Until this vid, I didn't really think about how popular Studebakers were in my young life. One of my grandfather's biggest customers was a local dairy, and they had all Champs for deliveries. One of my dad's good customers had a Studebaker Silver Hawk. My Sunday School teacher had a Lark. So, I guess I was around quite a few Stude's in my youth.
The standard Bed was the first (1949) double walled pickup bed where as the wide Dodge Bed was single wall! Studebaker was also the first Truck (1949) with a fuel tank mounted outside the cab and inside the frame for protection. In late 1962 Studebaker made a substantial redesign of their 6 Cylinder and V-8 converting both to Full Flow Oil filter system along with many other refinements.
Back in the mid 70s to the mid 80s We owned a 1964 studebaker champ 8E7 3/4 ton long bed 289 4bbl 5 speed od truck. It was quite a head turner. Very unique and dependable..
It made sense that Studebaker made trucks considering their origins were making wagons. They also made a lot of heavy trucks for the US Army and allies including the UK and Russia during WW II.
My Dad was a military truck driver in Europe during WW2 he said of all the Trucks the Studebaker 6x6 was the most reliable. He said the Chevys had a lot of engine problems.
@@mylanmiller9656I suspect that the engine problems may have been caused by poorly trained personnel who were not familiar with overhead valve engines. The USMC had huge maintenance issues with their Harrier jump jets until they recognised that sophisticated combat aircraft needed to be maintained by fully trained personnel and the occasional senior apprentice. Those Studebaker trucks used Hercules side valve engines. Simpler but much less powerful.
Actually owned one, a 61. Best looking truck that always drew praise. Unfortunately, it was manual on the column and a b to drive. Mine was the wide short bed. These trucks could have been at the forefront of truck popularity that RAM eventually captured, it just had that style. Also, since it was derived from car design, it is a worthy successor to the Coupe Express. Some were built into 1965 South America, slightly altered bed and mesh grill. Druthers: always a Champ.
6:00 those layers, as you called them are because that was a sedan body, but the bumper was mounted quite a bit lower for the pick up truck to increase the ground clearance and to accommodate larger wheels and tires for a truck application. The body stamping was modified to have more sheet metal, which on the sedan, would be directly behind the bumpers.
As i recall, Studebaker used amber front parking light lenses in '62 Lark and Hawk models, and went to clear lenses with amber bulbs for '63. Or was it the other way around?
My pick would be the Studebaker Champ from both scenarios. I noticed the Corvair and the Econoline have orange turn signal lights. From what I have observed frontal turn signal lights in orange first became available in 1963, unless an aftermarket conversion was done.
11:26 look at the rear guards on this thing ! They look modern custom as ! How futuristic ! Front looks like a big Lark ! I love it Jay. Can I have mine in blue ? Cheers from New Zealand 🇳🇿
WYR: 1. Feel like I'm being a bad Hoosier but choosing El Camino. 2. With feelings of guilt, Corvair Rampside. I really like the Champ, but you presented some darned irresistible options!
Thanks for a great presentation,I have always like the Champs looks.I think they did amazing work given what they had to work with,and they look great with the stake bed.
@@What.its.like. Yes,I did,I worked at a used auto parts yard in the mid eighties,and one of the owners father owned a Studebaker Dealership called J and S Motors,and had a Champ with 289 Studebaker and 4 speed,what a nice driving truck, your presentation brought back a lot of great memories.Thanks Again.
I remember My Dad buying a new F100 Ford in 1965, if he bought a 3/4 ton it also came with a rim no tire for a spare. That was the reason he bought a F100.
@@ernielaw was it because I saw an actual Scotsman at a car show and the guy explained how was the cheapest pick up truck for a year I don’t remember it was a 58, 59,60 or 61 that was 20 years ago and it only came in white.
@@neilhartigan7456Those were the good old days, If someone bought a new Car, they had a picnic and invited the whole neighborhood to inspect it. Those were fun times.
WYR: 1961 Studebaker, Corvair Rampside. Two of my favorite postwar pick-ups. BTW, there's a 1937 Studebaker Coupe Express listed for sale outside St. Louis; I know you said you like these. Found it on AutoTempest.
61 El Camino 61 Champ I always like the looks of these Champ trucks. I thought they were very stylish for their time. Considering the low budget they were given to design and build these, I think they turned out beautifully. I've always thought the 289 in the small 1/2 ton would've been a nice little hot rod truck. One thing I noticed on the underhood was it looked like the blower motor and heater core were missing from the truck I thought it's on opening for them on the firewall but I didn't see that they were there.
Except that there was no factory '61 El Camino, and the custom jobs would be structurally suspect at best. If it was anything like the Studebakers I owned, the heater core would have been under the right front seat.
Saw the 61 IOM flyer in the outro: Mike Hailwood won that on a Honda, the first time he or a Japanese bike won that classic and quite dangerous race. If you're not familiar with the IOM TT race you should look into it, truly unique. He went on to ride for Norton in later years. WYR is tough, but I'm a Ford man so those are my picks but I do like that style El Camino quite a lot. Pick-up's were viewed differently than they are today, being work-only vehicles and lacking any amenities one would want in a daily-driver, so most got worked to death and are long gone. That makes this Champ special indeed. It's stylish in every version but the Dodge-sourced bad doesn't quite look right with the offset body lines. Studebaker had slipped in the market relating to the "Big 3" by then and we'd soon lose them; sad as they did some great cars and trucks in their final decade. I'd love to have any Studebaker truck just for the 'different' factor in the sea of the other all-too-common ones.
