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**studegary** · 07-18-2006, 06:21 PM

I do not have my Zip Van books where I can access them. I believe that all Zip Vans were considered to be 1963 models because of the wording/conditions of the government contract. Most, if not all, were made late enough that they should have been 1964s.

They used the overhead six (with one exception) and the HD automatic. They had something like a 4.27 Twin Traction rear. Not very good for going down the highway at anything over 45 MPH.

It has been a long time since I owned or worked on a Zip Van. As far as I can recall, they are the only Studebaker motor vehicle with a unit body. The engine is mounted on the subframe. To change the engine (BTDT), you lift the body and roll the front subframe out.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY
1954 Commander Starliner (restomod)
1959 DeLuxe pickup (restomod)

**mbstude** · 07-18-2006, 06:30 PM

I know about the engine removal and all. We had one, our SDC Chapter restored it, and it now resides in the SNM. That was 10 years ago though. Is the HD FOM worth anything?

Matthew Burnette, the 16 year old Stude nut. Hazlehurst, Georgia
63 Daytona HT (project, OHV 6 engine, soon to have dual exhaust)
51 2R16 dump truck (yes, I won the raffle)
52 Commander Starliner (basket case)(will trade for another Stude <g&gt

MANY more Studes in the family and a few parts cars.
Click my name and check out "Links".

**Guido** · 07-19-2006, 03:05 AM

quote:Originally posted by studegary

They used the overhead six (with one exception) and the HD automatic.

Gary,

Would that be the one with the Perkins diesel that Asa Hall owned? I am still kicking myself for not buying that and the M-17 at the sale...

Guido Salvage - "Where rust is beautiful"

1946 M-16 fire truck
1948 M-16 grain truck
1949 2R16A grain truck
1949 2R17A fire truck
1955 E-38 grain truck
1957 3E-40 flatbed
1961 6E-28 grain truck
1962 7E-13D 4x4 rack truck
1962 7E-7 Champ pickup
1962 GT Hawk 4 speed
1964 Avanti R2 4 speed
1964 Cruiser
And various other "treasures"
Hiding and preserving Studebakers in Richmond & Louisa, Va.

**mbstude** · 07-19-2006, 03:44 AM

A diesel powered Zip Van, coooooool. I've always wanted one to put a 259 in.

And maybe switch it to left hand drive, and chop the top just a tad.

<The dark side coming out again...>

Matthew Burnette, the 16 year old Stude nut. Hazlehurst, Georgia
63 Daytona HT (project, OHV 6 engine, soon to have dual exhaust)
51 2R16 dump truck (yes, I won the raffle)
52 Commander Starliner (basket case)(will trade for another Stude <g&gt

MANY more Studes in the family and a few parts cars.
Click my name and check out "Links".

**studegary** · 07-19-2006, 12:20 PM

quote:Originally posted by Guido

quote:Originally posted by studegary

They used the overhead six (with one exception) and the HD automatic.

Gary,

Would that be the one with the Perkins diesel that Asa Hall owned? I am still kicking myself for not buying that and the M-17 at the sale...

Guido Salvage - "Where rust is beautiful"

Yes, that would be the ONE.

I was friends with Asa since 1968. On the weekend of the auction, I was at the Northest Zone Meet on Saturday and the auction all day on Sunday. We must have seen each other, but didn't know it. Did you have the long flatbed trailer a little ways up the road from the driveway?

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY
1954 Commander Starliner (restomod)
1959 DeLuxe pickup (restomod)

**Guido** · 07-19-2006, 12:56 PM

quote:Originally posted by studegary
[ We must have seen each other, but didn't know it. Did you have the long flatbed trailer a little ways up the road from the driveway?

Gary,

I was at the sale at Asa's dad's place on Saturday and at Sharon's on Sunday. I had a white enclosed trailer that was parked across the road in front of the church.

I had no real intentions of buying a vehicle (I had bought the 4x4 truck sitting on the old garden spot from Sharon earlier in the year) but I had to bid on the fire truck when they could not get an opening bid for it. I sent the same hauler after it that brought down the 4x4 and he got the fire truck, R-1 Hawk, '41 M-15, 20 tires and the pallet of Hawk parts on a 53' step deck.

I also have the '48 M-16 that Asa had tucked away at Vern Edigers.

