The biggest treat about the "new" 1964 Wagonaire I bought in Texas last week would happen this afternoon, when I was able to locate the Secret Serial Number.
This might not seem like a Big Deal for you guys in arid climates, but it's a Great Big Deal for those of us elsewhere. (Heck, this is the first Studebaker I've ever owned on which I could find the Secret Serial Number, so I was pretty excited.)
The car's full Serial Number is 64V15196, but, of course, the two-digit model year prefix does not appear; only the V and the sequential serial number. Here is the stamping:
Now here's what's interesting. The frame is so nice on this car, I was just sure I would be able to find the Secret Serial Number. I started buzzing off the light (and I do mean light) surface rust with a 3M #03171 Paint and Rust Stripper Wheel. Just the ticket for taking off everything except base metal.
We have long found secret serial numbers on the rearmost bottom flange of the frame's rearmost crossmember, on the right (passenger side) of the frame. I cleaned that off thoroughly, and the flange in front of it (gas tank side of that crossmember) and found nothing. But the metal looked so good it made no sense to not find the SSN; I mean, I could see tiny die stretch marks where the crossmember had been stamped, for Pete's sake!
Frustration.
So I decided to buzz of the left side of the crossmember, rear flange; the flange toward the rear bumper. Again, nothing.
So, in final desperation, I buzzed off the front flange of the left (driver) side of the crossmember, right next to the gas tank: AND THERE IT WAS, BIG AS DAY, as you see above.
I've never heard of a secret serial number being stamped on the front flange on a car's left side, but it sure is on this Wagonaire. I believe I'll run this as an item in The Co-Operator, and encourage people to carefully buzz off and examine both lower flanges all the way across their Studebaker's rearmost cross member(s), to be sure they've covered all the bases before concluding their car's secret serial number has been lost to surface (or worse) rust. BP
This might not seem like a Big Deal for you guys in arid climates, but it's a Great Big Deal for those of us elsewhere. (Heck, this is the first Studebaker I've ever owned on which I could find the Secret Serial Number, so I was pretty excited.)
The car's full Serial Number is 64V15196, but, of course, the two-digit model year prefix does not appear; only the V and the sequential serial number. Here is the stamping:
Now here's what's interesting. The frame is so nice on this car, I was just sure I would be able to find the Secret Serial Number. I started buzzing off the light (and I do mean light) surface rust with a 3M #03171 Paint and Rust Stripper Wheel. Just the ticket for taking off everything except base metal.
We have long found secret serial numbers on the rearmost bottom flange of the frame's rearmost crossmember, on the right (passenger side) of the frame. I cleaned that off thoroughly, and the flange in front of it (gas tank side of that crossmember) and found nothing. But the metal looked so good it made no sense to not find the SSN; I mean, I could see tiny die stretch marks where the crossmember had been stamped, for Pete's sake!
Frustration.
So I decided to buzz of the left side of the crossmember, rear flange; the flange toward the rear bumper. Again, nothing.
So, in final desperation, I buzzed off the front flange of the left (driver) side of the crossmember, right next to the gas tank: AND THERE IT WAS, BIG AS DAY, as you see above.
I've never heard of a secret serial number being stamped on the front flange on a car's left side, but it sure is on this Wagonaire. I believe I'll run this as an item in The Co-Operator, and encourage people to carefully buzz off and examine both lower flanges all the way across their Studebaker's rearmost cross member(s), to be sure they've covered all the bases before concluding their car's secret serial number has been lost to surface (or worse) rust. BP
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