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  • GH engine mystery

    Hi I know how you guys like to solve a mystery. We have what we believe is a 57 GH.
    Body tag 57H-K7 2378
    vin 6102446
    engine number PL3809.
    Has PS, Power seats, power windows, Studebaker AC evaporator in the trunk.
    The car looks rough at the present but it is pretty much complete. We have all the chrome and stainless trim. It will get a full off the frame restore when time and money permit. In the mean time we want to find out the truth about this car.

    From the pictures you can see,
    The mystery is that the engine doesn't have the blower or tension mechanism but does have the shroud around the carburator. Also the AC pump is missing. The oil filler is straight, where as they had a goose neck one to allow room for the blower. Under all the dirt the engine block is painted yellow (correct me if I am wrong) is the correct colour for the GH engines.
    The hood doesn't have a scoop on it, which is another puzzle.

    In the pictures the shot of the vin plate looks blank but that is just the flash. Somebody tried to clean the plate with steel wool and removed most of the black stencil. You can still make out the words "Studebaker Corporation" The font appears to be correct as the 6's look like b's and the 1 is a I. Also the plate is attached by 2 spot wields, which look original.


    Body tag 57H-K7 2378



    You can see the mounting plate where the AC pump was

    power seat

    power window



    AC evaporator

    Vin plate

    Hood without scoop.

    Regards Wayne

  • #2
    The Engine number tells the whole story! According to the link from our main page: Tech. Tips and data, then clicking on the link: "UPDATED Studebaker V-8 Engine identification" you find that this is a Los Angeles Assembled 1956 President 289 block, who knows what is INSIDE! [:0]

    Bored to .060 or more or a 259 Crank and Pistons, who knows, until you pull a spark plug and look to see if there are dished Pistons like a 289 or flat-tops like a 259 or a '63 Avanti high compression engine or what? [:0]


    StudeRich at Studebakers Northwest -Ferndale,WA
    StudeRich
    Second Generation Stude Driver,
    Proud '54 Starliner Owner
    SDC Member Since 1967

    Comment


    • #3
      Look carefully in your picture of the front seat with the cushion missing. It looks like you at least have the supercharger drive belt crankshaft pulley right on the floor. That's a good start toward finding all the missing supercharger setup parts.[]

      Looks like a worthy project! BP
      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


      • #4
        Bob, any idea when the PL engines ended number-wise? Since that isn't a PS engine (but is a 57 Hawk) number what does that mean to someone finding those supercharger parts for it? What will that engine have, or not have, to be able to handle the high performance extras?

        Comment


        • #5
          Looks like the blower is peaking out in the trunk also.
          The engine wouldn't originally be yellow and the oil filter would be behind the carb.
          That's a very rare air conditioning unit with the generator/ power steering pump (combined) to accomodate the compressor and blower all spinning at same time!.
          They didn't offer that option until 1958 on Golden Hawks.
          A few things have been changed over the years (the hood, amp/temp gauges, bird on dash and door panels), but will be a nice car to restore either stock, or modify as you want.
          It will be a fun candidate to bring back to life and enjoy!

          James

          The Bell Collection
          Bellingham, WA.
          Bells Studebaker Diner & Museum
          Bellingham, WA.

          Comment


          • #6
            Are those 57 GH body tag numbers?

            Comment


            • #7
              Just out of curiosity Where are you located? I have a 1958 Golden Hawk that we will be parting out soon. Has the correct engine no supercharger but all the mounting hardware for it. Has hood with correct scoop also with louvers .

              Mabel 1949 Champion
              1957 Silverhawk
              1955 Champion 4Dr.Regal
              Gus 1958 Transtar
              1955 President State
              1957 Golden Hawk
              Fresno,Ca
              Mabel 1949 Champion
              Hawk 1957 Silverhawk
              Gus 1958 Transtar
              The Prez 1955 President State
              Blu 1957 Golden Hawk
              Daisy 1954 Regal Commander Starlight Coupe
              Fresno,Ca

              Comment


              • #8
                Yes, the body and serial #'s are correct for a 57 Golden Hawk.
                The power windows and power seats are another nice and fairly rare option!