Gary

Guido Salvage - "Where rust is beautiful"

1946 M-16 fire truck
1948 M-16 grain truck
1949 2R16A grain truck
1949 2R17A fire truck
1955 E-38 grain truck
1957 3E-40 flatbed
1961 6E-28 grain truck
1962 7E-13D 4x4 rack truck
1962 7E-7 Champ pickup
1962 GT Hawk 4 speed
1964 Avanti R2 4 speed
1964 Cruiser
And various other "treasures"
Hiding and preserving Studebakers in Richmond & Louisa, Va.

**studegary** · 07-19-2006, 01:06 PM

quote:Originally posted by mbstude

A diesel powered Zip Van, coooooool. I've always wanted one to put a 259 in.

And maybe switch it to left hand drive, and chop the top just a tad.

Matthew - I think that you are dreaming and need to wake up <G>.

You say that you are familiar with Zip Vans and have worked on them. Then you would know that it would be beyond a tight fit to put a V8 in one and LHD is just unrealistic (IMHO).

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY
1954 Commander Starliner (restomod)
1959 DeLuxe pickup (restomod)

**8E45E** · 07-19-2006, 02:14 PM

of Hawk parts on a 53' step deck.

I also have the '48 M-16 that Asa had tucked away at Vern Edigers.

Guido Salvage - "Where rust is beautiful"

Is that the real low mileage one that was featured in Car Collector in early '84 or so? That one is probably one of the nicest original M's in existence.

Craig

**mbstude** · 07-19-2006, 03:46 PM

quote:Matthew - I think that you are dreaming and need to wake up <G>.

You say that you are familiar with Zip Vans and have worked on them. Then you would know that it would be beyond a tight fit to put a V8 in one and LHD is just unrealistic (IMHO).

I was about 10 or so when we redone that truck. Yes, it would be a tight fit... But not if you put the engine in the back. I meant to put that. That's a bit of a big deatil.

Matthew Burnette, the 16 year old Stude nut. Hazlehurst, Georgia
63 Daytona HT (project, OHV 6 engine, soon to have dual exhaust)
51 2R16 dump truck (yes, I won the raffle)
52 Commander Starliner (basket case)(will trade for another Stude <g&gt

MANY more Studes in the family and a few parts cars.
Click my name and check out "Links".

**Guido** · 07-19-2006, 03:52 PM

quote:Originally posted by 8E45E

I also have the '48 M-16 that Asa had tucked away at Vern Ediger's.

Guido Salvage - "Where rust is beautiful"

Is that the real low mileage one that was featured in Car Collector in early '84 or so? That one is probably one of the nicest original M's in existence.

Craig

Craig,

I think that you may be thinking of the M-15 that Asa had that came from Bill Tilghman on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The truck was used as a delivery vehicle for an appliance dealer and had around 900 miles on it when Bill acquired it. He then passed it to Asa and when it sold at the auction (it brought just over $17K) it had around 3100 miles on it. Gary Ash should have some pictures that Frank Drumheller and I sent him.

The M-16 that Vern was holding was one that Asa never had moved before he died. He also had one in the restoration shop when he passed away and Sharon just got it back. Below is a link to a picture Gary Ash posted of it. Notice that it is an early version that does not have the fender extensions.

Tapatalk - Free Forum Hosting, Free Forum Mobile App.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/23885/message/1151271154/Photo+of+Asa+Hall%27s+last+M16+project

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Gary

Guido Salvage - "Where rust is beautiful"

1946 M-16 fire truck
1948 M-16 grain truck
1949 2R16A grain truck
1949 2R17A fire truck
1955 E-38 grain truck
1957 3E-40 flatbed
1961 6E-28 grain truck
1962 7E-13D 4x4 rack truck
1962 7E-7 Champ pickup
1962 GT Hawk 4 speed
1964 Avanti R2 4 speed
1964 Cruiser
And various other "treasures"
Hiding and preserving Studebakers in Richmond & Louisa, Va.

**8E45E** · 07-20-2006, 06:14 AM

[quote]quote:Originally posted by Guido

Originally posted by 8E45E

I also have the '48 M-16 that Asa had tucked away at Vern Ediger's.

Guido Salvage - "Where rust is beautiful"

Is that the real low mileage one that was featured in Car Collector in early '84 or so? That one is probably one of the nicest original M's in existence.

