Finally a CAR WIZARD approved engine swap done on this '60 Studebaker Lark VIII
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2021
- Vehicles that have had engines swapped aren't always perfect. This 1960 Studebaker Lark VIII's swap is near perfection! The CAR WIZARD 🧙♂️ was almost speechless for the swap's fit and the car's overall quality.
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I was raised by a single mom, right at the poverty line. In the 60s we had a Lark, that at some point had several cylinders stop working. But that car kept going, for many miles, until Mom could afford a different, (all eight cylinders running,) car. She loved that Lark, and even as a child I understood her gratitude to that car for giving its all to keep us safe.
To JT LASER . Lovely story!
You're a tough critic with a good eye for detail. I think some of that comes from your time in the Army.
As a fellow Army veteran, I would be happy to have you evaluate my current restoration when I complete it. SFC (RET) VIC MARTINEZ.
I had a similar situation growing up. My dad took the newish station-wagon to trade in and left my mom with a dying Ford Falcon. I remember her having to add a quart of oil at half a tank as well as when she filled it, and reverse often involved us kids pushing it backwards...
I, as a retired History teacher, enjoy your efforts to credit an unknown person who did a proper job of dropping in the small block. It's their legacy, as for anyone who has made/created something that remains used/maintained. Well done......
@@Lettuce-and-Tomatoes I, as a notorious non-verbose guy, will say objectively: What an horrendous car with a good powerplant.
@@Lettuce-and-Tomatoes Wordy maybe but History has a way of being unforgiving and forgetting many who deserve credit. This is a small example. A toast!
I, as a software engineer, and otherwise unaccredited individual, who has also drank too much tonight, am discouraged that you, as a history teacher didn't point out that the Romans would have used IIX, not VIII to represent 8. Of course I might be full of shit.
@@Beer_Dad1975 Ney good sir, as I would point out that half of XII is VII
@@agrippa1234 Actually... I think 1/2 of XII would be VI.
Back in the late 60's I worked on a Lark that the owner said was running rough and hard starting. We checked the compression on it and two of the six cylinders were around 90 while the others were about 120. We pulled the head which was easy as it was still a flathead six. What we found was unbelievable. Two of the intake valves had broken off and were acting as poppet valves with the suction from the intake opening them and the compression forcing them closed. The block was unfortunately unsalvageable so we had to replace the motor with a used engine that we rebuilt. It proved to me that you can never kill a flathead six completely............
Amazing!
I owned a 59Rambler with a flat six...soo smooth!...I also owned a 59 Plymouth Savoy, that also had a flat six!...it was the last year that Chrysler offered that flat six engine..Rambler offered it through 1965!...that old design was utterly reliable, and was used from the mid-1930s on, for over 30 years..."If it ain't broke, don't fix it" seemed to be the rule back then, before the HP race began in the mid-50s.
I’m impressed with that motor swap myself. I would never have used a Chevy motor, but I can appreciate a job well done.
During Studebaker's last gasp years they actually used small block Chevy engines as a cost saving measure. Unfortunately not enough to save a good utilitarian car.
Back in the mid 1970s when I was a teenager, I bought a 1946 Plymouth Super Deluxe with a flathead 6 for $60; it was a giant sedan with suicide rear doors. Mechanically, everything worked and the engine ran great, but the interior had that old car musty smell that you would recognize in a car upholstered with wool. I remember driving down the road and suddenly the accelerator went to the floor. I opened the hood and saw there was a pivot rod attached to the carburetor linkage screwed into the top of the engine that had unscrewed itself; looking at the threaded hole it actually went into the water jacket (IOW an easy fix). I wish I would have known more about the car at the time. At one point I thought there was something wrong with the clutch, but it turned out the slave cylinder had to be manually adjusted. Just a cool car I was too young to appreciate it.
My aunt had this exact car. My cousin and I got a kick out of it and called it her old "Studbreaker" but she drove all over the U.S. in it and it never failed her. This is a beautiful swap.
One of the marks of a craftsman is being able to appreciate the good work of a fellow craftsman. Whoever did that swap did a nice job, and thats a beautiful car overall.
I take it a step further. I still remember something written in the front of one of my high school auto shop books (yes, that was a LONG time ago, can you imagine a high school having an auto shop class today?) "someone who works with their hands is a laborer, someone who works with their hands and their head is a craftsman, and someone who works with their hands, their head, and their heart is an artist" There are a lot of hacks out there who butcher wonderful old cars, and then there are the "artists" who actually care and do things right. I am very OCD when working on old cars, it has to be as perfect as I can make it.
@@geraldscott4302 I graduated High School in 2009. We had wood shop class in my middle school. My High school didn't have auto shop on site but there was a shop class that included welding and such. What we did have was a local tech school that various High School students from around our area could go to that had all sorts of programs. I did the Auto tech but there was also nursing, firefighting, welding, diesel, carpentry and more. There was one High School in the area that also retained an on site Auto shop class. It's not all completely dead everywhere fortunately.
@@geraldscott4302 I just saw that exact quote on the wall of a little brewpub in a strip mall tonight...
@@chickenfishhybrid44 It doesn't make sense for every school in a county to offer those kind of vocational programs and do it poorly, so they're available in a county-wide vocational-technical school in many places. It's much more cost effective and better for the programs, too...
@@geraldscott4302 both high schools in my city have auto shops and it's always a pleasure working with them
The circular indentations for drinks on the glove box door brings back memories. But unlike today where we have drink holders for water, soda or coffee, these were designed for drive in restaruant drinks or milkshakes while parked. I remember most cars had them. Fountain drinks were probably 12 to 16 oz at maximum. Not 5 gallon drums like now lol.
The Lark 'VIII' had the 259 cubic-inch V8 in it, originally. One thing to note on these - You noted that the car seemed to have a 1950's vibe to it. This was mostly because the main body structure, housing the passenger compartment, was carried over from the previous Studebaker sedan models. Even the doors were the same stampings. They simply engineered completely new front and rear clips for the body, with more modern and compact styling.
