I ran into a friend at lunch today and told him about the woody I'm building. I told him I was looking for a motor out of the normal SBC range, and he said he had a old Studey motor he would sell real cheap. He said it came from a Hawk, it's a V-8, and has the ****** with overdrive. Now I know nothing about studes, so I am wondering if this is worth looking into?
Stude V8's are dependable and easy to find parts for via members of the Studebaker Drivers Club and their vendors. The 3 on the tree ****** with electrically operated overdrive is also good stuff. Don't bother with the slushboxes. If - by chance - the motor is the supercharged version, it's a very good motor.
I have heard that the blocks were of a higher nickel content than some other motors of the era, the crankshafts were forged, they all had solid lifter cams stock, and parts may be easier to find than some other and I like mine
They are very heavy. They are almost indestructible! High nickle blocks, forged cranks, forged pistons, solid lifter cams, sodium filled valves, timing gears instead of chain, From 57 - 64 They were either 259 or 289 cu. (unless you have run across the very rare R3/R4 304cu version). 57 - 60 they had 4 bolts holding on the valve covers, 61 - 64 had two. 63 and 64 only had a full flow oil system with a filter mounted on the block. 57 - 62 4bbl versions used a Carter WCFB, 63/64 used Carter AFB bbl. 57/58 Golden hawks used a McCullough Supercharger with a pressure box over a Stromberg 2bbl, One of the biggest drawbacks is head design, flow limitations, they respond very well to porting and bigger valves, They also like forced induction.. ie: turbo/blowers. You can identify what it is by the stamping on the machined pad just in front of the Valley cover on the top front of the block.. if the first letter is a "V' it is a 259, "P" = 289. JT = Jet thrust Avanti R1 289, JTS = Jet Thrust Supercharged Avanti 289. Hope this helps Livrat aka: Mark
Oopss.. forgot about the trans.. It can either be a Borg Warner T-86 with an R10 overdrive, those do not hold up to big horspower.. Or it could be a T- 85 side loader, those are stout.. 57 - 60 versions were shorter with a bolt yoke/U-Joint.. the 61 - 64's were longer with a slip rear yoke..
I am envious. I am looking for one for in my 50 R-5. And I'm planning on making it my everyday, when the truck is done. My experience they are a great engine, if you're looking at the all around.
I just looked at an old photo of some of the Stude speed equip I once had.. its not an Edmunds.. that leaves Fenton or possibly Stu-V. Offys were drilled for 3 bolt. FYI.. one can use early Cadilac intakes on Studes by hogging out a couple of bolt holes, the ports are almost identical. Here is a pic of an Offy Caddy tri power
well I'll be damned, my little 259 weighs more than my 454.. or the 394 for that matter.. sure doesn't seem like it when I pick it or move it around
Thanks guys! Tomorrow I will go take a look at it and take my camara along too. I appreciate all the info, and Tommy you sold me brother! Thats awesome!
The intake on Tommys' 34 pickup is a Weiand. My friend Robert Lomas built that pickup. He ground the "Weiand" off of the intake when he had it polished to keep it smooth looking. Here's a picture of my roadster and my wifes sedan, both stude powered. The roadster has a 304 in it and the sedan a 259. Both have T-5 overdrive ******s and have lots of highway miles on them. The stude motors are good, solid, reliable runners when the're put together right.
saw those two at CHRR last fall, beautiful!! and my plain jane, last summer when the little car was going together..
I don't know much about Studebaker motors, but last summer I went to the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drags and the Supercharged Studebakers were kicking ***, it was a sight to see, geeky looking Studes blowing away the flashier musclecars.
Tom's car is cool. I have a 8X11 picture of his headers in my shop that were inspiration when I built mine. Here's my motor with a modified Caddy 3X2. I recently put in a Ted Harbit R2+ cam and it really woke up.
That's cool. I picked up a set of Weiand "convertible valve covers" for it. Now I need a Weiand fuel block to match. Very nice!! I love 'em both!! I sent you a PM with a thousand questions. I hope you don't mind. I'd like to see some close ups of your motors.
Years ago when I picked up a pair of Weiand covers for my Olds, I wondered what the other four dimples were for. An older rodder told me that if I drilled them out, the covers would work on a Studebaker. It makes me wish I'd kept the Smoljan three carb intake for Studes that I bought and sold way back.
You can see that these were on an Olds. When I get them mounted with 6 acorn nuts, that should start some head scratchin'
Well I went tonight and came back a little dis-appointed. It is a 57 - 60 289. But the ****** he said was there isn't and no flywheel either. Also no water pump, carb or generator. It has been rapped up pretty good, but not inside a closed shop either. It is in a lean to and one side of the cover has rotted and now half the motor is rusty. I don't think it's a bad motor, just not as complete as I was led to belive. I would not feel good unless I tore it completely apart and re-ring and gasketed everything. And I wonder how hard it would be to find all the missing parts, mostly ******, clutch, and bell houseing, oh and yoke. The price is right though, he said just come get it and we worry about price later, maybe somday you'll have somthing to trade I need. It has been in his lean to for almost 30 years, and he don't think it will ever get used. I don't know what to do yet.
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