Production order ? - T-cabs & beds

[62champ]

I am wondering about production orders and special notations about bed selection.

My 7E7-122 was completed on September 28, 1961, and equipped from the factory with the P1 bed. There is nothing to indicated on the PO that it was ordered this way (I know for cars there was usually a 'sold-rush' at the bottom of PO for those customer/dealer ordered).

Does anyone have a production order for a 7E or 8E truck that came from the factory with the P1 bed that has some indication on the production order it was special ordered?

Am wondering if my truck had its bed put on by the factory "because it was there..."

Thanks ahead and however it was decided to put the bed on the truck, I am glad they did...

[StudeRich]

While I have to agree that is a very beautiful Truck and the P1 Bed is far and away the very best looking, durable and strongest Pickup bed EVER built, FOR IT'S TIME '49-'59. I never could understand why those of you that prefer them actually THINK they look good on a Champ Cab.

By 1961 Stepsides were obsolete, old school and unwanted.

Especially because of the old 1949 Fender look that does not match the front ones nearly as well as the P2 Box does, I could never appreciate that look on a Champ, while they are fine on the "C" Cabs because they match not only the design, but also the year of the design.

The P2 Box looked like all the competition's Trucks and looked up to date on '61 to '64's where the P1 never did.
I like the way larger capacity of the big Styleside Beds. When they were new I never paid any attention to the fact that the beds are a little wider than the Cab any more than I was concerned about the P1 being too narrow for the Cabs. A truck is supposed to be designed to Haul, and the P2 does that the best and looks like a Truck doing just that!

All "Real" Trucks have wider Beds than Cabs, look at ANY 1 Ton and larger Truck with a Flatbed, Stakebed, Tanker Body or Box Van Bed, all are wider to carry a load.

[2R5]

Now that your done with your rant.......that truck looks the best !

[LarkTruck]

The wide vs narrow debate will go on forever, BFWIW, I prefer the narrow. Guess that's why there is vanilla AND chocolate ice cream!
PS. My P-2 short bed is still for sale!!!!!
Jim

[Skip Lackie]

As you know, the P1 bed was still available as an option on the 7E trucks. I've never seen a Champ production order -- are you sure that there isn't a box on the form that has a place to be filled in with a 1 or a 2? I't s also possible that the order was changed by the dealer at the last minute, and the pen/ink notation on the truck plant's copy of the production order did not make it on to the copy used by the museum to make a copy for you. I have seen that happen in several cases.

[62champ]

In the "model, wheel base, cab & body" is listed "7E7-122-T6 BOX P1" There is a dealer destination but nothing to indicate if the truck was actually ordered with the P1 box or maybe they just put it on the truck for giggles. Only thing added on that was not standard was an OD tranny (dealer must have added climitizer, radio, and lighter).

Would it be bold to assume if there is a dealer designated on the truck production order it was probably ordered and not simply assembled by the factory to go to anywhereville?

[rbruner]

Beautiful!!!

[63t-cab]

Rich,stepside beds were NOT obsolete by 1961.they went on for years after,and then kinda made a comeback with the one peice sides !and PICK UP trucks should not have a wider body than the cab ! typically ya the bigger trucks usually with dual wheels have wider bodies,and tend to span over the rear wheels.that is the norm !!!

While I have to agree that is a very beautiful Truck and the P1 Bed is far and away the very best looking, durable and strongest Pickup bed EVER built, FOR IT'S TIME '49-'59. I never could understand why those of you that prefer them actually THINK they look good on a Champ Cab.

By 1961 Stepsides were obsolete, old school and unwanted.

Especially because of the old 1949 Fender look that does not match the front ones nearly as well as the P2 Box does, I could never appreciate that look on a Champ, while they are fine on the "C" Cabs because they match not only the design, but also the year of the design.

The P2 Box looked like all the competition's Trucks and looked up to date on '61 to '64's where the P1 never did.
I like the way larger capacity of the big Styleside Beds. When they were new I never paid any attention to the fact that the beds are a little wider than the Cab any more than I was concerned about the P1 being too narrow for the Cabs. A truck is supposed to be designed to Haul, and the P2 does that the best and looks like a Truck doing just that!