I would prefer a Studebaker 289.
And the earlier studebakers had the heater core under the passenger seat. That was their way of making the cars so low. On these taller cars I like how they just stuck it on the inner fender. A good design.
Regarding Zerks grease fittings and keeping cars on the road for as long as possible: this is actually very environmentally friendly! You are keeping a car for decades, rather than junking your car and buy a new one every few years or so.
Look up some stats cars know last longer then they ever have. Average vehicle on the road is over ten years old. It’s such an annoying fallacy to me that new cars don’t last as long as the old stuff.
@@TheJmatagi I see your point, but for our family, we have a 1992 Nissan Pathfinder, a 1996 Nissan Skyline, and a 1989 Toyota pickup truck, that are still heads and shoulders above of our already falling apart 2007 Nissan Murano... There is no match for Japanese quality cars built in the 90's and it is well known throughout the world about how they can practically last forever. It is such an honor for us to have these vehicles as part of our family's lives and we will continue to keep them for many more decades.
@@Nanogrip I so agree. My 1994 Civic 2 door Coupe was HEAD AND SHOULDERS above my 2010 Civic Si and 2004 Civic Coupe. Honda stopped dual wishbone suspension around 2003 and my 2010 Si was a crunchmobile (sheetmetal WAY too thin)-John in Texas
My son has an 86 fiero he calls Old Reliable. Always runs, never breaks. While his 2010 Saab and 2012 Buick set MILs, have timing chain problems, boost codes, misfires. It's always something. My 92-04 cars and van don't have any major problems, they just keep running.
Cars were on a 3- 5 year cycle then. 10 years was an old car..
Maybe it is a 283 from a Canadian Studebaker. After South Bend closed they made them for two more years, 1965 and 1966, in Hamilton ON with GM powertrains. The Lark VIII signified 8 cylinders and VI 6 cylinder models. Great video Wizard.
it is chevy black that says mid 80's or newer. A 283 would be chevy orange. Unless they painted it.
@@christianperspective9527 I had a 65' with a RED chevy 283 2Barrel that was factory. I was very young at the time and I'm ashamed to say I don't remember too much else I didn't own it very long but I defiantly wish I had it now.
@@christianperspective9527 New crate engines are also black.
@@patricksmith5655 maybe they were red before they turned orange I entered the trade in the mid 70's
Had a 48 Champion. Had a leaf spring across the front for the wheels. Seems like I remember Studebaker engines were famous for burning oil. Seems like Studebaker was pushing STP in the engines. Andy Granitelli was promoting it. The 48 Champion didnt have turn signals unless you paid extra. I went to a Studebaker dealer and bought them for mine.there was a place on the steering column to bolt the switch. Mine had after market nylon seat covers.went around a curve and slid across to the passenger side. I struggled to get back in control. Chevrolet had problems with the 55 265. Gave up on it in 57. The 283 was a good engine.
I am 74 and these cars were solid dependable transportation they were great bang for buck
Got out of the Army in 1960. Went with a friend looking for cars. Saw a 55 chevy convertible in pristine condition for 800 bucks. Too much money. My friend ended up with a beautiful 53 Ford Crown Victoria for 125 bucks. I ended up with an uncool 53 Hudson Wasp for 50 bucks. I had a bad habit of buying cars. Got a 52 Buick Roadmaster for 60 bucks. Bought the 55 Commander cheap. It had no upholstery and a bad 3 speed tranny. I paid 50 bucks to get a new cluster gear in it. Found some Hillman seats for it. Had no interest in keeping it origional. In today's language it would be called a rat rod. When I was in high school a rich kid had a souped up Ford. He decided to give this Studebaker a good passing. The guy in the Studebaker saw it coming and disappeared over the hill. It was a Golden Hawk probably with the belt driven super charger. Took a trunk lid off a silver hawk once The engine was a flat head 6. In those days you could find Studebakers in good looking condition in salvages being parted out. I think the Silver Hawk may have been in better shape than my Commander as far as the body. When I put the Chrysler engine in mine a guy at work had a car similar to the Commander but with a lot more chrome. It looked a lot more expensive. Same body style .I dont think it was a.Commander. It wasnt a Hawk. He got the Commander engine. Keep thinking it might have been a President. Been a long time.
I love that it happens to be parked in front of the Wagoneer! There’s some common corporate history between Studebaker and Jeep. Both the Wagonaire version of the Lark and Wagoneer were designed by Brooks Stevens.
I agree with the Wizard. This is a Grade A time warp machine. It looks to be in perfect shape cosmetically and mechanically. And I'm sure the SBC gives it all the pep it needs. My compliments to the people who built this, the people who modified this, and my congratulations to the people who found it and bought it.
A few years later, after Studebaker closed the South Bend plant they continued to make cars in Canada using Chevy engines. Just might have made that engine swap a little easier.
US production ended in 65 and continued on in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada until 66 if I remember correctly. Doesn't matter much in this discussion because the model in this video stopped production in 62, and they were still using their own V8's well after that. They used their one 6's through to the bitter end.
I live in western Canada and remember some Studebakers driving around with GM 283 v8 s in them from new.
My dad loved Studebaker. He owned a couple of them. His last one had a 283 chevy engine.
You are correct. The engine mounts and brackets from 65-66 Studes can be used to mount a SBC into earlier cars.
@@allanloiselle2052 What car did they build in Hamilton? The Avanti?
My grandfather had a 57 Studebaker Hawk,loved that car! He would always take me for a ride when we visited them in Charleston VA. He passed away in 1977. Hi from Chattanooga TN.
Right up the road from ya! Deer Lodge. :)
1957 was, in my opinion, a very good year for American auto styling. The Hawk being at the top.
