DAVES89 Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Back when I was about 10 years old I started taking an interest in cars. I thought my Grandpa's car was neat. He was a farmer so to him it was just utilitarian. Fast forward to about 6 months ago when I thought it would be neat to own a car like my Grandpa's so I bought a model car. If you squint your eyes real tight you can see the back window is somewhat like the Reattas. [Never thought I would tie it to a Reatta did you?] At any rate maybe that is why when I saw my first Reatta it sparked a "gotta have it" wish. And no I am never going to buy a Studebaker as I am not good enough with repairs to keep one afordable. Reattas are enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wally888 Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I bought one in (i think) 1951, was 1 st. V-8. Got a ticket for doing 105 mph in a construction zone! Location was about 30 miles east of Needles, CA. Me and the CHP were the only living things within 20 miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share Posted June 13, 2012 Good story. I am sure my Grandpa's car was a 6. He never drove fast as he was both older and having used machinery all his life probably didn't care about going fast. One thing I will always remember about him, was that he smoked cigars if he went for a drive, and that there was a "live" 22 shell in the ashtray. Never asked him about it as he was my Grandpa and probably just as smart as God [at least through my 10 year old eyes]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 You guys might find this interesting. I did.The History of the Studebaker Bullet Nose | Studebaker Car and Truck Pictures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Just for info, the Studebaker Starlite Coupe, which is the model that the rear windows wrapped around the rear of the roof to the sides, was built for model years 1947 to 1952. Only the 50-51 models had the bullet nose. Frankly, keeping an old Studebaker running would be simpler than a Reatta. Both are neat cars. Finding a Studebaker with zero rust issues would be somewhat difficult. Rust are their biggest problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Besides a Facel, I'd have a tough time turning down a Studillac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCReatta Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I've got first dibs on a Studemino here locally..(not actual car I'm looking at) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Corvanti Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 I've got first dibs on a Studemino here locally..i know a guy in the Charlotte area that has a purple one. is that it?in my "top 5" of cars in my "next car list" is a 51 Studebaker Starlight w/a V-8 and automatic. a "finned" Hawk, and another Avanti are also in the top 5...had to pass on a 50 Stude Land Cruiser a couple months ago due to medical/financial issues. same reason i'm doing "piddly" repairs to the reatta right now. :mad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCReatta Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 i know a guy in the Charlotte area that has a purple one. is that it?in my "top 5" of cars in my "next car list" is a 51 Studebaker Starlight w/a V-8 and automatic. a "finned" Hawk, and another Avanti are also in the top 5...had to pass on a 50 Stude Land Cruiser a couple months ago due to medical/financial issues. same reason i'm doing "piddly" repairs to the reatta right now. :mad:Jack White? Yessir! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Corvanti Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 he is one nice (cool) guy!!! talked to him and his wife, and saw the Studemino again at the "back to the beach" car show at ft. fisher the end of march. last year, we were all going to a "pre-car" show, and he'd come up beside me in my original '40 Stude and acted like he wanted to race good times!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCReatta Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 he is one nice (cool) guy!!! talked to him and his wife, and saw the Studemino again at the "back to the beach" car show at ft. fisher the end of march. last year, we were all going to a "pre-car" show, and he'd come up beside me in my original '40 Stude and acted like he wanted to race good times!!!My grandfather has known him for years! I've met him a couple times. Very nice guy. He also has a '89 Dodge Dakota convertible pickup truck that used to belong to my grandfather. Don't really have "formal" first dibs, but I showed interest in it and asked him to contact me or my grandfather if he ever decided to sell it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue90 Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Not a bullet nose, but still Studebaker. When I first moved to Portland in 1973 the first car I bought was a 1957 Silver Hawk. The guy in the local tire shop needed $ for child payments and I got it for $175. No spare. I drove it for a year w/o any problems. My girlfriend and I used to cruse downtown Broadway and I looked a lot like Frank Zappa.Ah! The good old days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue90 Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Wasn't there a movie with Donald Sutherland who, sitting in the stands at a demolition derby, sees a 1950 Sudebaker on the field, the only car he's never totaled, and commanders an ambulance to total the Stude? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max BURKE Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 G,day to allArnt the Muppets moving right along in a bullet nose student baker.As a first year mechanic apprentice in 1955 a brand new Champion regal came into our shop I thought it super good stuff.Seven years later it was mine.I ran it for about eight years and traded it on a Valiant for $200.Even then the Stude was sometimes mistaken for a new car. The dealer wanted to know if i had any more at home He made a nice profit. I made the electrics 8 volt which livened everything up.Last year on the Winter Wander there was a !951 in original RHD condition. There were no V8 Stude here until 1952.Max Burke Nulkaba Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 So last night I am driving to the big box lumber yard [Menards] to get the color read so I can do my redye of the redye [see other post] and what is coming my way? A Studebaker Silver Hawk... