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My buddy Garys 56 Sky Hawk - reverse open hood

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  • My buddy Garys 56 Sky Hawk - reverse open hood

    Update per picture location - 01/15/09

    I have known Gary since grade school, he was my next door neighbor,
    and pretty much the first person I met when my family moved to Santa
    Barbara in 1974. After I got my 60 Hawk, both Gary and another friend
    Jason wanted Hawks too. Jason bought a 61 Hawk, which met its end at
    least 15 years ago. Mine met its fate about 10 years ago, & Gary's is still
    in one peice (cross fingers). Gary gave up on his Hawk when he joined
    the forest service and gave it to me. When he returned about 6 months
    later - I gave it back. I needed to get my Hawk out of the garage to make
    room for my wifes 78 Camaro. So I gave him my Hawk, but this time I
    gave him my reverse open hood setup - and installed it. We also agreed
    on a list of things he wanted off the hulk. I went up to take some pictures
    of the 60 Hawk, and happened to catch him there at the Station. Here are
    a few shots of his Hawk, he has been busy with "life", but he still plans on
    finishing the Hawk.

    Currently, a built 289 Stude engine, Corvette 700-R4 w/Steeltech adapter,
    Steeltech front disc brakes, and a Steeltech HEI distributor. It has factory
    power windows, and unfortunately a wiring nightmare. The car was saved
    from the frontyard of a house in downtown Santa Barbara. Right away it
    needed a front clip. It also needed rear springs. Two sets from Newman
    & Altman were sent back after they couldnt support the weight of the rear
    of the car! Since only one spring was bent, I pulled them both apart, and
    alternated the springs - then added a helper 1.5 inch offroad lift spring. It
    runs the entire length of the main leaf. That brought the back end up.



    Here is a closeup of the reverse open hood I designed years ago.



    You can see the hinges poke out just under the chrome. On my Hawk, I
    had the bumper adjusted up a bit higher which hid the hinge better.



    Not noticeable from further away.



    His trunk lid is in better shape.



    Here is the hood open.



    I mounted the catch struts to the edges of the hood. Just bent some flat
    stock metal and through bolted it.



    Shot from the other side



    Used a Datsun hood latch on each side.





    Had a nut welded to the inside of the hood, cut the Datsun bolt to fit, and
    used a very thin nut to "lock" the height against the welded nut.



    Tom

    '63 Avanti, zinc plated drilled & slotted 03 Mustang Cobra 13" front disc/98 GT rear brakes, 03 Cobra 17" wheels, GM alt, 97 Z28 leather seats, soon: 97 Z28 T-56 6-spd, Ported heads w/SST full flow valves, 'R3' 276 cam, Edelbrock AFB Carb, GM HEI distributor, 8.8mm plug wires
    '63 Avanti R1, '03 Mustang Cobra 13" front disc/98 GT rear brakes, 03 Cobra 17" wheels, GM alt, 97 Z28 leather seats, TKO 5-spd, Ported heads w/SST full flow valves.
    Check out my disc brake adapters to install 1994-2004 Mustang disc brakes on your Studebaker!!
    http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...bracket-update
    I have also written many TECH how to articles, do a search for my Forum name to find them

  • #2
    Sure looks like it makes life a lot easier. The one aspect I would try and modify tho, is the placement of the hood spike. Is there a chance you could use the old bolt stud to attach something. That way, you could, practically, make this mod without having to paint the hood over.
    64 GT Hawk (K7)
    1970 Avanti (R3)

    Comment


    • #3
      If I understand you correctly, you are refering to the welding of the
      nut on the hinge reinforcement? I dont remember the heat affecting
      the paint that was on the hood at the time. I would guess that if it
      was done "slowly" the heat wouldnt be enough to hurt the paint. With
      the hood upside down, the heat will "rise" away from the paint. Hard
      to say, but you make a good point. The "spike" as you call it (I was
      not able to come up with the name) kinda has to go in that spot, to
      end up between the firewall and the fender. I sware I think that its
      what Stude had in mind, when you consider the weight of the hood, and
      the way the reinforcements were made.

