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    Help...I have a 62 Hawk with a 259. I would like to convert to a Chevy 350 has anyone else done this?

  • #2
    quote:Originally posted by hawkproject

    Help...I have a 62 Hawk with a 259. I would like to convert to a Chevy 350 has anyone else done this?
    If you "...have a 62 Hawk with a 259," you either have a very rare export model or a car that has already had an engine change. As far as the 350 change in a '62-'64 Hawk, there have been a lot of them. They show up on eBay fairly frequently. I can't think of anyone on this forum that has a 1962-1964 Gran Turismo Hawk with a Chevrolet engine, but there are several that have earlier C/K bodied cars with a Chevrolet V8 that would be similar to what you are planning on doing. My first basic question is; Why do you want to make this conversion?
    Gary L.
    Wappinger, NY

    SDC member since 1968
    Studebaker enthusiast much longer

    Comment


    • #3
      Ok let me back up. I think I have a 259 engine and please excuse my ignorance as this is very new to me. This 62 Hawk was purchased from Canada and the lititure I've been able to obtain indicates that this is a 259. The head casting number is 1555294. That said, I was looking for an inexpensive way to replace the engine and transmission and gain horse power, as both are tired. Does replacing the engine devalue the car? I do have the ability to have both reworked.
      Thank you

      Comment


      • #4
        quote:Originally posted by hawkproject

        Help...I have a 62 Hawk with a 259. I would like to convert to a Chevy 350 has anyone else done this?
        Go to the top of this page and click on "search". Type in "Chevy". You'll get a lot of info.

        (Maybe we should have some sort of FAQ section for this kind of thing. Make it a little easier on the first time visitors)

        -Dick-
        Dick Steinkamp
        Bellingham, WA

        Comment


        • #5
          Dick I think you have a good point. This question is starting to be a monthly and sometimes weekly item, especially for those new to Studebakers. We should also include the July 2003 TW writeup by Ted Harbit and Bob Palma defending the Stude V8. It seems like yanking the Stude engine is starting to become the thing to do!

          Dan White
          64 R1 GT
          64 R2 GT
          Dan White
          64 R1 GT
          64 R2 GT
          58 C Cab
          57 Broadmoor (Marvin)

          Comment


          • #6
            [|)]

            Miscreant at large.

            1957 Transtar 1/2ton
            1960 Larkvertible V8
            1958 Provincial wagon
            1953 Commander coupe
            1957 President 2-dr
            1955 President State
            1951 Champion Biz cpe
            1963 Daytona project FS
            No deceptive flags to prove I'm patriotic - no biblical BS to impress - just ME and Studebakers - as it should be.

            Comment


            • #7
              We could just add a Chevybaker forum and be done with it!

              Dan White
              64 R1 GT
              64 R2 GT
              Dan White
              64 R1 GT
              64 R2 GT
              58 C Cab
              57 Broadmoor (Marvin)

              Comment


              • #8
                Hello all! I kind of side with all parties involved...Sure it would be great to save all of the Stude engines that we can....But as time and budgets go, sometimes the Chevy swap is more of a sensible way to go....Again...Sometimes.. My Lark had the 170 6 cyl. Not my personal fav...I obtained a LT-1 Corvette motor for the car and went with it.. Living in South Bend you would think it to be a sin..but, try to find all of the parts here or anywhere else, and spend less than the usual Chevy swap. Hell, we all know after the plant closed here the motors were all Chevy's anyhow. I just spent the last month in the soon to be torn down portions of the finishing and final assm, and stamping plants. I had the o.k. from the main man at J&L, who is demoing for the city...Pretty neat.. Took lots of photos..I will never forget any of it...These were the buildings that my great grand father, grandfather, and dad..(foundry)were all working in...My Dad is the only one still around.He helps me now and again on my Lark and was revved up so to speak about dropping the Chevy in my Lark...
                Sure, if I could have had a fresh rebuilt Stude for the same money and same H.P. that would have been great...But common guys we are not all made of money, and the Chevy S.B. is the most reasonable and most reliable V-8 we can get..I love my Stude and want another as soon as this one is done...P.S. South Bend closed in late Dec. '63...I was born June of 1972... I only wish I could have seen the plant (s) when they were still Stude owned...

                Comment


                • #9
                  hawkproject - Tell us your engine serial number and we will tell you what your engine started out life as. The engine S/N is a STAMPED number on the top of the engine block at the left (right looking in engine compartment), front (area of water manifold and left head).