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Studebaker built some interesting cars in its lifetime. Even near the end when their money was almost gone, the fiberglass bodied high performance Avanti made its appearance as an 1963 model. The very nice looking GT Hawk was introduced the year before. The 1956 Golden Hawk was a true muscle car, very few vehicles could out run it. At least in a straight line. The car was equipped with a very heavy Packard V8, so the car handled very poorly. Later Golden Hawks were equipped with supercharged motors. Studebaker was the only American transportation company to successfully move from horse drawn vehicles to motor driven vehicles. If they were still in business, the company would be 160 years old. They celebrated their 100th anniversary with their 1952 line of cars. The last car rolled off their Canadian assembly line in March of 1966. The 65 and 66 cars were equipped with McKinnon Chevrolet engines. In December of 1964, all American production ended in South Bend, Indiana, hence the need for non Studebaker engines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 I always liked the lines of the Golden Hawk. Thought it very underated. Would need to be a four speed with a/c though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I always liked the lines of the Golden Hawk. Thought it very underated. Would need to be a four speed with a/c though.The Grand Turismo Hawk, 1962-64 could be had with A/C and four speed. They are very rare, but can be found. The 61 Hawk could also be equipped the four speed and air, but that is a rare "bird" indeed. The 61 Hawk, as all Hawks back to 59 were only available in two sedan form. The 62-64 are hardtops only. Just for information, the 56 model year had the most Hawk models than any other year. There was the Flight Hawk two door sedan with 185 CID six cylinder, Power Hawk two sedan with 259 CID V8, Sky Hawk two door hardtop with 259 CID V8, and the Golden Hawk with 352 CID Packard engine two door hardtop. The Golden Hawk with the only Hawk of 56 equipped with the fins. 18606 Hawks were built in 1956. Of that number, 4071 were Golden Hawks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dpannell Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Dave, Prior to getting in Reatta and Allante I owned a pristine 62' Hawk Gran Turismo TT. Was a 289 4 speed factory borg warner that turned heads at every sighting. The TT stood for "Twin Traction" which was posi-trac. The 289 was gear driven (no timing chain) and always purred like a kitten but barely breathed hard at high speeds.... Upon my purchase the car was considered rare enough (the factory borg and instrument set-up) that the chief editor of "The Studebaker Drivers Club" , Bob Palma, drove to my house to inspect it and gavve it great reviews....Howard was right that they suffered from rust.....especially around the "airbox" on the front fender.I sold the car to a gentleman from Florida who just happened to drive by while I was cleaning out the garage, spotted it, and "just had to have it"......and recently received a letter from the newest owner in Michigan.I know this is way off Reatta topics...but the whole experience makes it worth repeating. They are ALL neat cars. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max BURKE Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 G,day to all. There were a few Hawk GT in Australia I would guess they were all Borg Warner DG autos as by the 70s folk were frightened to own a Studebaker because the regional dealers had given away the franchise meaning the only parts source was in state capitals and although orders could be placed by phone delivery had to be pre paid or COD,a real pest if you wanted a door latch or striker plate or some small thing because the on cost exceeded the price of the part.The owner of the warehouse in Sydney was killed when the vehicle that he was leaning over shed a fan blade. The loose blade cut his throat ending his life and the Studebaker parts supply.Hawks and Larks had almost no value by then. As a young mechanic in the early 1960s we took down the auto from a silver hawk because the owner complained it did not change up from low to second then to top.A lot of work for nothing as they started off in second gear only engaging low on manual selection.There was only one Golden Hawk in our district with the Packard engine and blower. The only times I saw it was when it came to our shop for the annual rego roadworthy test.Max Burke Nulkaba Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted July 1, 2012 Author Share Posted July 1, 2012 My wife and daughters went out shopping today so I sat in the house watching TV. A movie came on called "Mask" starring Jim Carrey. He is forced to use "the loaner" which is a bullet nosed Stude. If you watch close you will also see the taillight of another baby blue Stude as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Corvanti Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 since this thread has been basically "non-reatta" related, i reckon i can share pics of my newest baby:'51 Business Coupe - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DH Comet Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 Wow, nice car! I wanted a Studebaker for years; when I saw the '88 Reatta on Craigslist (at a much more affordable price than a Stude) I knew I had to have it! Perhaps it was the back window, as someone suggested. I've always liked Studebakers: they were interesting and different cars (like Reattas) and the company went down fighting, trying new things up to the end. I think I'd still like to get one eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wally888 Posted November 18, 2012 Share Posted November 18, 2012 since this thread has been basically "non-reatta" related, i reckon i can share pics of my newest baby:'51 Business Coupe - I had (remember I am 81 and forget easily!) a 48 Commander and traded for a 51 w/ S. first V8. Got a speeding ticket about 30 miles east of Needles, CA. for doing 105 mph in a 25 mph construction zone. Long story but judge dropped the charges, probably because I was in S.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wws944 Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 since this thread has been basically "non-reatta" related, i reckon i can share pics of my newest baby:'51 Business Coupe -Very cool! I saw one of those driving around here once, about five years ago. Had no idea what it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 Studebaker convertable 1951 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Vega Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 since this thread has been basically "non-reatta" related, i reckon i can share pics of my newest baby:'51 Business Coupe -Cool bumper guards. Love the propeller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Rule Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 My Studebaker pickup has bullet nose head light rims and a 350/350 and power everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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