My memories of the Studebaker Champ pickup truck was from the late 1960's when walking home from grade school, some company had a fleet of trucks that was heading down Wilbeth Road in Akron on a regular basis which consisted of a Studebaker Champ, 1957 Studebaker truck (I forget the configuration but stake body comes to mind) and a circa 1950's Diamond T. I remember doing a double take the first time because I was unfamiliar with the Champs. Just the 1957 Studebaker truck was an unusual sight on the street and it to took my attention but as I said, that was my first experience with a Champ and it really grabbed my attention although it sounded as if it had a diesel engine. If only I could recreate that memory so you could experience it, it was definitely something different. Mr. Picky enjoys your videos. By for now unless I find something to criticize.
@@n.mcneil4066 Or an engine swap to keep the fleet uniform in fuel use so they all could be fueled up together. The point is I remember seeing them together and to me that glorious sound as they passed. If I could only see them again just to prove my memories correct. Thank you for your thought on the matter. I just wish I knew the company that owned them. Ah the strange memories that still remain of a past long gone.
I’ll take a double Champ, with a cup of rust to chase it down. The Champ was pretty spartan, but today it is highly collectible as its small sized and cute. The reason for the filler under the grille is Champ was on a truck frame and sat higher than the Lark. Leaf springs, front & rear. And that’s why the bumper sits lower. Studebaker selected the name Champ in deference to their well known Champions. If they had chosen a derivative of Commander, it might have been called a Commie. 🤔 Nah.
Look up the Studebaker Coupe-Express models, if I remember correctly 1936-1938 models. '39-'42 Champion business coupe owners could order a short pick-up style box that bolted into the trunk opening after the trunk lid was removed.
Unusual trucks from Studebaker 🤔 ? I have a tool box big enough to own a Studebaker 🤷😂 Corvaire has two carbs a pain to synchronize !! And I owned that ford Econoline for about 8 months.. new brakes and hard application could bring the rear out 3 feet 😱.. Elcamio is the only reliable one 😂 !!! Great Episode 😃👍 Happy Motoring ✌️🤠
Glad you did this episode yeah the champ trucks are getting hard to find this is the first one that I’ve seen in a while I saw another one at a car show that was for sale but it wasn’t as original as this one this one was pretty original aside from the seats and door panels
This is so cool. I'm a direct descend of clement Stuabaker. I have the studabaker family book.i wish they'd start making the studabaker cars again. I know they were good cars but very expensive.thankyou for this article
Interesting vehicle. I've never seen one before so thanks for the walk-through. Did I see that right, the coolant temperature gauge goes from cold on the right to hot on the left?
This is a cool truck. I would love driving this with its three speed column shifter and the V-8. There is something about driving old pickups with three on the tree that brings me back. I always thought they were fun to drive. I drove a couple picking up parts at work when I was young. It looks like they did a solid job repairing the floor boards. I would try to find the proper interior though. I would choose the Champ in both scenarios.
I was at a campground near Southbend, Indiana in the 1970’s when the owner of one of these Lark pickups was showing what he said was a factory truck. Factory Supercharged V8 engine like a stock Hawk and a four speed floor shift (car four speed not HD truck four speed). If it was factory, it had to have been a very special order.
My uncle's neighbor gave me a 62 Studebaker Lark back in the early 70's. A friend and I went to get it. We got the 259 V8 started and heard a rod knock. I drove it to the gas station my friend worked at about a mile away from uncle's house, checked it out, and decided that, yup, it has a rod knock. Drove it another mile towards home, but the rod let go, and I coasted into the gas station that I worked at, parked it and had it towed away. :( For the 2nd WYR, a look at my avatar will tell you that the Rampside Corvair is the winner! As always, great video!
I will add that that experience in no way diminished my desire for a Studebaker. I'd LOVE to have an Avanti or a 64-65 Wagonaire, but they are not too common, and are way expensive.
Avantis are cool I’ve seen a bunch in the less than 15k category this year which is a bargain for that car.. R1 cars nothing spectacular great choices for the would you rather, thank you so much for sharing that story what great memories..
I am a Ford guy, so I would take the Fords first. The Studebaker second. In 61, with such rare vehicles as a collector, you would really want all three. I grew up in Studebaker country, Michiana, in all my life, I think this may be one of three early 60s Studebaker trucks I have actually seen. The other two were owned by farmers who lived in the area and delivered fruit and vegetables to the grocery store I worked at as a teenager. I guess that shows just how rare these trucks were when they were built just 13 miles south of my home, and I only saw two of them. South Bend, Indiana is where Studebakers were built, and you could drive down any street in that city and see a Studebaker parked in a driveway or at the curb in front of a house. Yet, only two farmers in the area had a Studebaker truck.