      Tom
      '63 Avanti R1, '03 Mustang Cobra 13" front disc/98 GT rear brakes, 03 Cobra 17" wheels, GM alt, 97 Z28 leather seats, TKO 5-spd, Ported heads w/SST full flow valves.
      Check out my disc brake adapters to install 1994-2004 Mustang disc brakes on your Studebaker!!
      http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...bracket-update
      I have also written many TECH how to articles, do a search for my Forum name to find them

      Comment


      • #4
        Tom,

        Neat pics, thanks for posting. I always thought the Sky Hawk was the best looking K-body Hawk. I also see that it has painted side grilles, which I personally like a lot.

        I love your hood, never thought about that on a Hawk. Sure looks like it increases the access to the engine, plus it looks trick!

        Paul

        Visit The Studebaker Skytop Registry website at: http://hometown.aol.com/r1skytop/myhomepage/index.html
        Paul
        Winston-Salem, NC
        Visit The Studebaker Skytop Registry website at: www.studebakerskytop.com

        Comment


        • #5
          Thanks Paul, yes it gives an amazing amount of room to get to any
          part of the engine. Was a dream to work on. I couldnt stand doing
          any work on my 60 Hawk, getting knots on my head from banging it on
          the sharp corners that Studebaker designed into the Hawk hood. I had
          all painted, monochrome on the 60 Hawk. I can across a set of 1962
          GT Hawk front turn signal inserts, the inset ones? They would have
          completed the 'clean' look I was going for. The accident changed my
          plans and Gary ended up with the hood. I plan on keeping tabs on his
          car, so if he ever plans on selling .... guess who will be there?



          Tom
          '63 Avanti R1, '03 Mustang Cobra 13" front disc/98 GT rear brakes, 03 Cobra 17" wheels, GM alt, 97 Z28 leather seats, TKO 5-spd, Ported heads w/SST full flow valves.
          Check out my disc brake adapters to install 1994-2004 Mustang disc brakes on your Studebaker!!
          http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...bracket-update
          I have also written many TECH how to articles, do a search for my Forum name to find them

          Comment


          • #6
            Tom

            Simple, neat, well thought out and executed.

            Well done []

            Bob

            Comment


            • #7
              As easy and natural as that looks, Studebaker should have done it - really! 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


              • #8
                Tom,Ever since I saw the pic of your backward hood,I've thought I shoulda done it to my car.All I'd want to do is disguise or cover the hinges a little better. Did you do any reinforcement to the lower mounting points? It seems like a lot of strain would be put on that cross bar,which also holds the side grilles although it looks like it's still working just fine!

                Oglesby,Il.
                Anybody that drives faster than me is a maniac.Anybody that drives slower than me is an idiot.
                Oglesby,Il.

                Comment


                • #9
                  I've had the grille out of mine before, and was surprised at how much lighter the hood was to lift. I like this conversion because not only does it give you more room to do service work, it must make the hood very easy (light) to lift. Plus you don't have to worry about the hood flying up in your windshield while driving down the highway.

                  What are the hinges from?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I didnt see a need to reinforce anything up front, that crossbar is
                    quite stout. Also when the setup was on my '60 Hawk, my bumper sat
                    a little closer to the grilles and covered the hinges pretty well. I
                    had to put the hinges out a little in order to get the stainless in
                    the front to clear when the hood tips. The stainless is a gentle "V"
                    which makes the "point" move toward the crossbar. The hinges are a
                    couple of galvanized gate strap hinges bent in a vice. I have thought
                    about producing a kit, but I doubt I would ever get my investment back.

                    Tom
                    '63 Avanti R1, '03 Mustang Cobra 13" front disc/98 GT rear brakes, 03 Cobra 17" wheels, GM alt, 97 Z28 leather seats, TKO 5-spd, Ported heads w/SST full flow valves.
                    Check out my disc brake adapters to install 1994-2004 Mustang disc brakes on your Studebaker!!
                    http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...bracket-update
                    I have also written many TECH how to articles, do a search for my Forum name to find them

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Tom, that's one fine piece of shadetree engineering: slap-my-forehead-now-why-didn't-I-think-of-that elegant and functional. Thanks for showing it off.

