56J ONLY THE PERIODIC NEWSLETTER OF THE 1956 STUDEBAKER GOLDEN HAWK OWNERS REGISTER 1996 Old Cars Weekly Golden Quill Award Winner NUMBER 029 ESTABLISHED JANUARY 1, 1989 FEBRUARY 1998 ANOTHER ONE IS LOCATED A question on the oil pump puts a "special order" 1956 Golden Hawk on our register and solves a forty year old mystery On June 4th, 1989, I received a letter However, on November 17, 1997, I received from Bob Palma of Brownsburg, Indiana. a call from George Shirley of Dieterich, Those of you in the Studebaker Drivers Club Illinois. George had some questions about will recognize Bob as the editor of the the oil pump and after that discussion, we Studebaker Co-operator column in Turning began talking about the Golden Hawk club. Wheels. He was interested in our 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk Owners Register George had owned his car about two years, (56SGHOR). but was not a member of our club. He gave me his serial number and I added him and In 1956, Bob's father was a Packard, his car to our register. Later when I Nash, Studebaker dealer in Paris, Illinois checked my records, I discovered that his and he sold two Golden Hawks that year. Bob car's serial number, 6032356, was the same thought one of the cars was of special as the one Bob Palma had written about in interest. The purchaser, Riley McClain of his letter eight years earlier. Metcalfe, Illinois wanted an all leather interior. The car was redone in red leather I sent both George and Bob the upholstery before delivery. Portions of information. Bob called George and made Bob's letter follows: arrangements for him and his father to meet George, and see the car the following As you know, my dad was a Sunday. Packard-Nash-Studebaker dealer in 1956 and I have his The production orders for all the 1956 dealer records from the time Golden Hawks are contained on two microfilm they sold two Golden Hawks, rolls. These records are maintained by and here is the invoice on Newman & Altman in South Bend. Dennis one of the two - it was very Lambert was kind enough to allow me rare even then because: complete access to these records. Because 1. It was a solid color (silver or of this, I can offer the following charcoal, I remember) information. 2. It had overdrive. 3. It had blackwall tires & wire wheel Of the 4071 Golden Hawks produced for covers. 1956, only 786 came equipped with the 4. The owner specified leather upholstery manual 3 speed overdrive transmission. Of and dad had to pay an out of town trim those, only 192 included power steering. A shop to put the leather in before it was further breakdown indicates that George's delivered to Mr. McClain. car is one of only 90 cars factory equipped 5. They took a Jaguar in trade. with manual transmission, power steering, and power brakes. As it was, the Jaguar didn't sell and they finally had to dump it for $1,500 This Golden Hawk also was one of only 11 wholesale. Dad lost over $1000 hard money to feature the 529060 pinion and 4:09 rear on this deal, but I bet Mr. McClain enjoyed axle ratio. Los Angeles serial number that rare '56 G.H.! 6800467, was the only other 1956 Golden Hawk produced with the 4:09 rear axle and Bob asked me to let him know if the car the manual transmission, power steering, ever turned up in our group but, I didn't power brake configuration. hold out much hope of that happening. I naturally assumed that with only about 300 I really enjoyed putting Bob and George of the original 4071 Golden Hawks still in in touch with each other. It is one of the existence, the chances of this car being things that makes this whole effort such a among the survivors were indeed slim. pleasure for me. I hope you enjoy reading 56J ONLY - Page 29-1 about adventures of this type and perhaps tachometer, etc., and is still COLUMN there will be more such events in the SHIFT; no one has hacked in a floor shift future. Below is a note from George: at any time! Further, it didn't dawn on me until we got there that the car was ordered Calling for oil pump parts has been and sold without a radio AND THE CAR STILL great. Not only oil pump but all the other HAS the BLANK-OUT PLATE AND NO RADIO!! Yep, things that started happening is check the sales sheet and the photos, no unbelievable but great! The people who I radio and there's never been a hole cut for have talked to have been so helpful, Bob an antenna. Really unbelievable! Aller, Bob Palma & his dad, and the people at Packards International. It is nice to I took pictures of the serial number know that in today's society, people still plate (number IS correct) but they were have time to help others. washed out (overexposed). However, the body tag photo came out fine, as you can Frank, I would be willing to help others see...and,of course, it is the correct restore or work on their Studebakers if number. I rolled under it and wiped off the they need help. We live in central Illinois differential tag and sure enough, 4.09:1! and have a trailer. We could pick up and deliver cars for Studebaker fans if we work It still has the oil bath air cleaner. It on them, or just need someone to take their was in the trunk while George was working car home if they purchased one and cannot on the engine. drive it yet. You know, Frank, it would be really neat Here's is Bob's story. to discover a 56J overdrive car in this shape and originality even without Dad's Hi, Frank, December 4 1997 dealership having sold it new. What a double treat to have it come from MANY MANY THANKS for your Palma-Rhoads Motors too. having put us all together. I waited to answer you until I I enclose additional documents to had some pictures to send illustrate their money loss when this car along, and they are enclosed. was sold new. It looks like they "only" We finally went over to see lost $670 in 1956 money (OUCH OUCH OUCH) the car on Tuesday, December but consider: I don't have the other dealer 2, 1997, 41 years and 9 records that would indicate how much money months after Palma-Rhoads Motors delivered they spent RECONDITIONING each of those it new! All of us were most excited. three used cars. Surely they ran both the Another local club member, Dave Elmore, '51 Champion and the Jaguar through went along just to see the car and savor clean-up, and maybe even paid the lot boy its rarity. to wash the '47 Land Cruiser traded in on the '51 Champion. Plus who knows how much Yes, the car is rusty but not terminal. money they spent on gas, oil, repairs such It is very much worth restoring and it as a couple tires or brakes or exhaust... looks like George intends to do just that. etc. etc. etc. At least he has it indoors in a nice shop and if he ever gets tired of it, he has So with the reconditioning expenses for promised to call us (Dad or me) first. THREE used cars added to their up-front $670 loss, I'm sure Dad's memory that they The car is in remarkable and unusually lost $1,000 on this car is probably right. original condition considering our climate The price others paid that we might have and the fact that it seems to have been interesting collector cars to talk about, here all along. The wire caps are long eh? And this was back when they would gone. There is a set of the deluxe gladly order and sell any new car for $100 (fin-style) 1957 Golden Hawk wheel covers over invoice. What a hit this 56J that came with it (not wires). represented to a small-town dealer. Also, we solved the mystery of the Although it's been repainted black, it no-longer-leather interior. The bottom line appears to have been repainted only one is that someone simply robbed the leather time and they didn't do a very thorough seats and replaced the seats with those job. Under the moldings and under the hood from what appears to be the red vinyl is still Cambridge Grey. Wherever there is interior from another 1956 Hawk. However, a paint chip, the Cambridge Grey appears the seats themselves (outside of the underneath. So the original paint wasn't upholstery) are in good enough shape that scuffed up very much or otherwise removed they could be redone in leather and before the change to black. everything would be "as advertised." Now since you did such an excellent job Other than the 'caps and leather, the car locating the overdrive 56J they sold, how is unbelievably original. It has the about finding the OTHER one, the Ultramatic original ENGINE (K-1406), transmission, and 56J? It is serial #6031286, as you can see rear end. It has its original (1956) hood, on the other enclosed Car Invoice. Take a 56J ONLY - Page 29-2 look. It was pretty rare in its own right. numbers which contained about 200 entries.