heater

[altair]

Looking at a picture of a 53-54 champion sedan and there were no vent openings in the fenders could this mean that the car was ordered with no heater as they were optional or could this mean that somebody filled it in?

[studegary]

I would guess that they were filled in. With or without heater, the fenders would have vent doors.
Many of the manufacturers of fiberglass fenders for C/K models make them without door openings. I do not know of any for sedans.

[altair]

A further curious note, the standard wiring diagram for this model does not show a heater/defrost wiring diagram, however it does show the heater/defrost wiring diagram in the auxiliary wiring diagrams.In the Studebaker Portfolio 1947 - 1966 the 1954 models list the heater as an accessory for $66, therefore I would believe they could be ordered with out a heater. I have no background on this, but I would further believe that if the vehicle was ordered with out a heater there would most likely be no vent doors/openings in the fenders. Just my deduction.

[brngarage]

A couple of years ago, I installed a heater (and defroster) in a '50 Champion 2 door sedan that came from the factory without either. The external doors were on the fenders; left side as a vent and the right side with a block off plate.

[RadioRoy]

All the factory fenders in the 47-57 time frame (I don't know anything about 58 cars) had the vent doors. That area of the fender is prone to rust so the picture in the original post probably had them filled in at some point.

It's possible that the fender is a Fiberglas replacement, but I cannot imagine who would make them for a sedan.

[studegary]

A further curious note, the standard wiring diagram for this model does not show a heater/defrost wiring diagram, however it does show the heater/defrost wiring diagram in the auxiliary wiring diagrams.[ATTACH=CONFIG]67063[/ATTACH]In the Studebaker Portfolio 1947 - 1966 the 1954 models list the heater as an accessory for $66, therefore I would believe they could be ordered with out a heater. I have no background on this, but I would further believe that if the vehicle was ordered with out a heater there would most likely be no vent doors/openings in the fenders. Just my deduction.

Did you read my reply (no. 2)?

Heaters were an option at extra cost. Some cars were built without them. All of the cars had the vent doors. The doors were used for fresh air ventilation as well as to get fresh air to the heater.

[rockne10]

... if the vehicle was ordered with out a heater there would most likely be no vent doors/openings in the fenders.

Actually those doors were the only fresh air inlets to the cabin. I concur that someone filled them in...and lamented the fact at some later point.

[StudeRich]

During a major rear of front fender Rust repair, it would be easier to remove those Vents than not, that HAD to have happened as Gary said, since all '47 to '57 Studes. do have the Fresh Air Vent Doors with or without the Climitizer System, even all '56 to '64 Hawks.

[52-fan]

Yep, one of our chapter members many years ago had a California 53 with no heater, but it had the vents in the fenders.