All "Real" Trucks have wider Beds than Cabs, look at ANY 1 Ton and larger Truck with a Flatbed, Stakebed, Tanker Body or Box Van Bed, all are wider to carry a load.

[Skip Lackie]

In the "model, wheel base, cab & body" is listed "7E7-122-T6 BOX P1" There is a dealer destination but nothing to indicate if the truck was actually ordered with the P1 box or maybe they just put it on the truck for giggles. Only thing added on that was not standard was an OD tranny (dealer must have added climitizer, radio, and lighter).

Would it be bold to assume if there is a dealer designated on the truck production order it was probably ordered and not simply assembled by the factory to go to anywhereville?

If there's a dealer designation on the PO and it's marked as you note with P1 box, then it was ordered by a dealer and that's the way the dealer ordered it. By the 7E series, the P1 box was special order only. The company would not have built one with that box for giggles -- the P1 was already 13 years old and was considered passe by that time -- an image the company was trying desperately to shed.

[Bill Pressler]

That is one beautiful Champ! I remember one the identical color (although I can't recall the bed style) sitting out back at Dart Chevrolet in my hometown, on their 'Good Value' lot (that's what the labels on the vehicles said when the vehicles didn't meet the 'OK Used Cars' requirements, I think), in around 1975. I thought it was pretty cool even then.

On a long-bed truck, I prefer the wide box, but on a short bed I definitely prefer the P1 box. Whatever yours is though, looks terrific!

[StudeRich]

Rich,stepside beds were NOT obsolete by 1961.they went on for years after,and then kinda made a comeback with the one piece sides!/Cut/

Yes Joe you are right, the narrow beds were NOT cancelled by '61, but what I was referring to is the sales figures which reflect the general preference of Truck buyers and their opinion was that they were passe just as Skip said.

I think you will find that they were all but obsolete by the number of Wide Beds vs Narrow; International, Ford, Dodge, GMC, Studebaker and Chevy. 1/2 & 3/4 Ton Trucks sold in those early 1960's and all the way to now.

[62champ]

Would be interesting to know if Studebaker got any orders for the P1 bed for the 8Es...

[StudeRich]

I am pretty sure there were several Fleet orders for the P1 Beds, but not sure how late they were, they could have mostly been for 1962 7E's.

I helped deliver some 1962 V-8 Automatic Los Angeles Water and Power Trucks, I think those were 7E12-112, dark Brown, P2 Bed, 3/4 Ton and special order short beds, usually not available.

There were MANY more Champs delivered to the Calif. Dept. Dept. of Highways, called "CalTrans" those were Omaha Orange.

[62champ]

In the latest TW there is an article on color pictures from Studebaker. In the one with the trucks there looks to be a Champ pickup in yellow/orange - looks like everything is that color, including the grill! Has to have been a fleet order for someone who did not want to loose that thing in a parking lot or on a busy highway...

[Skip Lackie]

We need to be careful that we don't apply 2012 standards of style to 1962 trucks. Today, old stepside trucks are considered to be cool, but 50 years ago they were considered passe, as noted above. That's why Stude bought the P2 bed from Chrysler. The Stude C cab was not only dated, it was absolutely obsolete. That's why Stude came up with the Champ cab. The only reason anyone would have bought the P1 bed after 1961 was to save money, or because it was a govt fleet purchase where the lowest bidder had to win the bid. I don't have any figures handy about the price difference between the P1 and P2 beds, but I do have the following factory list prices from 1960 and 1963:

1960 5E5 cab/chassis (no pickup bed): $1794
1960 5E5 with 6.5' P1 pickup bed: $1855

1963 8E5 cab/chassis (no pickup bed): $1842
1963 8E5 with 6.5' P2 pickup bed: $1917

So Stude only charged $61 to equip a 5E5 with a complete P1 pickup bed. In 1963, the comparable difference for a P2 bed was $105. So ignoring inflation, the price difference between a narrow P1 and a wide P2 was $44. Even then, that was not a lot of money.