Beautiful truck. ❤️ I'll take the 61 champ and the 61 Corvair Truck. Always had a thing for Corvairs. But definitely take the Champ. Its different and cool.
IF you can find one, do a presentation on one of my favorite pickups; International Harvester's 1964 C-900. It had a six foot bed, regular IH pickup cab and was powered by the Scout's 152 CID slant four Comanche engine. They only produced the C-900 for (I believe) three model years.
I own a 57 Studebaker president and it has the same windshield and front doors I know this, not only from visuals but also from parts order catalogues and cross references sheets when I had to order glass and Internal mechanisms which are also the same on some larks.
Great guess it is not that song or band I thought it was going to be easy but listening to it back it isn’t easy but when I recorded it it was super easy I guess when it compresses it totally changes it
😈🔱👿.. With the rear wheelbase so wide it looks like ot could be a cool gasser project to me... And you would deff be the only cat at the drag show with one 🤘
Hi Jay!: The Studebaker Champ pickup was a very interesting truck! They tend to be scarce, though. Not withstanding the rust problems and the crummy six. The thing was probably a GREAT little truck with either of the V-8's, though! The styling of the cab is great, too bad they didn't have money to design proper bed units for these cute little trucks!! WYR# 1: Gotta be the Falcon Ranchero! Always wanted one! Plus, the little Ford 6's were much better engines than those Stude ones! #2 You are KILLING me! I want them ALL! Rode around with my dad in the van version of the econoline, those were neat! And being a former Corvair owner, the truck versions are just SO cool! And I like the V-8 version of the Champ, too!
Totally agree I tried to make the choices hard and outside the box I think I would really love to own a Corvair rampside one day those seem really interesting and just different.. not to say this isn’t
Just came across this video. FYI the champ was never made out of fiberglass, only the Avanti was. Also as for "looks like a slap together" thats because it was put together with left over parts. The cab and front clip from a 59/60 4dr lark. The front bumper (never fit properly) grill, and trim was was used for the champ only, and the boxes were either left overs or they used the dodge box. Enjoying the shows ive seen sofar 👍
WOW! I didn't know they were full size pickups. I thought they were more like a Ranchero. It is the sharpest looking pickup (frontal wise) of that era. Too bad Studebaker couldn't afford to blend the cargo box into the front. WYR: Sorry, Ford, going with the Studebaker. 2) Ohhhh, tough choice! Can I pick the Econoline AND the Rampside?
WYR #1 Falcon Ranchero. WYR #2 Corvair Rampside I was unaware that Chevy made an El Camino in 1961. I thought the El Camino ran in 1959 and 1960. Then skipped 1961 through 1963. Came back on the new Chevelle chassis in 1964. I'm going to check right now. EDIT: Chevy DID NOT make an El Camino in 1961, 1962 or 1963 model years. Sorry Jay, but your first Would You Rather is disqualified!
Hi Jay, the basic architecture for that over head valve six goes back to 1939. It had the same CID to 1964 except for the years 1955 to 1958. I had a couple of the champ six's dependable but not powerful.
The sad part of Studebaker was the Workers had a choice between take a wage cut or lose your job! The Workers chose to lose their job. Studebaker over paid when they had lots of sales to get the workers they needed, when Ford and Chevy new designs came online, Studebaker had more overhead than they had profit. It was sad to see them go, but the big Three did a good job of killing off the little guy. Ford and Chevy got into a Sales battle in the mid 1950, they were selling cars at a loss to increases their numbers. This ruined all the small company's.
I always think went I see classic cars. Wish I had gotten one of those when i was younger and they were in dealerships. Finding myself wondering what it would have been like shopping for a pony car in 65. Or a car in 1955. The chevy, the ford or the dodge. What would they cost what options could i get. It might be a fun video.
Sweet =) Apparently they didn’t make an El Camino in 1961 I was trying to figure out if they made it for the Canadian market because there are a lot of pictures of them unless there’s a lot of people that made them
@@What.its.like. I couldn’t tell you one way or the other! Interesting trivia about the Falcon pick up, the Australian version was made shorter because thwy found the American version would scrape its bumpers front and rear on building sites due to excessive overhang, so the engineers cut a few inches out of it and solved the problem
5:34 not really Frenched-in headlamps. If they were, there would be body color right up to the headlamp opening, without any chrome or stainless steel trim. That is what defines that style.
WYR1: Champ. It's almost a reincarnation of the late-thirties Coupe-Express which was based on the Studebaker Dictator at introduction, then on the Commander because in the late thirties, dictators were becoming unfashionable. The Champ was closer to the traditional idea of a pick-up truck than the Falcon Ranchero, and the Studebaker V8s were more suitable for getting the chores done than the Falcon sixes. WYR2: Again, I'll take the Champ. The Corvair and the Econoline were interesting, but I don't want to drive anything that uses my legs as the crumple zone. Previous comments about the powerplants apply.
Could I pick a GMC or Chevrolet steel tilt cab over with a v-6,or 348,or409 if I have my choice, such, cool looking cabovers.Where did you find a 61 El Camino?