The 1960 Studebaker Lark came with a flat head 6 cylinder or an ohv 8 cylinder engine. Where it says Lark VIII that indicates that the car was born with an 8 cylinder engine. Studebakers in those days were running machines. Their engines powered the Golden Hawk, the Grand Turismo and other very classic and fast cars. I remember these cars when they were new and a Golden Hawk was so fast it would scare you. Beautiful cars, years ahead of their time. Love your site. Pete
A friend of mine restored a 1963 Lark Cruiser when he was 17. I remember it in parts spread around his parent's backyard in Garden Grove. He restored it to a level where it won awards at Studebaker events.
The VIII meant it had the 259 180 hp V8, whereas the VI had the 90 hp L head 6
Yep
Thank you- I couldn't remember those specifics and have only ever seen one with a straight six. At 70, you've seen lots but don't always "catalog the details well". FR
m no mm 07l
I would have kept the stude V-8,but put a 5-speed tranny behind it.
@@jeromebreeding3302 Since we don't have any real idea who "did' the Lark, it's hard to say, past what "we would do, if it was our car". From a value point, even if the original engine was seized and ruined beyond repair, it would have been more valuable with another year correct 259 engine and similar transmission. Mush about this car make me thing the later model engine was to make it a "cruiser" or daily driver- the owner's choice, anyway. Maybe the Wizard will find out and tell us more- you never really know what will come out of a crystal ball till you rub it! FR
Looks perfect for a weekend cruise. Absolutely beautiful.
@@jannie1870 REPORTED.
Hell no. A boat on wheels
this thing is shaped like a banana..both ends seem to point upwards...it looks so vintage Russian,,i think even the ugly af Edsel was better looking
@@richardbaumgart2454 It's still better than the veritable tuna boats the Big Three was making at the same time. Give me a Studebaker every day of the week and twice on Sundays, as my '62 GT Hawk will attest.
Watching from practically the beginning, it's amazing how polished your presentation style has become. Mrs. Wizard too... very comfortable now with her informative editorial asides and her camera work has really progressed. Nice 👍 to see, fun to be a part of!
My dad was a mechanic for a Studebaker dealership in Northwest Indiana during my childhood. Always had a soft spot for Studebakers in my heart. He’d bring home nearly everything that they had at one time or another! My favorites were the Avanti & the Golden Hawk. I thought then (and now!) that they were SO cool! Later found out that Raymond Lowry designed these, and I love them even more!
That heater core design is AWESOME! Anyone who has ever given up and bypassed a heater core because it wasn't worth the time and money to replace it, and suffered a winter or two without heat (or more importantly, defrost) will realize just how well thought out that is!
Yes, it's said that cars are made by suspending a heater core in mid air and building the rest of the car around it.
Used to unhook heat hose in my 59 Chevy in summer got tired of well done feet the heat control didn't quite shut off..HEAT🥴
On many modern cars you can't even access some relays because they are hidden behind the dash. It's like they are doing it on purpose.
@@CoreMaster111
They are
80s and 90s Ford trucks have heater under the dash but with an easy to get to access door behind the glovebox. if it's in the dash that's the way to go.
Mrs. Wizard's response to Mr. Wizard handling Scott's shaft made me lol 😆👍👍👍
she sounded a bit jealous of Scott and Wizards bromance they shared for that brief shaft fondling moment didnt she? LOL
@@warrenmichael918 OMG, Wizard is going to have to touch Scott's shaft again unless one of his employees does the repair job for the oil leaks...Sorry Mrs. Wizard.
You don't touch another man's shaft especially one that big. Scott even had his name put on it one to tell everyone it was his. I suppose that Mr. Wizard's shaft belongs to only Mrs. Wizard. But only those with rear wheel drive have shafts like Scott's.Those with front wheel drive have much smaller shafts. A rubber boot is included to keep them from leaking lubrication. I'm talking about drive shafts on cars. What did you think that I was referring to? Dirty minded people!
@@billywhite4190 come on man, even you gotta admit that when such a fine shaft is presented, you gotta admire it. Maybe not touch it, i agree, but it must still be admired! LOL
I laughed way too hard at that
My Uncle Robert, my dad’s eldest brother, loved Studabakers and Ramblers and as best I can remember he had a Lark of this vintage. They were way ahead of their time in so many ways.
The reason that the "chrome" on the sides looks so good is because it's stainless steel. I had a '59 2 door wagon 259 that I drove daily for 10 years. Neat little cars!
@A walrus back in the day chrome was cheap.
pitting on horn button ,overspray on trunk insulater i believe over 100000 miles but still wonderful car..
@A walrus A lot of "chrome" parts are plastic now - and that is cheap!
That was back when each car division actually made their own engines!...that concept went by-by in the 70s.
@@thomascundiff3496plus the paint worn off the steering wheel
A lot of these were sold in Australia. You can see that the dash is designed for easy conversion to RHD.
use them as cop cars in the early 60s
I liked Studebakers, it's nice to see this one in beautiful shape, the Chevy small block makes sense. A great car.
The differential looks exactly like the one on my Sunbeam Tiger. It is a Dana 44. Mine was made by the Salisbury division in England. Studebaker-sourced posi-traction differentials have been used in a number of Tigers. The pinion seal is available from Tiger vendors.
More than likely a 27 not a 44
Definitely looked like a Salisbury/Dana axle. Also fitted to HD Land Rovers in the 1960s
Love it! Purists may scoff at an engine swap, that only saddens me when it's a rare one-off museum piece. If it's done right like this, in a car that's actually going to be driven and enjoyed, I think it's great. I love the fact that they kept so much of the factory appearance, inside it has the usual's that would have been added by many back in the day, better radio, some gauges... it's like having the 60's experience with the reliability of an engine you can easily get parts for from any auto parts store. My dad was a Studebaker man until they shut the doors, when I was a kid our driveway was always adorned with them, he had a Champion, a silver Hawk, and mom had a Lark.
Exactly, making older cars streetable again with a late-model engine swap shouldn't be an issue with purists who whine when someone sticks an LS or modern Hemi engine in a 60's Ford, Chevy or Mopar. They forget that most people wouldn't bat an eye watching a non-running 1962 Chevy Impala 2-door in fairly good shape bodywise getting run through the crusher or chipper.
