Welcome back! Today we’re visiting the northern Chicago suburbs to look at a pair of American coupes from days of yore that deserve to be put back on the road. But first, let’s finish up with yesterday’s Montana winter beaters:
Close one! And I know the vote swung back-and-forth throughout the day on this one. The Toyota wins it by a nose, but really, I think either of these would work to tackle the snow just fine. Me, I’d take the Chevy, but that’s just a personal brand preference.
Let’s just get it out of the way: Neither of today’s choices run or drive. I know that upsets some of you, but the rest of us like to try to look past the grime and rust and cobwebs and see what a car could be, not what it is. If that’s not your cup of tea, that’s fine; I’ll feature two runners tomorrow. But these are two very cool old hunks of American automotive history, and both are worth checking out. Here we go.
1962 Studebaker GT Hawk – $4,000
Engine/drivetrain: 289 cubic inch overhead valve V8, three-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Beloit, WI
Odometer reading: 42,000 miles
Runs/drives? Probably not since Night Court was still on
Studebaker’s coupes from the 1950s and early 1960s were absolutely badass. Low, sleek, legitimately fast for their day, and nicely appointed, these cars made you wonder why anybody chose a Thunderbird instead. This is the Gran Turismo Hawk, the final iteration of a line that started way back in 1953 with the Commander Starlight coupe and Starliner hardtop. Originally designed by Raymond Loewy’s firm, and updated by the legendary Brooks Stevens, these cars looked like nothing else on the road.
They were no slouch in the performance department, either, with Studebaker’s own 289 cubic inch V8 under the hood. You could choose your power level: two- or four-barrel carbs were available, and the year after this car was built, you could opt for the hot-rodded R1 or supercharged R2 versions, the latter boasting a legimitate one horsepower per cubic inch. With this much power and the body style’s slippery aerodynamics, the GT Hawk was a force to be reckoned with on the Bonneville salt flats, in the hands of legendary racer Andy Granatelli.
This Hawk, obviously, isn’t going to be setting any speed records anytime soon. In fact, I don’t think it has moved at all in decades. I can’t make out the year on the registration, but Illinois stopped using that style of license plate sometime in the early 1990s, if I remember correctly. At least it has been sitting indoors.
It looks pretty solid, actually; you’d have to look underneath to be sure, but from what we can see, this doesn’t look like a rustbucket. The seller says it’s complete, but there has been some disassembly in the engine bay, and we don’t get any interior photos at all. Obviously this is a massive project, but it’s one of only about 13,000 GT Hawks, which makes it worth fixing up. Not for monetary gain, just to put one cool Studebaker back on the road.
One thing’s for sure: No one is going to walk past it at a car show to check out yet another ’57 Chevy.
1963 Rambler American 440 – $3,500
Engine/drivetrain: 196 cubic inch overhead valve inline 6, three-speed overdrive manual, RWD [Editor’s Note: My friend Tom Jennings may know more about this engine than anyone alive; if anyone here buys this, you should check out his extensive documentation about it! – JT]
Location: Gurnee, IL
Odometer reading: 57,000 miles
Runs/drives? “Will run, but has a bent pushrod”
While Studebaker was wowing the market with its sporty coupes, newly-formed AMC was creating small, sturdy, no-nonsense cars like the Nash Rambler, which evolved into this car. The Rambler American beat Chevy’s Corvair and Ford’s Falcon to market by two years, and was restyled in 1961 to compete with them better visually. In 1963, when this Rambler was built, a novel transmission option appeared to give AMC’s little car some sporty appeal:
This is Rambler’s “Twin Stick” three-speed overdrive manual transmission. The left stick is a normal H-pattern three-speed manual, and the right stick engages the overdrive unit. (The button on top of the left stick acts as a momentary “overdrive off” button for passing.) By manipulating the two levers just right, five forward speeds were possible: 1st, 2nd, 2nd overdrive, 3rd, and 3rd overdrive. This unique gearbox transmits power from Rambler’s ubiquitous straight six to the rear wheels.
This Rambler’s engine needs a little help. The seller says it will start, but it has a bent pushrod, so it probably makes a terrible racket and little power. Still, we at least know that everything is functional, and as we all remember, knowing is half the battle. There is enough of a community around these cars that parts should be available for an overhaul.
