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I find myself wondering if anyone, anywhere has ever asked this question:

Is there anyone who has ever made a replica Packard Hawk nose and hood? The cars are rare enough that I don't think I'd want to use original panels that a restorer might need, though I wouldn't say no if such things ever turn up...

No, no one has ever asked that question.

Hi Mr. Assassin,

Yeah, I've thought about it. I've wanted a 58LS since I was a kid and saw a black and white photo of one in a Popular Science or Popular Mechanics magazine in 1957.

I'm currently negotiating with a fellow over a purchase. However, I'm married to an Asian; and, unlike me, my wife didn't grow up with a car parked in front of every house on the block. She doesn't understand the fascination that we American's have with old iron; old anything for that matter. For her, it has to be spanking new or she doesn't want it.

The idea of my purchasing a car that's undriveable, spending a whole lot of time and money to return it to like-new condition, always keeping it garaged and then waxing it more than I'll wax her beemer, and driving it only on sunny dry days, instead of every day, just doesn't make sense to her. She jokingly (I hope) threatened to have me committed if I go through with the idea.

So yeah, to eliminate that one strong objection that she has, I have to admit I've toyed with the idea of picking up a Studebaker Golden Hawk, having a good fiberglass fabrication shop reproduce the necessary body parts and then creating my own GH-based PH replica to use as a daily driver.

I know it's heresy, but since Studebaker produced more than 79,000 Hawks with a body that would work, if I were driving a replica I don't think I'd feel nearly as guilty about driving it daily and I'm certain it wouldn't be as devastating as losing a true 58LS if I were ever involved in an accident.

I still want the real deal though; just can't seem to shake it.

Mike O'Handley
Kenmore, WA
hausdok@msn.com

Interesting idea on the replica. Must confess when I first saw a picture of one in a particularly ugly front on angled view, thought it was about the worst thing ever created. Think that was in the Dawes book--Packard 1942 to 1962. After seeing them up close though not nearly as bad as first impression and nicely built. They actually do grow on you.

Unless it's a really good fab shop that can work from pictures, I think the biggest problem would be finding a real one to do molds from. Once that hurdle was over, certainly doable although probably a nice chunk of change will be involved. Another question might be how many specific Packard trim items would be involved or be a problem in finding--or would you try. Packard Hawks and parts are almost like 56 Golden Hawks & parts--nice & somewhat available, but in very limited supply so a tad expensive.

Quote:If I acquire a true Hawk, it's going to be garaged and pampered and it's not going for a drive unless the weather is going to be sunny and dry. A repli-Hawk on the other hand could be a guiltless daily driver.

I agree with you 100%, laying up a fiberglass nose from a picture wouldn't work. One is bound to get the dimensions off somewhere and you'd end up with a nightmare - kind of like the "new" Stude Avanti when you compare it to the original. That's why I'd been on a hunt for a derelict PH that was so far gone the only thing that would have survived would have been the fiberglass nose, hood, trunk lid and bumpers, which always seem to hold up better than the side sheetmetal, doors and chassis. Found a photo of one - I just don't know where it is. Anyone know?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/notablazer/3413326472/

If I could find one of these, I'd be able to use the original parts as patterns to create what I need to replicate it on a 57 or 58 Golden Hawk tub. It wouldn't be easy; and, yeah, it wouldn't be a Packard but it's definitely doable.

A repli-Hawk would be kind of like one of those fiberglass bodied boattail speedsters that has a corvette engine and chassis beneath. Looks nice, but you don't want to peek under the skin or you'll get a surprise. The difference here is that it would actually be closer to the real thing because virtually 100% of the body tub, engine, chassis and drivetrain would be accurate - like I said, a guiltless daily driver faux PH. Of course, it might cause a Studebaker Hawk guy to want to punch my lights out.

Mike O'Handley
Kenmore, Washington
hausdok@msn.com

Quote:Mike,

Looking at the license plates in the car pic's in notablazer's Flickr photostream I'd say - Illinois. Narrows it down a bit at least.

Mike,

Google is a wonderful tool. Nick, notablazer, is from Lemont, IL and is a member of this site, so maybe contactable there?

Thank You,

I'll follow up and see what I can find out.

Mike O'Handley
Kenmore, Washington
hausdok@msn.com

It is not hard to make a mold if you have an original part to work from. It is even possible to make a mold using hydrocal plaster reinforced with burlap, I have done this and it works.

Cost of mold, under $5O bucks in materials. Of course to do this you would need to find someone who is restoring a Hawk and do it while the nose is off the car.

A plaster mold can be used several times. You might get up to a dozen parts out of it before it broke or wore out.

The hard part would be finding a nose to borrow. Or maybe not, a Hawk owner might like to have a brand new spare nose just in case.

Hi,

A fellow living in the U.K. just came onto the Studebaker Driver's forum to say that he has a complete nose clip for a Packard Hawk that he's selling. He went on to describe P.H. parts as true "unobtainium" which leads me to think he probably wants a lot for that clip.

Ozstatman, he goes by the handle go-studebaker and is supposed to be an Aussie living in the U.K. Do you know him? Perhaps he can provide you with the VIN of the Hawk that clip came from so you can list it in your registry as "parted out."

Mike O'Handley
Kenmore, Washington
hausdok@msn.com