'56J on e-bay

[PackardV8]

Yes, if that one had been built with a black/white interior and a 3-speed overdrive, I'd be bidding early and often.

Agree, the seller presents himself as the expert seller of classic cars and misrepresents the paint as original.

Question - how many all-black '56Js were sold?

jack vines

[Swiss-Goldenhawk]

Question - how many all-black '56Js were sold?

jack vines

239 cars produced with single-color Midnight Black?

[studegary]

239 cars produced with single-color Midnight Black?

Way back when, I remember changing a clutch in an all black 56J (with OD, of course). The car previously won a lot of east coast drag races and was written up. It later became land fill.

[SN-60]

The 1956 Golden Hawk doesn't bring the big dollars because seems like everything on the web and in print about them is negative.

Those of us who love them thank those of you who knock them. It keeps them more affordable for us.

jack vines

I disagree with this comment. I believe that this fine 1956 Golden Hawk show car would be an asset to anyones car collection!

Any mechanical issues it may have had were no doubt corrected long ago.

This vehicle 'Stands Tall', and should command a very healthy sale price. SN-60

[Swifster]

Eddie, you change your tune to suit your tastes. In the wagon thread you did everything but called the Packard engine and transmission in this Golden Hawk a piece of junk. With the 1st comment below, how does anyone take you seriously. The other comments are from the wagon thread...

I disagree with this comment. I believe that this fine 1956 Golden Hawk show car would be an asset to anyones car collection!

Any mechanical issues it may have had were no doubt corrected long ago.

This vehicle 'Stands Tall', and should command a very healthy sale price. SN-60

...then there's the extra weight! Anything can be done, but in a case like this...it really would be a step backwards...BIG TIME. And don't forget to modify Your Packard engine's oiling system with the adaption of an Oldsmobile oil pump so once the engine IS installed it will be able to actually run for a while without the hydraulic valve lifters collapsing. Today, Packard V8 engines are basically nostalgic 'money pits', simply because they were never fully developed before they were put into production. If SP had more time and money back then....................?

But, before You add the (non-existant) speed parts, better straighten out the oiling system and the valve train!

This has been discussed in other threads. Packard's own automatic transmission (the Twin-Ultramatic) has proven over the years to be very troublesome, so the Chevy TH400 and also the Chrysler Torqueflite can be installed behind the Packard V8 engine by using aftermarket adapters.

[SN-60]

Eddie, you change your tune to suit your tastes. In the wagon thread you did everything but called the Packard engine and transmission in this Golden Hawk a piece of junk. With the 1st comment below, how does anyone take you seriously. The other comments are from the wagon thread...

Swifster, Once again You're confusing a vehicle that is obviously a beautiful show car, which will be enjoyed on weekends, auto events etc., with a 'REAL WORLD' driver. (i.e. a practical everyday car)
I really don't know what else to say....Problems with the '55-'56 Packard V8 engine and the 'improved' Packard Twin-Ultramatic transmission are significant and very well known....but this particular Golden Hawk is now, and I assume forever will be, a seldom driven show car...so in effect, who really cares if the car is 'nose heavy' compared to the other Hawks? Or if it's automatic transmission would probably not hold up as well as a Flightomatic in everyday service? Or if it's hydraulic valve lifters 'act up' once in a while? IT'S A GORGEOUS SHOW CAR!!!...Say Goodnight Gracie!

[StudeDave57]

Whoever the seller is- he doesn't get out too much!!!
When I was stationed in Jacksonville, Florida (the last time- '99 to '02) there were TWO solid black '56 Golden Hawks in my Chapter alone!!! They were easy to tell apart- one had a 'Continential' kit, the other was an overdrive car...



StudeDave '57

[mbstude]

Whoever the seller is- he doesn't get out too much!!!
When I was stationed in Jacksonville, Florida (the last time- '99 to '02) there were TWO solid black '56 Golden Hawks in my Chapter alone!!! They were easy to tell apart- one had a 'Continential' kit, the other was an overdrive car...



StudeDave '57

Bob Edwards in JAX still has his black one with the spare tire on the back.

Curtis French here in Tallahassee also has a solid black one with overdrive. I think his is mostly original paint.

Florida must be where it's at for monotone black 56J's.

[StudeDave57]

Bob Edwards in JAX still has his black one with the spare tire on the back.

Curtis French here in Tallahassee also has a solid black one with overdrive. I think his is mostly original paint.

The black OD car I was thinking of is (was) owned by Roy H. As you may know- way back in the day he used to race Studebakers at Jax RaceWay. Not to mention, besides his many nice Studes, he also has some very fancy OLD Packards...
(and now that I think about it- Bob's may have been an OD car as well, no?



