1950 Studebaker, standard to Auto conversion

What tranny/etc do I need to convert my 1950 Commander to an automatic? Its a rusty derilict, so I want be destoying anything much, its currently an OD car.

[JDP]

Best to find someone trying to do the more popular swap the other way. You'll need lots of parts including another rear end ratio, steering column, driveshaft and lots more.

JDP/Maryland
64 R2 GT cost to date
$58,185.77
64 Daytona HT/R2 clone
63 GT Hawk
63 Lark 2 door
59 Scotsman
58 Packard HT
56 Golden Hawk
52 Starliner
51 Commander
39 Coupe express
39 Coupe express (rod)

[rockne10]

The '50 Studebaker was the first to offer automatic. It was a Borg Warner Detroit Gear DG200; pretty much bullet proof. JDP is correct. It won't just bolt in.
The DG200 was a second gear start. For a first gear start you could go to a later Flight-o-matic.

Brad Johnson
Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
'33 Rockne 10, '51 Commander Starlight, '53 Commander Starlight

[StudeRich]

That would be a little hard to do since the Flight-O-Matic was never mated to a Commander Big "6", where are you going to get a Converter Housing or a converter? [:0]

Remember guys, staghorn916 said this is a beater rustbucket car, so I don't see him dumping $3000.00 in this thing to make it an Automatic, then what would you have,...a very slow 6 cyl. Automatic worth about $200.00? [xx(]

quote:Originally posted by rockne10

For a first gear start you could go to a later Flight-O-Matic.

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[Roscomacaw]

Brad, there were some DGs that started out in 1st and I'm not talking JUST the 55 DG-250 either. The '54 Champion had 1st gear start as well as both Champions AND Commander/Presidents in '55. Probably the '56 Champions too.

Edit: I will also chime in here that this would be taking the car down in overall performance in my opinion. It's NOT just a matter of shifting manually vs. the automatic. Performance (read that Driveability AND Economy) is gonna suffer significantly by degrading to automatic.

Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle


1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe

[Roscomacaw]

WAS there a handle (knob) under the dash or did you have to improvise a way to get the hood open?[?]

Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle


1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe

[staghorn916]

Ok, well sounds more complicated than the car is worth. I opened the hood today for the first time in probably decades (the hood release was broken). This was probably a good thing, the engine compartment looks like a time capsule, the firewall is still nice and green and everything is complete. Its a shame the rest of the car is so neglected.

[mapman]

I just worked on a '50 Landcruiser with an auto and did a lot of research. That bell housing and torque converter are unique to that one engine: the big 6 and an automatic. It is a fantastically engineered setup but that isn't important here. Making it work is and you would just about need a complete donor car, and only a commander or landcruiser would work, not a champion. The adjustments are all critical and require the factory tools. I would seriously discourage that kind of a conversion on that particular car.
Rob

[rockne10]

quote:That would be a little hard to do since the Flight-O-Matic was never mated to a Commander Big "6"

My bad. I was thinking I had put a FOM behind the engine in my '53 without remembering I had already changed the engine to 289.[B)] The DG was used in the Commander six.

quote:Brad, there were some DGs that started out in 1st and I'm not talking JUST the 55 DG-250 either.

Agreed, but I was referring only to the 200.

quote:the engine compartment looks like a time capsule, the firewall is still nice and green and everything is complete

So you'll be miles ahead by getting the existing T86/od trans working properly. I think you'll like it.