Supercharged 4-Speed: 1964 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk

The Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company was founded in 1852 by the five Studebaker brothers (Clement, Henry, John, Peter and Jacob) but it wasn’t until 1897 that they started building horseless carriages. In fact, their first cars were all battery-electric powered things and Studebaker didn’t build internal combustion powered cars and trucks until 1911. Studebaker managed to survive the great depression, WWI, and WWII, but they didn’t survive a merger with Packard and the resulting UAW related strikes and cost structures. In 1966 Studebaker exited the automobile business for good, but not before building quite a few fascinating and aesthetically pleasing cars like the one we’ve got today. (Fun fact; My grandfather owned and drove one of these back in the day.) Find this 1964 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk bidding for $15,100 reserve-not-met with 4 days to go, located in Battle Ground, WA via ebay.

From the seller:

You are bidding to own an all original 1964 Gran Turismo Hawk, one of only 70 produced with the supercharged 289 cubic inch R-2 V8 Studebaker engine. Even more rare, this car was optioned with the 4 speed T10 transmission.

I am the third owner, and I had met the original owner and the second was a good friend. The original owner was a gentleman who lived just outside Portland, Oregon, and both the second owner and myself were Portland area residents. Under the care of myself and the second owner, the car has been garage kept for over 40 years. It was not always garage kept prior to that. I have clear title and the car is licensed and registered to drive. The tires look good, but they are decades old.

Recent work on the car:

1. New starter solenoid
2. Repacked front inner and outer wheel bearings
3. Inspected front brake rotors: No grooves or abnormal wear. Front disc pads have almost no wear.
4. Adjusted end play in rear axles
5. New rubber fuel hoses at various locations
6. Drained transmission and refilled with fresh GL-1 90 wt. gear oil
7. Rear brake job: New shoes and new rear brake cylinders. Rear drums looked great: No scoring or grooves. Bled entire brake system.

Cosmetically, the car really needs paint. It has mostly its original Jet Green finish, but it is not in good shape. Body is quite straight, but has a few scratches and scrapes. Inland Oregon cars were always known to be relatively rust free, and this car is no exception. Roads here were not salted in winter, but they were wet. Portland gets about 45 inches of rain a year. There is no rust action happening in the typical Stude places. See photos of rear edge of front fenders. Interior floors have surface rust from damp carpet, and while the the original carpet is mostly still there, it needs to be replaced. I could find only one hole in the floorboards, that being about one-quarter inch wide by about an inch long, in the driver’s side floorboard. Trunk floor has surface rust. Frame and undercarriage are really solid. Old glass pack mufflers have some holes in them.

All window regulators work fine, but tracks and related parts need lubrication. There are two small holes in headliner. Dash and instruments look great. The original green vinyl upholstery is in above average condition, but has a few sunburned areas and there is a tear in the flat areas of the driver’s seat bottom areas that flank the electropleated insert. Also there is a weak area on driver’s seat back vinyl adjacent to the insert. Years ago while attending an SDC International Meet in South Bend, I was able to buy some green vinyl from the factory inventories, and enough material needed to replace the torn panels will be supplied with the car.

The car has just over 83,000 actual miles. When you start it up, it smokes quite a bit. I suspect the valve stem seals are really brittle by now. I do let it run awhile, and drive it short distances on a fairly regular basis. It definitely needs a tune-up, has original spark plug wires, and they are pretty hard now. Spark plugs may even be original. It is quite fast and powerful. and you can really feel it pull as RPMs increase. Sometimes it will start missing at high RPM, though, and I’m thinking its need for a tune up or its original fuel pump not keeping up as it should may be the culprits.

With the factory sway bars, front and rear, and the rear traction bars. these R-2 Hawks were and still are, especially with the 4 speed, a blast to drive. The car is located in Battle Ground, Washington, which is just across the Columbia River from Portland. I urge serious buyers to come take a look. My name is Larry. and if you have questions, please call me at 503-351-4634. A non-refundable deposit will be due within 72 hours of auction end. Balance shall be due within 10 days after the auction ends. All funds must be via bank wire, cash, or certified cashier’s check. Checks will need to clear before title and car are released. Winning bidder needs to phone me within 24 hours after auction ends so we can make payment and shipment arrangements. Remember, inspections are welcomed !

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