Except that the Studebaker V8 was such a great and unique engine that doing a swap to even one Studebaker is a bad idea. My '62 GT Hawk will attest to that.
@@jakekaywell5972 I get your point but one of main issues for folks on a budget who have an older car they’d like to be able to drive frequently & maintain relatively cheaply is parts availability. That and institutional knowledge. It’s not hard to find a mechanic who can work on your 350 Chevy. Student Akers specialists are harder to come by. I’ve only ever done one engine swap-My buddy & I swapped a 430 Buick V8 into a ‘61 Buford mile custom whose Nailhead had seized up. I went with the 430 cause I had access to a nearly free donor car. We got it done but I still wish I’d gone the 350 route. Would have cost a bit more up front but I ended up spending a lot time, energy, and in the long run, money, than I would have had I gone with a SBC.
Also, finding engine rebuild kits for Studies is like finding hens' teeth. Been like that for 20+ years. Many Studies have Chevy swapped engines and transmissions. This one was done extremely well.
This was my first car, exact same color, got it from my Dad's teaching colleague, In 1971, just turned 18, it had over 400,000 miles on it, the body was built like a tank, very heavy, I was once rear ended in the middle of a busy Pico Blvd in WLA. I just remember the guy that did hit me, was not going fast, think I was stopped at a light. I just had a scratch of paint on the rear bumper. His front end was crushed. Think he gave me some cash, neither of us had insurance. In those days, you weren't required to carry insurance( a least in car crazy CA). And, the car he was driving, wasn't his. Think he gave me about $40, not exactly a fortune, but still a fair amount, it fi ally died on me, driving through Sepulveda pass. Actually, got $50 for junking it, good payoff (1972)
A Lark VIII means it came from the Studebaker factory with the Studebaker 259 cubic inch V8 engine with a 2bbl carb, with a claimed 180 hp. If the car is badged as a Lark VI, it means it came from the factory with Studebaker’s 85hp flathead six cylinder engine that had been around since the 1940’s. There was also a factory muscle car version called the Lark Daytona that came with a Paxton supercharged Studebaker 289 cubic inch V8 as used in the Studebaker Avanti. The Lark Daytona also came with power Dunlap front disc brakes and a Borg Warner T-10 4 speed transmission with a locking rear end (posi-traction). The Lark Daytona is the model you should look for if you are serious about buying a Lark.
Excellent knowledge!
My parents had a 1959 Lark VI with the flathead six. A great reliable car, simple to work on ,
and that small engine, (169.6 cuin = 2.8 liters} had more than enough power for the type of driving they did. No 4 lane express ways where we lived. but lots of country roads, many unpaved.
There were many converted for Marine use in the area, and commercial fishermen were looking for reliability above all else.
Studebakers are always sweet classics to take a peek at whenever you see one. I remember seeing one of the older Studebakers with the round bug looking hood and thought it was one of the most interesting design concepts ever to be produced into a car.
That 1950 bullet nose design was but Raymond Loewy.
Larks were raced in the early 60s in the Armstrong 500 (the precursor to the Bathurst 1000). Did pretty well with a couple of second places. Obviously a very well designed and built car, and very well balanced
The Studes were great little cars. I like the fact that the engine compartment is slightly dirty; that means to me he DRIVES it as well as shows it (I hope). Only thing I'd change is I would have mounted the whitewall side of the tire out. The narrow whites would look great on that car.
I was thinking the same about the tires.
I enjoy the fact that you have cars coming from all over. Just shows how knowledgeable, quality, honest work knows no distance.
Larks were used in Melbourne, Australia as police pursuit vehicles. All were painted powder blue and fitted with the V8. Looked particularly smart compared to the vehicles available at the time. Several were raced in Australia's long distance race in the early 60's - originally called the Armstrong 500 (for 500 miles). Straight line performance was good but braking was a whole other story. Cannot imagine any surviving here except in private collections or maybe a museum.
🎉thanks…. Love the Larks, **Super Larks , AVANTI, ETC.. ( I am from near South Bend Indiana…. Some legends , super Cars, came out if STUDEBAKER(( g also trucks, another STORY TITALLY).
Police chase cars in South Africa too - could simply not be surpassed in the '60's. Can still obliterate most present day competition. Also very few original examples in SA all's the pity in not appreciating excellence until it's gone.
Something I thought I’d never hear: I’d trade the 308 for a really cool Lark. My dad had a friend in the late 70’s who fixed up a 4 dr. Lark for his son to drive.. 2 tone beige with bronze under the chrome trim. It was a really cool car and certainly stood out in the high school parking lot! I enjoyed the video.
I have a GT Hawk, and I have had a blast fixing it up and repairing it in my garage. It is my first project car. Unfortunately there are a couple of items that are above my paygrade and I need a mechanic to do (fuel pump conversion, replace camshaft seal, etc.). Still really glad to see someone giving the brand a little love.
If your fuel pump does not work, many electric pumps will be a good substitute and work real well. Readily available and there is really lots of space under the hood.
Just did this on my 62 GTH , a daily summer driver. Good luck, those are great cars!!
The Lark was marketed as a compact from the get go. The logo on the grille is “the Lark.” The Studebaker logo is a very stylish narrow S in a two-tone circle (it reminds me of a yin/yang symbol.)
The mid portion (doors/seats) of the Lark was basically the same as 50’s Studebaker sedans. Studebaker did not have resources to re-tool and they creatively re-used parts. [If one looks at the various versions of the Hawk you will see the same basic body structure based on the Raymond Loewy 1953 design throughout its run into the sixties.] The ends of the Lark, front and rear are much shorter. Perhaps Studebaker used the older chassis also and with the shorter ends makes it have a cab-forward look. The front of the car is similar to the Valiant and the 1963 lark has a grill that looks very Mercedes Benz like. The 63 also has a lighter look to it.
We had a neighbor, when I was a small child, that had a 61 Lark with a six, and later a 63 Lark with a V8. That was his work car. His wife had a big 56 Buick. I remember going to Yosemite in the 63, our whole family in the back seat and our neighbor and wife in front. The car was a good climber.
