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New Trivia RE: End of South Bend Production

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  • New Trivia RE: End of South Bend Production

    A couple long-standing questions were answered and some new trivia came to the fore as a result of Cari and my traveling to South Bend Friday Evening, April 10. The purpose was to attend The Society of Automotive Historians Annual Banquet at The Studebaker National Museum, per Andy's Beckman's description on Pages 7 and 8 of the March Turning Wheels.

    It was a nice evening. The Banquet Speaker was Jon Bill, full-time Curator of The Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum in Auburn IN. Jon's topic was Hoosier Hot Rods, wherein, with a slide show, he contrasted the 1936/1937 Cord 810/812 series cars with Studebaker Avantis. Jon and I had attended Purdue together, both in Industrial Arts Education. We were even in the same IA Honorary Fraternity at the same time. For no particular reason, our paths had not crossed for at least 20 years, so we had a lot of catching up to do. It was good to again see old friend Jon Bill.

    Cari and I intentionally arrived at least an hour early because I had permission for Drew Van De Wielle to accompany me to the museum gallery and take a photo of the engine number in 1964 Daytona 64V20202, the famous Bordeaux Red hardtop that was the last Studebaker assembled in South Bend. Due to Production Orders being lost, purloined, mislaid, or otherwise not filled out correctly, it was not known what engine number was in that car. Here it is:



    That stimulated some research when I got home, because I wondered if that had been the last JT engine assembled. It was not. In fact, it was one of seven R1 JT engines assembled Tuesday, December 17, 1963. There is no way of knowing which one of the seven it is.

    But I did uncover this interesting piece of trivia in the course of that: There was only one R1 JT engine assembled the next day; Wednesday, December 18, 1963. It carried stamping JT N318. JT N318 was not only the singular JT R1 engine assembled that day, it was also the last production-line R1 (or R2) engine assembled for a 1964 Lark or Hawk.

    More interesting trivia: JT N318 was installed in 1964 Hawk #64V20166. That was not the last Hawk built, but it was the last JT-powered Hawk built. So if anyone has or locates 1964 Hawk #64V20166, they have the last JT-powered 1964 Hawk built and it is powered (hopefully, still is!) by the last 1964 JT engine built for Larks or Hawks.

    Pretty cool that the last R1 engine went into the last R-powered 1964 Hawk, eh?

    I also uncovered another interesting piece of trivia in the course of all this: The plainest, bare-bones 1964 Gran Turismo Hawk I've ever seen: 64V20168, built two cars after the subject R1 Hawk. That 1964 Hawk, 64V20168, went to Culver City CA. It was Astra White with blue cloth interior and one, only ONE option: Undercoat...and since undercoat was a delete option on 1964 Hawks, it would have gotten undercoat unless it was distinctly ordered without it. That's right, the car had ZERO options other than mandatory undercoating: cloth seats, straight three speed, and absolutely nothing else!

    So even without Paul Harvey, we now know "the rest of the story" on several accounts. BP
    Last edited by BobPalma; 04-12-2015, 10:02 AM.
    We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

    G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

  • #2
    Interesting trivia, Bob. As for this last R1 engine, any idea how many years it has been since it was last running?
    sigpic
    In the middle of MinneSTUDEa.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Milaca View Post
      Interesting trivia, Bob. As for this last R1 engine, any idea how many years it has been since it was last running?
      Interesting, question, Brent. I don't know of anyone who has ever heard the last car, that red Daytona hardtop in the museum, actually run. Friday evening, I asked Drew if he had ever heard it run and he said, "no."

      I'm certain the gas tank would have to be pulled and the entire fuel system gone through before it would be advisable to try to start it. The cooling system has been drained, too; there is no coolant in the engine or radiator. BP
      We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

      G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

      Comment


      • #4
        A car that is not driven is not a car its sculpture.
        I'd rather be driving my Studebaker!

        sigpic

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        • #5
          Ah! But what sculpture!

          Comment


          • #6
            At this juncture, the last Studebaker automobile assembled in South Bend must be viewed as a significant historic artifact first and an automobile second.

            Since it is on its production-line tires and everything else with, what, maybe 55 miles on it, it would serve no useful purpose to routinely drive it and run up the miles and endanger those tires (or even the car itself, for that matter), being out and about. BP
            We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

            G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

            Comment


            • #7
              So Bob, was 64V 20168 a "sold rush" car. Studebaker sure made no money on that particular car. Unfortunately that was too much the typical Stude buyer mentality at the time.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by nels View Post
                So Bob, was 64V 20168 a "sold rush" car? Studebaker sure made no money on that particular car. Unfortunately that was too much the typical Stude buyer mentality at the time.
                Yes Nels; it was.

                There were so many oddball things going on the last month of South Bend production that I don't know how we would ever hope to sort them out, much less understand them, at this late date. Really confusing times, with everyone running around in some state of panic. BP
                We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

                G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by nels View Post
                  So Bob, was 64V 20168 a "sold rush" car. Studebaker sure made no money on that particular car. Unfortunately that was too much the typical Stude buyer mentality at the time.
                  Perhaps someone wanted to have one of the last Hawks, but didn't want to tie up too much cash in it?<G>

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by qsanford View Post
                    Perhaps someone wanted to have one of the last Hawks, but didn't want to tie up too much cash in it?
                    I think you've nailed it.

                    Clark in San Diego | '63 Standard (F2) "Barney" | http://studeblogger.blogspot.com

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                    • #11
                      Bob it was great to see you at the SAH Dinner Friday night. I now know why you had grease under your finger nails. Thanks for all you do. It is appreciated.
                      John Hull

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Avantict View Post
                        Bob it was great to see you at the SAH Dinner Friday night. I now know why you had grease under your finger nails. Thanks for all you do. It is appreciated.
                        Thanks, John; 'nice to see you, too. BP
                        We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

                        G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Do you have a shipped-to location for that last R1 Hawk?
                          Gary L.
                          Wappinger, NY

                          SDC member since 1968
                          Studebaker enthusiast much longer

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by studegary View Post
                            Do you have a shipped-to location for that last R1 Hawk?
                            Royal Oak, Michigan, Gary.

                            ( Might it have been going to Ace Wilson's Royal Oak Pontiac so they could study it for high-performance ideas before building "ringer" 421 GTOs for Press Evaluations? <GGG>) BP
                            We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

                            G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by BobPalma View Post
                              Royal Oak, Michigan, Gary.
                              Starting in Michigan, I will assume that it has not survived, unless it "retired"/relocated somewhere else shortly after new.
                              Gary L.
                              Wappinger, NY

                              SDC member since 1968
                              Studebaker enthusiast much longer

                              Comment

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