Studebaker Trucks?

[jlrsn]

That brings back memories!! In 1952 at 11 years old my dad had a Studebaker Pickup on the farm and even though I was driving his WWII Surplus Jeep and tractors alone since I was 8 my dad didn't let me drive his pickup alone until I could see out of the windshield. The Jeep I drove with my head hanging out the side to see. His Studebaker Pickup had a column shift.
Looking back,
Jim

 

[Bama67]

That brings back memories!! In 1952 at 11 years old my dad had a Studebaker Pickup on the farm and even though I was driving his WWII Surplus Jeep and tractors alone since I was 8 my dad didn't let me drive his pickup alone until I could see out of the windshield. The Jeep I drove with my head hanging out the side to see. His Studebaker Pickup had a column shift.
Looking back,
Jim

Thats what is all about, I remember growing up, like yesterday driving my dads old F-250 and getting in trouble for doing donuts and tearing up the pasture. ha-ha

I have read a little bit more on the Studes. They first came out with a V8 in 1951, and the truck I am going to look at probably has a 224 V8 or possibly a 259. Some of their cars were hot little items with a supercharged 289 V8 that could take down the big name musclecars. That 289 were not affiliated with a Ford 289 in any way.

I like the Studebakers trucks, but the cars aren't really my thing. Most of them are just so, umm, "different". Like the Avanti.

 

[Bird]

Some of their cars were hot little items with a supercharged 289 V8 that could take down the big name musclecars.

Yep, the Studebaker Golden Hawk of the mid to late '50s was my all time favorite and I couldn't afford one.:drool:

 

[California]

the truck I am going to look at probably has a 224 V8 or possibly a 259.

I like the Studebakers trucks, but the cars aren't really my thing.

That jogged my memory - I wrote 255 V8 above, but 259 sounds more like it.

I just remembered that I briefly owned one of those early 50's Studebaker cars that looked the same coming or going. I picked up a hitchhiker who was driving it when it quit. I drove him home and he sold me the pink slip for near nothing, saying he had had problem after problem with it.

I went back with a friend and towed it home. Turned out that the distributor rotor didn't turn when the engine was cranked.

I swapped it to a repair shop for something I needed, tires or something.

 

[Heywood Jannockitov]

Turned out that the distributor rotor didn't turn when the engine was cranked.

Seized oil pump probably.

I swapped it to a repair shop for something I needed, tires or something.

Good move!

 

[Bama67]

Just wanted to update the thread. I brought home the truck I started the thread about. It is a 55 E series truck. I found two little tags in the pile of parts, one says model E- C2, the other says E7-12. ??? I don't know. It is in pretty good shape, there is basically no rust. Only exception being that in some point in the past someone tack welded in flat sheetmetal in the bed to cover the original corrugated bed floor. But looking up from the bottom it has some small rust holes. The old man that started it did a good job with the metal. He also had already replaced all the brake stuff and rebuilt the engine. When I first saw it I was worried because all the trim and stuff was stripped. But then found it all piled in the inside. I have pretty much every last piece of the truck, except the windshield. It even came with original Studebaker parts manuals, service manuals, transmission repair manual, and 1956 repair manual. I am not 100% sure by reading the engine number but it looks like it has the larger 259'' V8. I was able to turn it over, but I can't get any fire. I am also unsure whether it is converted over to 12v, the old man that had it said it was, but it all looks original and when I pulled the cap off the distributor, the points were so hot they took the skin off my finger I read that the Studes were originally 6v with a positive ground, so I am really unsure what to do at this point. I can't tell what the truck is set up for. I really don't want to hook up anything wrong and burn something up. I am going to join a Stude forum and start a thread over there and maybe someone can help me out. I am not ready to start work on the body on it, I have a 73 convertible Blazer that I am frame-offing right now that I have to complete and get out of the way. But I would like to get it running well, so I can move it around and maybe run to town on it or what-not. Here are a few pics. Judging by the original color choice thing that was with the paperwork, it was originally "clover green". Not my favorite choice. I know basically nothing about Studebakers, so I am learning a good deal about them. The manuals are great, and full of tons of info. Now if I could only take those part #s out of my manuals and run up to the dealer and buy parts. :laughing:

 

[carpenter383]

Man, that's a neat old truck!
That's and interesting looking intake for a stocker, it looks high performance except for the baby carb on top. lol

 

[Diamondpilot]

Looks like a great find. How did the Nissan do towing it home? Also how far did you have to go get it?

Chris

 

[Jim in ICT]

The Studebaker trucks were so ugly that they were beutiful! I think part of Studebaker's demise was that they were a bit ahead of their time. Should run good once you get it going. How 'bout some pics later on laying rubber?

 

[Gem99ultra]

He may have converted it to 12V, but probably used (or left) a ballast resistor inline to the points and coil. Twelve volts straight to the points will run, but only for a few minutes; you'll probably burn the points up and ruin the coil. Check and see if he doesn't have a ballast resistor on the firewall...

What a find! That's a perfect restore project. And WITH manuals? Too good to be true!