The human touch

[JimC]

This is a topic I've always had interest in, but the thread was directly inspired by '66Commander's thread on the nearly 50 year old fingerprint.

In any mass produced machine, a little bit of humanity gets stripped. One looks like the next, which looks like the next, which looks like the next. They roll out the factory as identical twins.

Except that they're not. Every car that was built before robotic arms became the norm was built by a line of human beings. They had senses of humor, families, personality. From time to time, this personality rubs off on a vehicle. Whether it's a comment written on the underside of a door panel, or some anomaly in production, the builders leave their fingerprints (literal and metaphorical) all over these cars.

What I'd love to see pictures of and hear stories about are the anomalies you've found on your cars. What marks of humanity have been found as restorations have begun, or as new-to-you cars have been explored? Then the follow-up question is what did you do about it? Did you preserve the anomaly, or did you fix it to make the car technically correct? My car has been so modified after production that I doubt there's anything left like this, so I suppose I'm hoping to live vicariously though everyone here.

Thanks!

['66Commander]

Except that they're not. Every car that was built before robotic arms became the norm was built by a line of human beings. They had senses of humor, families, personality. From time to time, this personality rubs off on a vehicle. Whether it's a comment written on the underside of a door panel, or some anomaly in production, the builders leave their fingerprints (literal and metaphorical) all over these cars.

That was beautiful!
So far it is only the fingerprint that I have seen. But there are many secrets to uncover I'm sure. I plan to keep my blank. It has a safe spot sitting in my trunk for now. To me it is what make's the Stude special. That the person who left their print and a small story. Even if I don't know the story, there is a story behind it. And that is something that cannot be beat by the cookie-cutter cars now a days.
Even if it was an imperfection, that is still a legacy of someone that they chose to pass on in the car. Becoming the car's legacy too.

[christophe]

When I sanded the firewall (engine bay side) of my 63GT, I saw a name slowly appear through the various coats of paint. Obviously, it was written on the bare body before paint, maybe with a chalk.
The first name was not very clear. It could be Lew, Len or Leon maybe. On the other hand, Petri could be distinctly read as the last name. As the final assembly of my car took place in Belgium, I don't know if this signature was made in South Bent or in Bruxelles.
I've always prefered original unmolested cars as my pleasure is to see how it was initially built. I've always considered too that a good car enthusiast must be a good archeologist first.

[raoul5788]

While not part of the build of my '57 Packard wagon, there are stickers in the back windows from a trip the original owner's family took to Florida. When I restored the car I was careful to be sure not to remove them. They are part of the fabric of the car!

[Son O Lark]

A quick side note: Recently a Leonardo Da Vinci drawing was verified as authentic because his fingerprint was still indentifiable!

[Deaf Mute]

TURNING WHEELS or HEMMINGS CLASSIC CARS might like the fingerprint story.

['66Commander]

TURNING WHEELS or HEMMINGS CLASSIC CARS might like the fingerprint story.

Here my post about it:

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?74247-Check-this-out-a-fingerprint-that-has-lasted-almost-50-years!

I don't see why I shouldn't tell them.
However its not a long story :/

(Ha, I just realized this is my 100th post. Whoo!)

[christophe]

(Ha, I just realized this is my 100th post. Whoo!)

You have forced me to make my 300th post!

['66Commander]

A quick side note: Recently a Leonardo Da Vinci drawing was verified as authentic because his fingerprint was still indentifiable!

That's amazing! I must look into it.

You have forced me to make my 300th post!

Whoohoo! Two breaking numbers in the same post. High five!

[christophe]

Whoohoo! Two breaking numbers in the same post. High five!

Gimme five, Ethan!

[Son O Lark]

[QUOTE='66Commander;771356]That's amazing! I must look into it.

Just Google Da Vinci fingerprint.

['66Commander]

[QUOTE=Son O Lark;771379]

That's amazing! I must look into it.

Just Google Da Vinci fingerprint.

Sweet. Thank you.

['66Commander]

JimC, I thought I'd let you know I added another picture of the print.
Plus, I wanted to bump this thread. I really want this to catch on. I would love to hear the stories.

[Roscomacaw]

I've written before about the South Bend Tribune newspaper that was revealed when I took the aging carpets out of a '58 Commander hardtop. Whoever put that paper there, must've been chuckling as they did so. The body to frame bolts had been holding it to the floor all the years it was hidden by the carpets. The car was an early edition if the serial number and the body tag were any sort of clue. The paper was from about mid-September and was easily readable even if it was well stuck to the floorboards. It had been opened fully and laid so to have the front and back pages facing up. There was a small column article addressing union dealings at Studebaker, and I have wondered if some worker was making a statement, in essence, by making that article visible. As I said, it couldn't have been a casual oversight as two of the body bolts had clearly been installed AFTER the paper was laid out!
Funny that you started this thread just now. Yesterday afternoon I was looking for some Studebaker photos taken at a local dealership when I came across a bit addressing this very topic that I'd written for our local newsletter in the mid-90s.

['66Commander]

That's amazing. Did you leave it in?
Whom ever it was must have been a statement. It's sad that we are no longer going to find things like that with these cookie cutter cars.