Serial Number Help

[Guest]

Hey guys,

There is a 53 Hardtop that I'm looking at. It has a 55 from clip on it though. Can anybody decode the serial number and verify that it's a 53. I pulled the number from the picture so my eyes might now be 100% correct.

Serial #

S337697 or 5337697

Thank you!

[Jeff_H]

If its a Champion, the serial should be Gxxxxxxx. A Commander is 8xxxxxxx.

Every '53 Champion I have seen is G1xxxxxx, not sure about the Commanders.

I am sure someone can chime in with year-by-year details of serial ranges.


Jeff in ND

'53 Champion Hardtop

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply Jeff. Maybe I'll email the seller and see if I can get a clearer pic. I just grabbed it off the auction.


Not sure if anybody can make the numbers out better than me.

[Tom Bredehoft]

The body tag on the fire wall says it's the 13,843rd body shell welded up in the weld shop for 1953 Commander hardtops.(Regal Trim)

The serial no. for the first Commander in '53 was 8,209,001 the first Commander in 84 was 8,534,901. The one you are reading may be 8,337,697, a '53 commander number.

[img=left]http://www.alink.com/personal/tbredehoft/Avatar1.jpg[/img=left]
Tom Bredehoft
'53 Commander Coupe
'55 President (6H Y6) State Sedan
(Under Construction 379 hrs.)
'05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
All Indiana built cars

[Jeff_H]

I knew someone would have more details. I believe all the serial numbers for all body types are mixed together, so its tough to tell if that number is is really "late", but 4H K5 13843 must be pretty late in the '53 model run. I thought there were something just under 14,000 '53 Commander HT's made ??



Jeff in ND

'53 Champion Hardtop

[studegary]

quote:Originally posted by Jeff_H

I knew someone would have more details. I believe all the serial numbers for all body types are mixed together, so its tough to tell if that number is is really "late", but 4H K5 13843 must be pretty late in the '53 model run. I thought there were something just under 14,000 '53 Commander HT's made ??



Jeff in ND

19,236 1953 Commander Starliners

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer

[Dwain G.]

8337697 was built in June 1953, in South Bend.


Dwain G.

[Jeff_H]

Thanks Gary,

Somehow I had it in my thinking there were about the same number of Champion as Commander hardtops in '53. I looked it up and you are correct. If anyone cares, there were 13,058 Champion Starliners in '53.

quote:19,236 1953 Commander Starliners

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

Jeff in ND

'53 Champion Hardtop

[Guest]

Thanks for the replies guys. The buyer on my Camaro fell through, I was going to use the money from that to finance this car. I guess the 53 C Coupe that I bought from the original owner and the 53 hardtop that I bought in MN this weekend will have to hold me over.

This car seems like a great deal if the price stays low. It looks pretty solid. I saw two C coups for sale at Iola that were really rusty and the guys were asking 3k for them [:0]

I knew as soon as I got my hardtop home a cheaper & straighter car would pop up for sale, but I didn't think it would pop up this soon.

I hope somebody here gets a deal on this car!

[Guest]

One more question for you guys. Are 55 front fenders the same as 53&54 units?

[54-61-62]

quote:Originally posted by 53Coupe

One more question for you guys. Are 55 front fenders the same as 53&54 units?

They are close - very close, and can be made to work easily.

[tempestan]

The fenders themselves are not the problem. The inner fenders and the mounting hardware for the radiator saddle (which are separate stampings, but are spot welded together) is extremely different. So if you want to assemble a '53/'54 you'll need all the unique pieces..

tempestan

[bradnree]

To read something on a photo in the future, photocopy and then enlarge, enlarge again, and enlarge again until you can read it.

BRAD