                  I was not trying to infer that changing the engine may not be the best way for you to go. I was just inquiring as to your reason(s). I have owned Studebakers with Studebaker V8s and with Chevrolet V8s (400 and 350).
                  Gary L.
                  Wappinger, NY

                  SDC member since 1968
                  Studebaker enthusiast much longer

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    quote:Originally posted by hawkproject

                    Help...I have a 62 Hawk with a 259. I would like to convert to a Chevy 350 has anyone else done this?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Hawk project, you have said a dirty word in here about installing a sbc in your hawk. You will catch hell about it and some of them won't even talk to you anymore............ask me how I know

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        prager - all due respects - if you couldn't find "parts", it was because you didn't try. IF you thought they should all be available at Kragen, we could have advised you that it wouldn't be. BUT - to state that parts are "hard to find" for a Studebaker engine is misleading at best.

                        Midnight, you and bills 57 should get together. We've tried to answer questions here - SBC or not. I'd guess the majority of us DON'T have experience trading powerplants - not because we're ill-mannered, but because we choose to go the "hard way" and stick with the Stude engines. If I'd done an SBC or Hemi swap I'd be more than happy to share my experience. But to dis this whole forum because you didn't get the answers you sought is not fair or curteous.

                        Miscreant at large.

                        1957 Transtar 1/2ton
                        1960 Larkvertible V8
                        1958 Provincial wagon
                        1953 Commander coupe
                        1957 President 2-dr
                        1955 President State
                        1951 Champion Biz cpe
                        1963 Daytona project FS
                        No deceptive flags to prove I'm patriotic - no biblical BS to impress - just ME and Studebakers - as it should be.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I do not recomend this engine swap, I like Studes. If you put a pencil to what you have planned, the Stude rebuild will be cheaper and result in a better car. If you really want to do this swap, however, the easy way is to get a 65-66 bellhousing and a Hurst "universal" small block front mount. This will allow you to mount the engine to the Borg-Warner transmission, and will not affect the transmission linkage or the drive shaft geometry. It will require a new throttle linkage (available from Jegs) and a new fuel line (fabricate).

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            quote:Originally posted by midnight1957

                            Hawk project, you have said a dirty word in here about installing a sbc in your hawk. You will catch hell about it and some of them won't even talk to you anymore............ask me how I know
                            Some folks here only like "bone stock" Studebakers...only ones that are EXACTLY as they were the day they came off the assembly line. Some like the above but painted a different color than original. Some like the all of the above but with a few "safety" upgrades (seat belts, radial tires, maybe disk brakes, maybe a dual master cylinder). Some like all of the above but with a better sound system. Some like all of the above but maybe with a modern overdrive automatic transmission. Some like all of the above but with a different front and/or rear suspension. Some like all of the above but with more comfortable seats, maybe even power windows. Some like all of the above, but with a different engine than it came with stock (maybe replacing a Stude 6 with a Stude V8, maybe even replacing a Stude engine with a different make engine). Some like all of the above but with some major body modifications (chopped top, etc.). Some are more adamant about what they like than others, but guess what...The SDC and this Forum welcomes all of the above. You'll run into folks here that prefer Studes "done" the way they want...that's great. Everyone should have a favorite. You'll find folks here that appear to get a little hostile when someone suggests "doing" a car in a different manner than they would do it. That's probably OK too. Have a beer with one of them at the Omaha meet this year and they may turn in to one of your best Studebaker friends

                            -Dick-
                            327 powered '54 Starliner (among others)
                            Dick Steinkamp
                            Bellingham, WA

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              As someone who is using a newer GM powerplant, not all swaps are created equal. If you have the original engine in this car, rebuild what you have. The plain truth is that with rare exceptions, an 'original' car will always be worth more than a modified one.

                              Now, if the value of the car, and the cost of converting it doesn't bother you, go for it. I'm using a Gen III V-8 which shares nothing with the typical SBC. I have to custom fit everything, even in a Lark bodied car. As the larger Hawks never had SBC installed like the '65-'66 Lark bodied cars did, I can't tell you what's involved.

                              My opinion is that if you go ahead with the swap, get a 700R4 trans for the extra gas mileage. You'll have to fabricate at least the trans mounts and the driveshaft, but I think you'll find that you'd have to do that anyway, even with a Turbo 350/400.

                              As mentioned, there is a very vocal majority here in regards to the Stude V-8, and I've pretty much decided my next project will be Stude powered. But most of the bark is worse than the bite . Those with knowledge will share, but few here will admit to making the swap [}].

                              For those who need more tolerence than there may seem to be here, also check out Club Hot Rod ( http://www.clubhotrod.com ). Engine swaps there are the norm and not the exception .

                              ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              Tom - Lakeland, FL

                              1964 Studebaker Daytona

                              Michigan Speed - www.michiganspeed.com
                              Club Hot Rod - www.clubhotrod.com
                              LS1 Tech - www.ls1tech.com
                              Tom - Bradenton, FL

                              1964 Studebaker Daytona - 289 4V, 4-Speed (Cost To Date: $2514.10)
                              1964 Studebaker Commander - 170 1V, 3-Speed w/OD

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