Secret VIN

[MCCAB1]

I got my 63 Lark home today. I have looked on the crossmember by the fuel tank on both sides and both edges of the crossmember to no avail! I cleaned it up. The crossmember has a little surface rust is all. Is there anywhere else to look? And did they put this on all the cars? Thanks.

[Warren Webb]

That's the only one. If you don't see it on the left (drivers) side then it was stamped so lightly that it disappeared with any rust.

[PlainBrownR2]

Go to the rearmost crossmember behind your gas tank, the one that's by your bumper brackets. Looking up from under the car, look on the underside of the bottom lip of the crossmember in the center. There should be a VERY lightly stamped serial number, that will match the one on your door jamb. You'll have to wipe it down a bit and shine a flashlight on it, but there should be a serial number back there. This is where I found the one on my '63 Daytona. The frame on mine was still in good shape, so luckily I was able to spot it.

[8E45E]

More here: http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...=secret+serial

Craig

[MCCAB1]

This frame has very,very light surface rust! If it is stamped it will still be there. I will look closer in the middle of the crossmember. Bruce

[StudeRich]

From 2/7/13 by Bob Palma:

New Secret Serial Number Location? Or not, per CP

The biggest treat about the "new" 1964 Wagonaire I bought in Texas last week would happen this afternoon, when I was able to locate the Secret Serial Number.

This might not seem like a Big Deal for you guys in arid climates, but it's a Great Big Deal for those of us elsewhere. (Heck, this is the first Studebaker I've ever owned on which I could find the Secret Serial Number, so I was pretty excited.)

The car's full Serial Number is 64V15196, but, of course, the two-digit model year prefix does not appear; only the V and the sequential serial number. Here is the stamping:



Now here's what's interesting. The frame is so nice on this car, I was just sure I would be able to find the Secret Serial Number. I started buzzing off the light (and I do mean light) surface rust with a 3M #03171 Paint and Rust Stripper Wheel. Just the ticket for taking off everything except base metal.

We have long found secret serial numbers on the rearmost bottom flange of the frame's rearmost crossmember, on the right (passenger side) of the frame. I cleaned that off thoroughly, and the flange in front of it (gas tank side of that crossmember) and found nothing. But the metal looked so good it made no sense to not find the SSN; I mean, I could see tiny die stretch marks where the crossmember had been stamped, for Pete's sake!

Frustration.

So I decided to buzz of the left side of the crossmember, rear flange; the flange toward the rear bumper. Again, nothing.

So, in final desperation, I buzzed off the front flange of the left (driver) side of the crossmember, right next to the gas tank: AND THERE IT WAS, BIG AS DAY, as you see above.

I've never heard of a secret serial number being stamped on the front flange on a car's left side, but it sure is on this Wagonaire. I believe I'll run this as an item in The Co-Operator, and encourage people to carefully buzz off and examine both lower flanges all the way across their Studebaker's rearmost cross member(s), to be sure they've covered all the bases before concluding their car's secret serial number has been lost to surface (or worse) rust. BP

All rights to be retained by the esteemed AUTHOR!

[PlainBrownR2]

Yeah, like Bob said, just go over the whole crossmember. It seems Studebaker wasn't picky about where they put the number. I should have done this earlier, but this is where mine is at on my '63 Daytona Hardtop. Just above the crossmember is the fuel fill that goes through the trunk, so this was another place that they punched it:







It's a little faint for the camera, but the whole number is there. It's really neat too, because not only is the frame nice and solid, this car isn't even from the West Coast, it was originally sold in Missouri ! Anyway, once I found it, and gently brushed it off with the wire wheel brush, it got POR'd like the rest of the frame, so there's a layer of paint that's now covering that spot. The number itself matches the number that's found on the doorjamb. For me it's just a novelty, as Illinois isn't as interested in the number in the rear, as they are in the number that's on the plate in the doorjamb.

I gotta get back to working on that car this spring though, starting with the brandy new floors that I got for it this Christmas!

[MCCAB1]

Finally found the VIN stamped on the forward lip by the fuel tank. It was about the center of the crossmember! Thanks for all the input. I was hoping this VIN on the crossmember was the same as the car that left the factory with the R1 engine in this car! Not to be. The VIN on the car and the frame are the same. This car is a 63S car so the R1 engine, 4 speed, and 3.73 TT rear end were obviously swapped in from the 63V donor car. I am going to try and find out what became of the 63 Lark custom donor car because a previos owner has the title for that car.

[Noxnabaker]

This sure makes me wonder where the V.I.N.-number could be hiding on my -55 sedan, I would be very (& I mean VERY!!!) greatful to know that!
Does anybody know?

[Mark L]

What year did Studebaker begin stamping the number on the cross-member?

Mark L

[StudeRich]

We have found them on all '53 to '66 Cars Mark, just not Trucks. So at least that early.

[8E45E]

We have found them on all '53 to '66 Cars Mark, just not Trucks. So at least that early.

Earliest I have seen is a 1953.