Actual argument, "It's not a Ford 289"

[Chris Pile]

Bob, I am not against engine swaps but but a Ford 289 in a Hawk, that is criminal.

I completely disagree - a Bowtie motor is criminal because so many people think it's the ONLY solution because bowtie motors are so cheap. It takes no guts, no imagination, and very little work to install a Chevy motor under the hood (especially a 350). A Chevy would be THE LAST motor I'd consider for a Studebaker. The only reason I didn't replace the one in my '66 Wagonaire was because it was original and it wasn't done for a stupid reason.

[Noxnabaker]

I agree (as I guess you would've guessed) fully Chris, the best American small block V8 is Studebaker & the second best is not(!) any of GM...

[Mark L]

I put together a PowerPoint presentation with slides, text, and photographs that show the history and differences of the two engines. I offered to make it available on the Technical Tips pages, but no one took me up on the offer.

[DEEPNHOCK]

Sigh....
Having spent almost my entire career in the OE and aftermarket parts business, I can tell you that the OE's source parts manufacturer (vendors) to complete their finished product offerings. Studebaker was no different. And to add, Studebaker often sought out the lowest bid offering, as long as it got the finished product through the warranty period. brakes, power steering, switches, gauges, yada yada yada... So cross pollenization is not only common, it is inevitable.

[enjenjo]

I agree with Jeff. Outside of the engine castings Studebaker made very few of their own mechanical parts. Body and chassis yes but most mechanical parts came from vendors.

[64Avanti]

I completely disagree - a Bowtie motor is criminal because so many people think it's the ONLY solution because bowtie motors are so cheap. It takes no guts, no imagination, and very little work to install a Chevy motor under the hood (especially a 350). A Chevy would be THE LAST motor I'd consider for a Studebaker. The only reason I didn't replace the one in my '66 Wagonaire was because it was original and it wasn't done for a stupid reason.

Well I wasn't implying that I would install a 350 Chevy in preference to a 289 Ford. Actually I installed a 425 Olds in a 63 Hawk. That was a lot more work than installing a SBC engine. I had to design motor and transmission mounts to work with that.

[8E45E]

Studebaker is not the only car manufacturer that many confuse with Ford's 289. There are other cars that get a mistaken assumption for a wrong engine because the displacement happens to be the same cubic inches. AMC had a 327 before Chevrolet, Mercury had a 383 before Chrysler, and Cadillac had a 429 before Ford, but almost everyone immediately thinks of the Chevrolet 327, Mopar 383 and Ford's 429 engines first when displacement is mentioned.

Craig

[Crider]

And don't forget Mopar had a 350 long before Chevy did

[Skip Lackie]

Packard had a straight 8 with 327 cubes.

[STEWDI]

And Studebaker had a 289 - before the 289 we here seem to be talking about! The Special 6 from the late teens to mid '20s was also a 289 (but it was a straight 6).

[bensherb]

I completely disagree - a Bowtie motor is criminal because so many people think it's the ONLY solution because bowtie motors are so cheap. It takes no guts, no imagination, and very little work to install a Chevy motor under the hood (especially a 350). A Chevy would be THE LAST motor I'd consider for a Studebaker. The only reason I didn't replace the one in my '66 Wagonaire was because it was original and it wasn't done for a stupid reason.

You are correct , "I didn't replace the one in my '66 Wagonaire was because it was original and it wasn't done for a stupid reason". Correct, it was not; it was done for exactly the reasons you mentioned above; "because bowtie motors are so cheap and very little work to install". Add to that, you can get anything you can dream of for one at less than half the cost of any other engine.

[Noxnabaker]

As some here know I put a s.b. MoPar in my -55 sedan, oilpan (or complete engine) from a van or pickup made only one thing tricky; the starter motor being on driver side, but that was easily fixed by filing the splines on the arm going from the steering box & shorten the rod that goes forward from the re-filed arm, & even the distance & shape of the "ears" on the block is the same on MoPar engines, even an old Hemi.
& yep; MoPar small block V8 is the second best built small block American made after Studebaker.
Just saying...

[BobWaitz]

People can swap in a Chevy V8 all they want, just don't open the hood. At BTT50's I love looking at the hot rods where the engine is on display like in a T-bucket, but I only spend time staring at the ones with interesting engines. There's a real nice one with a Nail-Head that shows up every year. One guy even has a Harley engine in one -- not my thing but it sure draws a crowd. I've love to see one with a Wankel out of a Mazda. The rat-rod parked next to us last time with a giant diesel was a bit much though!

BTW if you haven't made it to Back to the 50's, you are really missing out.

[Hawklover]

IMHO, a Buick "nail-head" engine is the best engine to swap into a 53-54 Loewy coupe

[roadster dave]

Have you ever noticed that x perts usually have family or friends around and try to impress rather than learn? Had a guy try to tell every body that my R-2 G.T. had a Buick "motor" because of the chrome valve covers. Did not argue cause he looked dumb and dangerous.

[8E45E]

Skip Lackie commented
Today, 05:36 AM
Packard had a straight 8 with 327 cubes.

And so did Minneapolis-Moline with a 283.

Craig

[enjenjo]

A 6-71 Detroit Diesel is 426 ci.