How to tell if it's a 49?

[rsearles]

I am trying to buy a 1949 R5 pickup, how can I tell by the vin# if it's a 1949?

[sasquatch]

Serial number listing here: http://www.studegarage.com/REFDATA/2R_sernum.htm

[rsearles]

Thank you, if i'm reading that right, the 1949 truck has a vin number of a 1952 truck?

[sasquatch]

The 1949 2R5 trucks started with R5-001 and ended with R5-42500. It's possible that a truck might have been sold new and registered as a different year. You can get the Production Order from the Studebaker National Museum to get the exact date it was built.

[Skip Lackie]

Until the mid-1950s, many states still registered vehicles with the engine number. This was a holdover from the days when the ONLY number on many vehicles was the engine number. If the engine was replaced, the dealer was supposed to either stamp the old engine number on the replacement engine, or get a special serial number plate with the old number riveted to the frame. Many didn't bother, which could lead to all kinds of mischief. Be aware also that many states did not issue titles, so proof of ownership was a lot less formal than it is today. It's possible that your truck is really a 52, but had a 49 engine dropped into it at some point, and somehow got registered as a 49. My 54 pickup had a 49 car engine it it when I bought it, and was registered as a 49.

By the time the War ended, all the car companies were giving the vehicle itself a serial number (the term VIN didn't come into use until the early 1980s), which sometimes was the same as the engine number. The states then all switched to using the vehicle serial number for registration.

[rsearles]

I would like to thank everyone for the great information, I went ahead and bought the truck so I might have to bug everyone in future as I start to restore it.

Thank you again!

Rich in Dallas

[Tahiti Coral]

I would like to thank everyone for the great information, I went ahead and bought the truck so I might have to bug everyone in future as I start to restore it.

Thank you again!

Rich in Dallas

I just bought a 1949 2R10 a few weeks ago that I plan to restore. Maybe we can compare notes & photos.

[rsearles]

Paul, here is my e-mail, dallasfleet@gmail.com

[4961Studebaker]

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?52071-richdallastx

There are some answer's (mostly the same) here in the above link to your other post as well.
Congrats on your purchase, we Stude nuts Love pictures so when you have a few
and figure out how to post them on the forum, do show,

May I suggest some of the best money you can spend would be on either of these two
books/shop manuals, the brown one has all the Studebaker part numbers that our current vendors use to help you in ordering, as well as pictorial views of all the body parts as well as engine, door window, brakes, dashes etc. And the green one, step by step process of how to fix, repair, take apart various systems on your truck.

[rsearles]

Thank you Skip, I have the number off of the engine but I want to double check before I start in that direction. I did order the build sheet from Studebaker with the Vin that is under the seat.

Thank again!

[rsearles]

http://IMG00135-20110615-0608[1]