1956 Champion

[DanTheFan]

Is anyone familiar with this car? It's Scotsman-like minimalism has struck my fancy but it's in AZ. I'd love to drive it but I am too far away.

[Allan Songer]

quote:Originally posted by DanTheFan

Is anyone familiar with this car? It's Scotsman-like minimalism has struck my fancy but it's in AZ. I'd love to drive it but I am too far away.

I am assuming you mean this one?

http://tinyurl.com/c9s5fo

I think that this car has been "restored" at some time--the seats are close to original, but the door panels look wrong to me. Perhaps they ARE original, but they're way different than the ones in my '56 F4 Champion. The window crank and door handles look like '55 items as well. The chrome looks OK for a driver and you can get a better grille insert for $50 or less.

$4500 doesn't seem like a horrible, insane price if this one is as solid as advertised . . THAT IS IF YOU WAN'T A '56 CHAMPION 2-DOOR SEDAN! They are pretty scarce and at the same time not at all desireable except to nuts like me.

I paid $200 for mine, but it had been sitting in a field for 40 years and had no engine or trasmission and some severs passenger side floor rust (the ONLY rust on the ENTIRE car). I could NOT have brought it up to the level of this car for another $4300, that's for sure.

I think a "fair" price would be in the $2000-$2800 range. Maybe the guy will take $3000? He could list this one until the cows come home at $4500 with no takers . . .

[mbstude]

Allan pretty much hit the nail on the head.

The door panels are close to original, but the stock ones have molded in arm rests. There's a chance that this is an early '56, but those interior handles normally came on '53-55 cars. The seats may be original, but I don't think so. I'm not totally sure on that though.

Besides a couple of non-stock items (Yea I know, who cares?), it looks like a nice car and that price isn't too far off base if it's as solid as it looks.

We have one and it's a nice car, but you'd better not get it any hurry. The car floats along, but with that flathead 6, it's no hot rod. (Unlike Allan's R1 powered one...). That 6 really struggles to move that big car around. It DOES have dual exhaust and old glasspacks, so it at least sounds cool.

If it were my car and not Dad's, I'd put a 289 4 speed in it. [)]



Matthew Burnette
Hazlehurst, GA

[John and Tracy Smith]

Email sent.

John and Tracy Smith
Queen Creek Arizona

http://1955studebaker.blogspot.com/

[IMG]

[DanTheFan]

I used to own a two door sedanette but not near as bare boned as this one. The door panels look authentic but mine too had the faired in handles. I thought maybe this was a year ahead Scotsman model. The seller implies that it is much better than it would appear to be. Thanks for all the input.

[s1b]

quote:[
I think a "fair" price would be in the $2000-$2800 range. Maybe the guy will take $3000? He could list this one until the cows come home at $4500 with no takers . . .

I don't get this way of thinking. I remember everyone talking about how we should get collector car pricaes for our Studes. Then you want to turn around and say it's only worth "$2000-$2800 range". As long as we in the Studebaker/car hobby think like that about a certain car, it will always be worth almost nothing. There is no reason to keep convincing everyone that 56-58s are worth nothing. The funny part is there is only one direction the value of these will go, and thats up. This is the last type of Stude that people turn away from. I'm starting to see alot of intrest in the hot rod community in these bodies. Usualy that only meens one thing. The prices are going up. Also, How rare is the 56-57 2drs??? Very . You go to the Stude meets ,How many do you see? In some cases if any? Just something to think about. Not trying to step on any toes ,,,,,But

Orlando FLA

[Allan Songer]

quote:Originally posted by s1b
I don't get this way of thinking. I remember everyone talking about how we should get collector car pricaes for our Studes. Then you want to turn around and say it's only worth "$2000-$2800 range". As long as we in the Studebaker/car hobby think like that about a certain car, it will always be worth almost nothing. There is no reason to keep convincing everyone that 56-58s are worth nothing. The funny part is there is only one direction the value of these will go, and thats up. This is the last type of Stude that people turn away from. I'm starting to see alot of intrest in the hot rod community in these bodies. Usualy that only meens one thing. The prices are going up. Also, How rare is the 56-57 2drs??? Very . You go to the Stude meets ,How many do you see? In some cases if any? Just something to think about. Not trying to step on any toes ,,,,,But

Hey, brother--I AM WITH YOU 100%!!! I will end up with somewhere around $15,000-$16,000 into my '56. Has ANYONE done that with a '56 2-door sedan before?

[s1b]

quote:Originally posted by Allan Songer

quote:Originally posted by s1b
I don't get this way of thinking. I remember everyone talking about how we should get collector car pricaes for our Studes. Then you want to turn around and say it's only worth "$2000-$2800 range". As long as we in the Studebaker/car hobby think like that about a certain car, it will always be worth almost nothing. There is no reason to keep convincing everyone that 56-58s are worth nothing. The funny part is there is only one direction the value of these will go, and thats up. This is the last type of Stude that people turn away from. I'm starting to see alot of intrest in the hot rod community in these bodies. Usualy that only meens one thing. The prices are going up. Also, How rare is the 56-57 2drs??? Very . You go to the Stude meets ,How many do you see? In some cases if any? Just something to think about. Not trying to step on any toes ,,,,,But

Hey, brother--I AM WITH YOU 100%!!! I will end up with somewhere around $15,000-$16,000 into my '56. Has ANYONE done that with a '56 2-door sedan before?

