way to "back date" the hood and grill to the earlier and prettier version?
I don't know for sure, but it could be done I suppose.
You would likely have engine clearence issues.
In reply to Indy - Guy :
Nope.
Still have it.
It got sidestepped in the project order when the last of the parts were shipped by being put in a bottle and tossed into the english channel.
Hope springs eternal... lol
Watch this space next month (October).
Possible happenings...
...maybe.
What type of resources do you guys use in valuation of cars like this that aren't quite mainstream?
In reply to a_florida_man :
My gut. Looking forward to seeing you next week.
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