Thanks to Mr. Biggs...

[mbstude]

...A little tid bit of Studebaker history is reborn.

Some time ago, StudeBob sent me enough of these 'mail box letters' to spell out my name. Today I finally got around to doing something with a few of them, and here's the result.

10 inches in length, and looks pretty cool on my computer desk. [8D] The Hawk and Lark emblems came from horn buttons, and the shiny end pieces are chromed lug nuts.







The letters are the interesting part. According to Bob, they came from Studebaker's Styling Department. (Or what it the Engineering Dept?) Either way, they were used by Studebaker Corp.

Just an unusual bit of Stude history that few have seen. I don't know what they might've been used for. Maybe they once were placed on office doors, and spelled out the names of Sherwood Egbert and the like.

Matthew Burnette
Hazlehurst, GA

[barnlark]

Nice piece of history, Matthew. [^]

[StudeRich]

Pretty COOL Matt! They look like shot peened Aluminum! Also slightly beveled top to bottom. [^]

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[mbstude]

Yep, they are slightly beveled. It's not aluminum, it's another alloy of sorts. It's some type of non-magnetic metal with a shiny coating. (And flaking in spots. )

Matthew Burnette
Hazlehurst, GA

[Roscomacaw]

Rich,
They're the sort of letters you'd use on a mailbox topper or maybe on an office door. As Matt says, they're some sorta alloy - not unlike pot metal. Each one has two sturdy pins on the back that allow it to be hammered into wood.
These - according to a wife of an engineering dept employee (name lost to history) - were spirited away during the shutdown of South Bend operations. They may have been nothing more than something from facilities maintenance. OR... they could have been handy letters to stick on clay styling proposals [:0] I got a whole box of them when I found out about them. Some still had little soft plastic shields on the sharp pins - as tho they'd never been used. SOME had what looked for all the world like crumbly, dry remnants of clay still on the pins. Who knows? They're just about the size (admittedly not the same font) as the individual letters that were used from '58 thru '65.[8D]

Matt - thanks for sharing. I was hoping you'd do something like that with them.

Miscreant Studebaker nut in California's central valley.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door

[studeclunker]

Matt, you might want to spray a clear coat over those horn emblems. They tarnish rather quickly when exposed to the air. At least, that's been my experiance with broken horn button covers. The whole inside of the horn button goes to he.. um, heck in a handbasket.

Oh, yes, and nice plaque.[8D]


Home of the famous Mr. Ed!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith
Where the heck is Lewiston, CA?

[4961Studebaker]

nice name plate for when you get that office that comes along with the TW column.

ChopStu

[Roscomacaw]

UH-OHHHHHHHHHHHHH....

Art, Ann, how'd you like to be feature writers? [}][}][}]

Miscreant Studebaker nut in California's central valley.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door

[mbstude]

quote:Originally posted by Mr.Biggs

UH-OHHHHHHHHHHHHH....

Art, Ann, how'd you like to be feature writers? [}][}][}]

[)][)][)]

Matthew Burnette
Hazlehurst, GA