1966 Studebaker Cruiser - Very Complete Original Car!

1966 Studebaker Cruiser Description

As the story goes, this 1966 Studebaker Cruiser was the very last Studebaker to be sold new in Portland, Oregon – for that matter, it’s expected to be the last Studebaker sold new anywhere in Oregon. That is certainly possible: it is one of only 2901 Cruisers built in 1966, and one of only 315 to have the GM 230 6 cylinder installed from the Canadian plant which would serve all of North America. This particular car was put to work as a daily driver from the day it was newly purchased. It had one other owner who also used it as a daily driver, until about five years ago. It has spent these last five years simply sitting still.

Currently, the major systems of the car seem to work at least reasonably well. The fuel tank and fuel system has been cleaned out, the oil changed, and a new battery installed. The car runs very well when cold, but seems to suck vacuum when it warms up, which causes it to not be able to idle or restart well. It is possible that the intake manifold will require resurfacing, or something similar. Otherwise, the car drives well, with the transmission, brakes and parking brake working just as they should. The gauge in the dash shows about 40 lbs of oil pressure generally. It is not daily driver material at the moment – the vacuum issue must be addressed, and the tires are old and tired. I’d expect to find a few other issues eventually as well.

While there are certainly some cosmetic issues with the car, I have been very impressed with the condition of the body. The car is incredibly straight and solid. I’ve not gone over it with a fine tooth comb, but I’ve yet to find rust anywhere on the car. The carpets were removed some time ago, and have exposed nearly perfect floor pans. The trunk floor is solid and clean as well. With the exception of a very small area on the right rear quarter panel, I’ve not found body damage of any kind, or evidence of previous body damage, anywhere. As far as I know, every piece of chrome and stainless trim is present and in great shape. The rear bumper is near perfect; the front bumper has one smaller area where the chrome is trying to peel right at the passenger side support bolt. All of the glass is good, and all of the windows work properly. All the wheels are original, and all four hubcaps are in great shape. It is truly impressive how straight, solid and complete the car is.

In fact, the only thing I know of that is missing is the stock radio and bezel. The rest of the interior is all there, but tired. The headliner is in decent shape, but will need cleaning. The door panels aren’t bad, but the carpet on them will need replacing. The dash looks neat but is not perfect, and everything seems to work: the heater fan works, the vast majority of the lights work properly, and that sort of thing. Even the light in the glove compartment works. All four of the original seatbelts and in place and functioning. The seat upholstery is shot, though, and the carpet has been removed from the interior. The ignition switch has come loose, and will need to be re-installed into its spot on the dash – it is currently operational, but not in place.

The car is a purple color, and originally had a white vinyl roof. I’ve looked through Studebaker material for 1966, and it is my understanding that this was not a standard combination. Still, it seems that the purple color was original to this car, as was the vinyl roof. At any rate, the paint and top are shot, so make it any color you’d like.

The title is marked as an Oregon “Salvage” Title. Apparently, according to the previous owner, the car was hit in the rear bumper on the passenger side while parked on the street about six years ago. There was a very small amount of body damage done to the quarterpanel, and the bumper was bent. The owner replaced the bumper and kind of fixed the ding in the panel (although you’ll want to rework it – it’s not horrendous, just needs finishing). For some reason, he still felt the need to call his insurance company who, of course, totaled the car. To my knowledge, this is the only accident of any kind that this car has experienced.

As sweet as this car is, please remember that you are buying a bit of a project – it will need work before you can drive it much. Please ask me any questions before you bid. Plan on sending me a $500 deposit via PayPal within 24 hours of the auction close, unless we’ve made other arrangements ahead of time. Please plan on paying in full within 7 days, and having the car picked up within 14 days, unless we’ve made other arrangements ahead of the sale.

Thank you!