Larks with 283 Chev engine: what sort of price range?

[T. Turtle]

Good Day All,

New to the forum having been directed here by a member of the FB Studebaker Addicts group. I am not (yet) a Studebaker owner but considering getting one here in Austria. I grew up in Israel so these cars bring back lots of nostalgic memories for me. As much as it would be nice to have an R code, 289 Lark Daytona, being situated in Europe where Studebaker specialists are very thin on the ground (or non-existent), I realize a SBC is a more sensible option. I know these cars were made between 65-66 (or 67, if you consider some registered in Israel as 67 models) so they are out there. My question is: what sort of price range am I looking at for one, either in the US or Canada, preferably with a manual box? Car should be reasonably rust free and drive-able at the very least. I will consider modified ones but thy can't look too modified as I'll have to run the car through Austrian type approval (reasonably easy if it looks stock). After I deal with that I would want to modify it for local driving conditions anyway (I will post questions on that in the appropriate sub-forum later), but there's no need to start fighting with the Austrian DOT on arrival.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Cheers

T

[t walgamuth]

Are you planning to buy one over there or over here?

I do see yank tanks advertised in the British car mags for a lot more than they are worth here. i do know you can still buy a very nice studebaker for under $10,000 here.

[thunderations]

Well, there were no Larks built with 283 SBC engines. Lark name was dropped after 1963. The 1965 and 66 "Lark Type" as they are called were all built in Canada with GM engines, both inline 6's and V8's. Prices vary with condition and body style along with options. There have been several mentioned on recent threads on the Forum. Most were priced in the 4 to 10 thousand range, with a couple down into the 2 thousand area. There have been other well over 20 thousand. You get what you pay for in most cases. You should get a great deal of response from this inquiry.
Good luck. These 283 Studebakers are great driving cars and have almost lost that Chevybaker mindset that plagued them at one time.
I like mine a lot, even though it may become available in the near future, but it is an automatic.

[Stu Chapman]

Good Day All,

New to the forum having been directed here by a member of the FB Studebaker Addicts group. I am not (yet) a Studebaker owner but considering getting one here in Austria. I grew up in Israel so these cars bring back lots of nostalgic memories for me. As much as it would be nice to have an R code, 289 Lark Daytona, being situated in Europe where Studebaker specialists are very thin on the ground (or non-existent), I realize a SBC is a more sensible option. I know these cars were made between 65-66 (or 67, if you consider some registered in Israel as 67 models) so they are out there. My question is: what sort of price range am I looking at for one, either in the US or Canada, preferably with a manual box? Car should be reasonably rust free and drive-able at the very least. I will consider modified ones but thy can't look too modified as I'll have to run the car through Austrian type approval (reasonably easy if it looks stock). After I deal with that I would want to modify it for local driving conditions anyway (I will post questions on that in the appropriate sub-forum later), but there's no need to start fighting with the Austrian DOT on arrival.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Cheers

T

If you contact Greg Diffen of the Studebaker Owners Club of the United Kingdom, I'm sure he will be able to assist you. I'm sending you his contact information via Private Message on this Forum.

To access this Private Message go to your personal profile you set up when registering on the Forum and you'll see "Inbox" at the top. Click on this for your PM.

Stu Chapman

[T. Turtle]

Thanks for all who replied.

@ Thunderations: I used the "Lark" moniker because of my Israeli past, that's what they were all referred to over there until the end... You are of course correct that there were more models even though they all used the same body/frame. Your car s cool - actually, Chev-engined cars were preferred in Israel because most people bought sixes there and the Chevy six was better than the OHV Stude which, if my memory does not deceive me, tended not to like temperatures in the region and was less powerful than the Chevy six... Oh: I would go for an automatic if no manual comes up; I just think conversion to a 5-sp manual (which will most likely happen unless the car has a 3sp+O/D) would be easier if you start with a manual.

@ Stu: got your message and thanks - it seems that Greg is the man to talk to, I have heard his name in other forums and I will contact him sooner or later. It certainly would make things easier if the car is already in the EU (I don't know how long the UK will be a part of it though, lol), as taxes should be paid already and the Austrian DOT people are likely to be less strict.

If anyone else would like to add to the discussion, please do and thanks in advance.

Cheers
T

PS: I assume a two door carries a premium, never mind a hardtop?

[Mark L]

Welcome to the forum, T.

[studegary]

Thanks for all who replied.

If anyone else would like to add to the discussion, please do and thanks in advance.

Cheers
T

PS: I assume a two door carries a premium, never mind a hardtop?

Welcome to the SDC Forum!

1965-1966 Studebakers were built as two door sedans, four door sedans and four door station wagons. There were no hardtops after 1964.
Yes, for the same equipment and condition, a two door will bring more than a four door.

[T. Turtle]

@ Mark L: Thanks for the welcome.
@ Studegary: OK - I thought they kept the h/t in production but never mind, a 2-door post is not necessarily worse (in fact it should have a more rigid body/frame which for what I want to do is ideal).