                      Now I'm trying to figure out how to do something like it with a '53/'54 so when I finally get my hands on one I don't aerate my brain every time I have to climb into the engine box...




                      Keoni Dibelka / HiloFoto
                      In Hawai'i; on Hawai'i; on the Windward Side
                      If da salt air never chew 'em up bumbye da lava will...

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Tom,

                        That really does appear to be a clean way to gain more access.
                        Job well done!

                        Best regards.


                        1963 Studebaker Avanti: C4 Corvette narrowed front/rear suspension, C5 13" calipers/rotors adapted to C4, Viper differential with Intrax 3.54 ratio (the snake has been charmed!), coil overs, stainless tubular frame, stainless chambered side exhaust.
                        Here are two links for some pictures and information.
                        Slide Show
                        Magazine Article
                        sigpic 1963 Studebaker Avanti: LS1 motor and T-56 transmission have been moved rearward, set up as a two seat coupe with independent rear suspension. Complex solutions for nonexistant problems.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          We Are Not Alone. Check out the ninth and tenth pics in this thread, just the other side of the red '64 convertible... http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...D=25514#211472

                          Keoni Dibelka / HiloFoto
                          In Hawai'i; on Hawai'i; on the Windward Side
                          If da salt air never chew 'em up bumbye da lava will...

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            quote:Originally posted by JGK 940

                            We Are Not Alone. Check out the ninth and tenth pics in this thread
                            Well, I would imagine to see more of them changed by now. I did make
                            it to a huge LA meet with my Hawk shortly after I made the hood mod.
                            This would have been around 1992 or so, about 17 years ago. The Hawk
                            caused quite a stir at the time with its reverse open hood, 700R4 and
                            the rumble from the turbo mufflers. I answered a ton of questions
                            and there was a pretty decent crowd gathered when I opened the hood.

                            I remember parking next to a beautiful Avanti, and my Hawk was a rough
                            daily driver. He seemed to be worried having a lessor cr near him. As
                            I opened the hood .... I stole his look-EE-loos.

                            To clarify ... This setup originated on MY 1960 Hawk, but after it was
                            totalled in the mid 90's, he bought the setup and I transfered it over.

                            Tom
                            '63 Avanti R1, '03 Mustang Cobra 13" front disc/98 GT rear brakes, 03 Cobra 17" wheels, GM alt, 97 Z28 leather seats, TKO 5-spd, Ported heads w/SST full flow valves.
                            Check out my disc brake adapters to install 1994-2004 Mustang disc brakes on your Studebaker!!
                            http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...bracket-update
                            I have also written many TECH how to articles, do a search for my Forum name to find them

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              quote:Originally posted by JGK 940
                              Now I'm trying to figure out how to do something like it with a '53/'54 so when I finally get my hands on one I don't aerate my brain every time I have to climb into the engine box...
                              I had planned to eventually do a 53 conversion on my Hawk, so I did
                              some thinking on how to make a 53 hood open out. What I came up with
                              was making a pivot point higher up. Where the hood goes down to the
                              point up front, create a bar to go across between these two structure
                              points on the fender and remove the latch assembly and the lower area
                              under the "nose". Then the hood will rise up at the rear, and nose
                              will tuck under toward the radiator. I realize this is considerably
                              more work than the Hawk, but could be almost unnoticeable. One could
                              even add weight to the nose to counter balance the rear of the hood
                              and make it extremely easy to open.

                              FYI, I dont have a '53 around here, so I am going on memory from about
                              15 years ago when I was around one with the hood open.

                              Tom
                              '63 Avanti R1, '03 Mustang Cobra 13" front disc/98 GT rear brakes, 03 Cobra 17" wheels, GM alt, 97 Z28 leather seats, TKO 5-spd, Ported heads w/SST full flow valves.
                              Check out my disc brake adapters to install 1994-2004 Mustang disc brakes on your Studebaker!!
                              http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...bracket-update
                              I have also written many TECH how to articles, do a search for my Forum name to find them

                              Comment

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