Prototype pieces out there

[Chris_Dresbach]

How many stude prototype parts are still out there? I've talked to a few of my friends in the SDC who have different pieces and I got to thinking about what all is in other collections. Aside from my collection, I have two body tags from the proving ground graveyard. One that's from a '39 Commander and the other off the '54 crash test car. I also have never produced air conditioning vents for a '53. Does anybody else have anything that came off a prototype? Pics? Just curious.

[mbstude]

Once upon a time, I had '53 air conditioning ducts and a Model N door.

I have a few things. Most notable are an EX Serial Tag that a friend gave me, and a proposed wheel cover that was slated for the '50 model year.

[Chris_Dresbach]

Once upon a time, I had '53 air conditioning ducts and a Model N door.

Then they came back to south bend and stayed here happily ever after...

[Milaca]

Unfortunately I don't have any prototype pieces, but I do have a broken piece of grill from Ted Harbit's Chicken Hawk which makes it a one-of-a-kind Studebaker item. I would really like to have a prototype part though. Perhaps Chris could make a few bucks by retrieving parts from the graveyard and selling them to those of us that are interested?? Perhaps this money could go towards his prototype restoration fund.

[PlainBrownR2]

I don't have any physical parts. I do have some blueprints I bought from Tom K a few years back, along with some proposal and circulated product factory pictures of engine parts and the setups of engine configurations. The one proposal picture that would that I have that stands out closest to a prototype piece, was the picture of the front of an engine, for a main belt, supercharger, power steering, and AC setup on a '57 Packard.

[jlmccuan]

A friend of mine showed me an original Borg Warner factory training piece for adding overdrive to a T10 with BW parts. Maybe that will find it's way into the '64 R3 Hawk.

[Welcome]

>>>Does anybody else have anything that came off a prototype? Pics? Just curious.

Chris "Mr. Prototype" Dresbach,

To answer your question, I no longer have any "Prototype" parts ...if I ever did.

Of course YOU already know where the largest stash of unused "Prototype" parts is ...right

SI/SB found 1 of 2 ever known to exist Air Conditioning Condensers for the 56J (on aside note; rather recently, I set my eyes on some of the parts that came off the 56J Air Conditioning prototype). As SI/SB continues working toward identifying every last part from the Studebaker Corp. parts inventory, it is very likely more & more Prototype parts will be discovered. Right now those rows of shelves with one or two of a kind parts sitting on them awaiting identification are probably "rich" with Prototypes!!!

[Chris_Dresbach]

Jim,

I didn't know about AC condensers for 56Js. I did know about the all plastic '63 Lark dash and the '66 grille made with pop rivets. I'll ask Ed about that.

[kurtruk]

if you do a search on here for horn buttons, you should find pics of Mr. Bigg's prototype hornbuttons. I've seen 'em in person. Cool.

[(S)]

There are so many "whole car prototypes" out there is what amazes me after all these years.

The coolest one is the 'first 64 GT Hawk' because it is complete. And how could one argue about the model N ?

The cool hood ornament JDP had was amazing. I have also seen more than one 64 hood ornament that 'flips back' instead of breaking.

A group of pictures would be cool to compile.

[studegary]

There are so many "whole car prototypes" out there is what amazes me after all these years.

The coolest one is the 'first 64 GT Hawk' because it is complete. And how could one argue about the model N ?

The cool hood ornament JDP had was amazing. I have also seen more than one 64 hood ornament that 'flips back' instead of breaking.

A group of pictures would be cool to compile.

The spring loaded 1964 hood ornament is not a prototype. They were a production item. I believe that they were for some exports where countries banned rigid hood ornaments that stood up a certain distance (pedestrian safety). I sold my last NOS 1964 spring loaded hood ornament a number of years ago (more than 20).