UH,,,,,,,,,No

Orlando FLA

[candbstudebakers]

Not a bad looking car sure would like to see what would happen to that type speedo if taken 0-100 in a hurry would it just let fly a part??

Bob Peterson / C & B Studebakers

Castro Valley, CA

[StudeDave57]

quote:Originally posted by DanTheFan

Is anyone familiar with this car?

Yes- seems like it's been on eBay more then a time or two, as well as various other car listing sites. I'd look the car over a lot better then the guy who posted the ad about it if I were interested... [^]

quote:Originally posted by s1b

quote:Originally posted by Allan Songer
Hey, brother--I AM WITH YOU 100%!!! I will end up with somewhere around $15,000-$16,000 into my '56. Has ANYONE done that with a '56 2-door sedan before?

UH,,,,,,,,,No

I will have to respectfully DISAGREE with that. [:0] I can think of more then one '56
(and a '57 or two) that have had that much (or more) spent on them.
Are they currently 'active' in SDC? No, but they are out there~ somewhere...

quote:Originally posted by candbstudebakers

Not a bad looking car sure would like to see what would happen to that type speedo if taken 0-100 in a hurry would it just let fly a part?? Bob

Mine never did~ but they are only 259 powered at this point... [:0]




StudeDave '57 [8D]
San Diego, CA (for now)

'54 Commander Regal 4dr 'Ruby'
'57 Parkview 'Betsy' (she's a 2dr wagon)
'57 Commander DeLuxe 2dr 'Baby'
'57 Champion Custom 2dr 'Jewel'
'58 Packard sedan 'Cleo'
'65 Cruiser 'Sweet Pea'

[StudeRich]

quote:Originally posted by Allan Songer

The window crank and door handles look like '55 items as well.

All '56 and '57 F2's and W2's used up the excess '55 door and window handles AND window regulators! Remember you can't install the F4 handles with serrated round holes, on the square shaft regulators! [:0]

These are the original correct handles, believe it or not! [:0]
I also would not be surprised if F2's had plain door panels, because they would not have came with 2 arm rests and 2 visors.

You have to remember that we are talking about a VERY conservative Co. here, who would spend thousands on listing two part numbers in the Catalogs, stocking and inventorying, showing two kinds of a part in the Shop Manual and in the Showroom Brochures, Purchasing, Ordering and Shipping two, maybe from two suppliers even, all to save .27 cents on the part! [:0]
This strategy would have worked for GM because of their enormous VOLUME, but for little Studebaker it had to be a loss.

But in this case if there were tons of leftover handles from a really messed up, poor selling year with all the mid-year and running changes, major labor strike and all going on affecting the '55 model year cars, they could have saved by using them, even though they are WAY more expensive to make, with chromed cast metal spinning knobs on them. But since they had changed the window regulators, most of these were useless now and better used on something, than scrapped!


StudeRich at Studebakers Northwest -Ferndale,WA

[48M5]

Here's a '56 that might make more sense to someone hankering for one similar to the ebay example....

http://boise.craigslist.org/cto/1111845879.html

[Allan Songer]

quote:Originally posted by 48M5

Here's a '56 that might make more sense to someone hankering for one similar to the ebay example....

http://boise.craigslist.org/cto/1111845879.html

Yeah, but it has FOUR DOORS!

[DanTheFan]

Good thing he spelled Studebaker wrong or it might have been gone by now. 4 Doors to me are way better - they are more convenient - that's exactly what I have been looking for! Thanks for posting 48M5. Are you at all familiar with the car? The pictures aren't the highest quality.

[jimmijim8]

quote:Originally posted by StudeRich

quote:Originally posted by Allan Songer

The window crank and door handles look like '55 items as well.

All '56 and '57 F2's and W2's used up the excess '55 door and window handles AND window regulators! Remember you can't install the F4 handles with serrated round holes, on the square shaft regulators! [:0]

These are the original correct handles, believe it or not! [:0]
I also would not be surprised if F2's had plain door panels, because they would not have came with 2 arm rests and 2 visors.

You have to remember that we are talking about a VERY conservative Co. here, who would spend thousands on listing two part numbers in the Catalogs, stocking and inventorying, showing two kinds of a part in the Shop Manual and in the Showroom Brochures, Purchasing, Ordering and Shipping two, maybe from two suppliers even, all to save .27 cents on the part! [:0]
This strategy would have worked for GM because of their enormous VOLUME, but for little Studebaker it had to be a loss.

But in this case if there were tons of leftover handles from a really messed up, poor selling year with all the mid-year and running changes, major labor strike and all going on affecting the '55 model year cars, they could have saved by using them, even though they are WAY more expensive to make, with chromed cast metal spinning knobs on them. But since they had changed the window regulators, most of these were useless now and better used on something, than scrapped!


StudeRich at Studebakers Northwest -Ferndale,WA

Very good Rich. great explanation. jimmijim