How did Studebaker paint their cars in 1963

[58PackardWagon]

At any point during the painting process, did Studebaker paint the the shell or any of the body panels (doors, fenders, trunk and hood) by themselves/unattached or was the body painted as one complete unit?

Please advise, thank you

[Milaca]

I don't claim to know, but I believe the front sheet metal assembly (front fenders, inner fenders and grill/header panel being welded together as one on a Lark) was seperate from the cabin when painted.

[StudeMichael]

You will find some info in this article:

http://www.studebaker-info.org/Magan...264/CL264.html

[DEEPNHOCK]

I was gonna say...."With a roller", but stopped short....

[Milaca]

I was gonna say...."With a roller", but stopped short....

I think your brakes need repair Jeff, as you rolled right through the intersection and said it anyway.

[rockinhawk]

I think the fenders for the M series were painted sepreately. Many of them were black, whatever the body color

[Jackson]

At least on the early Larks (59 & 60) the parts on the front clip were painted seperately and I believe the doors and trunk were also. The rear quarters were most likely attached, seam sealed, and painted with the body. I worked there at the time near a paint booth where some of the parts were painted.

[BobPalma]

I don't claim to know, but I believe the front sheet metal assembly (front fenders, inner fenders and grill/header panel being welded together as one on a Lark) was seperate from the cabin when painted.

Yes and No, Milaca. The front-end assembly ("doghouse," if you will), consisting of those parts was painted apart from the balance of the car, as you suggest. However, it wasn't welded together, obviously, it was bolted together.

This has been so obvious through the years on George Krem's Plain Brown Wrapper 1964 Bermuda Brown Challenger 2-door. The car has been photographed extensively in color over many years. If you take a color photograph of the left front or left side of the car just right, the LF fender looks different from the balance of the left side of the car, as if the LF was repainted at some time.

That fender has never been refinished (George bought the car new, remember), but it is obvious that the angle of the metallic "lay down" isn't the same between the fender and the door. Had they been painted as an assembly, that wouldn't be the case, of course, because the gun position and resulting metallic pattern would have remained fairly constant as the painter moved from the fender to the door.

It's not apparent all the time, but some photos of the car taken at just the right angle are quite dramatic as to the metallic pattern varying between the LF fender and the left door.

(Incidentally, we inspected the car carefully when George bought it. I was with him. There is no evidence it was sent to the doll-up line for a partial respray before it left the factory, either...I mean, how many cheap Challenger 2-doors do you expect got sent to the doll-up line for anything? <GGG>) BP

[Jeff_H]

It also seems the quality of the paint on the front clip may have varied from the rest of the body. I've seen many photos of unrestored, junkyard, and "field" cars were the paint on the front is faded and weathered down to the primer or worse but the rest of the body still looks decent.

Case in point is the '55 sedan at this auction:

http://www.midwestauctions.com/ostby/ostby_june_26.htm

BTW, note the '41 sedan on the auction bill. Wasn't there a recent post here of someone looking for parts for one?

[Johnnywiffer]

In the Sept 16, '46 Life mag article, there was this picture of the '47 body being dropped onto the frame. The body was coming from somewhere 'upstairs' and heading for the frame. The trunk lid, hood and doors were attached but the 'doghouse' was not. I'd think they had no reason to change that mode of assembly thru the end of production.



And they built the bodies and stored them on end, using them when needed, as in the picture below, so VINs were not necessarily in order of production.



John

[BobPalma]

It also seems the quality of the paint on the front clip may have varied from the rest of the body. I've seen many photos of unrestored, junkyard, and "field" cars were the paint on the front is faded and weathered down to the primer or worse but the rest of the body still looks decent.

Good point, Jeff; I agree. BP

[StudeMichael]

And all 1957 Packard hoods were painted by Vinnie in back of the factory with one thin coat, hence the surface rust on only the hood!

[8E45E]

Matt also showed us how Studebaker painted their body color bolt-on trim pieces prior to installation:

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?21018-Another-find-on-the-58&highlight=taillight

On 1961 & later Lark/Lark types, there are paint booth photos of the cowl vent grille suspended about a few inches above where it get's mounted at final assembly. Also note the front door top hinge covers hanging on the firewall near the inner fender mounting flanges.



Craig

[Mike Sal]

Too bad that auction is so far away. Some pretty cool stuff there. That '55 looks a lot like my car in that the doghouse paint is awful & rusty, but the body paint is in pretty good shape for it's age.
Mike Sal

[Chucks Stude]

[QUOTE]

This has been so obvious through the years on George Krem's Plain Brown Wrapper 1964 Bermuda Brown Challenger 2-door. The car has been photographed extensively in color over many years. If you take a color photograph of the left front or left side of the car just right, the LF fender looks different from the balance of the left side of the car, as if the LF was repainted at some time.

That fender has never been refinished (George bought the car new, remember), but it is obvious that the angle of the metallic "lay down" isn't the same between the fender and the door. Had they been painted as an assembly, that wouldn't be the case, of course, because the gun position and resulting metallic pattern would have remained fairly constant as the painter moved from the fender to the door.

The effect that you are referring to is called a metamerism. You could use paint out of the same bucket, but slight changes in air pressure, paint pressure, humidity, different operator, etc. would actually make the parts look like they were painted in different states.