Another great barn find-- Rare! Opinions please?

[SN-60]

At the 2002 SB meet this 56 J had this quad setup installed, with the owner claiming these were an original air cleaner setup.
Maybe on a Packard Caribbean, but I think your setup is more plausible, they seem to be the same air cleaners as used on 56-57 Corvettes.
Beautiful car and looks great in that colour, I don't think it needs two-toning in white. Great find!

Great Photo Brian!!....Hopefully, this powerful engine isn't backed up by an Ultramatic!!

[PackardV8]

That's a fabulous find of my all-time favorite Stude; a '56J with overdrive.

At the 2002 SB meet this 56 J had this quad setup installed, with the owner claiming these were an original air cleaner setup.
Maybe on a Packard Caribbean, but I think your setup is more plausible, they seem to be the same air cleaners as used on 56-57 Corvettes.

Not original for the Caribbean, either. Here's a Caribbean setup installed backward on my '55 E12 pickup


As there were no factory-installed '56J with 2x4 setups, there were no original air filters. However, it would be natural for Studebaker Engineering to have considered using two of the single carb filters. And yes the Corvette 2x4 air filters work well on '56Js.

If the engine is good I see no reason to go to a 374. Neither engine is a hot dog but they are respectable in performance

Your opinions and results are valid in light of how fast BrandX cars later became, but in the Studebaker pantheon of performance, there is none hotter or more pleasant to drive. Compared to anything of its era, the 374" Caribbean in a '56 J is a rocket ship; magazine road tests found even the stock '56J faster and quicker than the Corvette, Thunderbird or Chrysler 300.

jack vines

[StudeRich]

Great find Kenny, I just would re-think that "Black" Color change, not a good combo with the Turquoise Green, which clearly matches/goes well with the clearly Green Interior.

[jbwhttail]

You need to send the serial number and body number to Frank Ambrogio for a build sheet on this car, as far as I know no Seafoam and white cars were built. the interior is correct for a Seafoam/Glenbrook green. Also as mentioned the dual carbs were not an option but "may have" been installed by a dealer. As far as the dual air cleaner...... those were manufactured to a drawing of what one would look like should they be an option. If dual carbs were not an option on the Hawk neither was the air cleaner.

Your car do with it as you like but............... I would look at what it qas originally before I changed it.

[studeclunker]

Well Kenny, congrats on yet another wonderful find. as the usual caveat goes, you car, your money. That said, I would seriously consider VERY carefully any modification of this car. It just might be already heavily modified, then again knowing Studebaker as we all do, it very well could be factory. If so, it might be a better investment on such an unusual car to just repair and restore without any modification (or very minimal anyway).

Wonderful find, congratulations!

[Studerick64]

I would keep the engine as is as long as the oil pump is up to the job. Isky made a cam and lifter set for these engines. Ask Jack Vines as he is the expert. Upgrade the brakes, heavier front and rear sway bars and drive it hard.

[SN-60]

If you intend to drive this '56GH a bit, a Jack Vines Oldsmobile oil pump conversion kit would be 'just what the doctor ordered'!

[hausdok]

It cleaned up very very nicely. I'd leave it alone. It's a survivor. Today, it seems like survivors are commanding more money at auctions than restored or modifieds. I'd clean the interior, have an upholsterer replace any torn seat panels, damaged door panels and carpets; same with the trunk; but keep as much of the original as I was able to with careful cleaning and polishing. Remove the front fenders, cut out the rust, weld in new metal, lead, sand, prime and paint to match and reinstall. I'd leave the original rims and covers and replace the old rubber with some new classic tires - classic radials if I wanted to drive it a lot or just classic bias-ply if I wasn't planning to drive it a lot.

Think about having a dry-ice blasting company clean the engine compartment and under the car for you maybe even the trunk, seats and headliner. There's a firm in Seattle in Freemont Area. Dry ice blasting can remove years of aging and dirt without harming the finish or the underlying car the way that sand blasting does.

