Studebaker Myths and Misconceptions

[Dick Steinkamp]

Except it was a 4 door and it was green

...and a Rambler.

[Dick Steinkamp]

Studebaker made all their cars and trucks in South Bend. (actually LA and Hamilton also for the domestic market plus assembled cars and trucks all over the world)

[PackardV8]

1. You can't get parts for 'em anymore.

2. There's a place in South Bend still has every part for every Studebaker. Just call 'em.

jack vines

[63 R2 Hawk]

ALL Silver Hawks were silver. Any Hawk painted silver is a Silver Hawk. People tell me that every time they see my silver GT Hawk. Also, Packard bought out Studebaker, not the other way around. Studebaker (add any car mfgr here) mistakenly sold a car with a prototype carburetor that got over 50 mpg but the buyer was threatened with bodily harm unless he returned the car and promised to be quiet. Studebakers used American Motors engines. A '63/'64 R2 Hawk or Lark would beat any '63/'64 Corvette hands down... (this one might actually be true though).

[Dick Steinkamp]

I've heard just about every Studebaker with a C or K body called a "Golden Hawk". (actually, Golden Hawks were only K bodies and only made from 56-58)

[kmac530]

My 2 have biggest ones have been that the 289 is a furd and that Studebaker got bought up by AMC.

Stop fooling yourselves that your McKinnon V8s are not GMs....Hate if you want to, but your '65/66 Canadian Studes are CHEVY powered....get over it.

[2moredoors]

This is a great myth, but unlike the others, it is one WE started :
The myth WE started was that "McKinnon" 283's were special. Forged cranks (actually, all 283's had forged cranks), heavy duty bearings, higher nickel content in the blocks, beafier rods, valve rotaters, etc. etc.

I don't think we could live with the fact that our Studebakers had run of the mill Chevy engines...so we MADE them special and called them Mckinnons.
)

I have been told by employees who worked at the GM/McKinnon plant they put aside only the really good castings for Studebaker engines. I can really see that happening, they stopped painting the valve covers yellow because it was too much trouble.

[Gunslinger]

In fact, there are some indications that many of the 283's installed in Studebakers came from the Tonawanda plant (maybe Stu has info on this?). The 283's installed in Studebakers did not have the plant ID stamped in the block like those installed in GM cars and trucks...only the sequential serial number...so it is impossible to tell now.

That's believable...Studebaker may have contracted to have GM engines, but if there were a shortage of components at St. Catharines for any reason, they could easily have engines (or bare blocks) shipped in from another GM foundry to send to Hamilton to comply with their contracted obligation. I doubt if the Studebaker folks at Hamilton would even be aware of that as long as it was the proper engine as contracted for.

Whether that actually happened or not is conjecture unless some documentation is found to prove or disprove it.

[karterfred88]

ALL Silver Hawks were silver. Any Hawk painted silver is a Silver Hawk. People tell me that every time they see my silver GT Hawk. Also, Packard bought out Studebaker, not the other way around. Studebaker (add any car mfgr here) mistakenly sold a car with a prototype carburetor that got over 50 mpg but the buyer was threatened with bodily harm unless he returned the car and promised to be quiet. Studebakers used American Motors engines. A '63/'64 R2 Hawk or Lark would beat any '63/'64 Corvette hands down... (this one might actually be true though).

The "beat a vette" part is partially correct. My 63 GT Hawk (289, 2barrel, 4 speed, 3.73 TT, manual steering, hill holder) used to beat a local 283 fuel injected vette all the time--on the street. Also kept up with my friend's 300C --to 80 MPH and beat my other buddy's 289 4 Barrel automatic Mustang. It actually was faster to 60 than my Dad's R2 Avanti automatic. But at the track, the wheel hop was so bad, you had to back off and usually lost because of it. Even added an additional main leaf in the springs and the best shocks I could get at the time and still couldn't control it.

[JBOYLE]

Avantis were made in Canada.
Avantis had steel bodies, only the replicas had fiberglass bodies.
The 289 is a Ford engine.

[candbstudebakers]

Ya all Avanti's were built in Canada? and is that a Italian car? the 49 bullet noses were a funny looking car could not tell if going forward or backwards.

[Roscomacaw]

Here in CA, I often hear a C or a K car referred to as a "Lowboy". I kinda-sorta think that might be a wurdifucation of "Lowey", but anyone who might use it is obviously ignorant of it's possible origin.

Another bit of lore is that most Studes came with flathead 6s. Can't tell you how many times someone will look at my Transtar and ask if it still has "that original flathead six" in it.

[scott.rodgers]

I was once told my 60 Lark VIII was a Volvo with a straight six - after I showed the guy it was a Studebaker with a V8.

[VAG88]

Dick,Have you,ever tried to install,a regular GM crankshaft in a McKinnon 283 block? I've,been told,by a fellow,who has,rebuilt a number of 283 McKinnon engines,that they will fit in,but will not rotate,due to crankshaft web intefernce with the block. Art Kendall

[JGK 940]

Studebaker bought out and ruined Packard (my personal fave in part because my 84-year-old Pop believes it to this day).