This thread is meant to be more of a march of progress thread than a "hey, look at my finished vehicle" type thread. Want to keep this in the public sphere so I can keep my eye on what I have been able to do and maybe have others to keep pestering me about what I am going to finish next...so here we go.
Back in 1991, I joined the SDC about the same time my Uncle got his 1960 Champ pickup out of a 15 year hibernation and decided to restore it back to running condition. We went to a couple local chapter meetings and my Uncle bought a close friend's '62 Champ and restored it as well - the "blue truck" I currently own. This was followed by his '50 2R5 and then in 1996, he started on the truck this thread is about, 7E5-135849, or as my Uncle would refer to a vehicle, the "white truck."
This truck was produced on July 9, 1962. That was a Monday, so there is a good chance it was probably the last week of 7E production. On the production order, there is a deviation to possibly use up parts because of changes for the 8E Champs. Instead of having normal E5 front springs, this truck has the heavy duty front springs - which were the standard springs for the 7E7. Someone else in the Studebaker world stated they have a note in their Champ parts book that states the last 80 or so E5 were built this way - and by checking total numbers of trucks made with starting VINs, this truck is the 30th truck from the end of 7E5 production.
The truck was shipped from South Bend to a dealer in Henderson, Texas - a small city in north east Texas, near Marshall. Only accessories on the production order are an overdrive transmission (thank goodness - 4.55 rear), PCV valve, and those heavy-duty springs, but it had already been sold so rush was on the order as well.
The dealer must have had a deal worked out, because the truck did not go to its new owner without a radio, cigarette lighter, and climitizer. The trucks history is a mystery until about 1975, when a cousin, while at football practice in a new town, saw the truck sitting in a farmers field. The town was Hillsboro, Texas, about 160 miles west of its original home. My cousin found the person who owned the farm and found out that the truck was for sale. He told my Uncle about it and a deal was struck. The truck was pulled to my cousin's family farm and that is where it sat until 1995, the bed being filled with trash in that time period.
By 1995, my Uncle was finished restoring the three trucks that were close to home, so he asked my cousin to haul the truck to his home so he could start on it. Photos below are of the truck shortly after it arrived there, showing what 33 years of being outside had done to its state of being. The interior was pretty ragged, there were some holes rusted in the floor, the tailgate was toast, and the bed had a hole rusted in the floor about the size of a basketball... My cousin states he believes the drive train was pulled because the intention was to go with a V8 motor instead.
My Uncle started working on the truck sometime during 1996, and these photos are from 1997 when I stopped by for a visit. These are scans of actual photographs, so they have a little different look.
Will continue the story later...
Back in 1991, I joined the SDC about the same time my Uncle got his 1960 Champ pickup out of a 15 year hibernation and decided to restore it back to running condition. We went to a couple local chapter meetings and my Uncle bought a close friend's '62 Champ and restored it as well - the "blue truck" I currently own. This was followed by his '50 2R5 and then in 1996, he started on the truck this thread is about, 7E5-135849, or as my Uncle would refer to a vehicle, the "white truck."
This truck was produced on July 9, 1962. That was a Monday, so there is a good chance it was probably the last week of 7E production. On the production order, there is a deviation to possibly use up parts because of changes for the 8E Champs. Instead of having normal E5 front springs, this truck has the heavy duty front springs - which were the standard springs for the 7E7. Someone else in the Studebaker world stated they have a note in their Champ parts book that states the last 80 or so E5 were built this way - and by checking total numbers of trucks made with starting VINs, this truck is the 30th truck from the end of 7E5 production.
The truck was shipped from South Bend to a dealer in Henderson, Texas - a small city in north east Texas, near Marshall. Only accessories on the production order are an overdrive transmission (thank goodness - 4.55 rear), PCV valve, and those heavy-duty springs, but it had already been sold so rush was on the order as well.
The dealer must have had a deal worked out, because the truck did not go to its new owner without a radio, cigarette lighter, and climitizer. The trucks history is a mystery until about 1975, when a cousin, while at football practice in a new town, saw the truck sitting in a farmers field. The town was Hillsboro, Texas, about 160 miles west of its original home. My cousin found the person who owned the farm and found out that the truck was for sale. He told my Uncle about it and a deal was struck. The truck was pulled to my cousin's family farm and that is where it sat until 1995, the bed being filled with trash in that time period.
By 1995, my Uncle was finished restoring the three trucks that were close to home, so he asked my cousin to haul the truck to his home so he could start on it. Photos below are of the truck shortly after it arrived there, showing what 33 years of being outside had done to its state of being. The interior was pretty ragged, there were some holes rusted in the floor, the tailgate was toast, and the bed had a hole rusted in the floor about the size of a basketball... My cousin states he believes the drive train was pulled because the intention was to go with a V8 motor instead.
My Uncle started working on the truck sometime during 1996, and these photos are from 1997 when I stopped by for a visit. These are scans of actual photographs, so they have a little different look.
Will continue the story later...
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