This is a really nice example of a really fine sixties car!
It is unfortunate that Studebaker did not survive. They built quality products from their beginnings as a builder of horse-drawn wagons.
They built a quality car not a throw it away car, expensive and last a long time, return sales were slow. Expensive to build
The Studebaker WAGONEER was awesome. The roof slid back so you could haul tall items.
*Wagonaire! 😉
Later used by Chev with the Blazer!
@@casselts1 my neighbor had one in medium blue. Even as a wagon it looked really cool. He used it into the 1970s.
@@andysp8845 No, it was GMC with the Envoy XUV around 2003 to 2005.
Hi Wizard it's good to see a professional recognizing another craftsman's work, done right not over proformance but a real driveable cruiser, something to enjoy on a quiet Saturday morning drive 🌄
Wizard, you should check out the early to mid 50's Studie Hawk and Golden Hawk. They were sportier models. My grandfather drove them and my uncle refurbished them. Something about steel dashes; in the unfortunate circumstance of even a fatal accident all that was needed was to hose off the dash and put it on the lot. They were fairly bullet proof.
Studebakers from that era were really neat! Very different from the stuff that the Big Three designed. 🙂
Thanks Car Wizard for a great Studebaker Lark review. When I grew up, we had a 1962 Studebaker Lark wagon. It had the 259 cubic inch V/8 with 3 on the tree. We later converted it a floor shift. A good reliable car for its day. Thanks for bringing back memories.
I have a 1962 Lark 6 cyl Riviera blue three on the tree
Back in the 80's we had a 60 Lark that was a salmon color...I credit that car with saving my wife and daughter from serious injury after some guy ran a red light and t-boned them. It caved in the back door and quarter panel but the other car was total. Thank you Studebaker...
Actually, it was where the car hit the Lark that saved the passengers...that car, back then, had virtually no safety features, compared to today's vehicles. I love to gawk at old cars, but would never drive one in this day and age...one hit from a large truck or SUV and you would be messed up!...Drum brakes, optional seat belts, no air bags, non-collapsing steering columns, lousy suspensions, etc were the norm...many thousands of lives have been saved over the last couple of decades, with improved safety features..Too bad that modern cars look bland/boring, for the most part.
I absolutely like this guy. Very knowledgeable, attention to detail. No bull all straight forward. Need more mechanics like this guy.
In the Philippines, we were the pioneer assemblers of cars in the 1950's and assembled Studebakers, all the way from the early 50's 'Rocket nose,' to the '62 Lark. You and Mrs. Wizard might want a Studebaker Avanti too !
The styling of Studebakers was stunning, 'almost European.'
Wizard referred to the 308 as “mine too”. Looks like mrs wizard is gaining ground on the battle for the keys!
See my earlier reply! FR
She won’t let him touch another mans shaft either, like c’mon
5:45 I love prehistoric cup holders. These are cup trays for drive in movies, before the invention of the to go cup!
As a kid my local steam engine show also had a car show section. Someone brought their Avanti every year. I believe it was the last year Studebaker was in business. It was way ahead of its time styling wise. Studebaker used the Lark framework on the Avanti.
Thanks for showing us your Lark! (That was the tv commercial slogan for Lark cigarettes, which you probably don’t remember.) a beautiful car and so satisfying to see.
God I wish I was a mechanic in the 60's and 70's. Look at all that room.
I had a '63 Dodge pick up with a 318, distributer at the back. I'd raise the hood a full 90 degrees and stand on the frame rail to set the points.
In those days you didn't even need to be a mechanic. It was so easy to remove, repair, replace any external engine part. Rad, water pump, starter, alternator, carburetor, distributor . . . Just reach in and do it. And if it was a straight six, even easier.
Saw a 63 Dodge pickup in a used car lot. Candy Apple green paint. Lifted the hood 440 engine . Chrysler Imperial engine tranny and rear end. Wife said you dont need another pickup. She followed me home. It looked stock on the outside. I once rented a.equipped garage. It had a creeper you laid on and pulled your self over the engine so you could get get to the rear distributor. It was neat. I remember a Buick V8 engine looked small in a big Buick. The 440 didnt look so small. I once put a big block wedge head engine in a 55 Dodge pickup. Put the push button shifter in the dash.looked nice. 360 engine out of a Dodge car I believe. World's worse steering gear I believe. Kept taking them back to a salvage saying they are no good. They said why do you keep taking them apart. They put good steering gears on the cars I dealt with like Darts. International pickups had good steering gears. Talking about manual gears. Dont remember being interested in Studebaker steering gears.
That's one thing a well-tuned, carbureted engine can do that a fuel-injected engine cannot -- start with less than one revolution of the crank. I love that feeling, when you just *touch* the key and it roars to life. My '68 Ford Galaxie 500 convertible's 390 cu. in. V8 could do that when it was in tune. Just bump the key and it was running. Good stuff!
when i was a kid my mom had an avacodo green galaxy. the car was beat to hell but it started every single day.
My '79 Cadillac Seville with stock EFI direct port injected Olds 350" V8 starts when the first piston comes up... even at 20 below zero F... and then it cold idles at 500 RPMs... but they have a distributor... simple computer...
I thought this was going to be a boring car, but I really enjoyed it from the quirky, vintage styling and the cool and well done engine swap. I'd drive it.
Nice description and video. I've owned several Studebakers over the years from 38 Sedans to 50s pickups. Great cars.
This old neighbor lady had one of those when I was a kid. The old trusty Studebaker that brand was actually a good car back in the day, and in the late 70’s early 80’s many were still on the road, at least where cars didn’t rust out.
Studebaker were a great car of the time and their models were attractive for their time too. I saw a video of their story and history. Their business practice was about giving the customer more and making a quality product.
Lol, this brings back memories. I had a '66 Commander with a blown six cylinder just asking for my 394 Oldsmobile engine and transmission. At the time I was working in a machine shop so was able to make up all the mounts etc. I needed. That thing would do the most insane burnouts of anything I've built before or since. Kudos to you for this video!
