1958 Studebaker Silver Hawk 289 V8

Studebaker Silver Hawk 1958 Description

This 1958 Studebaker Silver Hawkis a solid, essentially rust free example of a 1958 Silver Hawk with no known accident repairs. The floors and trunk are rock solid. The brown stain in the trunk photo is from s spilled liquid - not rust. There is no rust around the headlights or air vents on the front fenders. I have gone all over the body with a magnet to check for body filler and can find none with the possible exception of 2 to 3 inch diameter spots on the front fenders just ahead of the doors. The bottoms of the doors show only a little surface rust. The drains have remained clear.

The chrome is very presentable with no peeling or rusting. The car has the 1958-only winged parking light housings on the fenders and the circular chrome piece on the front grille (not installed in some of the photos). The driver side fender chrome strip has a few dents that can be removed or the strip can be easily replaced.

The paint shows the effects of spending many years in Tucson, AZ. It is solid enough to not allow corrosion, but has lost some of its gloss and has some defects. You could drive it like it is, but it really should be repainted. The green metallic paint (no clear coat) is a little blotchy in places. A few areas may have been overbuffed - no filler.

The interior can be described as driver quality. The front and back seat covers appear to have been replaced. They are in good condition with one minor repaired defect, about 3 inches long on the rear cushion. The headliner looks good. The door panels have been recently recovered with black vinyl.

The rear carpet is good, but the front one probably should be replaced. The dash is nice and the steering wheel is very nice, having been recently restored.

Head lights, parking lights, tail lights, and turning signals all work fine. The interior dome light works with the door switches but not with the toggle switch next to the bulb. The only lights not working are the backup lights and the license plate light.

The generator, voltage regulator and ammeter all work properly.

The brakes were replaced just prior to my purchasing the car and they stop the car straight and as effectively as any manual brakes on older cars ever do. You just need to get accustomed to the higher pedal force needed.

The radiator appears to have been renovated recently. I have not seen the coolant temperature over 190F as long as I have owned the car. The heater hose bypassed the heater when I got it and I haven’t had a need to use it so left it as is. The two switches (heater and defroster) are new.

The windshield wipers work although I have not had a situation to use them.

And now to the engine----The previous owner was less than truthful in his ebay description and answers to questions about engine condition before I bought the car two years ago. When I received it, I was prepared to do a major tuneup and probably make some minor repairs. As I usually do with older cars, I replaced all the consumable parts of the ignition system, the fuel pump, and rebuilt the carburetor. This resulted in a good starting, idling, and running 289 V8.

What I didn’t expect was the decreasing oil pressurefrom 40-50 psi to 15 psi at cruiseas the engine warmed . The shop manual calls for 20 – 40 psi at 40 mph in high gear (~1600 rpm). The pressure at idle decreased to below 5 psi.

I decided that since I planned on driving the car a lot, that I would have the engine completely rebuilt professionally by a reputable Studebaker shop. The one I chose is a very experienced, reputable Studebaker shop. They have rebuilt dozens of 289 V8s and do 5 or 6 per year. Eight months and $6K later, I got it back. It starts, idles, and runs fine, as it should. Unfortunately, it still has the same oil pressure issue. I have spent hours researching and troubleshooting the problem with no success.

Therefore, I am putting it up for auction in hopes that a potential buyer knows or, even better, is someone with the skill, time or money to solve the problem and will keep this car on the road.

If I weren’t 74 years old, I would have had it apart and probably fixed by now.

The following is a list of some of the work done at rebuild. I have all receipts.

• Stripped, jet cleaned, and magnafluxed block.
• Magnafluxed crankshaft and reground .020 under. (Plastigauged)
• Magnafluxed heads and milled .010 – 3 angle valve job – new valve guides
• Reground cam and new bearings
• New pistons, rings, main & rod bearings, valve seals, valve guides, oil press relief kit, water pump and thermostat.
• Rebuilt oil pump
• New fuel pump
• Balanced complete rotating assembly
• Ran 2200 rpm for 25 mins Checked OK

An alternative to repair would be a Chevy 350 crate engine swap. It is a common enough swap that there are aftermarket adapters available to assist.

The transmission was sent with the engine to ensure proper alignment with the bell housing – (something many owners are not aware of). It was resealed and the bands were adjusted at that time also. It does not leak.

While waiting for the return of the rebuilt engine, I installed a brand new complete Waldron dual exhaust.

To ensure that you are not misled, this car needs:

Engine oil pressure issue resolved

At least one tire (currently has 3 radials and 1 bias-ply)

Of course, the car is available for inspection. I wish all those interested could see it, but I know that these cars are scarce enough that they are often bought from a long distance. That is why this was such a long description.

I have a factory shop manual, parts manual, and colored electrical system diagram to send with the car. A new electric fuel pump to assist in quick starts is included. Also, there are currently no keys for the doors, but new locks (with keys) come with it.

I will be available to assist your shipper if needed. There is no problem driving it on and off a trailer, but I would not recommend driving it home. I will need a $500 deposit within 48 hours of the end of the auction and the rest of the payment within a week with cashier's check, cash or bank transfer..

It breaks my heart to pass this car on before finishing it, but I don’t have the time (or ambition). I need to move on to the next car on my automotive “bucket list.” In the meantime, someone will likely benefit by getting a great car for considerably less money than I have in it.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me through ebay or call at 843-384-0545.