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Re: Wagon engines '57-'58
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Home away from home
 
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Were those plain ol' Paxton units or some other belt-drive setup? I'd think a retrofit would be fairly straightforward, especially if the holes for mounting brackets and the extra pulley on the crank are present.
Just a thought. If y'all are interested in the one I saw stored outside here in MN, shoot me a PM. Although there was a faded note on the dash pleading for the owner to get in touch with some poor soul who wanted the car if it was for sale. Apparently been there a long time.
Posted on: 2010/9/11 16:38
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Guy
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Re: Wagon engines '57-'58
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Home away from home
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The original '57 superchargers were VS57's, which used a longer nose than the later SN60's, which are the same basic design and dimensions as the more modern Paxton type superchargers. You can't easily put an SN60 style on the older mounts, it'll bolt up but your pulley will be a couple inches off.
Posted on: 2010/9/11 17:42
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Re: Wagon engines '57-'58
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As I recall, all the 57 Packabakers came equipped with a McCulloch VS57 (VS for Variable Speed). The pulley was opened up by a kickdown switch that changed the pulley ratio and caused it to spin at higher RPM at full throttle. Only the 58 PackHawk had the blower. They are pretty reliable when upgraded with new ball bearings and modern bushings. Not sure who is doing them now, but in the past John Erb and Ted Harbit rebuilt and upgraded them. The later Paxtons are basically the same but single speed.
Posted on: 2010/9/11 22:32
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Re: Wagon engines '57-'58
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Home away from home
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I had mine rebuilt by Fairborn Studebaker Phill Harris was nice to do bussiness with he even had the correct decal for the top with the correct Packard style decal
Posted on: 2010/9/11 23:33
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Re: Wagon engines '57-'58
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Home away from home
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These oddball cars are getting interestinger and interestinger. I don't like the styling at all, and the cheapo interiors would have to be customized to look anything like a Packard product, but the mechanicals are quite distinctive. The Packard Hawk can be a decent looking automobile from some angles, too, but of course they would be the most desirable of the lot, as well. Some of these cars included the Twin Traction differential too, with a "TT" badge on the deck proudly proclaiming the option, at least on one model I've seen.
Gee, how about finding a beat-up "Packard Hawk" and retrofitting it with a real Packard V8? Yeah, a supercharged 374... with a vintage close ratio 4-speed with a Hurst shifter on the floor... yeah, that'd be the ticket. Twin Traction rear, big fat tires. Smokin'!! 
Posted on: 2010/9/13 17:50
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Guy
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Re: Wagon engines '57-'58
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Home away from home
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Quote:
No reason you couldn't build your own "phantom" out of a Studebaker Hawk. The Packard Hawks must be vanishingly rare as only 588 were built in the first place.
Posted on: 2010/9/13 18:49
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Re: Wagon engines '57-'58
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Home away from home
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I've always maintained S-P should have offered the Packard V8 in every vehicle they manufactured from '55-on. I've put a really strong supercharged 374" in my '56 Power Hawk as well as a '56 Caribbean engine in my '55 Stude 3/4t pickup.
jack vines
Posted on: 2010/9/15 21:15
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Re: Wagon engines '57-'58
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An interesting idea. Surely they had the capacity with the new engine line so wonder if there was a solid reason why not--maybe time and engineering manpower issues with all the other stuff happening would be one. Wonder if they would have kept the Borg trans to differentiate for what would have been considered lower end Studes or switched to an all Ultra option with the engine. The Hawk was top of line for Stude so an easy choice but I wonder about a lowly Champion.
Posted on: 2010/9/15 21:30
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Re: Wagon engines '57-'58
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Home away from home
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IIRC Studebaker tried the Packard V-8 in the 1956 Studebaker Hawk and the consensus was that it was too heavy for the car and adversely affected handling. So that might have been the result unless Stude steering and suspension hardware was appropriately beefed up to compensate. But even without changes other than the Packard engine and tranny it would have been a real straight line hauler for sure.
Ken
Posted on: 2010/9/16 9:27
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