I got my first car in 1972 when I graduated from high school. It was a 1961 Studebaker Lark VI. First year of the OHV 6. That car had 22 grease fittings. Basically, if it moved, it had a fitting. One of the hidden ones is on the "bell crank". That is the pivot under the center of the engine on the cross member. This is where the 2 tie rods come together. You have to turn the steering wheel far left or right. There is a hole in the cross member that faces back. Inside the hole is a grease fitting. When I would get it lubed, a few places would try to raise the price because of the number of fittings. I would then ask them if they gave a discount to people who owned Cadillacs that only had 2 grease fittings. Eventually, the oil filter blew apart and ruined the engine. I bought a wrecked '60 Cadillac and put the 390 cubic inch (6.4 liter) engine and 4 speed Hydramatic transmission from that car into the Lark. I drove it for several years, then sold it.
Love the Studebaker!
From a distance, the side profile of this car reminds me of a Checker Marathon. If you ever have one of those in your shop Wizard, please show it!
Have never seen a build of a Checker, that would really set tongues a waggin !
@@jeromebreeding3302 Checker Marathon cars & cabs were based on a 55 Chevy frame. If I'm not mistaken they had Chevy 6 cylinder engines.
@@gregbrown4962 Checker used a lot of GM parts (including engines from Stovebolt 6es to SBCs, as well as Continental - as in the aircraft engine manufacturer- engines in the earlier Marathons), but their frames and bodies were unique to Checker. They look more like a pickup truck frame - they were primarily commercial vehicles, after all, and durability was their primary selling point.
@@paulyearley1084 I based my info about the frames of Checker from a friend's dad who was a mechanic for a large cab co.
@@paulyearley1084 - Even the steering column, steering wheel and keys. One of the clues about what year the Marathon is, just look there. Seen some with the same steering wheel as my 1971 Nova.
I find it amazing that after 50+ plus years, these cars are desirable! As a teenager I was given a 1961, Lark 6, 4 door, by my father, who thought it was a wonderful car. After a few months of pleading, I was able to persuade him to swop cars with me and his 55 Chev. 2 door post, v-8 Belair became mine.
The 55 Chevy had a much greater “cool” factor.
@@GH-oi2jf Oh yea. But, I am ashamed of the ingratitude of my youth, which did not honor my father, but did dishonor him by my complaining and unthankfulness.
@@YOUGOTIT210 I know the feeling. I was the same way too and feel bad about it now.
@The Forsaken One True, the Lark was basically just a bobbed off full sized '54 Studebaker. OK, a bobbed of '54 that extended the life of the company another 5 years.
I found that The 1960 Studebaker Lark has a wheelbase of 108.5", which is about the same as the 1960 Ford Falcon. It was considered to be a compact car back then (it was small compared to standard size Detroit cars). I'm 74 & I remember seeing these cars when they were new!
The Lark inspired production of the Falcon, Comet, Corvair and Valient! So sad that Studebaker went under:(-John in Texas
Actually, the big three were all developing their compacts before Studebaker began work on the Lark. More likely their inspiration was the success of the Nash and Hudson Ramblers of the early fifties, and the rising infestation of invasive insects in the US car market.
The original Lark was developed due to the success of the draconianly de-trimmed Studebaker Scotsman, and was comparable in size to the Rambler Six and Rebel. The Lark was the only US compact of its period to retain body-on-frame construction. All the rest were unitized body.
@@5610winston If that's the case, then why was there such an economy car competition between the Falcon, Valiant and Corvair? It all happened after the late 1950's recession in the US and downsizing of vehicles. Lark kept Studebaker alive at the end, but they could never match economy car production of the big three, amongst other reasons ( another being the union getting too greedy).
@@TheGearhead222 By 1961, Ford had also introduced the Mercury Comet (originally intended as an Edsel model, as suggested by the taillights and the 'C' emblem, basically the Edsel 'E' minus the mid-level bar), with the intermediate-size Fairlane and US-market Mercury Meteor in the wings for model year 1962. GM introduced the Olds F-85, Pontiac Tempest with its exclusive rope drive and slant-four engine, basically half of a full-size Pontiac 389, and Buick Special/Skylark models using variations on the Corvair body shell. Chrysler moved the Valiant from a stand-alone make in 1960 to the Plymouth line for 1961 to prop up Plymouth's sales numbers, then added a Valiant clone to the Dodge line as the Lancer.
In 1959, Rambler had two compact body shells (the Six and Rebel on a 108-inch wheelbase, and the American, a reprise of the 100-inch wheelbase 1950-'54 Nash Rambler, literally built using the 1950-vintage tooling). Studebaker offered the Lark sedans and coupes on a 108.5-inch wheelbase and Lark two-door station wagons on a 113-inch stretch.
In 1960, Studebaker added a Lark convertible and a four-door wagon, and Rambler stood pat, while Ford, Chevy, and Valiant hit the market, drawing sales from the established compact independent models, with Mercury's Comet hitting showrooms later, but still early enough to be called a '60 model.
1961 brought the three new compact lines from GM and the Lancer from Dodge.
1962 brought the mid-size models from Ford and the conventional front-engine Chevy II joined the Corvair alongside the Biscaynes and Bel Airs and the Impalas, a turbo-supercharged induction showed up in the Olds F-85 Jetfire, and Buick introduced its cast-iron V6 alongside the aluminum V8 in Special and Skylark models.
Chrysler totally missed the mark with its downsized and hideously styled '62 Plymouth Fury/Belvedere/Savoy and Dodge Polara/Dart models.
By 1964, the Pontiac Tempest, Buick Special/Skylark, and Olds F-85 and Cutlass models had migrated to more conventional and somewhat bigger body-on-frame platforms, joined now by another less-than-full-size Chevy model, the Chevelle, all of which soon came available as GTO, GS, 442, and SS model designations.
