Hot Rods 1953 Studebaker advice and opinions

I am not "that guy" to start a what is it worth thread, but have little experience with these cars. I have a chance to buy this, it has been languishing in a SoCal backyard for decades. 1953 Commander, missing some small items (taillights). This will need attention on everything. Any estimate or experience on theses cars and what this should be worth?

 

That's your normal needs Everything project. How much can you do yourself, what do you have to farm out? Go shopping for the pieces you know it is missing and see what is out there in patch panels. Add up your round numbers and double it. Now shop for a get in and drive it Study. Now you know if that builder is a good deal or not. I've brought back several projects just like that one, never for myself just customers with a endless Bank account. A project like that ends up using most of there $$$.

 

If you are a gluten for punishment that is the perfect car. Imo you could buy one done for way less then you will have in that. But it is your time and money

 

I've done it, paid $2500 for a rust bucket, about $2500 in patch panels from Classic Enterprises, purchased three more Hawks for additional parts, $2000, and I won't admit here how much is in the finished car. Way more than it is worth. The good part? I was 73 years old and needed a project, glad I did it, and I am a lot better fabricator and welder now than I was when I was 72 My chrome was better as long as you don't look too close

 

First off - it is the sought after year - and the hardtop - lots of parts abound then will ever make it onto a car. Agree with the two other posters about it could be a money pit depending on how far you want to bring it back - as a beater you could drive with a say early Chevy power/trans - it might be a go at under $1600.

All outside body componets are bolt on including the quarters so not much metal work there - hopefully it's got good floors.

Have fun if you decide to buy it !

 

1963-64 disk brakes are a bolt on from an Cruiser or Avanti.....lots of hoarders have a lot laying around........

 

great body style, except roof too tall - needs a Bonnevile influenced look with a mild chop

 

As in most of these cars, you are better off spending more on a better candidate, they are cool when finished. My Brother's.

 

Run Forrest, Run!

 

What are you willing to pay? What are you willing to spend fixing it? What are you willing to lose when it's done? Only you know the answers to these questions. But you never know, build it the HAMB way and they might pick up the tab.

 

I'd definitely find a place in my shop for that!

 

IMO, the most valuable part of that Studie is the front end sheet metal, even allowing for the rust repairs required on the rear of the fenders. With that front end, you can transform any Studie Coupe or Hardtop up through 1961 into a sleek street machine......err 'Hot Rod'. Basically, I think the pictured car is a 'parts car', and barely that were it not for the front end.

I have owned four Studie coupes, 3 pillar models and one hardtop. The latter a ‘56 Sky Hawk I have owned for 20 years. I like the hardtop appearance a little better, but the pillar Coupe seals up better against rain and wind noise. '57 thru '61 Hawks with the bolt on fins removed and the '53/'54 front sheet metal added make a nice finished product.

My recommendation....if you can buy this one cheap enough, buy it.......then look for a better car to build.

Ray

 

My question is, were you specifically shopping for a 53 Study or did this just pop up and make you go hmm? If this is truly something you want Hnstray gave you some really good advice.

 

One good thing, complete front "sheet metal" is available in fiberglass. Both is separate pieces or as a one piece.
I know the one piece is still available, I think that the separate parts are also still available.
As are doors and trunk lids.
http://classglassperformance.com/53 Studebaker.html

That may help some.

Mike

 

Collectible Automobile magazine has value guides for these kind of cars, from rough to concourse.

Then you have to ask yourself is this a car I can't live without, last one left on earth, no matter what the restoration cost? (I mean you have restore most of it before modifying it) And after all that, what is the car actually worth? If you never want to sell and money is no object, that doesn't matter. But then, in that case you may as well buy a much better one to begin with. Good for parts though.

Also, agree with @Hnstray.

Also also, pretty sure the 53's had the thinner gauge frame material. Went up a gauge from 54.

 

I have had and chased many c/k Studies over the years. I would give 750 for that one. I have passed over several in that condition for more, and have seen better sell for 1500 or less. Two thousand should get a decent car, but, they aren't made well or common. If the hood, front upper and lower valances, and front bumper are intact, then it's worth getting. The rus t is typical. Despite popularity, on most days I can find a decent original driver, or Chevy swapped running project for 6 to 9 thousand.

 

I am NOT the guy to ask about Studebakers.

 

It took me seven years to complete the body off resto-mod of the Stewed in my avatar, and it started as a MUCH better car than the one you’re looking at.

 

Hello,

My brother and I started looking at cars back in 1954-56. But, my brother chose a two door Yellow Oldsmobile sedan for his first car. Then for the next year or so, he modified is as much as his teenage money supply held up. By the time he was ready to sell it, it was painted a Lime Green.
1957
So, a discussion was had and in 1957, considered getting a Studebaker Hawk with a supercharged motor stock or that we would put one in it. No one had any kind of supercharging except for the factory Fords at the time. So, being a teenager that wanted to have something different from all of the rest of the Ford/Chevy coupes and sedans, we looked everywhere for a Studebaker coupe. Used and in relatively in good condition were our choices at the time.

Our choice was not to get a beat up one, as they were new or fairly new. We knew that at the time, it was important to get something, do a few modifications to make it faster, show some individuality, as well as being stylish. But, in the back of our minds, it was not going to be a backyard build from a rusty hulk to a cool finished street hot rod/cruiser. My brother wanted a car that could be modified, but use it daily for school and his after school job.

