engine & transmission color info

[stude1962]

Hello everyone,
i am restoring a 62 hawk gt and i was wondering which color the engine and tranny had when it left the plant in 62. The engine was painted silver but underneath i discovered yellow valve covers and a metallic gold block with a black intake manifold. The engine number is 554641 and the car was sold in 62 by a studebaker dealer in Holland. I also think that it is not the original engine. The transmission is a T86 3 speed manual with overdive and in a red/brown color. I would like to know as much as possible about the car so i spent hours (days, weeks) searching the internet but i can't find anything about the right color. Any info is very welcome..... Thanks.

[41 Frank]

Welcome. Engine block was painted black with yellow valve covers originally. Fan blade orange. Engine number can be found stamped on block next to oil filler tube. Don't know what color the 3 speeds were originally.

[stude1962]

Hello Frank, where the engine number should be, i can only find a stamped cloverleaf but no numbers at all. On the left side of the oil filler tube there's a casted number starting with 55 so i guess it's a 259 ci probably from a lark (correct me if i'm wrong). Thanks for the information.

[41 Frank]

If you only have a clover leaf where the engine number should be that means it is a heavy duty replacement factory block, hence no engine number. Someone else will have to chime in with the answer to the casting number. To ascertain whether it is a 259 or 289 take out a spark plug and see if it has dished (289) or flat (259) pistons. Been in Belgium several times as I was born in Holland. Beautiful area, especially the Ardennes.

[stude1962]

Hello Frank, the engine has flat pistons so it's a 259. I would like to know the differences between a standard and a heavy duty block in case I need to order engine parts. It has a wcfb carter 4 barrel carb and high compression heads (537555) mounted but I don't know anything about the crankshaft, conrods, cam,.... The more answers I get, the more curious I become. The ardennes are indeed a very nice place to drive thru on a sunny day... Thank you again.

[41 Frank]

Basically heavy duty engines were truck engines that had heavy duty rod and main bearings and chrome faced top rings. Being truck engines they would have had the aluminum timing gear. Many were used in cars as replacement engines. For more information type in "cloverleaf blocks" in the search area at the top of this page and you will find all sorts of information on the subject.