                James

                The Bell Collection
                Bellingham, WA.
                Bells Studebaker Diner & Museum
                Bellingham, WA.

                Comment


                • #9
                  correct me if Iam wrong but the 57 supercharged Packard engine number started with PL???
                  Candbstudebakers
                  Castro Valley,
                  California


                  Comment


                  • #10
                    LS for Packard Supercharged engine.
                    Started with LS-101 for 57 and LS-5,201 for 58 (I have LS-5571 in my Packard Hawk).

                    James



                    The Bell Collection
                    Bellingham, WA.
                    Bells Studebaker Diner & Museum
                    Bellingham, WA.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      LS Bob!


                      StudeRich at Studebakers Northwest -Ferndale,WA
                      StudeRich
                      Second Generation Stude Driver,
                      Proud '54 Starliner Owner
                      SDC Member Since 1967

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Just order the production order from the Studebaker Museum to be sure what it came with. It is not impossible that someone put the A/C unit in it later. If it did come with A/C it is a very rare Studebaker.

                        1957 Packard Clipper
                        1957 President Broadmoor
                        1963 Daytona Convertible
                        1963 R2 Daytona
                        1963 R2 GT Hawk
                        1963 R1 Wagonaire
                        1963 R4 Avanti
                        1964 Champ
                        1966 Cruiser

                        Comment


                        • #13


                          Interesting car, 6102446.

                          The image above a factory photo. FYI the base price for the '57 Golden Hawk (retail) was $3181.82 and the air conditioner was $513! Early engines were painted turquoise thru Feb 1957. After that painted aluminum. Serial 6102446 would have been near the break so either would be ok. There was no engine or serial number ever published to delineate the change from turquoise to aluminum. Interesting to note on the engine shown above that even the fuel pump was pained in the turquoise color.

                          Richard Quinn
                          editor: Antique Studebaker Review
                          Richard Quinn
                          Editor emeritus: Antique Studebaker Review

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            quote:Originally posted by Studebaker Wheel
                            Interesting car, 6102446.

                            The image above a factory photo. FYI the base price for the '57 Golden Hawk (retail) was $3181.82 and the air conditioner was $513! Early engines were painted turquoise thru Feb 1957. After that painted aluminum. Serial 6102446 would have been near the break so either would be ok. There was no engine or serial number ever published to delineate the change from turquoise to aluminum. Interesting to note on the engine shown above that even the fuel pump was pained in the turquoise color.

                            Richard Quinn
                            Even more interesting, Dick, is the lack of an oil filter in the subject photo. That's got to be the first 1957-1958 GH engine I've ever seen without an oil filter.

                            Can the body tag on this car be deciphered? If so, could it be a prototype engine compartment, before they figured out how they were going to incorporate an oil filter on the supercharged engine?

                            Which raises a new question: Was the limited space of the 1957 supercharged engine compartment a factor encouraging the change to a less-bulky, spin-on oil filter, albeit only partial flow, for the 1957 line?

                            If so, what an interesting coincidence that would be, in that the confinement of the Avanti engine room helped dictate the block redesign to incorporate a full-flow, spin-on filter on the underside of the engine only a scant five years later.

                            Who says there's new to be learned about these cars? BP
                            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


                            • #15
                              BP, pardon my ignorance on these engines, but in RQ's picture what is between the U and the I in QUINN that looks like the top of an oil filter? I've seen them mounted on inner fenders like that, but is that a high perf part or the filter? Or, behind the E in COLLECTION, since that's the coil on the cowl? Also, that engine looks painted aluminum to me. Has the color in that scan been distorted from turquoise to silver?
                              Also, I realize without seeing the original p.o. that it's hard to tell how this car was equipped when new, but it should have been delivered new with a PS engine, correct? Nzstude's engine was then dropped in sometime since new, right? If they built it, the Los Angeles plant wouldn't have used a President 289 in stock from the previous year and beefed it up for this Golden Hawk, would they? Would the serial number plate have an LA designation on it, similar to the Canadian built cars? That AC style unit really has to be a rare option, too. Almost looks like a Howard Hughes built item back in there. [8D]

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