Jnaki

Yes, it may not be the same situation as yours, but at least we were going to get a running car that did not require a full-on take apart, blast everything, and work on it for years. The goal was to have a running car for the teenage drag racing and cruising scene. Your sight of the rusty Studebaker was ok, but that looks like a money pit and long hours in the cold, dark backyard. If you brought it inside into a garage, get ready to lose a spot for your daily drivers to see this rusty parts heap in all sorts of torn apart places.

Your skill might be good, your abilities are telling you it is a cool old car, and you feel you could do a great job restoring it plus modifying it for a cool street cruiser. But, do you have extra space, plenty of extra money, access to replacement parts that are too far gone? To me, it is a walk away project… walk away and look for some other old car in better shape and overall condition. @rockable and his post of “Run Forrest Run” hit the nail on the head…

Look for another project in your neighborhood area or in the HAMB ads to help out someone that has an old car for sale. You will thank yourself, your girlfriend or wife will thank you and finally if you have kids, at least you will be able to do something with them given the extra time not wasted in the garage or dark backyard. (besides getting light early in the morning, it does get darker faster in the evening, here in So Cal.)

There are plenty of cars that will not require you to empty your bank account and add in countless amounts of time. If anything, look for Studebakers that are at least running and that you can modify it to make it your own. But, to start out as this old rusty car is, it is rather depressing and a bleak future is in store. YRMV

 

Been in the Studebaker scene for 60 years. You can buy a running, driving Stude for about 20% of what it will cost to restore this one nowadays, even with doing all of the labor yourself.
Ask yourself; Do want something that you can actually drive within the next 5 years? Or are you looking forward to living and working in your garage without pay for the next 5 years?
Do you want THIS particular car enough to spend $50,000 and 5 years of your life and labor on it?
I wouldn't take it on as a project even if someone was giving it away.

 

IMHO, it depends on what you want to end up with.

I've come to the conclusion that the only time it's preferable to start with a basket case or rusted pile is if you're going to go off the board with custom work, whether that be wild drivetrain, custom body work, paint, custom chassis or suspension, etc. That way you're not paying for a running car only to take the stuff that made the car worth that in the first place out and replace it with something else. This is where the cost runs up for guys like myself and many on the board here when we want to build customs or rods that are truly personal to us.

On the other hand, if you ultimately only want a nice, stock Studebaker, my advice to you would be to save your money, pass on this project, and go buy a nice restored car that is already turn-key. The amount of money it would cost to bring this project to that point in parts alone, not even time, will be well in excess of what you could simply buy a done car for. If you have to pay for labor, you can quadruple that budget. It ain't worth it. You'll suffer for years building that car when you could just go buy what you want and be out driving it now/soon. I'm not one of those people to go for the instant gratification but there has to be a limit to it.

 

I definitely agree it's cheaper to buy one done than build one right now. But where's the fun in that?

 

This was a 55 President. It was in comparable shape when I started with it 30 years ago. Parts from Multiple 53 to 57 cars made it a ?54 Champion.

R.I.P. by 327Eric posted Jan 1, 2019 at 2:06 PM

stude on trailer by 327Eric posted May 20, 2013 at 6:45 PM

 

My paper route 55 Stude I tried to buy in about 1971 - I finally bought it out of his estate auction in 2008. Got it running and moving and sold for $1500 about 2010.

 

It’s worth exactly what you are willing to pay.
I dig it. Looks like the junk I usually end up with.
Goal? A perfect, flawless hot rod? I’d recommend looking for a nicer one.
A beater to enjoy? Wear it out.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/393688544655

 

& you will not find a "rust-free" Studie. If it's nice now, either it's been restored correctly, or shoddily. Lots of the latter, few of the former. On rare occasion, you will find nos sheetmetal. If you think patch panels are expensive to buy & install properly, get someone able to recessitate you before pricing nos oem steel front fenders... ;( .
Get someone familiar w/Studes to go over that thing w/you prior to purchase. Can do cosmetics after proper mechanical work, while driving it. It will be more expensive to do in the long run, but you will know exactly what you have. Anything else, & you're guessing. & if driven alot, it'll start rusting out again eventually. Do I hate Studes? Only the propensity to rust - which is partially from the design & Studes' lack of funding to re-design. ;( . No, I love those things - & I've got enough project Studes to last at least 1 lifetime. Unless I had George Poteets' $$$ - . Sadly, I don't. ;( . Join up w/the Stude clubs & SDC, nice folks & can help you get a better car, or parts, etc. Worth your time.
Marcus...

 

My old shop built a rust free 1953 commander.
Body was perfect.
Ended up a SEMA finalist.
I still have the flathead 6.
Don’t know what the owner paid for it. Had it shipped to Bama from out west.
Cool cars

 

I would not buy it, if it ever gets finished it will be a money and time pit. Buy the best car to start with that you can afford. The finished product will be much better that a patched up rust bucket, and you will be able to enjoy driving it way sooner. There are drivers that are not all rusted out for under $15,000 and go down from there, depending on condition.

 

When I was building my money pit Stude I conversed with a fellow Stude guy that showed the pictures of what looked like a pretty nice Studebaker Coupe until he started digging around...it was a bondo/paint queen that was almost as bad as my car. @nrgwizard was absolutely correct.