Studebaker Trucks?

/ Studebaker Trucks? #21  
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
 
/ Studebaker Trucks?
  • Thread Starter
#22  
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.
 
/ Studebaker Trucks? #23  
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:
 
/ Studebaker Trucks? #24  
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.
 
/ Studebaker Trucks? #25  
/ Studebaker Trucks?
  • Thread Starter
#26  
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 :mad: 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:

P1030508v2.jpg


P1030493v2.jpg


P1030505v2.jpg


P1030495v25.jpg


P1030510v2.jpg
 
/ Studebaker Trucks? #27  
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
 
/ Studebaker Trucks? #28  
Looks like a great find. How did the Nissan do towing it home? Also how far did you have to go get it?

Chris
 
/ Studebaker Trucks? #29  
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?
 
/ Studebaker Trucks? #30  
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!
 
/ Studebaker Trucks? #31  
Nice project.:thumbsup: I'd like to find a red 60s one to restore. Then go to the Gravely Mow-Ins with the prototype Gravely 450 in back. At one point, Stude owned Gravely and Onan.
 
/ Studebaker Trucks? #32  
Cool truck!
Besides joining a Stude forum subscribe to Hemmings and buy a Hollander interchange manual. Even though you're not going to restore it just yet you might want to make a list of the parts you need so when you're at swap meets looking for parts for the Blazer and Chevelle you can keep an eye open for the Stude parts you need.
 
/ Studebaker Trucks? #33  
My dad had one on the farm. It was a six with a stick and freight. No options. Studebaker sold pretty good in our region so there was a fair amount of them around. I think there was a 3/4 ton version also.
 
/ Studebaker Trucks?
  • Thread Starter
#34  
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
It is definately different looking that is for sure, that carb is not the original carb, it is a GM carb. But I have the original Stromberg and it isn't any bigger. lol

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

Chris
The Armada did fantastic, it was 399 miles from his house to mine, all highway 84, and was pretty small, sometimes very long hills the entire way. Acutally, I also picked up a new ATV on the way home, I had been planning to get one because I sold my motorcycle. I found a screaming deal on a new Polaris Sportsman 850 XP, so I had that 800lb beast on there as well. Loaded sideways at the back of the trailer. I sure was glad it all fit. :laughing: But the Stude is a heavy beast as well, not sure on the weight, but I would guess at least 5,000lbs. So with the truck, quad and trailer i was close to 8,500lbs and it didn't break a sweat, and rarely shifted out of overdrive. I have come to really love the Nissan. Now if only the d*mn cruise control worked(wheel speed sensor). My leg was sooo cramped after being in the same position for right at 18 hours. Also, with that heavy load, I average 12.5 mpg on the way home at 60-70 mph. Which I thought was fantastic :thumbsup:

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?

They are definately different, I think it is growing on me. I have managed to get the truck running, the firing order was jacked, and had to clean all the points and stuff. And the rotor button was worn out. But after I got it to fire and run, found out that the fuel pump diaphram was rotted, so had to get a new pump. And it didn't come in before I had to come to work.

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!

Thanks I actually haven't looked that far into the 6v to 12v thing after i tried a 6v battery and it would just barely spin over. Which is sad because I am an electrician/et. I don't know why, but since I work on electrical stuff all the time, when I am off work it is the thing I hate to do most. :laughing:

Nice project.:thumbsup: I'd like to find a red 60s one to restore. Then go to the Gravely Mow-Ins with the prototype Gravely 450 in back. At one point, Stude owned Gravely and Onan.
Thanks, I read about all the companies they used to own.

Cool truck!
Besides joining a Stude forum subscribe to Hemmings and buy a Hollander interchange manual. Even though you're not going to restore it just yet you might want to make a list of the parts you need so when you're at swap meets looking for parts for the Blazer and Chevelle you can keep an eye open for the Stude parts you need.
that is some good ideas, but I have never been to a swap meet. I have always wanted to go to one, but just never have. there are never any close to here, but there are some with a few hours drive of here.

My dad had one on the farm. It was a six with a stick and freight. No options. Studebaker sold pretty good in our region so there was a fair amount of them around. I think there was a 3/4 ton version also.
Yeah, they made them up from 1/2 ton all the way to big rigs I believe. But they are definately not very common around here. I imagine there are alot more in the midwest, Indiana especially, being they are from there.

I also found out by running the block numbers that mine has the 1955 259" motor. That was the big V8 for that year, which was suprising. There was a 99% chance that it would have the 224" (Economiser) V8, the old man that had it said he was sure it was 100% original, so I don't know if it was ordered that way or not. I read that basically Stude would build whatever you wanted as long as you had the money. So idk. And also I have so many irons in the fire, I really need to get the Blazer done before I do anything with this truck. But I would like to atleast get it running decent. Then I am thinking of putting a quickie hot rod flat black primer job on it, paint the wheels red, a cherry bomb glass pack (you can't even hear it running now) and cruise around town sitting on the block of wood I have been using as a seat. I have the original seat, just needs some new foam and a cover. The ride should be fairly comfortable during these warm days as there will be good ventilation being there is no glass in it. :D
 
/ Studebaker Trucks? #35  
I knew that Nissan would do the job no sweat. I love towing my 7,000# to 7,500# normal load with mine. I get about 11.5 mpg but I have larger tires on the Titan so I am sure that is where I take the hit.

When I first got it I towed the boat just about 50 miles round trip and took it easy, mainly 55mph and saw high 12mpg range.

Too bad about the cruise control thing. Is it still under warranty?


Chris
 
/ Studebaker Trucks? #37  
On a Studebaker?:D:laughing::laughing::thumbsup:

Threads do veer a bit at times!:D I skipped to the last post and saw this!

No, he was talking about the truck he towed it home with.

Chris
 
/ Studebaker Trucks?
  • Thread Starter
#39  
Nope, the truck is out of warrranty. It is an 07 with 34k miles. The drive train is still under warranty. But I don't think the wheel speed sensor things qualify. I haven't tried really. It isn't a big deal I rarely use cruise. It would have to be a really cheap fix for me to worry with it. And it usually works until about 60 mph, then it goes out because it senses and difference in wheel speed and tranny speed or some such thing.
 
/ Studebaker Trucks?
  • Thread Starter
#40  
I knew that Nissan would do the job no sweat. I love towing my 7,000# to 7,500# normal load with mine. I get about 11.5 mpg but I have larger tires on the Titan so I am sure that is where I take the hit.

When I first got it I towed the boat just about 50 miles round trip and took it easy, mainly 55mph and saw high 12mpg range.

Too bad about the cruise control thing. Is it still under warranty?


Chris

Oh, and DP, if you want to see a truly impressive Titan, go to youtube and search for PapaRyno or something like that. The guy has a white, 4 door Titan LE, stock other than cams, and that thing is an animal. He has videos of drag races beating Lightnings, Chevrolet SS trucks, all kinds of stuff. And I think he has one where he gets up to close to 150mph. That is crazy power with just a cam swap! Makes me think about changing cams in old Armada. :laughing:
 

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