Body / Glass: trying to identify year of vehicle

[humnbass]

Guys,

I found a vehicle that I'm interested in making my first stude. The guy has a bill of sale only and the VIN number he sent me (it's a Texas car) is 6-533b52. It has a 50 frontend on it but I'm thinking it's a 52. Am I correct to believe that the last 2 characters of the VIN indicates the year? it does not have a split windshield and is a starlite body from the pics. It has no engine as well.

thank you for your help.

[rkapteyn]

Look for a tag on the firewall under the hood on the passenger side.
This will tell us what it is.
The serial number you posted does not make any sense
No , the last two digits do not indicate the year build.
Robert Kapteyn

[doug]

If the 1st 6 was really a G and the serial number was really 533652 it would fall into the 1950 Champion range of numbers. There are no letters in the number sequence where you have a b (Except I is used for 1) Just a stab.

[humnbass]

I called the guy back and he gave me the following number from the tag on the firewall. 9G-C36543 That number is totally different from the previous one that he pulled from the door post. Are they suppose to be the same?

[Dwain G.]

The firewall tag tells us the model number, trim level, and body number.
The serial number in the door post is the car's serial number, and reads G 533652.
Together, those tags indicate a 1950 Champion.
I think we saw this car somewhere recently. It has 1952 tail lights?

[RadioRoy]

9G C3 is a 50 Champion starlight coupe.

[humnbass]

This is not the same car. Once I expressed to the owner of that car that it was a 1950 with a 52 trunk lid and lights I haven't heard from the guy again. I think it was titled as a 1952. This car doesn't have a title and I'm trying to do some research to see how difficult it would be to get a title for it in NC. I spoke with the DMV and they said I need a notarized bill of sale with the make, model and VIN number so I'm trying to make sure there is a real VIN number on the vehicle. so, when trying to get a title do I use the serial number for the VIN or the number from the firewall tag?

thanks

[rockne10]

You want the Serial No. from the driver's door frame to register as the Vehicle Identification Number. If they say the VIN must be seventeen characters remind them the car is 66 years old.
If the Roman numeral "I" appears anywhere, Studebaker intended it as the number "1".

[Skip Lackie]

To add to what rockne10 said, today's VINs were not created until 1981. Studebakers that old had serial numbers. However, most DMVs and police departments use the term VIN, and the serial number on the door post is used as a VIN.

[63t-cab]

I'll be curious to know what year this Car actually is, Tony says it does not have a Two piece Windshield.

Guys,

I found a vehicle that I'm interested in making my first stude. The guy has a bill of sale only and the VIN number he sent me (it's a Texas car) is 6-533b52. It has a 50 frontend on it but I'm thinking it's a 52. Am I correct to believe that the last 2 characters of the VIN indicates the year? it does not have a split windshield and is a starlite body from the pics. It has no engine as well.

thank you for your help.

[DMB-8]

Be very careful about the vin tag in N.C. as they come out and inspect every car that comes in from out of state.Make sure the vin tag has not been changed or removed and reinstalled as they do not accept that.I restored a car in PA.and had the title and removed the tag and painted under it and reattached it and they gave the guy a hard time.It cost him a lot of money to get the title in N.C..

[rockne10]

I'll be curious to know what year this Car actually is, Tony says it does not have a Two piece Windshield.

1950 Starlights and convertible had a one piece windshield.

[63t-cab]

Well I'll be, never knew various Models were built either way for 1950.naturally now I wonder why this was ?

1950 Starlights and convertible had a one piece windshield.

[RadioRoy]

The story goes that the company that made the bent glass one piece windshields did not have the production capacity to equip all Studebakers until the 1951 model year. In 47-50, only convertibles, 5 passenger coupes and Land Cruisers had one piece windshields. That left the two door sedans, four door sedans, and business coupes with two piece windshields.

In 51-52, windshield production capacity increased and all models were one piece.