Very cool truck jay but I think for uniqueness I will take the ramp side Chevy, just a side note the studebakers were built like tanks my cousin was in a severe accident that no believed someone could survive and if it hadn’t been a studebaker she was driving she wouldn’t have, she was rear ended by a cement truck and driven into a hay truck that sent her back into the cement truck and then into a semi truck the studebaker looked like a lunch box but she survived because the passenger compartment remained in tack
Even as a child in that era I thought Studebakers looked ugly, except for the Avante. So for me there are some interesting design elements but overall this is an ugly duckling. Might make a tuff looking street rod. I will go with the Falcon Ranchero because my dad let us ride in the back at 70mph on the expressway.
I have a '63 3/4 ton champ. 289 with a 5 spd. It is a great truck. I could not be happier with it! Here is the first of 6 videos on bringing life back to it. ua-cam.com/video/oOUDiMkzlJs/v-deo.htmlsi=sEQRYBYSzhMZia7_
With all due respect, the American automobile industry built engines designated in English units and was proud to offer them as the 289, the 327, etc. Whereas, the metric speaking world built their 1.6 liter, 2.0 liter, etc., and they never offered American readers a (cu. in) conversion in their publications. If you want to accurately espouse the heritage of the American classic car, then honor that car with the correct terms of the day. Otherwise, you are telling a story that does not exist.@@What.its.like.
I’m telling the story so everybody can understand it I get where you’re coming from there are people that listen to this channel and different languages through subtitles which I think is absolutely awesome.. when I watch foreign stuff I would love for them to put it in inches so that I would understand the measurements that they use I try to live my life by the golden rule do you want to others as you’d like done to you and I would like others to use inches instead of millimeters and I’m sure there’s people on the opposite end who would love to see millimeters instead of inches it’s just something they know how to relate to.. The car hobby is for everyone =)
"Laughing" - The Guess Who
Yeah buddy congratulations you got it and you were the first one to do so =)
@@What.its.like.I would rather the Studebaker any day, any condition!
Until this vid, I didn't really think about how popular Studebakers were in my young life.
One of my grandfather's biggest customers was a local dairy, and they had all Champs for deliveries.
One of my dad's good customers had a Studebaker Silver Hawk.
My Sunday School teacher had a Lark.
So, I guess I was around quite a few Stude's in my youth.
Me too! Our family car when I was born (1962)was a blue 2 door lark wagon.
The standard Bed was the first (1949) double walled pickup bed where as the wide Dodge Bed was single wall! Studebaker was also the first Truck (1949) with a fuel tank mounted outside the cab and inside the frame for protection. In late 1962 Studebaker made a substantial redesign of their 6 Cylinder and V-8 converting both to Full Flow Oil filter system along with many other refinements.
Great information =)
Back in the mid 70s to the mid 80s We owned a 1964 studebaker champ 8E7 3/4 ton long bed 289 4bbl 5 speed od truck. It was quite a head turner. Very unique and dependable..
A very handsome classic design.
Awesome did you love that truck what did you trade it for just curious and what you traded it for was it better or worse than the Studebaker champ
@@What.its.like. I ended up buying a 1969 lincoln continental. A whale of a car, it like rode like a big boat!!
It made sense that Studebaker made trucks considering their origins were making wagons. They also made a lot of heavy trucks for the US Army and allies including the UK and Russia during WW II.
My Dad was a military truck driver in Europe during WW2 he said of all the Trucks the Studebaker 6x6 was the most reliable. He said the Chevys had a lot of engine problems.
@@mylanmiller9656I suspect that the engine problems may have been caused by poorly trained personnel who were not familiar with overhead valve engines. The USMC had huge maintenance issues with their Harrier jump jets until they recognised that sophisticated combat aircraft needed to be maintained by fully trained personnel and the occasional senior apprentice. Those Studebaker trucks used Hercules side valve engines. Simpler but much less powerful.
When I was young I worked for a company that had a champ. It was the toughest truck we had, didn't get stuck on muddy jobs like the Ford's and chevys
Great story thank you so much for sharing that memory
Actually owned one, a 61. Best looking truck that always drew praise. Unfortunately, it was manual on the column and a b to drive. Mine was the wide short bed. These trucks could have been at the forefront of truck popularity that RAM eventually captured, it just had that style. Also, since it was derived from car design, it is a worthy successor to the Coupe Express. Some were built into 1965 South America, slightly altered bed and mesh grill. Druthers: always a Champ.
Awesome
Great choices as well
6:00 those layers, as you called them are because that was a sedan body, but the bumper was mounted quite a bit lower for the pick up truck to increase the ground clearance and to accommodate larger wheels and tires for a truck application. The body stamping was modified to have more sheet metal, which on the sedan, would be directly behind the bumpers.
As i recall, Studebaker used amber front parking light lenses in '62 Lark and Hawk models, and went to clear lenses with amber bulbs for '63. Or was it the other way around?
My pick would be the Studebaker Champ from both scenarios. I noticed the Corvair and the Econoline have orange turn signal lights. From what I have observed frontal turn signal lights in orange first became available in 1963, unless an aftermarket conversion was done.
You are correct, but many people (like me) have retrofitted the clear lenses with the amber ones.
Would have been the difference between bulbs 1157 (white) and 1157A (amber).
They are sharp classic truck .
Another great and informative video, Jay! Thanks!