We should talk. I believe I'm supposed to be picking up a car from you in a couple of weeks. Shoot me a PM.

[drrotor]

Here is an original factory photo taken in 1956 of the prototype as Studebaker was preparing this as a factory option. It was to include Dual points distributor, special camshaft and solid lifters, and the dual carbs as you see them here. All the Studebaker part numbers were outlined at the time as it was being readied for production. Why they didn't end up producing it, I do not know as the engineering of it was apparently completed. As you can see, the air filters were the same as they appear on my car.
I have the build sheet, and Seafoam and White was the original color combination. I appreciate the sentiments of keeping it all original, but alas it's already not-- it had a fairly poor quality paint job done to it many years ago, and was painted all one color at that time.
As far as my choice of Black and Seafoam, that was a factory paint scheme offered on Golden Hawks in 1956, and a few were built that way. Having bought and sold many cars during my career, I've found that a beautifully presented car in beautiful colors sells every bit as well as a "correct" car in almost every case. I think those who complain the the color isn't original are usually just looking for an angle to talk the price down when there isn't anything else wrong with the car to use as a bargaining point. Surely many of you must have seen the Metallic Black-Cherry colored '58 Golden Hawk on the internet? Positively not original, positively Beautiful.
This car is a bit like the long lasting discussion about which R3 Avanti's are the "real" ones... Was this built by Studebaker? Yes. Were the dual quads factory installed? I don't think so, although they are exactly like the factory photo. Were they Dealer-installed? It appears they were because of how correct and complete it is. I see this car as rather like a "Yenko" Camaro-- they weren't built by Chevrolet, but by a Dealer. In any case, intake system aside, the car is equipped just as it was when it left the factory.
And about the wire wheels and tires: two of the highest auction prices ever paid for a Golden Hawk were both cars that were sold with Wire wheels. But more importantly== I like 'em!! And they are easily removed if desired.
I love the discussion and the comments! Keep 'em coming! This is how we learn.

[SN-60]

Never seen that photo before....Not only do you have an interesting car there, you also have interesting photos!!

[SN-60]

I'm thinking that although this dual quad conversion was PROBABLY (?) done at a Stude dealership, it was done with (at the time) brand new parts. (not simply pirated off of a Caribbean)

This conversion may be as close to what a 'factory' '56J dual quad option would have looked like as any of us are ever going to see!

Once again, this Hawk is the most interesting Stude that has been discussed on this forum in a LONG time! (IMHO)

[TWChamp]

I'd like to see the car in green and white.
I like to keep original paint colors, but more important green is my favorite color.
It sure cleaned up nice from the dusty barn find.

[JoeHall]

On this car's original paint, looking at the 56J Only site, I do not see, "seafoam" green listed at all. But "seaside" green is listed, including with the white combo. Looks like there were 15 at SB, and 7 at LA that were painted seaside green & snowcap white. There were 5 midnight black & seaside green 56Js from SB, and zero from LA.

As for the dual carbs, I knew a guy from the Midwest who owned a beautiful 56J with that setup. He was on the SDC circuit for several years, and always lost points when judged, due to the carbs not being, "factory correct". Last time I saw him and his car was at the SDC meet in SB about 10 years ago; he said he was tired of arguing with the judges, and just going to display it from then on. I have not seen him nor the car since. The, "Jet Streak" option got as far as planning, but unfortunately was never released by the factory. It certainly appears they, "belong" on this car, and every other 56J I have seen them on.

[drrotor]

You are correct-- I intended to say "Seaside Green" and I believe you are correct in the production numbers as well...

[packardHawk58]

Kenny, just curious you have a 64 Daytona R2 listed in your collection , is it a hardtop?
Ironically I will probably be meeting you in three weeks since I will be riding with Mike to pickup that 63 Daytona Convertible that we are hauling to the SB meet for the new owner.