I instantly recognized this Lark when I spotted it at Craigslist this morning; we walk by it just about every other day on our walks. I’ve been meaning to write it up because it’s sitting next to a car that is even more compelling (to me, anyway), but it’s way down in someone’s driveway (pics below), and I’ve been meaning to ask the owner if I could come down and shoot them both.
I’ve been wondering what kind of shape this Lark is in, and what its future is; now I know. It ain’t pretty, unless beauty really isn’t skin deep. On second thought, it actually looks better on the outside than the inside.
Here’s my shot of it and its stablemate, a Toyota Corona (1965-1969). Based on the grille, the Corona is from the first couple of years of that generation. I have not seen or shot one yet here locally, so it’s a find. And it makes an interesting companion to the Lark, as there’s something vaguely similar about them and the fact that quite a few Studebaker dealers found salvation in picking up a Toyota franchise after Studebaker went bust; well, the smart ones anyway.
Back to the Lark. The seller is asking $3000 and says “it is in good shape for its age“. That rather depends on how a car has aged, eh? Like people. But yes, typical for Oregon, the body appears to be in pretty solid shape.
Regarding what’s under the hood, the ad states: “259 V-8 engine with a standard 3-speed on the column…Engine is complete and does turn over”. The classic “ran when it was parked”? Or? Well, the Stude V8 was a pretty solid lump, so the odds are decent it will wake up when asked to, if done so nicely.
“it has the 3-speed tranny in the trunk to be put back on it…The bell housing and the pressure plate and clutch plate is also in the trunk… Everything is there to get it going again..” Not exactly in the trunk now, but presumably at the time of sale? That’s not just the standard 3-speed manual; it’s also got overdrive, as can be seen by the solenoid sticking out the side. This would be the Borg-Warner T-86, very similar to the T-85 and O/D in my ’66 F-100. I’m all-too familiar with it.
And it has a nice fresh coat of red paint!
Sadly, the interior is a bit tired, to say the least. No worse than my F100, but then it’s a work truck and this is supposed to be a fine little sedan to take the missus out to dinner or such.
There’s that distinctive Studebaker high floor, due to the frame running directly under, unlike more modern cars with their perimeter frames. That did make the drive shaft tunnel smaller. I have many memories of riding in the back seat of Larks, including a blue ’62 just like this one, although it was a six. It belonged to a friend of ours in Iowa City; he was a German language professor.
A shot of that familiar front end, part of the two-year makeover by Brooks Stevens. He got to do the front and rear ends in ’62, and then the middle in ’63. And then he redid the front and rears in ’64.
And the view from the rear.
When I first spotted this Lark, I thought it might have been this blue ’62 that I’ve seen roll through our neighborhood several times over the years, and which I caught here. I was a bit dismayed at the thought that this fine Lark might have deteriorated so quickly in a few years. I’m happy to know it’s not the same one.
But is it a bit odd to have two blue ’62 Studebaker sedans in the neighborhood?
The full Craigslist ad is here.
Related CC Reading:
Automotive History: The Studebaker V8 Engine – Punching Below Its Weight
On The Go Outtake: 1962 Studebaker Lark – Stranger In A Strange Land
Craigslist Classic: 1963 Studebaker Lark Cruiser – Someone’s For Just $1.52 Per Mile
Not bad, I’d certainly rather get the seats redone than perform endless sheetmetal surgery on a rusty eastern car.
The price seems a tad ambitious, but perhaps the seller in negotiable. I don’t know what the Studebaker market is like in Oregon but it would of course help if it was in one piece.
Good thing it’s so far away or I’d be a little interested. Maybe JPC can swing by with his semi truck and bring it home?
Being a backend baby boomer, my focus would be on the Toyota.
Does the tent come with it so I can work on it in the rain??
How did the inside *steering column” get rusty?
If I were to buy a Lark, I’d hold out for a ’63 or ’64. The noted Brooks Stevens restyling of the midsection in 1963 finally brought the Lark’s appearance fully into the ’60s and vastly improved its appearance, finally ditching the fishbowl windshield & rear window, thick window frames, the swaybacked appearance of the bent chrome strip, and the fully-exposed B pillar. The most annoying aspect of the ’62 design for me are the A pillars that are set about 9 inches too far back, leading to a tiny front door window – a result of the wraparound windshield being grafted on a car not originally designed for it back in 1953. The 1963 improvements went beyond looks, with a new best-in-class dashboard and available disk brakes and supercharged engines.
That tall non-step-down floorpan looks like it would kill legroom, especially in back, Does it feel like you’re sitting barely off the floor in these (as in a low-slung coupe) or is there room to stretch out?
Regarding rear seat room, the Lark was actually pretty good from that standpoint. Dad’s 1963 Lark two-door was considerably taller than most vehicles of the day and the seating position was chair-height and upright. Though I was only in grade school, from memory, it seemed more spacious than the 1966 Dart wagon that we had for a couple years at the same time, due in part to that tall roof line.
It should be even better in the four-door sedan then, since starting in 1962 they were all 4″ longer than the two-doors in length and wheelbase (in 1961 only the top-line Lark Cruiser had the longer wheelbase).
