Unusual '54 barn find

[fstst56]

Found a '54 K Commander in a barn last Wed.
Had a rear window wiper and defroster. Looked factory.
Had a tach in the instrument cluster. Factory ?
Tach drive was by a cable that attached to the front of the engine fan.
Anyone know if these were factory or after market accessories ?
All parts looked to be Studebaker parts.
Owner of car doesn't have a production order but plans on oredering one.

fstst56

[53k]

Found a '54 K Commander in a barn last Wed.
Had a rear window wiper and defroster. Looked factory.
Had a tach in the instrument cluster. Factory ?
Tach drive was by a cable that attached to the front of the engine fan.
Anyone know if these were factory or after market accessories ?
All parts looked to be Studebaker parts.
Owner of car doesn't have a production order but plans on oredering one.

fstst56

Rear defroster possible. Rear wiper, fan driven tach- extremely unlikely (I never say impossible). Only tach I ever saw in the instrument cluster of a '54 was one in a genuine Studillac and it wasn't fan driven.

[Jim B PEI]

The only factory rear window wipers I have ever heard of/seen are those on the second body style Kaisers ie 1951 through 1955. They were an available but very rarely added option. Only seen 3 cars to date, a 51, a 53 and a 54. (about as common as Skytops in Studebakers)

[raoul5788]

What, no pictures?

[StudeRich]

If it is a long term, dry stored '54 Commander Starliner Hardtop, I would get the CAR, forget the aftermarket junk on it!

That thingy on the back looking like a Volvo Station Wagon, needs to come off anyway!

[klifton1]

A Rear window defroster was available in 55. Don't have my parts book handy, but they were both 6 volt.
Klif

[BRUCESTUDE]

1951-era Nashes had rear window wipers available as options, too.

[studeclunker]

who knows, maybe someone saw all those Nashes and Kaisers getting it and had rear wiping envy?

[Henry Votel]

Just a notation: Rear window wiper units (vacuum operated) were available on the 49-51 Fords. I had a 1950 Ford with one and it was a listed as a factory option. I have seen several on Ford Shoeboxes in recent years. If it was a Sudebaker option I think knowledge would exist about it already. Probably an aftermarket add on. . . .my guess.

[8E45E]

Just a notation: Rear window wiper units (vacuum operated) were available on the 49-51 Fords.

They also were on 1948 Chevrolets.

Craig

[studegary]

A rear window defroster for 1953-1954 Studebakers was AC-2363. The list price was $14.75 uninstalled. The other items are aftermarket.

[Flashback]

Sometimes we need to say "Dealer Installed" rather than aftermarket. There were dealer installed tachometers.

[studegary]

Sometimes we need to say "Dealer Installed" rather than aftermarket. There were dealer installed tachometers.

I use aftermarket to mean that they were not authorized as options by Studebaker, whether they were installed by the dealer or someone else. Some factory options were installed by the dealer, but dealers also installed many other items. Just because the dealer installed something before new car delivery does not make it correct.