As for the rest of the car? Well, it’s there. The interior is original and intact, but it’s toast. The floors are rusted out, and there is plenty of surface rust, but I’ve seen worse cars saved. The biggest challenge might be missing and damaged trim bits; some stuff might have to be made.
This car is also being sold on an Illinois salvage title, which might complicate the paperwork a little, depending on how you do it. I believe the title is branded simply because it was junked. Illinois doesn’t make it easy to bring a car back from the dead, paperwork-wise, but as we all know, where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Project cars aren’t for everyone. It takes patience, vision, and mechanical acumen. It can take years, working a little bit at a time like most of us have to, to put a non-running classic back on the road. So if you’re going to do all that work, why choose something that you’re going to see six of at every cruise night? Why not choose something uncommon, like one of these?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
‘ break out the featherduster–Hawk it is.
Good lawd these are beautiful. We only ever had one Studie in the neighborhood (Golden Hawk), but I was able to get good exposure watching weekly episodes of “Mr. Ed.”
A big fave of my mine was the Lark Daytona R2 with Paxton supercharger. I think maybe it was an old “Autoweek” article telling the story of a suburban dad bringing his Lark in for a “tuneup” and surreptitiously having the supercharger conversion done for his enjoyment. Word was that his wife never knew, or found out about it.
Stealth matters.
Admittedly, the Studebaker looks like it will take more time and money to make right, but the Rambler is frumpy while the Studebaker is quite elegant. Like many designs, in my opinion the earlier versions of the Loewy coupe are by far the best (and way ahead of their time) but the GT Hawk still has presence.
Gosh, the GT Hawk is so cool. There’s one here locally in better shape and I love it. It’s such an unusual car that you just don’t see.
I saw one in traffic one day, driven by a 70-something old man obviously living his best life. What a gorgeous car – one of the most beautiful and underappreciated designs of any American car. Studebaker had it going on back in the day.
The GT Hawk is cool, always will be. The unusual style makes it an especially great platform for a black Gothic mod with all the chrome done in red, green or purple. I usually think of a huge old Imperial or Belvedere, but this would be awesome, too.
I like both, although not the pricing for either of them given the amount of work needed. While the twin-stick is cool I’m leery of the bent pushrod and branded title; plus the Studebaker has a V8, more presence, and a lower price.
One thing I’ll note on both vehicles is the location of the oil filter. Yeah, it’s nice that they are convenient to get to, but wouldn’t that cause a fairly large mess every time you change the filter?
I want to love the Rambler. It could make an excellent granny-car sleeper. Repaint it (badly) that original purple-ish color, stay with whitewalls, keep the hubcaps and have a ball.
“Night Court” is back on, baby! Let’s get that Hawk roadworthy before it’s cancelled again.
Based on the supposed state of the exterior and my Belgian family’s history with Belgian assembled Studes and with the V8 ánd with that most beautiful design (in my eyes) for the Hawk, no competition for me here although the Rambler is a very nice car in it’s own right !
Both, please. We need a “both” button.
Hmm, this is more of a “pick your poison” choice: I can smell the mouse droppings in that Stude a couple states away, and my tetanus shots are up to date. Therefore, I’ll go with the Rambler here.
Twin stick Rambler for me as I like the novelty factor of the twin stick. And there is likely better support for that I6.
While that V8 in the Studebaker is a strong engine, it’s also heavy and I suspect doesn’t have that good support… and it’s mated to a slushbox.
For the $500 difference, that GT Hawk is a far better deal, in my opinion. The exterior is better, the drivetrain is better (no bent pushrods presumably), the interior is probably better (no interior pics even in the ad), and Sweet Moses, look at those yellow valve covers!
Every time my wife and I go through a car show, Studebakers, always catch our eye, especially the GT Hawks. Although you usually see an Avanti or two, which is nice. Plus, I’m from Wisconsin, so driving to Beloit to pick up this sweet ride would be a good excuse to bring some contraband New Glarus beer home with me (if you know, you know).
John, sorry, but this AMC is not the correct choice today – please don’t kill me.
You’re safe. It’s not a v8.
Yeah but it IS a straight six, meaning that Tracy might sneak up behind him and bean him with a rusty brake drum for badmouthing it.
Studebaker for certain. GT Hawks have a presence about them that’s hard to describe. Probably due to the styling pedigree plus the lovely sound of their V8’s through that dual exhaust. Also, I grew up not far from South Bend, so I’m probably biased. 🙂
Aside: My dream car would probably be a blacked-out restomod Avanti, but a GT Hawk would be awfully tempting…
I want to make the Hawk a convertible. So cool.