Thank you so much =) for letting me feature your cars
2:18 My '91 Ranger had a sliding back window ... and I _really_ liked that feature !
Awesome truck! Thanks
Glad you dig this episode =)
Gorgeous truck
I I would love to have one of those Studebaker just so cool. Nice job Jay.
Awesome glad you dig this episode =)
11:26 look at the rear guards on this thing ! They look modern custom as ! How futuristic ! Front looks like a big Lark ! I love it Jay. Can I have mine in blue ? Cheers from New Zealand 🇳🇿
WYR: 1. Feel like I'm being a bad Hoosier but choosing El Camino. 2. With feelings of guilt, Corvair Rampside. I really like the Champ, but you presented some darned irresistible options!
Rancharo have 64 all of them cheers 🥂 😊
Awesome =)
Thanks for a great presentation,I have always like the Champs looks.I think they did amazing work given what they had to work with,and they look great with the stake bed.
Glad you dig this episode =)
When I find one with a stake bed attached to it I’m definitely gonna cover it
@@What.its.like. Yes,I did,I worked at a used auto parts yard in the mid eighties,and one of the owners father owned a Studebaker Dealership called J and S Motors,and had a Champ with 289 Studebaker and 4 speed,what a nice driving truck, your presentation brought back a lot of great memories.Thanks Again.
The Scotsman model. Cardboard door interior and a rim with no spare tire. Those were the days😂
I remember My Dad buying a new F100 Ford in 1965, if he bought a 3/4 ton it also came with a rim no tire for a spare. That was the reason he bought a F100.
I knew Studebaker offered stripped down model called scotsman in 1958.
@@ernielaw was it because I saw an actual Scotsman at a car show and the guy explained how was the cheapest pick up truck for a year I don’t remember it was a 58, 59,60 or 61 that was 20 years ago and it only came in white.
@@mylanmiller9656 I remember help in my father in the mid 70s changing snow tires on a 70 Chevy greenbrier wagon to gulf recap snow tires fun time 😂
@@neilhartigan7456Those were the good old days, If someone bought a new Car, they had a picnic and invited the whole neighborhood to inspect it. Those were fun times.
One of my best friends got one from his grandpa for summer work on his farm
WYR: 1961 Studebaker, Corvair Rampside. Two of my favorite postwar pick-ups. BTW, there's a 1937 Studebaker Coupe Express listed for sale outside St. Louis; I know you said you like these. Found it on AutoTempest.
61 El Camino
61 Champ
I always like the looks of these Champ trucks. I thought they were very stylish for their time. Considering the low budget they were given to design and build these, I think they turned out beautifully.
I've always thought the 289 in the small 1/2 ton would've been a nice little hot rod truck.
One thing I noticed on the underhood was it looked like the blower motor and heater core were missing from the truck I thought it's on opening for them on the firewall but I didn't see that they were there.
Sweet choices great information and insight
Except that there was no factory '61 El Camino, and the custom jobs would be structurally suspect at best.
If it was anything like the Studebakers I owned, the heater core would have been under the right front seat.
Saw the 61 IOM flyer in the outro: Mike Hailwood won that on a Honda, the first time he or a Japanese bike won that classic and quite dangerous race. If you're not familiar with the IOM TT race you should look into it, truly unique. He went on to ride for Norton in later years. WYR is tough, but I'm a Ford man so those are my picks but I do like that style El Camino quite a lot.
Pick-up's were viewed differently than they are today, being work-only vehicles and lacking any amenities one would want in a daily-driver, so most got worked to death and are long gone. That makes this Champ special indeed. It's stylish in every version but the Dodge-sourced bad doesn't quite look right with the offset body lines. Studebaker had slipped in the market relating to the "Big 3" by then and we'd soon lose them; sad as they did some great cars and trucks in their final decade. I'd love to have any Studebaker truck just for the 'different' factor in the sea of the other all-too-common ones.
Great information and insight
My memories of the Studebaker Champ pickup truck was from the late 1960's when walking home from grade school, some company had a fleet of trucks that was heading down Wilbeth Road in Akron on a regular basis which consisted of a Studebaker Champ, 1957 Studebaker truck (I forget the configuration but stake body comes to mind) and a circa 1950's Diamond T. I remember doing a double take the first time because I was unfamiliar with the Champs. Just the 1957 Studebaker truck was an unusual sight on the street and it to took my attention but as I said, that was my first experience with a Champ and it really grabbed my attention although it sounded as if it had a diesel engine. If only I could recreate that memory so you could experience it, it was definitely something different. Mr. Picky enjoys your videos. By for now unless I find something to criticize.
It may have been a diesel. Studebaker did use a Detroit 3 71 in some of their larger trucks.
@@n.mcneil4066 Or an engine swap to keep the fleet uniform in fuel use so they all could be fueled up together. The point is I remember seeing them together and to me that glorious sound as they passed. If I could only see them again just to prove my memories correct. Thank you for your thought on the matter. I just wish I knew the company that owned them. Ah the strange memories that still remain of a past long gone.