Cheers
T

[StudeRich]

Do not count on a 2 Door Sedan having a sturdy frame, since it is the Lightest Body type it was felt that there was no need for an 11 Ga. frame on a Six or an Eight, like 4 Doors, Hardtops and Wagons had.

If you add a lot of Power or even have a V8, you may be re-enforcing the Coil Spring Pockets and any other high stress points.

[T. Turtle]

@ Stude Rich: thanks - that's something I did not know, I thought the "soft" frames was something to worry about on early 50s cars. I intend to modify the car (sensibly) for local roads anyway but that's another thing to factor.

[JRoberts]

I have never been a Chevy guy, nor was I looking for a 4-door, but when my uncle (the original owner) put his '65 Cruiser on the market I decided to get it, mainly to keep it in the family. I really like this car. The 283 is a great engine and with an Edlebrock 4bbl, a mild cam and a few other mods, it runs great. Other improvements are mostly handling mods a rear sway bar, an oversized front sway bar, lowering a couple inches and MOPAR cop car wheels. The car has become a wonderful road car. I would not shy away from a four door example of this era of Studebaker. Good luck with your search.

[t walgamuth]

I had a 64 cruiser with the 289. It was a very nice clean car which was my Uncle Glen's last studie. He worked in the factory up til near the end. It only had 33,000 miles and was in very nice original condition. I had it painted, put new tiger paws on it and good gas filled shocks and used it for a few years, then sold it to Rick Moon for cash plus portraits of me, the Mrs and my five children which are hanging up the stairway now.

It felt pretty nimble and seemed to me to fit the bill of a sports sedan. I ran it 85 on the way home from South Bend. No worries.

Rick didn't keep it very long as he did not want to drive it until it had no value.

[T. Turtle]

@ J Roberts, t walgamuth: Thanks for your comments. The reason I want a two door again has to do with boring practicality, in this case, if I ever want to sell the car it would be easier (I actually have nothing against 4 doors but people are what they are unfortunately)...

As for mods, I'll post on the appropriate sub-forum later but it is the direction I want to take - nothing too crazy to begin with but maybe later

[go-studebaker]

Shalom Mr T.
I am in Vancouver at the moment and do not get too much internet access on holidays. I am at the back end of a 67 day vacation.

In my experience, living in Europe, you need to by a great car before you begin, so you should be looking at the $10k plus, price range cars without exception. The cheapest car is always a restored one. Some cars are modified with great options, so I wouldn't worry about that so much. The great cars are always obvious.
The cars are easy to work on by any sensible mechanic, but in Europe, a lot of mechanics won't touch them because it the car gets stuck on the ramp and they have no space to store it whilst parts come in from the States then the garage has a problem. If you find a good old garage where they are comfortable doing that sort of work, then it is never a problem. It's why I do a lot of the work myself, even though I am no mechanic. I do have a garage near me in the UK that do work for me when I am too busy myself as I have a lot of cars. They are a god send.

I am not sure if I have ever seen a 2 door in mainland Europe, although I am sure there are some out there. D'Ieteren in Belgium did make a lot of Daytona Hardtops and ragtops in the 60's but they rarely come up for sale.

For the amount of miles people drive these days, I don't think it matters if it is a Chev powered or Stude powered car. They are just as reliable as each other.

Getting over the Austrian registration rules is just like getting over the UK / Canadian / US / Australian / French / Swedish rules. You just have to do it if you are going to drive a Studebaker or any other classic for that matter.
Cars are always more expensive in Europe because there is shipping, duty and sales tax to pay, plus, generally most cars have to adhere to stricter controls than the US ones do. I have only ever bought 1 truck out of the US that required minor work for registration. All other cars needed at least GBP 1 to 3k to get properly road ready. Even if I sold you one, I am sure you could put GBP 1k into a car to get it the way you want to drive it. We are all a little different in our expectations. The point is that no matter what you spend in the US on a car - you will be spending more on it at your end, unless you are incredibly lucky.
I just sold a nice rust free driving 64 Hardtop in the UK and only have a couple of GT's (one supercharged) and 2 convertibles left, plus an R1 Lark sedan that needs a bit of work. I just have too many cars and need to move a few on to get down from the 17 or so to around 10 Studebaker's which is far more manageable.

There has been a nice 62 Daytona hardtop for sale in the UK for £10 k

Regards
Greg

[T. Turtle]

G'Day Greg,

Thanks for this - I did not say this, but I used to restore cars for living when I lived in the UK so am aware of the issues... The point with a Chev is it's a Lego engine and parts are easy to get even in the EU. Also it's far easier to hop up (which I intend on doing) comparatively cheaply. I agree on all the rest other than Austrian type approval is a bit harder than the UK or Swedish ones but it's been done before. I'm still in the research stage by the way but will keep you in mind (was actually quite annoyed to see this here: https://orlando.craigslist.org/cto/5719535998.html but the stars have not yet aligned).

Cheers
T