Need help on buying a studebaker

[aftontrix]

I have found a 1957 silverhawk that the guy is asking $9,500 for. I do not know if this is a fair price or not.
I have not seen the vehicle as it is about four hundred miles away. I need to decide if it is worth my driving
that far to look at it. Here is what I know about it:

runs good with no problems.
painted six years ago.
no dents or rust.
no oil or transmission leaks.
tires good.
all glass good.
chrome good.
289 engine with 2 barrel carb.
interior fair.
automatic transmission.

Things I do not know about:
Carb needs rebuilt or replaced (is this stuff available?)
speedometer does not work (can you fix this?)
Drivers window will not crank up or down (parts available?)


I have attached a few photos
I would appreciate any opinions.

[Milaca]

How do you know that it runs good if it needs a carburetor rebuild? Carburetor kits (and other parts) are available from some of our Studebaker parts vendors listed on the club website links page. The original fenders would have been steel but aftermarket fiberglass fenders have been made. If they were replaced because of rust, then there may have been other rusted areas repaired also (floors, trunk floor, rocker panels, etc.). The restorer took the least expensive route when redoing the interior as those seats are from a late model car (reupholstering original seats can be a little spendy). I think the price may be a little on the high side, but to be fair, the car should be inspected in person and taken for a test drive. Good luck.

[Tom Bredehoft]

This is a C model, with the post at the rear of the door, as opposed to the K, Hardtop, without the post. This means that you don't have to worry about the subfloors being rotted away, but.....

Pull back the carpet and padding at the front door post (the A pillar) and examine the floor around it. These cars have a tentency to leak around the door and water accumulates there, soaking into the carpet and pad, and rusting through the floor. If the A pillar is not attached to the floor, forget the car. If the floor is weak, (thump it with your fist) deduct at least $2,000 because most of the floor will have to be replaced. There are replacement panels, but installing them is not free. Look under the carpet in the rear corners of the trunk. If it looks really rusty, flaky, loose, (wiggle the bumper up and down the floor should not move separately from the bumper) deduct another $1,000, ditto. Replacement old steel fenders are available, in California, for about $1,000 ea plus freight. There are other tell tales, but this covers the body pretty well. If the floor is rusty, look at the frame, where it starts up over the rear axle. If the bottom plate is wavy or gone, forget the car. Good Luck.

[Skip Lackie]

Good advice and info above. But here's another consideration. Is there something special about a 57 Silver Hawk that attracts you to this car? Put another way, does it have to be a Silver Hawk, or do you just like the styling of that model? Would a 59 Silver Hawk also be of interest to you if it came up for sale a lot closer to where you live? 400 miles is a lot to drive to see a car that you're unsure about. How long have you looked for an old car in general or a Studebaker in particular to buy? If you're uncertain about this car, maybe you'd feel more comfortable collecting some data for a few weeks so you know what you're getting into and what is a fair price for a given car. 57-61 Hawks are relatively similar in both styling and mechanicals, and they come up for sale pretty frequently. A prize winner might be worth $25K, while a rust bucket would go for less than $1K. Condition is a major consideration. Checking ebay every few days might give you an idea of the size of the market. You can customize the presentation to display only Stude Hawks, and even just those that actually sold -- so you can get a better handle on what they're actually selling for.

[Pat Dilling]

Where are you located? Perhaps some of the forummebers know of cars for sale closer to you. Studebaker V8s will run just fine on unleaded fuel.

Pat

[Skip Lackie]

As noted above, rust is the main thing to look for -- expensive to fix right. Mechanical stuff like a brake light switch is generally easy (and/or relatively cheap) to fix. Studes can use modern multi-viscosity motor oil. Older (pre-1980s) flat-tappet engines can benefit from the addition of an additive called ZDDP. But don't worry about that until you buy a car -- there is a ton of info about ZDDP right here on this forum.

[studebaker-R2-4-me]

Welcome to the Forum. I would not jump into buying the first Hawk that you come across. Personally I would join the Studebaker Drivers Club and get to know some people in your area. I would find a really nice Hawk, and there are ton's out there at reasonable prices. Our publication Turning Wheels is a monthly publication that you get with membership. first year is like $20 bucks. Worth every penny. Within the publication is a for sale section http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/classifiedads.asp . You might want to go through the Studebaker Driver Club website for chapters that are near you and look through the individual chapters for sale listings. You would be surprised how many car you will find.

Good luck with your quest. You've found a good group here on the the forum.

Allen

[woodysrods]

If you are looking for instant gratification and don't plan on going thru the restoration process. Buy the car you want, and find the best one you can. Pay the extra money for a GOOD one. You will be much happier in the long run and spend less than if you buy cheap one and have to start fixing things.
Good Roads
Brian

[aftontrix]

Again, thanks for all of the good info. I live in Durant, Ok. That is the SE corner of OK, right on the TX border. I do not have the skills to take a salvaged vehicle and restore it. I just want to get the best I can for $10k and fix it up from that point, as time and cash permits.
I checked out the Studebakers drivers clubs nearest to me but no hawks listed. It seems like I live in a bad area to look for Studebakers in. I have scoured the internet but not much to pick from in my price range and in good shape. Thanks again.

[woodysrods]

There have been a ton of C/K cars on eBay the last couple of months. And going cheap too! The US economy is in the dumper and it is a good time to be buying cars??
Brian

[PackardV8]

Good advice thus far. IMHO, that car is questionable at the asking price. As a driver, it might be OK. As an investment, no way. Don't get in a rush. Join the SDC and the Avanti clubs. There is usually someone reliable with Stude experience who will volunteer to check out a potential purchase for you.

My first thought, though? After fifty years of Studebakers, I'd say the title might read,
" Need help because I'm considering buying another Studebaker."
Those of us who've been around long enough have an unofficial "Studebakers Anonymous" group and each of us has a sponsor and is a sponsor to someone else. Anytime of the day or night, if the temptation to start buying again hits us, we know we can call, our sponsor will come over, sit with us until the need to "have just one more" passes. Our motto, “One Studebaker is too many, a thousand never enough. ..."

jack vines

[Corvanti]

PLEASE - listen to all the good advice. get familiar with the vehicle(s) you are interested in BEFORE you purchase...
ask me how i know...

[aftontrix]

Corvant,,
I will bite, how do you know?

[Corvanti]

Corvant,,
I will bite, how do you know?

long story short. always liked studes - especially avanti, finned hawk & bullet nose. but mainly dealt with corvettes. saw a ebay ad for an avanti w/ corvette engine & trans (actually the whole drivetrain with a shortened driveshaft - not in ad). thought if there were any problems i'd be familiar with the sbc, etc. put in a bid. won. went to pick it up in florida. inside was mostly gutted, seat frames were rusted out. got it home, no reverse gear, most of the back seat springs were rusted and on the floor underneath. i could go on & on... remarkedly the frame and hog troughs were ok - just a bit of surface rust.

anyway - if i had been on the forum, joined the sdc, learned about the vehicle first, AND looked at the vehicle PRIOR to buying - i would have saved myself a lot of grief.

[aftontrix]

Corvant,
Interesting story. Folks have advised me to not limit myself to my local area to purchase from. They say I can buy from across the country and pay for it to be delivered. To me that is like buying a pig in a poke. I cannot travel a thousand miles to look at a car.
A quick question, what would you recommend a newby go for. A hawk (56-62) or an Advanti (63-64)? I like both. Do you have any pros or cons for either?