'56 Sky Hawk

[bezhawk]

It would be kind of a waste....But this engine should probably be on display in a marine museum.

Or they could put that beast into a Hawk again.....this time also put a blower on it, and REALLY CONFUSE folks!
Besides there is only 35 lbs difference.....put the battery in the trunk and you have more than offset the weight difference.

[SN-60]

Or they could put that beast into a Hawk again.....this time also put a blower on it, and REALLY CONFUSE folks!
Besides there is only 35 lbs difference.....put the battery in the trunk and you have more than offset the weight difference.

The battery in the trunk idea is a sound one.....esp on a '63 Avanti with that 'farm implement' 3EEE battery.

[jnfweber]

I've always added my own, personal tweeks to any car I've ever owned, so putting a Packard into a Sky Hawk, and restoring the rest of the car to Bone Stock original is probably the way I'll go. It will simply be a Sky Hawk with a Packard engine...but it will STILL be a Sky Hawk. Ricky Nelson had a line in his song "Garden Party"..."You can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself". Some people will think it's a sacrilege...some won't. Me?...I'll drive the wheels off of it...

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Keep the Sky Hawk as it was intended, you want Packard power there is plenty of them available. We are fast aproaching when number matching cars are the preferred standard. Do as you wish, you own it, but the return(and we all want a return) will reflect the changes.

I will stick with my 289 which has an unstamped factory short block with 18,500 miles which I installed with the original heads and newly ground valves in 1976. I had pulled and overhauled (ground valves, honed cylinders, replaced inserts) the original engine in 1967 and used it as a daily driver, but the 289 had become old and weak. I saved the original block until I had to move everything to CA in 1982, but after hauling everything including a second complete 289 engine and all my medical school books and journals over the Marias Pass in a U-Haul behind the Sky Hawk, I decided to leave the trailer contents in the Kalispell, Montana land fill, and went trailerless to California for the second time. Probably a bad decision, but I can always have the block stamped with the correct and matching numbers, if it makes any difference.

Question: Will the Packard engine bolt onto the Studebaker automatic transmission without modifications? I believe someone mentioned this earlier in this thread. This brings me to another problem: SDC Forum can't always be reached using Google Chrome on Windows 7, as recommended by our webmaster. Also, the "Manage Attachments" utility also can't always be reached with Google Chrome, and SDC Forum is not completely compatible with Internet Explorer 8 through 11. I have entered the following two thumbnails directly from Photobucket using IE 10 browser.

[StudeRich]

She's still in great shape Jack, just like I remember her at all those Orange Empire Chapter outings in So Cal.

I always had a "thing" for those Sky Hawks ever since they were New, Dad bought a New Power Hawk with the Power Kit and we had a lot of fun in that car, but a High School friend of mine's Dad got a used White Sky Hawk in about 1958 or '59 so he was drooling over Golden Hawks, but not me I liked their Sky Hawk!

An Aircraft Engineer had owned their Sky Hawk and he had added a little personal touch to the Decklid. It had about three or four different length Aluminum strips across it with the Shield and Crest and lettering removed from the Lock. I always wondered what became of it.

As always I can't resist giving my personal opinion of how I would like to see certain models, so my choice for that Car would be the Air Force Blue Metallic with the Snowcap White trim, I think the solid Gray needs a bit more Color and the Two Tone really makes these Cars Pop.

But I like you, would have to seriously think hard about changing it's original color, even though the Interior could stay the same.
I guess it's a matter of, do you care how much money your Kids get for it when you are gone, or do you prefer to enjoy it to the MAX while you are here?

It probably does not matter much to you however, or you would not have kept it stock all these years, if I remember correctly you did have it painted once and it's still solid Gray.

I have the solution to all the issues with Windows 8 and Google Chrome, use Windows 7 and Internet Explorer or Firefox, no problems on Websites.

I run as fast as I can from BOTH of those!

[brngarage]

I have a Sky Hawk (overdrive, California car) for sale. Please check it out on Studebakerswap.com. Thanks.

[jnfweber]

As always I can't resist giving my personal opinion of how I would like to see certain models, so my choice for that Car would be the Air Force Blue Metallic with the Snowcap White trim, I think the solid Gray needs a bit more Color and the Two Tone really makes these Cars Pop.

But like you, I would have to seriously think hard about changing it's original color, even though the Interior could stay the same.
I guess it's a matter of, do you care how much money your Kids get for it when you are gone, or do you prefer to enjoy it to the MAX while you are here? It probably does not matter much to you however, or you would not have kept it stock all these years, if I remember correctly you did have it painted once and it's still solid Gray.

I have the solution to all the issues with Windows 8 and Google Chrome, use Windows 7 and Internet Explorer or Firefox, no problems on Websites. I run as fast as I can from BOTH of those!

The Sky Hawk is due for it's 3rd repaint. Interior has to stay the same. Original colors were Cambridge Gray and Skybreak Blue, with top and bottom in blue. I am thinking of returning to the original scheme, or maybe substitute Arctic White for the blue. That would look better with the FINE black interior, although it is not entirely correct, as the original was blue/white with checked mylar inserts. Here is a pure Cambridge Gray '56 Golden Hawk with red (real) leather [special order factory] interior. Plus the historical photos of the Sky Hawk, minus the original factory colors.

[SN-60]

Good luck with Your Sky Hawk!....PS...The custom red leather interior in the solid Cambridge Gray '56 Golden was done 'after the fact' by the obliging Studebaker dealer. That interior, although beautiful, was never offered by Studebaker for any of its 1956 Hawk line.

[53 Stewed Baker]

I also have a 56 Skyhawk for sell listed on stude swap page and Dallas Craigslist if anyone interested.

[SN-60]

They will always be a rarity, but more and more '56 Sky Hawks do seem to be turning up!

[LStratton]

Here is a photo of a sky hawk I bought in 1961 and sold to Steve Schmacker in 1992. I have been trying to locate it for the last 8 years but no luck. Not a very good photo but is the only one I could find for now.

[SN-60]

Here is a photo of a sky hawk I bought in 1961 and sold to Steve Schmacker in 1992. I have been trying to locate it for the last 8 years but no luck. Not a very good photo but is the only one I could find for now.

Hope You someday locate it! Good shot of the cowl area in Your picture...I always thought that Studebaker's eliminating belt mouldings for the '56 Hawk line was a smart move......wonder why they brought them back in '57?

[j.byrd]

I'm with the group that loves the Sky Hawk style ! ( although I would probably pass out if I had to make a decision on whether to take a 56 Golden or a Sky in a "only one please" contest ) Here is a picture of one we had for several years....loved that car !

[SN-60]

I'm with the group that loves the Sky Hawk style ! ( although I would probably pass out if I had to make a decision on whether to take a 56 Golden or a Sky in a "only one please" contest ) Here is a picture of one we had for several years....loved that car !

Beautiful car,....And the 'decision' would be an easy one.........Sky Hawk wins on looks AND dependibility!

[SN-60]

Years ago I owned an early production Sky Hawk that was equipped with a 'first gear start in Drive' Flightomatic....NICE!....What a mistake Studebaker made when they changed to a 'second gear start in Drive' auto transmission from mid '56 to the end of production. Really hard to believe that they even set the Avanti transmission up that way!