I’ll take a double Champ, with a cup of rust to chase it down. The Champ was pretty spartan, but today it is highly collectible as its small sized and cute. The reason for the filler under the grille is Champ was on a truck frame and sat higher than the Lark. Leaf springs, front & rear. And that’s why the bumper sits lower. Studebaker selected the name Champ in deference to their well known Champions. If they had chosen a derivative of Commander, it might have been called a Commie. 🤔 Nah.
Sweet choices =)
Look up the Studebaker Coupe-Express models, if I remember correctly 1936-1938 models.
'39-'42 Champion business coupe owners could order a short pick-up style box that bolted into the trunk opening after the trunk lid was removed.
Unusual trucks from Studebaker 🤔 ?
I have a tool box big enough to own a Studebaker 🤷😂
Corvaire has two carbs a pain to synchronize !! And I owned that ford Econoline for about 8 months.. new brakes and hard application could bring the rear out 3 feet 😱..
Elcamio is the only reliable one 😂 !!!
Great Episode 😃👍
Happy Motoring ✌️🤠
Ranchero should be reliable too.
Haha nice =) great choices
lions dragstrip california track matinence truck was a champ, I am always looking for a champ but theyre rust prone, another great episode jay
Glad you did this episode yeah the champ trucks are getting hard to find this is the first one that I’ve seen in a while I saw another one at a car show that was for sale but it wasn’t as original as this one this one was pretty original aside from the seats and door panels
This is so cool. I'm a direct descend of clement Stuabaker. I have the studabaker family book.i wish they'd start making the studabaker cars again. I know they were good cars but very expensive.thankyou for this article
Thank you so much for the insight and information =) happy you dig this episode
The champ pick up
All of them!
Sweet
Interesting vehicle. I've never seen one before so thanks for the walk-through. Did I see that right, the coolant temperature gauge goes from cold on the right to hot on the left?
Wow, you've got a sharp eye! Never seen that before...
Awesome observation
This is a cool truck. I would love driving this with its three speed column shifter and the V-8. There is something about driving old pickups with three on the tree that brings me back. I always thought they were fun to drive. I drove a couple picking up parts at work when I was young. It looks like they did a solid job repairing the floor boards. I would try to find the proper interior though. I would choose the Champ in both scenarios.
Sweet choices =)
Chur Jay ! (Chur is Kiwi slang for choice ) Another good one mate 👍 I'd love to visit that car sales place. Cheers from New Zealand 🇳🇿
I'd go with the El Camino and the Corvair Rampside! 😎
I was at a campground near Southbend, Indiana in the 1970’s when the owner of one of these Lark pickups was showing what he said was a factory truck. Factory Supercharged V8 engine like a stock Hawk and a four speed floor shift (car four speed not HD truck four speed). If it was factory, it had to have been a very special order.
1961 Studebaker Champ.🏆
My uncle's neighbor gave me a 62 Studebaker Lark back in the early 70's. A friend and I went to get it. We got the 259 V8 started and heard a rod knock. I drove it to the gas station my friend worked at about a mile away from uncle's house, checked it out, and decided that, yup, it has a rod knock. Drove it another mile towards home, but the rod let go, and I coasted into the gas station that I worked at, parked it and had it towed away. :( For the 2nd WYR, a look at my avatar will tell you that the Rampside Corvair is the winner! As always, great video!
I will add that that experience in no way diminished my desire for a Studebaker. I'd LOVE to have an Avanti or a 64-65 Wagonaire, but they are not too common, and are way expensive.
Avantis are cool I’ve seen a bunch in the less than 15k category this year which is a bargain for that car.. R1 cars nothing spectacular great choices for the would you rather, thank you so much for sharing that story what great memories..
I am a Ford guy, so I would take the Fords first. The Studebaker second. In 61, with such rare vehicles as a collector, you would really want all three. I grew up in Studebaker country, Michiana, in all my life, I think this may be one of three early 60s Studebaker trucks I have actually seen. The other two were owned by farmers who lived in the area and delivered fruit and vegetables to the grocery store I worked at as a teenager. I guess that shows just how rare these trucks were when they were built just 13 miles south of my home, and I only saw two of them. South Bend, Indiana is where Studebakers were built, and you could drive down any street in that city and see a Studebaker parked in a driveway or at the curb in front of a house. Yet, only two farmers in the area had a Studebaker truck.
Awesome thank you so much for sharing those memories.=)
Our neighbor bought a new 3/4 ton it was a great looking truck for the times. He was disappointed when the company closed
Beautiful truck. ❤️
I'll take the 61 champ and the 61 Corvair Truck. Always had a thing for Corvairs. But definitely take the Champ. Its different and cool.
Awesome choices =)
I have a second cousin once removed that was born in 1961 like this truck, and he likes early 60s trucks
Sweet
Great little truck, Jay. Thank you for featuring it. And I'll take the Econoline and Ranchero.
Sweet choices glad you dig this episode
The chevy looks like a custom unit.
I believe it was I didn’t know that El Camino took a bit of a hiatus until after I recorded it lol
The Stude in both cases.
Awesome =)
You didn't mention transmissions available on the Champ
I'm a chevy guy! So El Camino it is!
Sweet choice
IF you can find one, do a presentation on one of my favorite pickups; International Harvester's 1964 C-900. It had a six foot bed, regular IH pickup cab and was powered by the Scout's 152 CID slant four Comanche engine. They only produced the C-900 for (I believe) three model years.
