There's a 1962 Hawk available in northeast Indianapolis. Seems like a good price for the condition. No word on how solid the floor or trunk pans are.
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Mark L -
That should be fairly close to Jim Turner.
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I saw this car in person late in May (2017) when I decided to attend this auction on the near northeast side of Indianapolis:
I can tell from the photo backgrounds that it is still right where I saw it in late May. Golly, the car looks presentable in photos, doesn't it? Well, to put it delicately, that proves the necessity of seeing detailed, close-up photos of any collector car.
The car's consignor lived in St. Louis, IIRC. He had purchased the car at this same auction house maybe five years ago as what might have been a fairly decent car at the time, as they go here in the Midwest. From what I could surmise, he drove it to St. Louis and enjoyed it for a year or so and then parked it outside on grass under a big pine tree and let it sit...and sit...and sit.
Bad idea.
He didn't want it any more, so he decided to have it trucked back to Indianapolis (it wasn't drivable due to general neglect) to try to resell it through the same auction house where he bought it, since he knew the auction house owner. The car must've looked like a real mess when it arrived because everywhere you looked, other than where the exterior had been washed, there were pine needles and/or there was green, musty mold. Even after being washed, the paint was dead and peeling. May have had a clear coat applied over a repaint or something; in any case, the paint was (and I'm sure still is) terrible.
It went through the auction seen above and didn't bring the $5,000 reserve he had on it
, wholly understandable if you looked at the car. I think it might have been bid up to $3,000 or thereabouts; I had been delayed on my trip over and missed the auction itself. No matter, after looking at the car, I wouldn't have bid over $2,000 and that would have been generous.
I had a long talk with the auction house owner after the rest of the auction was over. He was up front about the car and the story I told above. The car had a new battery in it but they, "...couldn't get it to run because there was something wrong with the ignition switch; the key won't go in." The auction house owner gave me "the keys" and pointed out which one was for the universal ignition switch now in the car. The key he said was the right key was actually the car's round-head trunk key. Another goofy-looking key on the ring was the key for the aftermarket ignition switch, but the round one was the only key that had the Studebaker "S" on it, so they assumed that was the only key that would work. When I used that goofy-looking key, I got the car to start
...to his amazement.
I didn't let it run long because there was no coolant in it and barely any oil on the stick...but being a Studebaker V8 it ran pretty well and had decent oil pressure. Dropping it in gear had to be done carefully (it did engage) because the brake pedal was on the floor and showed no interest in being pumped up. I'm sure it's still that way; it didn't sound like anybody was going to put money or time in the car to get it back in the air.
Paperwork verified this was originally an Indianapolis car and the rust proved it. Trunk corners are gone and the frame is about as crunchy as you could tolerate before throwing your hands in the air and declaring that a replacement is needed. Floors are weak and/or patched throughout. Because it is black, a lot of rust cannot be easily seen in photos like these. The tires look good but are the most dry-rotted I've seen in years: Although deep and almost "new," I'm sure they wouldn't survive the full 60-mile I-465 loop around Indianapolis at 55 MPH.
Still, everything is worth something. I felt I had a good rapport with the auction house owner because I had helped him get it running and had hoped he would call his buddy in St. Louis and let me buy it real cheap
, but I never heard any more from him and didn't pursue it, lest I wind up with it! 
So in true Paul Harvey fashion, "...now you know the rest of the story." 
BP
Last edited by BobPalma; 08-19-2017, 05:37 PM. Reason: verified it is still where I saw it; "same car." We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.
G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.Comment
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Sounds like it needs a paint job, but I do not see evidence of sheet metal rust in the usual places. If the stated 67K miles is accurate, it is probably in pretty good mechanical condition, other than the usual problems that come with a few years of non-operation. Supposedly it is a three owner car, so it should be easy to determine its geographical history. Sounds like it could be an OK deal for the right person, especially if the price is negotiable. But agree, I'd wanna look it over carefully, especially floors and undercarriage.Comment
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Originally posted by JoeHall View Post
That's true, Joe; like I said, "Everything is worth something!"
If someone got into this car with their eyes open, they could do OK...but not from what they can see in the Craigslist photos!
We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.
G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.Comment
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Thanks for the report BobMark LComment
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