Newbie Got My First Studebaker!

[Dougie]

I picked up my 1962 Lark on Sunday. I want to attach pictures but can"t figure out how. My plans are for a Chevy V8 swap, and I'm going to leave the paint the way it is. I love the patina. It'll take a while, but I think I have a good solid base to start with. Car has manual steering and brakes, 6 cyl and automatic and that's it. It has one old repaint. But no rust. Couple questions from a newbie:

I found a little tag in the glove box. It looks like it was torn from a perforation on both the top and bottom and has two little holes on the side. It matches my serial number. Is this some sort of build code tag?

Also car has what appears to be an original Studebaker AM radio. It doesn't work, but then again there's no antenna or hole in the fender. Maybe someone added the radio and never got it finished? In any event, was there a factory radio block off plate that I can get? I only want to listen to V8 sounds!

Is anyone interested in the original engine and trans? The engine runs great, no smoke and the trans shifts smooth. I probably won't pull the engine till the fall, but if someone wanted it and wanted to drive it, now would be a good time.

Also, the spring shackle on the driver side is longer than on the right. Was that to fix a weak spring?

One other thing. It has no side mirrors on either driver or passenger side. Were side mirrors optional?

Sorry for all the questions, but it's all new to me. Thanks for any comments and I'm excited to be a part of the Studebaker community.

[Dougie]

Pictures

I figured out how to add pictures. here they are.

[Da Tinman]

heres an idea, put a Studebaker v8 in it, they fit real nice and damn near a bolt in.

[Chris_Dresbach]

I agree with Jay. Drop in a Studebaker V8. It would keep the car correct, they fit better, and parts aren't that expensive. I would give it either a 259 or a 289.

Studebaker did offer radio block off plates.

Mirrors were optional.

[Nelsen Motorsports]

Very clean car indeed. Good luck with your project whether you put in a Stude or Chevy V8.

[Dougie]

I'm open to anything. I was going to go with a Chevy V8 due to cost and avaliability plus the ability to bolt in with later frame mounts. I definitely want a stick shift. How hard is it to find a Studebaker 289 and 4 speed and what could I expect to spend? Thanks.

[jclary]

Welcome to the Studebaker Family!

Take your time! Don't try to go too fast or you might end up with something "Half-Fast!" (say that three times real fast and you'll get it.) Participate in some of your local chapter events and get to know some of the members and learn as much as you can about your ride. If you decide to go the "custom" route, develop a "tough skin" and do it your way. It is your car, your money, and you are entitled to "your way." Good luck with it.

[Alan]

That is one sweet Lark. Put a CD player in place of the radio. That way you have a clock and what ever tunes you want without all the static. I would put in a SBC & 5 speed. There will be a few stumbling blocks along the way. Like finding a set of swinging pedals with a clutch. But you will be money ahead in the long run.

[COMMANDERPINK1]

Alan, whats so hard about finding swinging brake and clutch pedals? I probably have a dozen of them with the mounting bracket to firewall and dash. If I remember right 62s are swinging or hanging.

Tom

[Chris_Dresbach]

Stude V8s aren't too hard to find if you know where to look. In the long run, you can put toghether a Stude for the cost it would take for a Chevy, so I just like to leave them Studes. I would start by looking around in junkyards and ebay, or find a good parts car.

[doug]

It appears that you have a nice starting point for what ever you do. Good luck with the car. By all means, get in touch with a local S.D.C. chapter.

[Dougie]

Thanks for the responses. Another question.

Did Larks all have bright trim around the front and rear windshield? Mine doesn't have it, but all the others I've seen do. It looks to have slit in the rubber as if one could fit in, but it's not there. I like it without the trim, it looks a little more pedestrian if you know what I mean.

[JRoberts]

What a nice looking Lark. I love the plain Jane look. I would second three things that have already been said. First, it is your car do it your way, but only after considering all options. Second, I wouldn't jump into major changes. Drive it like it is for a while. Finally I urge you to join both the SDC and then your local chapter (you have to join the SDC International in order join any local chapter.) Lots of information among SDC members and it is nice to be able to drive your car to places that other Studebakers and their owners gather.

Enjoy that Lark!

[ozarkman]

That's an awsome looking car to start out with! Good luck.

[JWW]

Take your time! Don't try to go too fast or you might end up with something "Half-Fast!" (say that three times real fast and you'll get it.) Participate in some of your local chapter events and get to know some of the members and learn as much as you can about your ride. If you decide to go the "custom" route, develop a "tough skin" and do it your way. It is your car, your money, and you are entitled to "your way." Good luck with it.

Dougie,

I added the red for emphasis as it is good advice. Take your time. You have a great Lark there. Mine is identically equipped (6 cyl, AT, no radio.) It is the typical little old lady story. After she bought it she apparently became ill and eventually died. The car was sold from her estate to a man who bought it for resale hoping to make a few bucks. He sold the car to a man with a teenaged son thinking that joining a car club would be a good family activity. Unfortunately a Studebaker so equipped was not what his son had in mind. They traded the car to a local used car dealer for either a Camero or Mustang, I'm not sure which.

In 1985 I acquired the Stude with 8,200 documented miles on it, still wearing its original Firestone Deluxe Champion tires with a spare in the trunk that had never been on the ground. I still have it and it is one of my favorites because it is comfortable, doesn't leak when it rains, and despite non-power brakes and steering, is easy to drive.

I have driven it everywhere to shows, cruises, local SDC Chapter meets, and to Zone Meets & International Meets. It has been driven on the old Studebaker test track in SB, and logged some laps on the Indianapolis 500 Race Track. I couldn't have had more fun with it! The paint is original and has some bumps and bruises, but they're only original once. It's cloth & vinyl interior is nearly perfect. It's not the fastest Stude I own, but it keeps up with traffic fine. It's a driver! The longest trip was from Pittsburgh PA to Minneapolis MN in 1994 to the International Meet.

Try to formulate a plan for what you want to do with your Lark. Consider all the possibilities and take your time to enjoy it now just as you found it. Make sure it's safe; IIRC there is some good advice on this Forum for the new owner that you'll find with a search. Join SDC if you haven't as you'll find a big world of Stude-lovers there.
Good luck and Welcome.
John Wherry