Craig

Craig,

I think that you may be thinking of the M-15 that Asa had that came from Bill Tilghman on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The truck was used as a delivery vehicle for an appliance dealer and had around 900 miles on it when Bill acquired it. He then passed it to Asa and when it sold at the auction (it brought just over $17K) it had around 3100 miles on it. Gary Ash should have some pictures that Frank Drumheller and I sent him.

The M-16 that Vern was holding was one that Asa never had moved before he died. He also had one in the restoration shop when he passed away and Sharon just got it back. Below is a link to a picture Gary Ash posted of it. Notice that it is an early version that does not have the fender extensions.

I'll admit I've only seen a few of Asa's trucks, either in photos or in person at an International Meet, so I don't know what all he owned; not to mention, he was continually restoring them. Therefore when someone mentions they got one of Asa's trucks, I can only guess which one out of the collection it was. The last time I got to speak with him was in 2002 in South Bend when he was there with his dad's '46 which he just finished restoring. But that truck in the pics sure looks sharp!! I hope to see that one at an International Meet!

Craig

**Roscomacaw** · 07-20-2006, 06:43 AM

OK, while we're talking Ms & Ms here, I once owned a green one.[^] '47 model If I recall right. It was the second or thrid Stude I ever owned and the story I got was that it had served to haul fresh-cut logs out of the Georgia timber forests.[

]

Heh - I drove a friend's 48 LandCruiser out to some remote Georgian burg to get it and then drove that monster 120 back to my place with nothing but the emergency brake for stopping power. (Those good ol'days of youthful dare!)
I KNOW for certain it bore an ID tag that professed it to be an M17. That was intriguing in itself, but what was weird was that it was powered by a Champion 6 thru the venerable old T-9 ( I think) 4spd.
I didn't keep it long. I found some other suck... 'er prospective owner - to take it off my hands for the hundred bucks I had in it.[}

]

I had a number of folks look at me suspect - in subsequent years - when I would talk about my M-17 with a 170cu.in six in it, but I was the one that had to work on it a bit.

Without going thru my references, do I remember correctly that most, if not all, M 17s were for export? [:I]

Miscreant at large.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President 2-dr
1955 President State
1951 Champion Biz cpe
1963 Daytona project FS

**Dick Steinkamp** · 07-20-2006, 06:58 AM

quote:Originally posted by Mr.Biggs
Without going thru my references, do I remember correctly that most, if not all, M 17s were for export? [:I]

According to the June '86 TW article by Fred Fox, "Stories have been told of some M17s being sold in the U.S., but verification is still lacking."

8,997 were made between 46 and 48.

"The export M17 was offered in the same wheelbases as the M16. In addition to standard M16 equipment, the M17 came standard with a 2-speed rear axle, 8.25 x 20 10 ply tires, heavy duty springs, fish plates, front shock absorbers, booster brake, tru-stop transmission brake, hill holder, dual horns, 18" steering wheel, 10-plate battery, six blade fan and engine governor."

IIRC, M16's with an "X" at the end of the serial number were equiped in a similar manner as M17s.

**Guido** · 07-20-2006, 08:21 AM

quote:Originally posted by Dick Steinkamp
IIRC, M16's with an "X" at the end of the serial number were equiped in a similar manner as M17s.

Dick,

The X did represent that it was a "heavy duty" ton and a half model that came with 2 speed rear, etc. It is also my understanding that all M-17's were export models (I think many went north to Canada), but I thought production was closer to 300 units, thus their rarity. Asa's M-17 was apparently in the woods behind his shop, but looked to be very solid. If I recall, it brought in the neighborhood of $350 (still kicking myself).

Mr. Biggs, I can't imagine trying to move a truck of that size with a 169 CID motor that might make 80 HP on a down hill run with a stiff wind at your back. All of the M-16's and 17's came with the 226 CID Commander motor, so that must have been a switch at some point in its life.

Guido Salvage - "Where rust is beautiful"

1946 M-16 fire truck
1948 M-16 grain truck
1949 2R16A grain truck
1949 2R17A fire truck
1955 E-38 grain truck
1957 3E-40 flatbed
1961 6E-28 grain truck
1962 7E-13D 4x4 rack truck
1962 7E-7 Champ pickup
1962 GT Hawk 4 speed
1964 Avanti R2 4 speed
1964 Cruiser
And various other "treasures"
Hiding and preserving Studebakers in Richmond & Louisa, Va.

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