Totally will =)
I own a 57 Studebaker president and it has the same windshield and front doors I know this, not only from visuals but also from parts order catalogues and cross references sheets when I had to order glass and Internal mechanisms which are also the same on some larks.
Studebaker really was using spare parts in the last years
Thank you so much for sharing that awesome information =)
Studebaker across the board
Awesome =)
Ramblin Man Allman brothers? I like the Corvair side ramp truck.
Great guess it is not that song or band I thought it was going to be easy but listening to it back it isn’t easy but when I recorded it it was super easy I guess when it compresses it totally changes it
In the song 'Ramblin Man', there is mention of the back seat of a Rambler.
😈🔱👿.. With the rear wheelbase so wide it looks like ot could be a cool gasser project to me... And you would deff be the only cat at the drag show with one 🤘
Hi Jay!: The Studebaker Champ pickup was a very interesting truck! They tend to be scarce, though. Not withstanding the rust problems and the crummy six. The thing was probably a GREAT little truck with either of the V-8's, though! The styling of the cab is great, too bad they didn't have money to design proper bed units for these cute little trucks!! WYR# 1: Gotta be the Falcon Ranchero! Always wanted one! Plus, the little Ford 6's were much better engines than those Stude ones! #2 You are KILLING me! I want them ALL! Rode around with my dad in the van version of the econoline, those were neat! And being a former Corvair owner, the truck versions are just SO cool! And I like the V-8 version of the Champ, too!
Totally agree
I tried to make the choices hard and outside the box I think I would really love to own a Corvair rampside one day those seem really interesting and just different.. not to say this isn’t
Tge champ with the studebaker step side bed was a great looking compact truck. Tge champ with the refrigerator box was not so much.
Just came across this video. FYI the champ was never made out of fiberglass, only the Avanti was. Also as for "looks like a slap together" thats because it was put together with left over parts. The cab and front clip from a 59/60 4dr lark. The front bumper (never fit properly) grill, and trim was was used for the champ only, and the boxes were either left overs or they used the dodge box.
Enjoying the shows ive seen sofar 👍
63 and 64 according to this used some fiberglass components
Go to the section pioneer truck
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studebaker_Champ
@@What.its.like. they were first to use fiberglass service bodies, not parts on the truck itself.
Yes I thought that’s what was said it’s been a while since doing that one
WOW! I didn't know they were full size pickups. I thought they were more like a Ranchero. It is the sharpest looking pickup (frontal wise) of that era. Too bad Studebaker couldn't afford to blend the cargo box into the front. WYR: Sorry, Ford, going with the Studebaker. 2) Ohhhh, tough choice! Can I pick the Econoline AND the Rampside?
Great choices I didn’t know that they offered so many better options with this Studebaker champ either I didn’t know about the wide box
A cool truck. I wish that Studebaker had survived as an automaker. A Studebaker financial company survives - Studebaker-Worthington
The Studebaker-Worthington I've heard of hasn't existed since 1979, being acquired by McGraw Edison
WYR #1 Falcon Ranchero.
WYR #2 Corvair Rampside
I was unaware that Chevy made an El Camino in 1961. I thought the El Camino ran in 1959 and 1960. Then skipped 1961 through 1963. Came back on the new Chevelle chassis in 1964. I'm going to check right now.
EDIT: Chevy DID NOT make an El Camino in 1961, 1962 or 1963 model years. Sorry Jay, but your first Would You Rather is disqualified!
Yeah there isn’t a 1961 el Camino that was a trick entry…
Great choices
Did you miss Jay's correction caption?
@@stephenholland5930I must have missed it. I was responding and didn't see the white box in the upper right corner of the screen.
Hi Jay, the basic architecture for that over head valve six goes back to 1939. It had the same CID to 1964 except for the years 1955 to 1958. I had a couple of the champ six's dependable but not powerful.
Great information =)
Nice looking truck. Too bad somebody "upgraded" the interior and trashed the original seats for tacky modern seats.
Ranchero by far.
Sweet =)
Studebaker made quality cars and trucks. Sorry that the company died so soon. 😢😢
Totally agree =)
Chevy, champ.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WOULD LOVE TO BUILD ONE AS DAILY DRIVER.
Do it, it’s never to late Facebook market place is a great place to start
Champ both times, but if you'd put an A100 in there, I'd have gone with it.
I knew there was a third one
This is what I learned to drive “ three on the tree”
Three on tree is cool
The sad part of Studebaker was the Workers had a choice between take a wage cut or lose your job!
The Workers chose to lose their job. Studebaker over paid when they had lots of sales to get the workers they needed, when Ford and Chevy new designs came online, Studebaker had more overhead than they had profit. It was sad to see them go, but the big Three did a good job of killing off the little guy. Ford and Chevy got into a Sales battle in the mid 1950, they were selling cars at a loss to increases their numbers. This ruined all the small company's.
I always think went I see classic cars. Wish I had gotten one of those when i was younger and they were in dealerships. Finding myself wondering what it would have been like shopping for a pony car in 65. Or a car in 1955. The chevy, the ford or the dodge. What would they cost what options could i get. It might be a fun video.
