56 Studebaker Power Hawk Restoration Update

-
harrisonm

harrisonm

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
Messages
5,783
Reaction score
8,096
Location
Topeka, KS
I posted a few pics a while back, and I thought it was time for a few more. I am helping a friend restore a 1956 Power Hawk. We are doing a COMPLETE body on rotisserie, nut and bolt restoration. Yesterday I sprayed epoxy primer on the body shell. We have spent months getting all the undercoating, surface rust, paint, etc off. We also did floor pans, toe boards, some trunk patching and I fabbed up several patch panels for other places. The fit quality of the floor pans, toe boards and trunk pieces was not very good. I spent HOURS cutting and tweaking to make them fit well and look good. He found a guy in the Saint Louis area who completely rebuilt the engine. Last winter we rebuilt the frame (after paining it and I powder coated everything including axle housing). The pictures are a sample of what the bottom looked like after we scraped the undercoating off, the clean bottom, and the body in epoxy. The goal is to complete it by the end of summer 2020. I do all the painting. It will be red with a white roof.
B.JPG
Bottom.JPG
body in epoxy2.JPG

Body in epoxy3.JPG


Bottom.JPG
 
Screenshot_2017-06-05-08-17-09.png

Sold the 53 hawk and keep the 41 champion.. I'm hoping to be in your shoes in a couple years...:thumbsup:..
 
I used to drool over those when I was a kid. Grew up in a small town of then only about 3500. There was "a sort of" Stude dealer in the town, and there were two or three various Hawks around town.
 
Studebaker engines are great-259 and289. Do you have good taillight housings and lenses? Where are you doing this one?
 
A Hawk was one of the options when I got the '72 Swinger for the Brat's 1st car.
Friend of mine was selling his Hawk and cheap too.
I started thinkin' " :wtf: are you thinkin'? Getting your 16 yr old daughter a Pontiac 389 tri-power 4 spd ? Are you frickin' nuts?"
 
I was at the home former home of my Studebaker today clearing out some of the last little parts..
Sorry about that I get a little emotional and maybe maybe posted to much about this car so I will just edit this one post. Talking about it this morning literally brought me to tears in memory of the man that died and gave it to me..
I was certainly not trying to derail this thread...
 
Last edited:
A few years ago we were up in Southbend and were able to go to the Studebaker National Museum. It was a day well spent.
 
j par said:
View attachment 1715418852
Sold the 53 hawk and keep the 41 champion.. I'm hoping to be in your shoes in a couple years...:thumbsup:..
Click to expand...

j par said:
I was at the home former home of my Studebaker today clearing out some of the last little parts..
Click to expand...

j par said:
I already know! Unfortunately it's not going to go that route.. complete restomod.. will look 1941 inside and out except the drivetrain suspension and Creature Comforts..
Will be a small block Mopar, overdrive transmission, modern suspension, a/c, and of course Electric windshield wipers not vacuum operated LOL...
Click to expand...

j par said:
in other words my wife can jump in it and drive it to the store just like she does her own daily driver now....
Click to expand...

j par said:
About four years ago before I brought it home we got it started with the Flat 6. Of course 6 volt positive ground...
It was smoking and knocking like a pig but it was running and revin...
I went to change the oil and it actually pooped?! LOL.. does Greece like black oil oozed out and 4 inch logs? It was the craziest thing I've seen to date...
Click to expand...

j par said:
I think their main office was here in town for some time and up to a time if not still there's a little bit of marking on one of the buildings.. again I was at the previous owner's house who has now passed and his wife clearing out the rest of the stuff. She gave me a booklet with an original Studebaker club membership from 1953..
Along with a handwritten log of oil changes and maintenance through the first nine thousand miles or so.. pretty cool..
Click to expand...

j par said:
He was from Montana and drove it here once or twice.. he said he had a picture of his dad and two of his friends that drove it from Montana and the picture was taken at Seaside overlooking the beach.. I still ask his wife to keep an eye out for that picture he talked about...
When he was alive he told a story about his dad buying it second-hand in the mid-forties and giving it to his sister. She didn't want it so he ended up getting it..
He said he would drive around with a lawnmower in the back and mow Lawns for college money...
Click to expand...
Cool project. Perhaps you should start a thread on your build. Love to see this car get on the road powered by Mopar!!!
:thumbsup:
 
If you look at at the Studebaker history in the archives and education bar, Click on the pictures and a brief description pops up.

Studebaker had a 5 car team in the Indy 500 in 1932. Car # 22, The Studebaker Special placed 3rd.
 
There are videos on it too.
I love the short clip of the 39 Champion doing donuts!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top