You get near this thing with a cutting wheel, and I will fight you.
Stude for sure, I liked the precursors with the more pinted noses, but these hawks do not have as much issue with getting enough cool air into the bonnet. Also this one looks to be pretty good, probably sat too long, the gas turned to varnish and a well intentioned, but mot to mechanically inclined grandson took the 4 barrel off to rebuild it and then never finished. I would actually consider pulling the engine and trans at this point saving them for a number matching sale later and swap in a 2wd Silverado drivetrain. Was it , but leave whatever minor patina issues there are in that dusty paint and then drive it.
Tough call. The Twin-Stick is a point in the Rambler’s favor, the one-year-only hardtop roof is meh, not as interesting as the 2-door post sedan with the 1950 Nash Rambler slanted B pillar imo but cool for what it is. The title’s not an issue since I live in Vermont anyway.
Points in the Stude’s favor is higher performance and style as-new and likely better parts availability – when Studebaker got out of the car business they sold the entire factory parts warehouse to the Studebaker Drivers’ Club, when Chrysler bought AMC Iacocca ordered the entire parts warehouse sent to scrap.
I have unhealthy desire to swap a Gt350 Voodoo motor into either one of these
You called it, Mark – nothing from that era can compete with the style of the Studebaker Hawk. Especially not that frumpy (but cute!) Rambler.
Since were talking about what could be, here’s a nice example of a restored GT Hawk: https://journal.classiccars.com/2019/04/14/soaring-studebaker-gt-hawk/
A good portion of the reason people chose a Thunderbird instead of a Hawk is that by this time it was common knowledge that Studebaker was dead company walking and nobody wants to be left with no (parts) chair when the music stops.
That said I like them although in my youth I was irrationally repelled by the styling.
I am going Studebaker, purely because of the title status of the Rambler.
That Rambler is cute as a button, but I got a new appreciation for the Hawk while on a trip to the Studebaker Museum a couple of years ago. Besides, power-washing that Studie will be soooo satisfying. Do people LS-swap Hawks?
LS swaps work everywhere. the motor is smaller than most 4 cylinders these days, you can still get PREF afm 5.3’s for under a grand, and they still have standalone computers to make them run, add in an OD trans and the old becomes useable daily without fear of many weeks wait for parts.
“Why choose something that you’re going to see six of at every cruise night?”
IMO, this is an argument for buying a finished version of a car like one of these. You’ll probably get it a lot cheaper than a Tri 5, Mustang, or Chevelle, and won’t need to worry about tracking down rare or non-existent parts. Buying one of these examples is a ticket to spending $30K on a $15K car. Unless the car has some sentimental significance, you might as well let someone else take that hit.
Of course the common cars can be somewhat played out, but the upside of that is they are much easier to restore. I’ve told the story before here, but in the ongoing restoration of my K5, literally every part to build a new truck is readily available. Contrast that to my half-finished attempt at restoring a ’60 Cadillac some years ago, where finding anything was a struggle and some parts literally didn’t exist anymore. And a Caddy isn’t even that rare!
“Runs/drives? Probably not since Night Court was still on”
Good news! Night Court is back, so maybe this Hawk can be resurrected as well.
What’s next, Alf?
He’s back! In POG form.
You, good sir, are welcome on my lawn anytime.
Ha! I was thinking the same thing. Thanks for saving me the trouble.
The Rambler is kinda neat with the funky transmission, but if you parked them side-by-side at, say, a car show, even in their current condition, NOBODY is going to be looking at it. The Stude is just SO much cooler.
At least, in my opinion, so it gets my vote.
They would were it a convertible in the right colors. They’re cute as a button..whatever that means.
Can confirm. I have a red 63 convertible and it gets a surprising amount of attention though a little rough. You see far more hawks at shows than these. Planning to make a sleeper out of it one of these days.
Studebaker. While it was never assembled in Canada I grew up passing their former plant in Hamilton somewhat frequently. So based purely on that I’m voting for it.
strangely enough, the Rambler could very well have been assembled in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, but it still lacks a lot of desirability and overall seems to have been Barned in much worse condition.
Ah yes, the original Brampton plant. I’d forgotten about it. While my moms family is from Brampton I grew up in Ancaster (Hamilton suburbs) and live across the bay from the former plant so I’m sticking with my original choice.