Oh, probably through the same process that has encouraged moss to grow on the rear seat upholstery.
Nice little car. I hope it finds its next home.
What a find! And even in Eugene, seeing two blue ‘62 Larks must be an unusual (or, for some, serendipitous) event. I hope someone buys it and restores it to running condition, but that interior looks like a complete gut job.
Our family fleet expanded to two cars in 1968, when Dad purchased a used 1963 Lark two-door sedan from a coworker. It was very basic inside and out, in a dull beige, but otherwise in good condition. It did develop a rust hole in the floor boards just in front of the driver’s seat, but that was ‘fixed’ by welding in a kids aluminum snow saucer at some point during the last two years we had the car. The Lark was very reliable and though kept outside, it started even on the coldest of mornings and had much better cold weather driveability than Mom’s ‘71 Coronet wagon, which coughed, stalled and stuttered whenever the temperature fell below 40 degrees.
I agree that the 1963 updates made the Lark a far more attractive and modern looking car than its 1962 predecessors but it was still embarrassingly upright and outdated in the early Seventies, even in Fort Wayne, not far from its ancestral home.
$3000 for this Studebaker? OK, now I don’t feel so bad about spending a full $3000 to buy my ’60 Comet (comparable 4-door compact from the period). At least the Comet was all in one piece, ran, and had better paint, interior, and no cracked glass. Also nicer styling compared to that worked-over ’53 design. And prices for everything here in the NYC area are higher than Oregon.
On your local Craigslist, for the same $3000 you can buy a maroon ’63 Imperial in Federal Way, WA. I’d pick that over the Stude.
Selling cars like this is about finding “the right person”. Finding that person is hard to do, and there seem to be fewer “right persons” out there than there used to be.
My Comet just before I bought it:
That Studebaker seems to be sporting the air filter housing from the Toyota Corona. That is certainly not a standard Studebaker air filter on it; they never came with a thermostatically control flapper valve in the snorkel end, like the Toyota’s did.
Ugh, why is it always a low-trim 62 sedan whenever I see an old cheap Stude in nice shape! The 62 is the only one that I could never come around to on its looks. Like DougD, it is far enough away that I won’t be tempted. Perhaps Dave Saunders is looking for a new project? 🙂
I recall the ’62 sold considerably better than all other years except 1959-60
I’ll bet that 3,000 dollar asking price is mostly what the seller spent on the rebuilt transmission, and clutch. A good Indie shop could probably R&R the tranny for 500 bucks. It wouldn’t be too hard for a DIY owner to do it themselves. I R&R’d the tranny from a 12 cylinder Jag XJS and lived to tell the tale! The seller will probably go down in price when the “right” buyer shows up. The rest of the car is pretty rough. I guess/hope there might be a Studie lover out there somewhere that might be chompin’ at the bit for a project like this! Or maybe not.
I know that back in the day, carmakers used to advertise “foam-cushion seats.” I don’t think they meant that quite so literally.
3k seems cheap compared to what it would fetch here, I just spent more than that having a 1724 Hillman engine rebuilt, so no a non driver isnt what I’d buy again been there done that more than once with old classics.
Redoing the interior, in comparison to most other work, is relatively cheap, in my experience, as long as one doesn’t insist on perfect factory-correct materials. Recover the seats, put some carpet in, and probably live with the door panels, or get them fixed up as best as one can. I didn’t see any cracked glass, but maybe I missed it. 3 spd + OD plus a V8 is nice. I guess it depends on what was or wasn’t done to the transmission.
Here’s hoping there’s no rust holes in the floor, the rest of the body looks pretty good to me .
Plus it has a V8, I’m pretty sure that’s a bonus for everyone but me .
I wonder the quality of the ‘rebuilt’ tranny, I’d be embarrassed to let one looking like that out of my shop .
It should be a really sweet driver with the over drive .
I like to by pass the governor so I can use 2nd gear over drive to ascend steep hills easily and not strain anything .
My neighbors tried to give me one like this a few years before the internet, it was a two door and had been sitting in a dry garage since the mid 1960’s when the driver’s side door latch failed .
I tried to find it a buyer, I think it was crushed for scrap .
All told I’d rather have the Toyota Corona .
Here’s hoping this car will be saved and cherished , the price isn’t realistic but there’s always an ass for every seat .
-Nate
I’m a conditional “rather have the Toyota”; we know the Stude is 3 speed + OD, the question is what’s the Corona packing in that department? Being post-facelift, it could have a 4 on the floor which would be a fun classic car. Or it could have a Toyoglide, a 2 speed non-lockup auto behind a 1600cc four for 0-60 in 3 to 5 business days…
It’s a 63
My parents bought this same four door in 1962 brand new though was bronze color. The transmission had to be replaced in a year. It was the first brand new car they bought.
Lots of memories when I ran into this article.
You can’t exactly claim it’s a photo copy scaling exercise but if I had a pound for every styling feature on this car you’ll see on 1950s or 1960s Humber or Hillman Minx (pre Arrow series) then I’d be buying the car……