StudeDave '57

[SN-60]

Swifster, Once again You're confusing a vehicle that is obviously a beautiful show car, which will be enjoyed on weekends, auto events etc., with a 'REAL WORLD' driver. (i.e. a practical everyday car)
I really don't know what else to say....Problems with the '55-'56 Packard V8 engine and the 'improved' Packard Twin-Ultramatic transmission are significant and very well known....but this particular Golden Hawk is now, and I assume forever will be, a seldom driven show car...so in effect, who really cares if the car is 'nose heavy' compared to the other Hawks? Or if it's automatic transmission would probably not hold up as well as a Flightomatic in everyday service? Or if it's hydraulic valve lifters 'act up' once in a while? IT'S A GORGEOUS SHOW CAR!!!...Say Goodnight Gracie!

Worthy bump!!

[Swifster]

This is a gorgeous car. There is no doubt about that. But every car Studebaker has built started as a 'REAL WORLD' driver. Every Golden Hawk was sold at a Studebaker dealer and driven home. Every Packard was sold and driven home. And even show cars have items that fail. Modern technology and materials can make once problematic cars as reliable as a swiss watch. If I put a Packard engine in a Studebaker with a Chevy 4L60E transmission, the car will be fine. I didn't put words in your mouth. I quoted exactly as written. You said Packard engines are less than reliable. You said the transmissions are problematic. This car has 36,000 miles on it with the appearance that neither has been touched. Could it be this car has just been maintained? Again, you flip flop to suit your needs.

And quit PM'ing me. I'm not going to bother to read them.

[jimmijim8]

My most favoritist Stude If it were to become mine I would attempt to have it spiffed up mechanically by those that are in the know and therefore know the drill. I wanna a big block Packard. cheers jimmijim

The 1956 Golden Hawk doesn't bring the big dollars because seems like everything on the web and in print about them is negative.

Those of us who love them thank those of you who knock them. It keeps them more affordable for us.

jack vines

[Packard8]

My most favoritist Stude If it were to become mine I would attempt to have it spiffed up mechanically by those that are in the know and therefore know the drill. I wanna a big block Packard. cheers jimmijim

Doesn't take much, and Jack V can point you in the right direction. The first Packard V8's (1955 320 & 352 cid) had an inherent design flaw...a vacuum pump piggybacked onto the oil pump. This allowed the base of the pump to flex, letting air in and causing foaming of the oil which in turn caused low oil to the lifters. This usually occurred after long high speed drives and manifested at idle after a long run. S-P engineers were soon aware of the issue and took corrective action, including a mod to the oil pump overpressure relief tube, stamped steel baffles around the valve springs and a modified cam spacer that directed higher pressure and volume to the lifters. By 1956 these conditions were corrected and many late 55 and 1956 Packards went 100K+ miles without a hiccup. The 352 Packard in the 56J used a different oil pump without the vacuum pump and seldom had a problem.

I'm surprised that the engines still get a "bad rap" nearly 60 years later, as the issues were recognized and corrected early on. Decades ago, the Packards International Club offered reworked upgraded oil pumps and today Jack Vines and others offer adapter kits to use a new GM high volume pump.

If you want to get real world, hands on knowledge on these engines, check out the V8 forum at www.packardinfo.com . Jack posts over there as well as many other helpful folks who can give you current info, not retreaded myths.

Hope you get that big block Packard in whatever car you choose...much more unique than the "me too" SBC's I see at car shows!

[jimmijim8]

My eyes/brain are sorta trained to not even react negatively or positively at such things as a sbc. cheers jimmijim no offense. I wouldn't even have a sbc if I had a chebbie.

[SN-60]

This is a gorgeous car. There is no doubt about that. But every car Studebaker has built started as a 'REAL WORLD' driver. Every Golden Hawk was sold at a Studebaker dealer and driven home. Every Packard was sold and driven home. And even show cars have items that fail. Modern technology and materials can make once problematic cars as reliable as a swiss watch. If I put a Packard engine in a Studebaker with a Chevy 4L60E transmission, the car will be fine. I didn't put words in your mouth. I quoted exactly as written. You said Packard engines are less than reliable. You said the transmissions are problematic. This car has 36,000 miles on it with the appearance that neither has been touched. Could it be this car has just been maintained? Again, you flip flop to suit your needs.

And quit PM'ing me. I'm not going to bother to read them.

Swifster My boy,...I PM'd You because I did not want to embarass You. You have obviously never owned a car with a Packard V8 in it....Take old SN-60's advice...LISTEN TO THE MAN THAT OWNED ONE!!..................... End Of Story (PLEASE)!!