Production Order

[Bruv]

I recently got the production order for my 61 Hawk. I see it has no 'Body Number' on order. Any idea what they would have used? Only number l see which they may have used was the 'Factory Order Number'!

[StudeRich]

No they did not use the Numbers in several places, someone must have missed putting in the body number. Was this a KD knocked down, crated for shipment Car?

Maybe if you ordered the "Shipper" Document you could get better info.

[rockne10]

Can you post a scan of your P.O.?

[Bruv]

It must have had a body number at some stage as it did have a Cowl Tag. Maybe it only had the 2 holes for one!!

[stude dude]

The 'South African Motor Assemblers & Distributors' cars I have seen had a unique body number plate on the LH door pillar below the striker. Many foreign assembly plants did not use a body number tag like US/Canadian vehicles. I believe the serial number was also used as a body number.

Note that 4 interior colors are listed (BLV/GRV/BRV/BLV - Blue/Green/Brown/Black vinyl). These are the colors probably pre-chosen by the assembler for this group of cars (lot #3). A standard list of items to omit will exist for SA built vehicles. This gives you a fair idea of the level of local content being used.

Chris.

[8E45E]

Appears it never had a South Bend-applied body number as it never went into their inventory/body bank.

I would love to see some photos of that car; especially the interior, as there was a lot of local content to reduce import duties. I wonder if any 'final' work/production orders still exist for South African-assembled Studebakers stating colors, trim, brand of tires, etc.

Craig

[StudeRich]

Can you imagine the extra steps South Bend had to go though just to satisfy all these weird requests?

Just imagine having to "special gather" all these non production pieces, like the Door Panel Mouldings never sold or stocked separately, and packing and shipping them just so they could make their own Door Panels.

I remember Dad sold 2 '55 Champion Conestoga Wagons to a couple of Missionaries to Africa and they just came here and ordered them Complete for Export with right hand drive, H.D. Frame, Low Compression Heads, touch-up Paint and all the other "Special" Export Car items.

[Skip Lackie]

Can you imagine the extra steps South Bend had to go though just to satisfy all these weird requests?

Just imagine having to "special gather" all these non production pieces, like the Door Panel Mouldings never sold or stocked separately, and packing and shipping them just so they could make their own Door Panels.

I remember Dad sold 2 '55 Champion Conestoga Wagons to a couple of Missionaries to Africa and they just came here and ordered them Complete for Export with right hand drive, H.D. Frame, Low Compression Heads, touch-up Paint and all the other "Special" Export Car items.

I have no personal knowledge, but I suspect that the list of adds and omits were standard for all similar models going to a given country. Since the amount of local content required varied from country to country, Studebaker probably negotiated with the local importer/assembler on what items would be deleted. So although the list of adds and omits is long, it may have been the same for all cars exported to South Africa.

And BTW, I think most of those door panel moldings and other items DID have part numbers -- they just weren't in the usual parts books. Many years ago, Dave Spilski of N&A showed me the card file and ancient computer printout that listed many unlisted parts, such as door panel covers and other incomplete interior assemblies. Demand for such items was so low that it wasn't worth it to include them in the parts books -- dealers were expected to call the factory if they needed something like that.