My Factory R2 Quest is Over. I have purchased a 1964 GT Hawk to build into a R2 clone.
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I believe this car has enough potential to be built into a great summer driver. I am now focused on obtaining a full flow R1/R2 289" block for a R2 rebuild. The 64 GT Hawk requires some NOS faux wood dash inserts. Would anyone in the NG know where I could obtain these Items? Carpets need replacing and Door panels require restoring. Other than that I think I have a great drive for the summer.
You do know that the block that is in the car is exactly what you're looking for, right? Or do you want to rebuild an R-motor at the same time that you're still able to drive the car?
Looks like a real nice GT Hawk... It's provenance almost makes it worthy of a 'correct' restoration... If you can get past that point, making it a high end, full option clone would be neat... Think of it...That is the most refined version of a road car that Studebaker ever built. Jeff
The valve covers are just standard late model valve covers that are chrome plated, so I wouldn't worry about those until you have everything else together. The ones you have are functionally identical and if not rusted are probably easier to chrome than pitted chrome ones. The hard parts to find will be:
1) oil pan, breather tube, and windage tray - if you can't find these, check with Fairborn Studebaker. I believe they're modding stock oil pans to become R-series pans. I've also been told that Lionel Stone has the special main cap bolts to hold the little windage tray.
2) fuel pump - just keep an eye out for this at swap meets. You can tell an original R-series fuel pump because it's larger in diameter than the standard pump, and it has six screws holding the valve body to the main body. The repros have eight screws and work well but I get the impression you want an original-style clone.
3) fuel filter - this is an inline filter with a glass bowl and a special restricted fitting for a return line. You will need to run a
3/8" fuel line back to the tank in place of the stock 5/16" as well as add a return line and solder or braze the return fitting into the fuel tank.
4) vibration damper - just have to search swap meets for this one, again. You will need the one with the belt groove in it, although if you find one without, Dave Thibeault can modify it for you (again, for a price...)
5) water pump manifold, supercharger brackets, blower, air cleaner, ducting, carb, hat, pulleys, etc. - if you want to turn your car into an R2 you will need all this stuff and again, just keep an eye out for it. Lionel Stone has repro'd some of the cast parts, but they do sometimes take some machine work to make them fit. The R2 has a lot more "unique" parts than an R1. An Avanti R2 will have the right carb, hat, and blower, but the brackets and water manifold are different, as are the pulleys.
So basically I agree with Nimesh's advice, I was just trying to hit the high points of what the differences are if you end up having to piece an engine together. If you do find a core engine, make sure it is from a Lark or Hawk, that will make your life much easier as you will have most of the parts you need on it and won't have to do so much parts trading to make it work.
BTW, I just got a fake second chance offer on that very car. I have a a bare R1 block that will need a bore for $300 (JT1444)
Also rebuilt R2 engine (Avanti R2 RS number) Long block $3000, or long block with R2 pan, carb, distributor and damper $4000 or with Lark/Hawk rebuilt blower mounted, ready to install $5500 with factory blower mounts, but less air cleaner, and chrome valve covers. I can help with the R2 gas tank and motor mount issues too.
N8 might recall the guy that does the wood overlays. I sell a full carpet kit with the door panel carpet for $310. Ernie Loga sells the cardboard to redo your panels.
If the Avanti engine is available for a good price you might as well go ahead and buy it, just be aware that you will have to swap all the stuff on the front of the engine - damper, water manifold, blower bracket, alternator bracket, etc. The Hawk R2 alternator bracket is still available NOS from SASCO as far as I know. I believe the carb hats are different as well. It all boils down to how good a deal you are getting.
The guy's name is Jim Kranak from WV - his wood overlays are not an exact repro of stock, they are actually quite a bit nicer looking. The other option is to strip the dash yourself and use vinyl "fake wood" which will look closer to stock. I think it is a 3M product.
OK, but a block is not a engine. It's those little added bits that add to the expense. Nimesh spent $5K on the rebuilding the engine in the famous "secret serial" Black GT that I'm doing and he had the correct engine. Before you get too far into the project, run the numbers on building your car. You may end up with more money building a clone then a factory car car would cost. I'd bet I'll have 2 or 3 more on ebay by the spring of 08.
Be careful, that's a Avanti R2 setup, much easier to find, but is not what you want for a Lark/Hawk. The $7100 price is fine, since you could sell the rest of the driveline for a $1000 or so and come out fine if it was a Lark/Hawk driveline.
I'll have a very rough factory R2 GT > Thanks I found a Avanti R2 Drive train for sale on the Studebakerswap. Its a
OK, take this suggestion for what it's worth, and don't let us confuse you. Here's what I would do in your place. Get that pretty 64, do the wood grain, carpets and the rest and enjoy the car until closer to your 2008 clone deadline. If another factory car shows up that you like, I'm certain that the correct, near show 64 would bring 14-15K. If you spent the 6-8 more to build a clone out of your now 15K factory car, you could have the 'real deal" for about the same money and saved the stock 64. i.e., like this R2 4 speed car that I sold a few weeks back:
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