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City of Los Angeles Champ Truck

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  • City of Los Angeles Champ Truck

    Here's an interesting picture that was justed posted on the H.A.M.B. of a Champ pickup circa '61. I wonder how many Champs they had?
    Attached Files
    Scott Rodgers
    Los Angeles
    SDC Member since 1989
    \'60 Lark HT
    \'63 Wagonaire
    \'66 Frankenbaker

  • #2
    My '62 Champ was from the L.A. County fire department, gum ball machine and all. It pealed the paint off when the logos were removed.

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    • #3
      Cal-Trans had a bunch of them also...all Orange.
      Lou Van Anne
      62 Champ
      64 R2 GT Hawk
      79 Avanti II

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      • #4
        Somewhere in Los Angeles is a secret stash of Stude parts from these commercial vehicles and from the Vernon factory. I can dream, can't I?
        Scott Rodgers
        Los Angeles
        SDC Member since 1989
        \'60 Lark HT
        \'63 Wagonaire
        \'66 Frankenbaker

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        • #5
          Does anyone else think the Chevy Luv trucks bore a strong resemblance to the Champs?
          \"Ahh, a bear in his natural habitat...a Studebaker!\"

          51 Land Cruiser (Elsie)
          Jim Mann
          Victoria, B.C.
          Canada

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          • #6
            I'm thinking about the gorgeous 3/4ton Champ that George (doug, help me as I can't think of his last name), from LA, restored in the 90s. I DROOLED over that truck! I wonder where it's at now. I believe it was a CalTrans truck when new. I recall seeing a clapped out LA Champ in a Pick-a-Part yard in the LA area - late 80s.
            That photo reminded me of the darling Plymouth Savoy 2-Dr hdtp I saw in town yesterday - a '58 like the wagon in the photo. SO cool to see a late 50s Mopar on the street. It was someone's daily driver, which was even cooler. Wish I could just step into this photo here!
            No deceptive flags to prove I'm patriotic - no biblical BS to impress - just ME and Studebakers - as it should be.

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            • #7
              Reminds me of Carl Thoms' Champ.

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              • #8
                I'm not sure how strong,but ya I always thought along those lines "no pun intended" <G>
                Originally posted by StudeMann View Post
                Does anyone else think the Chevy Luv trucks bore a strong resemblance to the Champs?
                Joseph R. Zeiger

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                • #9
                  Yes, an R2 Powered Champ has to be the "Cats Pajamas"!
                  StudeRich
                  Second Generation Stude Driver,
                  Proud '54 Starliner Owner
                  SDC Member Since 1967

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Roscomacaw View Post
                    I'm thinking about the gorgeous 3/4ton Champ that George (doug, help me as I can't think of his last name), from LA, restored in the 90s. I DROOLED over that truck! I wonder where it's at now. I believe it was a CalTrans truck when new. I recall seeing a clapped out LA Champ in a Pick-a-Part yard in the LA area - late 80s.
                    That photo reminded me of the darling Plymouth Savoy 2-Dr hdtp I saw in town yesterday - a '58 like the wagon in the photo. SO cool to see a late 50s Mopar on the street. It was someone's daily driver, which was even cooler. Wish I could just step into this photo here!
                    Jim Dixon restored his truck and had a lot of awards. He has since passed.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by StudeRich View Post
                      Yes, an R2 Powered Champ has to be the "Cats Pajamas"!
                      Since the Champ was essentially half of a Lark 4 door; was it possible for one to be special ordered with an R1 or higher, especially in light of V8's being available as OEM.
                      --------------------------------------

                      Sold my 1962; Studeless at the moment

                      Borrowed Bams50's sigline here:

                      "Do they all not, by mere virtue of having survived as relics of a bygone era, amass a level of respect perhaps not accorded to them when they were new?"

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by 1962larksedan View Post
                        Since the Champ was essentially half of a Lark 4 door; was it possible for one to be special ordered with an R1 or higher, especially in light of V8's being available as OEM.
                        Yes and NO, they were never advertized for sale, BUT there were actually TWO R2's with Stude. Disk Brakes and T-10 4 Speeds special ordered by Paxton Products Div. of Studebaker Corp. in Santa Monica CA I think they had a bit more clout than the average Joe so maybe not just anyone could get one.

                        They were not really approved/tested for street use and were built more for Bonneville use, but not run as far as I know.

                        I did know the original owner (first licensed) of one of the two short wide bed Champs, it was dark gray at the time, but I believe it started out as Blue. it was quite the Street race performer in Hawthorne and Inglewood, CA at that time, it had 3.73 TT rear gears.
                        StudeRich
                        Second Generation Stude Driver,
                        Proud '54 Starliner Owner
                        SDC Member Since 1967

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                        • #13
                          Studebaker would likely build any car or truck with any engine they had if you wanted it. Like Rich says, two R2 powered Champs were built. One painted black, the other white. The black one is restored and in Arizona last I knew. The white one was last known with a scrap title in Indiana, and likely doesn't exist now.

                          Carl Thoms' truck obviously isn't a factory Supercharged rig, but he puts a blower on most all of his drivers. He was well over 400K miles on that truck when I snapped the pic in 2010.

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                          • #14
                            My Uncle was in his local Studebaker dealer sometime in 1963. He asked the owner if Studebaker could build a half ton truck with the R2 motor in it. He was back in the dealer a little over a week later and the owner said he had made a few phone calls and he said it could be done - but the price would have been well over $3000 - that is a lot of money for a cotton farmer in the early '60s.

                            If the factory would not do it - I bet a dealer would. Back in 1998, I talked with the former dealer from Georgetown, Texas. In 1952 he ordered a 1.5 ton truck to serve as the dealership's newest wrecker. He asked the zone rep to have the factory put in a 232 instead of the big six. Rep said it could not be done. When the truck was delivered, it had a crate strapped to the frame with a 232 in it. The two dealer mechanics worked through a weekend and had a 1952 V8 powered Studebaker truck on Monday morning. Truck was in a salvage yard in Liberty Hill, Texas, in 1998 - no idea where it might be now.

                            Seven year update...
                            Photo below is of the wrecker mentioned above - photo from 1998 - hope someone saved it.

                            Last edited by 62champ; 08-26-2019, 03:41 PM.

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