I went to a swap meet today; on the way I saw a 60s Stude P/U, V8 3 on the tree, OD, only thing obvious missing was the tailgate (the guy may have it) back window said V8-OD though I never opened the hood and did not go to the door. Looks all orig. but a lil rough. especially the door skins and the floorpans. My 15 year old son is still talking about that truck 10 hours after we stopped for a look! (he has his driving [learner's] permit). Personally, I think the price in the window is a bit steep, even given the truck's rarity. though if I were to get it (unlikely; I have 2 projects already) if the motor was sound I'd run it; if not (or it went bad under my ownership) I would be looking to put a 318 Mopar motor in it.
ok, time for a shameless self promotion: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=320823 Don't worry about parts, etc., they are relatively easy to get and cheap if you know where to look. If that trucks seems pretty decent to you, I say go for it and help your son work on something a bit unique. But, the Champs are known for rust in the floors, etc. as you fortunately seemed to have noticed. The culprit is the horiz. seam at the front of the doors. when it goes bad it leaks and water gets onto the floor and in the carpets which is bad news. Almost all old Champ trucks have this problem to deal with. But is it has a sliding rear window, they can leak too if the seals go bad. But, like a lot of Studebaker truck parts, you can get repo panels to solve a lot of the problems. Keep the seals nice and in good shape afterwards and it is usually ok. If you get it, good luck with it and feel free to ask any questions. We would be glad to help out. Here are some good resources to check out: http://www.network54.com/Forum/23885/ http://www.classicent.com/studebaker.php http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/ http://www.studebakervendors.com/
Thanks guys. I didnt think that Stude had that much available for them. Heck, (a bit "new" for some here, I know) but my project is a Plymouth Volare restomod. Nice street cruiser, but definitely NOT stock. and I am having trouble finding some pieces for that and these were made in the late 70s!! so if it is "all there" would YOU pay $2500 for it with all the cab rust? I told my kid the most I'd offer is $1K max. IF we could locate at least SOME parts before we went over with that offer.
You sound like CASO already LOL. That's what is known in Stude circles as a Cheap Ass Studebaker Owner, we're a "frugal" bunch. If it has a running 259 or 289 and a functioning O/D that in itself is worth a few hundred. I'd try to talk him down but a Grand ain't gonna get it done I'm sure of that. I sold a pretty decent '76 T-Top Monte Carlo because I couldn't get parts for it and bought a '55 Studebaker Commander. Parts are available and most are quite reasonable especially considering they went belly up 42 years ago. There is an extensive support base. If that's not enough justification the V-8's sound really sweet with dual exhaust.
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