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A question about the 63 supercharged offerings

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  • A question about the 63 supercharged offerings

    Over at Macs MCG, today he featured a commercial from 63 about the new Super Jet Thrust option.

    To soup up its product line for 1963, the Studebaker Corporation returned to a familiar method: supercharging.     In preparing Studebaker for the 1963 model year, President Sherwood Egbert had a daunting task before him: How to inject new … Continue reading →


    The commercial shows the Avanti, Lark, Hawk and a 4 door Cruiser.

    My question is; were any 4 door Cruisers ever built with the R-2 engine?
    Money may not buy happiness, but it's more comfortable to cry in a Mercedes than on a bicycle.

  • #2
    Sure they were, I can't think of a model that was NOT built with R2 Super Jet Thrust Power, even Wagonaires, but of course there were MORE Larks and Hawks built with R1 Jet Thrust Power.
    StudeRich
    Second Generation Stude Driver,
    Proud '54 Starliner Owner
    SDC Member Since 1967

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    • #3
      I know several had the R1. ( no idea how many R 2 , but at least one in the commercial!!! )

      Comment


      • #4
        A while back (years ago) I remember there was a Champ pick up ordered with the R2 and the factory built it. Bill

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        • #5
          Actually TWO, AND they had Car 4 Speeds, and Avanti Disc Brakes, I knew the owner of one who bought it from the Original owner: Paxton Products Division of Studebaker Corp.
          StudeRich
          Second Generation Stude Driver,
          Proud '54 Starliner Owner
          SDC Member Since 1967

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Colgate Studebaker View Post
            A while back (years ago) I remember there was a Champ pick up ordered with the R2 and the factory built it. Bill
            Actually, Bill; they built two of them; a black one that survives and a white one, the whereabouts of which are unknown.

            Here's the Production Order for the white one. I saw it at Snider Studebaker in Indianapolis when I was 17 years old, before it was delivered to the original owner. Click to enlarge:

            Click image for larger version

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            BP

            We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

            G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by StudeRich View Post
              Actually TWO, AND they had Car 4 Speeds, and Avanti Disc Brakes, I knew the owner of one who bought it from the Original owner: Paxton Products Division of Studebaker Corp.
              Rich, the black one had a 4-speed; the white one was an automatic. (See the white one's Build Order, above.) BP
              We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

              G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

              Comment


              • #8
                Zip Van?
                sigpic
                In the middle of MinneSTUDEa.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Milaca View Post
                  Zip Van?
                  I guess that they are only talking about V8 vehicles. Zip Vans were only offered as OHV six cylinders. (I see the smile and know that you are attempting to be funny.)
                  Gary L.
                  Wappinger, NY

                  SDC member since 1968
                  Studebaker enthusiast much longer

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by studegary View Post
                    Zip Vans were only offered as OHV six cylinders.
                    I'm not certain why you state 'offered'. They were built to contract as per USPS specifications and never intended for public distribution.

                    Craig

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by BobPalma View Post
                      Rich, the black one had a 4-speed; the white one was an automatic. (See the white one's Build Order, above.) BP
                      OK, I only actually saw the Black one that was Metallic Med. Gray like a Later Avanti Gray at the time the Parts Dept. Counterman at Afton Studebaker in Inglewood, CA owned it and it was a 4 Speed 3.73 Ratio TT.

                      I see the P.O. for the White one was changed from maybe 4.54 or 4.09 to 3.73, it's use or ownersship may changed after being ordered.
                      StudeRich
                      Second Generation Stude Driver,
                      Proud '54 Starliner Owner
                      SDC Member Since 1967

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by 8E45E View Post
                        I'm not certain why you state 'offered'. They were built to contract as per USPS specifications and never intended for public distribution.

                        Craig
                        I think that you are just playing with semantics here, not the basic facts. Didn't Studebaker offer these Zip Vans to the US Gov. to fulfill a contract?
                        Gary L.
                        Wappinger, NY

                        SDC member since 1968
                        Studebaker enthusiast much longer

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by studegary View Post
                          I think that you are just playing with semantics here, not the basic facts. Didn't Studebaker offer these Zip Vans to the US Gov. to fulfill a contract?
                          Studebaker got the contract because they were the lowest bidder. http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...erti-papers-13

                          According to Eugene Hardig, Studebaker couldn't even choose the design of the grille: http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...erti-papers-18

                          Craig

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                          • #14
                            Jack Erny owned the Black Champ truck. He came to Tucson when his job at Studebaker ended. He had the car for 20 years here; he swapped the SN-60 for A/C compressor in Arizona. He sold it to a business man that had it for a couple of years. When the truck came up for sale, Lou Fencl went and looked at it and copied the serial number. He sent off to get the production order and it came back with four pages! The owner called Lou if he was still interested. Lou was a man of few words so he said he was going to take another look, but did stop by the bank to draw out the cash.

                            I rode in the truck after Lou put it back together. I was taking pictures so we went way out east in Tucson. Lou had the truck up to 90 in third gear when he backed off. I sent the pictures, copies of the production order and wrote an article for Turning Wheels. I made the mistake of not keeping copies of everything as I thought there was going to be an article. I did write the editor and did speak to her husband at one of the national meets. He did acknowledge they received my pictures and article. I did not get them back.

                            Lou sold the truck to Scott in Scottsdale then the last I heard the truck was in the Dakotas.

                            Bob Miles
                            Pacific Southwest Zone Coordinator
                            Last edited by 6hk71400; 04-12-2019, 07:20 AM. Reason: corrections

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                            • #15
                              Bob,
                              Being a tire guy, I find it interesting that on your build sheet it shows that the tires were up-sized to 800 x 15 (more likely an application for hearses) and were of 4 ply construction indication more of a passenger intention rather than heavy ply truck use. Equipped with an automatic someone came to their senses and chose 3:73 over the original more truck like 4:09's.
                              Bill

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