This story actually starts back in the '60s when a young lady by the name of Carolyn was promised a sporty red convertible if she would keep her grades up, not get "in trouble," and not run off with some bum before graduating from high school. Well, she kept up her end of the bargain, even waiting a year after graduating before running off with that bum (me), but somehow the convertible never materialized. Then with the responsibilities of college, career, and children, the dream of a sporty red convertible gradually faded into the background.
Jump ahead to the late '70s when Frank Forrester of Portland, Oregon, found himself in possession of a '56 Studebaker Hawk hardtop severely damaged in a barn collapse. An idea started taking shape and he began to make plans to correct one of Studebaker's more significant oversights, namely the failure to produce a convertible version of the stunningly beautiful '53 "Loewy/Bourke" coupe. He started by finding a '64 Dodge Dart convertible and a '53 Studebaker coupe. He cut the roof off the '56 Hawk, grafted in the complete Dart convertible assembly, and then added the front and rear sheetmetal and trim from the '53. He also installed a '63 Studebaker 289 V-8. At this point he apparently became burned out and stopped work on the project. He moved to California and parked the convertible in his yard where it sat for several years.
Jump ahead again to the late '80s when Ann Flynn contacted Frank and talked him into selling the project to her as a surprise birthday gift for her husband, Dick, a lifelong Studebaker enthusiast. At the time, Dick was deeply involved in another Studebaker project, so the convertible was placed in storage for a future time.
That was until I visited the Flynns in 1995 to pick up some Studebaker parts for a friend. Ann opened a barn door and there stood this ragged and dust-covered '53 Studebaker convertible! I had no idea they had such a thing and was fascinated to see a drop-top version of my favorite car. She went on to tell me it was for sale. I didn't have to think long before pulling out the checkbook.
On my way home I started rehearsing how I would tell Carol that I'd just bought a car without even consulting her. I figured her reaction would be tempered by the explanation that this could ultimately be the sporty red convertible she was promised so long ago. I was right. She even proposed we sell her beautiful '61 Hawk to help finance the project (which I estimated would take about two years to complete-ha!).
Unfortunately, it wasn't until 1998 that I finally started seriously tackling the job. What I had was a very good foundation that needed most everything a "regular" restoration would, plus the solution to some very unique detail problems. The graft was nicely done, the frame had been reinforced, the sheetmetal and driveline were in place, and it had even been painted at one point, but there was a lot left to do (and re-do). The engine was stuck, the sheetmetal was misaligned, there was no interior or wiring or dash, the paint was dead, and there were a number of technical details yet to be worked out.
Many homemade convertibles end up scrapped due to the frame. Most standard frames cannot properly support a topless body, and Studebaker frames were barely adequate even with a rigid top. Without a top, they become creaky wet noodles with sagging doors and evil handling. The frame on this car was reinforced with steel plate and a ladder bar assembly extending the full length of both 'rails. I decided to further stiffen the body by bonding a layer of fiberglass to the floor pan and sidewalls. I then modified the frame reinforcement to provide a little better ground clearance.
Early on, we decided that, although this was obviously a radically customized car, we didn't want it to look like a radically customized car-at least not at first glance. Accordingly, I avoided obvious custom standards like shaved door handles, frenched headlights, and such. I did incorporate a number of more subtle modifications, such as smoothing the bumpers, filling seams, and removing some standard trim and the lock buttons, but I installed factory-style rearview mirrors, beltline trim from a '55 coupe, and wheelwell and rocker moldings and exhaust tips from a '64 Hawk. I also added the hood and trunk tri-star emblems that were only installed on very early '53 models (before Mercedes complained that it too closely resembled their logo).
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