Ford introduced a new model (what was that called? something horsey?) on the Falcon platform in mid-'64, about the time Plymouth grafted a fastback roof onto a Valiant body and AMC did the same on the Rambler Classic platform.
Studebaker's Avanti, based on the Lark chassis, beat the Mustang to the market by almost two years, but the Avanti was priced in the entry-level Cadillac range.
As I said, the 'Big Three' had been working on smaller models from the mid-fifties through the '58 recession, and the smaller cars would have come to market whether the recession had happened or not.
We should also remember the failed US market models from the fifties, specifically the Henry J from Kaiser, the Aero-Willys, and the Hudson Jet, and the demise of the Crosley (never really a major presence).
Yes, the competition among the compacts from the 'Big Three' occurred after the '58 recession, but then, the Falcon, Valiant, and Corvair were all introduced in late 1959 or early 1960, after the '58 recession, and the exponential expansion of the number of models, trim levels, engine options, etc. in the following years meant that the competition was inevitable.
Well done swap, but I wish it had a Studebaker 289. It's a very good engine.
Then it would be absolutely perfect.
On the next episode of Hoovie’s garage, I buy the cheapest Studebaker Lark VIII in the USA!
Great last name ♥️
And selling it/ trading it with the wizard.
It will outlast the Lambos and cost less to fix.
I had a 61 with a 259 v8 there were things that they did was cool, the engine used timing gears no chain or belts. mine ras pretty good and got great gas milage because it was geared pretty high. I use to drive it from Colorado Springs to Amarillo tx in about 5 hours running 70 mph almost all the way. I didn't think it was a pretty car but really fun to drive. I remember trading a 54 ford and 250.00 dollars for it and wish i still had both of those cars. it was sad to see Studebaker go out of in 1964? not sure of the year and the Avante was so far ahead of it's time. Also at the end they started using small block chevy engines. If I could just go back to 1965 I would buy it again.
I was pitman in a lube shop for a couple of years. I had to know how many fittings on many different vehicles. My boss knew them so well that he would ask me how many I did. If I wasn't correct, he usually knew which I missed. I learned quickly to keep my job.
Since that time I have always tried to replace greasless parts with serviceable parts. I've even put grease ports in where there weren't any available. I wish more stuff was made to last with "basic" maintenance.
Studebaker produced the highest quality wagons (originally) and stepped up into the auto industry, to have a reputation of quality for price.
We need a contemporary Studebaker.
Don't usually comment but Stude's are just awesome, and the original factory V8 was a great motor- and a sad episode that they could not reach enough customers- or ere forced out by the Big Three...
Ford and Chevy began a long price war in '53. Prior to that time it had been a seller's market.
Studebaker just didnt have enough plants to match it with the big three. And export them as well. Here in Australia they were considered to be a luxury car, and families would pass them down thru the generations.
@@michaelrussell6661 I think the Australian market only helped them keep volumes up.
Studebakers of this era sold surprisingly well in Australia assembled here from Canadian sourced parts and local content.
More common here than Buicks, Oldsmobile, Mercury, Dodge and Plymouth. Similar with Rambler.
Police thought highly of them. Some police racing enthusiasts bought them at police auctions to go racing at Bathurst.
Story of the Australian Studebakers here :
th-cam.com/video/SHHTPLw-oNM/w-d-xo.html
Some of the police highway pursuit cars were two door cars. Would these be Daytona bodies.
Standardised on V8s with highest trim level here to justify higher prices and simplify the range.
I remember working for Ford and trying to compete with Toyota and Datsun with a Pinto. On some Fords the bottom of the trunk was the top of the gas tank. I remember I once had a special gas tank full of gasoline. Came off some type of law enforcement or military vehicle. You couldn't drain the gasoline. I thought no problem I will get a safe distance away and put a hole in it with my 357 magnum with 38 amunition revolver. The bullet came back at me. We should have had that tank on the Pinto. If.the internal fuel pump or sending unit went bad you replaced the whole thing tank and all.
I was a proud owner of a Lark similar to this. I would say that the headliner was replaced and the original liner was like the sunshades.. Mine was a six and it was a great car. Mine was a 61.
When I was in 8th grade my father bought a Lark which needed work. It was a six. He fixed it and drove it to work daily in Indianapolis, Indiana. He loved the fuel economy and the go anywhere in snow. Nice cars.
Very cool Mr. Wizard! That is one nice Lark! A local Guy back in the late 70's put a small block Chevy with tunnel ram & dual 4's in his 2 dr. Black 1960 Lark. I hadn't seen it since the mid eighties cruising the avenue so I was greatly surprised to see it at a local car show just before the pandemic. I went over to look at it because being a one of a kind vehicle I instantly recognized it! Turns out the original owner/builder still has it! He had stored it in his shop for many years and finally got it back on the road again! It was a happy day to see it again! Since the 1970 Olds 442 Convertible I drove back then has been long gone for many years because I sold it when my family was young. Needed the money at the time!
Don’t overlook the golden hawks or the Lark wagons with the sliding rear roof! You could haul a tree home in one of those!
Very neat cars, indeed. love ‘50s & ‘60s Studes!
Here in Australia, they use to race these cars in Australian car production races and did win quite a few time's. Yes they was made in Australia by knock down kits from Canada by Australian Motor Corporation (A company owned by Toyota Australia).
Something I wish car makers would do is bring back the curved windshields and the wrap around back glass
I could've bought one for 600 in Vancouver in 1980. I loved it but my ex didn't. She left years later so in the end I should've just bought the car and told her to take a hike. I would've had more fun with the car than I did with her anyway.
MY FAVORITE CAR!
...
being a lark viii it would have had the 259 v8.
...oozing grease zerks is the only rust prevention those cars ever got...
It's because it is a 55 Studebaker a full size car that was cut down to make it a compact because Studebaker didn't have the resources to develop a new car
I always liked the lark
An old guy had one in the late 60s black and dull and one day I waxed the front fender and it glossed up
The 2 door hardtop was the nicest one
It is a shortened 59 Studebaker. The 53-55 had a much more streamlined body. You're right about the reason. Studebaker couldn't afford a new body to compete with the Falcon, Valiant, and Corvair so they shortened the late 50's body.
