Interesting 63 Lark

[SScopelli]

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For those of you that think cars do not rust in Arizona.. Feast your eyes on this little gem..

And yes, I said Gem..




At first, she does not look like much. Nothing special. A cheepy with no trim.. Maybe good for just a part or two.. Trunk pan surely is gone!

Notice no glove box! Just a bucket! What do you expect for a plain Jane cheepy!



But then, as many people passed this car by, there is a telltale sign that this car was something more..



Wow! A Cool Patrol Car!

She must have server her community wearing that bright red gumball beacon on top!

Proudly driving down the road.

Hopefully she did here share to put a few bad guys away or get farmer Ed's cow back to the barn.

Giving pursuit with her V8 chasing down some young kid in his jelopy tearing up the streets, and writing a ticket or two!

I did take a moment to think of that day they decommissioned her. Took her bright red beacon off and was sold off. No bling to catch the attention of a good home.. Now she just rest here in the desert decomposing..

[8E45E]

I would not be at all surprised if it was an Eastern car originally. Get the serial number, and the records will show where it was first deilvered.

Craig

[studegary]

Technically, it is not a "Lark". It is a Standard model. It does not appear to have been a Marshal. Perhaps it was a taxi. It would be interesting to see what information is on the body tag - probably Y2 or Y3.

[52-fan]

Looks like it was used near a beach and then driven to Arizona before it succumbed to the dose of salt.

[studejohn]

Thats no salt rust! There is type of tree out here in the south west or bush. That has a high content of aced in it leaf you want to park your cars under it for very long as you can see the results

[Commander Eddie]

Everytime I see Studebakers (or any car for that matter) abandoned and rusting into the earth it breaks my heart. Once they're gone, they're gone. Another little piece of American automotive history gone forever.

[Corvanti]

my first thought was she's sitting in dry stream/river bed area that gets flooded during the yearly monsoon season. but she's probably not native to the area.

[SScopelli]

Technically, it is not a "Lark". It is a Standard model. It does not appear to have been a Marshal. Perhaps it was a taxi. It would be interesting to see what information is on the body tag - probably Y2 or Y3.

So Y2 or 3 is taxi?

What would Marshal be?

Thats no salt rust! There is type of tree out here in the south west or bush. That has a high content of aced in it leaf you want to park your cars under it for very long as you can see the results

This definitely does not look like salt rust.. No bubbles, just metal breaking down..



Also you can see the spots forming on the fender.. It is like it is eating the metal away from the center of the metal out. The worst damage is were the water and leaves settled. Notice the cowl vent is gone, also the lip on the trunk.. Gone..

[StudeRich]

So Y2 or 3 is taxi?
So what would Marshal be?

A Y2 is a Studebaker Standard 4 Door Sedan.

A Y3 is a Heavy Duty 4 Door Sedan, it could be a Marshal, a Taxi, a Federal Govm't. Motor Pool Car, Power Co. Car, or any kind of fleet vehicle.
The options would make it suitable for Police work.

I would bet this is a Y2 Standard, in it's latter years maybe it was used for Pizza delivery!

These Studes. look like some of Chuck Naugle's fleet.

[SScopelli]

These Studes. look like some of Chuck Naugle's fleet.

So you have been to Chuck's? Yes, You are right.. Its Shangri-La if you like Larks and Trucks!

[StudeRich]

Chuck Naugle's Truck Haven

Yes I have been to Chuck's I helped him haul a '62 GT Hawk out from his house in Town back in about 1978, he wanted to "get away from the crowd" by going out into the open Desert!

I took my Father in Law's New '77 Chev. Truck out from L.A. to get the 4 Speed Clutch Linkage and the 3.31 TT Rear axle, so I got a good deal by dragging it on his Loaded Trailer out there following his E40 (Earl) with a Car on the Bed and a '51 Starlight on a Trailer.

I hear it does not look so desolate anymore, and we have seen a few more recent Pics here of some of the Fleet, even in Turning Wheels some time back of the Truck lineup.