Ford ecoline ❤
I’ll take the El Camino thanks😊
Sweet =)
Apparently they didn’t make an El Camino in 1961 I was trying to figure out if they made it for the Canadian market because there are a lot of pictures of them unless there’s a lot of people that made them
@@What.its.like. I couldn’t tell you one way or the other!
Interesting trivia about the Falcon pick up, the Australian version was made shorter because thwy found the American version would scrape its bumpers front and rear on building sites due to excessive overhang, so the engineers cut a few inches out of it and solved the problem
Been missing ur shows,,traveling from Oregon to s.carolina,,any collection recommendations for the Charleston area ?
I’m not sure what’s in Charleston
5:34 not really Frenched-in headlamps. If they were, there would be body color right up to the headlamp opening, without any chrome or stainless steel trim. That is what defines that style.
"Would you rather...?"
Studebaker on both counts.
Awesome
WYR1: Champ. It's almost a reincarnation of the late-thirties Coupe-Express which was based on the Studebaker Dictator at introduction, then on the Commander because in the late thirties, dictators were becoming unfashionable.
The Champ was closer to the traditional idea of a pick-up truck than the Falcon Ranchero, and the Studebaker V8s were more suitable for getting the chores done than the Falcon sixes.
WYR2: Again, I'll take the Champ. The Corvair and the Econoline were interesting, but I don't want to drive anything that uses my legs as the crumple zone. Previous comments about the powerplants apply.
Could I pick a GMC or Chevrolet steel tilt cab over with a v-6,or 348,or409 if I have my choice, such, cool looking cabovers.Where did you find a 61 El Camino?
Evidently it was a custom job but there’s tons of pictures of 61 El Camino
@@What.its.like. I was trying to be funny,but they did a beautiful job and It's a really good looking 61,by the way where is my steel cab over truck?
Definitely going to try my best to feature more cab overs this year only got to do one for the channel so far.. =)
Very cool truck jay but I think for uniqueness I will take the ramp side Chevy, just a side note the studebakers were built like tanks my cousin was in a severe accident that no believed someone could survive and if it hadn’t been a studebaker she was driving she wouldn’t have, she was rear ended by a cement truck and driven into a hay truck that sent her back into the cement truck and then into a semi truck the studebaker looked like a lunch box but she survived because the passenger compartment remained in tack
Sweet choice =)
Ford Ranchero the Champ
Sweet choices
I had one of those
Awesome what did you think of it?
I hate that they put a modern interior in there.
I agree
Song- Laughing by THE GUESS WHO
Was you laughing at me was you laughing at me hahaha
The tail lights look a lot like 46 to 48 Chevy cars.
1961 Studebaker Champ, 1961 Corvair Rampside
Sweet choices
WYR: All of them, regardless of what it is.
Awesome
Studebaker and Corvair
Awesome choices =)
Champ
Sweet choice
The Chevy or the Studebaker.
Sweet choices
1961 ford Ranchero
Sweet choice
51 Champ, not even close
61 Corvair, only thing weirder than the Stude...
Awesome choices
I'd rather have a Champ!
Awesome
Even as a child in that era I thought Studebakers looked ugly, except for the Avante. So for me there are some interesting design elements but overall this is an ugly duckling. Might make a tuff looking street rod. I will go with the Falcon Ranchero because my dad let us ride in the back at 70mph on the expressway.
I agree it’s very much an acquired taste..
There is no such thing as a 1961 El Camino. They were made in 1959/60, then paused until 1964
Great catch =)
Its A frankin truck that looks more like a Dodge .
Laughing - The Guess Who...weird looking pickup
Yeah buddy Scott Campbell beat you for title
I have a '63 3/4 ton champ. 289 with a 5 spd. It is a great truck. I could not be happier with it! Here is the first of 6 videos on bringing life back to it.
ua-cam.com/video/oOUDiMkzlJs/v-deo.htmlsi=sEQRYBYSzhMZia7_
Awesome thank you so much fir sharing that =) cool truck
Drop the metric crap. No one who grew up in the 50's & 60's ever used metric to describe engines, nor any other feature of the cars we drove.
This channel is bigger than just the US people outside the US that would be a huge disservice to them.. not doing kw..
With all due respect, the American automobile industry built engines designated in English units and was proud to offer them as the 289, the 327, etc. Whereas, the metric speaking world built their 1.6 liter, 2.0 liter, etc., and they never offered American readers a (cu. in) conversion in their publications. If you want to accurately espouse the heritage of the American classic car, then honor that car with the correct terms of the day. Otherwise, you are telling a story that does not exist.@@What.its.like.
I’m telling the story so everybody can understand it I get where you’re coming from there are people that listen to this channel and different languages through subtitles which I think is absolutely awesome.. when I watch foreign stuff I would love for them to put it in inches so that I would understand the measurements that they use I try to live my life by the golden rule do you want to others as you’d like done to you and I would like others to use inches instead of millimeters and I’m sure there’s people on the opposite end who would love to see millimeters instead of inches it’s just something they know how to relate to.. The car hobby is for everyone =)
Ranchero, for me
Awesome =)