Yeah, they basically just chopped the overhangs off their full-size models to create a compact. It helped that Studebaker's big cars were already smaller than the ones from the Big Three to start with
I was off by a year. look at the green house of the 1956 it's the same as the lark
My favorite was the " Scotsman " a total stripper cardboard door panels painted bumpers grill and hubcaps
Imagine calling a car like that a Scotsman in today'sly correct world
@@joemazzola7387 1953 was actually Studebaker's last all-new body shell, everything after that was a heavy reworking/facelift (except the Avanti)
It would be called the Yorkshireman these days.
The Lark save Study for a few years. Very nice reliable car in the day. The big three tried to make an economical car the same years and failed.
My uncle had one of the last models, a redesign of this one, it had lost the 289 Study engine as they had moved on to 283 Chevy engines by this time.
In the final years of production, Studebaker was actually using Chevrolet 283 engines in these cars so it's not unusual to find them in the Larks. This Lark may have been equipped with the small block from the factory although it was obviously updated with headers etc. at some point.
I don't think so. You are thinking the last gen. Lark (64-66) and Avanti that used Chevy 6's and V8's. Early Larks were using 258 and 289 Stude V8's. SB Chevy is a drop-in using later gen. parts. Cadillac 500's from Eldorados were the hot ticket but a bit of work.
My grandpa had one of these! He always loved Studebakers and old VWs.
Now that is a car with character. That tailpipe is about the only "shortcut" I saw.
Just a week ago I tried to recall where the gas fill was on my '59 Lark VIII! Thanks, Wizard!
This car reminds me of my employer in the mid-70's, a small Los Angeles auto shop where the boss rebuilt motors, made custom driveshafts, and did many engine conversions.
One of my favorites was a '40 Chevy coupe with a 283 2bbl/powerglide drivetrain. Smooth motor, plenty of power, very quiet running. A real sleeper.
Scott’s shaft was a hilarious addition to this episode 😂
let alone Mrs Wizard's comment :-)
I had one exactly like that. Last time I saw it, it wasn't doing well. This one looks great.
Great video ! Hope there’ll be more on the Stude! my dad had Studebakers managed a firestone store i had a 63 Avanti Paxton supercharged my girlfriend took her rode test in it fail ! Poor clutch control ! I guess that three speed automatic didn’t cut it !
Here in the UK those grease zerks (I had to look that up!) are called grease nipples.
We just call them grease fittings here in the state of Ga.
Mrs Wizard: Stop admiring those nipples, Wizard 👀
I've heard them referred to as grease nipples as well as grease fittings. I'm familiar with them being called zerts or zerks, but I think that terminology is "recent" within the past 20 years.
A grease fitting, grease nipple, Zerk fitting, grease zerk, or Alemite fitting is a metal fitting used in mechanical systems to feed lubricants, usually lubricating grease, into a bearing under moderate to high pressure using a grease gun.
Alemite is a new one to me...🤷♂️
Zerks is a USA thing The rest of the Planet calls em grease nipple's or similar.
always love seeing something made indiana still on the road today,
The padded dash meant it was a REGAL model - more upscale than the metal dash in the 59 Lark my dad had.
Tell us about the motor mounts , in Phoenix you have to wrap the headers to avoid roasting with out A/C. Believe me! Also, I would redo the tailpipes into two.
That car is in outstanding condition for a 60+ year old vehicle. I'd like to hear more about its story if you can find it, including the reason for the engine swap. (Likely the original engine failed.)
Get a Lark. Its so cool seeing these old cars where each brand had their own look, their own style. They really stand out against today's constant stream of pointless endless curves.
Greetings from California! My parents had a light blue Lark when I was a kid. Don’t remember much about it but I agree that Studebakers are cool. Especially the trucks. Please get one so we can see more! Thx
OOF! It’s got a Fram Filter😔
It’s a very pretty car and it’s great to see a classic like this with an old school swap, very tastefully done.
Awesome video of the Wizard checking for play in Scott's shaft!
Brilliant!
This is awesome. My father and I got a lark back on the road together
This is a really well done video on Lark. I’m a Studebaker channel out here on the TH-cams and also own a 1964 Studebaker that is based on the Lark platform. Your more than welcome to use it if you wanna do a swap! Engine is already out.
My grandfather had one with a 327, and it's one of my fathers favorite stories! It was so fast that it terrified him and he would crawl under the dash when my grandfather would blast down the road
Someone on the internet told me Kurt Cobain was a cast member in Glee.
As a German, I would never think of it as looking "Mercedes-ish". I'd more likely think that it's some Russian made car from the 50s or 60s!
Got a bit of NSU Prinz from the back though
Or British, sort off xl Ford Anglia...
The grill looks Volvo
Mercedes Benz were generally marketed thru Studebaker dealerships in the late 50s to early 60s. Without Stude, MB would have had more difficulty getting a foothold in the U.S. I can see a lot of stude lark in some 60-70s Benz sedans, especially the grille
@@rockymeyers4030 I can't see any resemblance at all. OK, it's a chrome grille, aber that's about it. The whole design language is very much different. I'm not saying either is better or worse, they're just different, not very much resemblance in my eyes.
That swap is phenomenal!
Take the time, do things right, and you wind up creating a legend!!!
If you can figure out that v111 means v8 also 2 circle t on back oof car means twin tractor bill
@ 1972 we had 3 Studebaker Larks in our driveway, two sedans & a 2-door
Excellent video and car. I was born in 1960 and remember seeing these Studebakers around in my early years. Worked in a gas station when I was 16 and remember seeing the appointment book with "LOF" marked as an appointment for the mechanic each day and wondered what that meant. Found out soon enough and Lube, Oiled, Filtered my cars ever since. Hard finding some of those fittings. I always seemed to forget a grease fitting or two now and then, but I got it later. I miss those work on my car days.