Ending serial numbers?

[Warren Webb]

My newly acquired 62 Cruiser has too many digits for it's serial number on the "Pink slip." All the books I have show starting numbers but no final number. I want to show DMV proof that the number has been transposed incorrectly but need proof of it. I have ordered the production order from the museum already but that too will take a few weeks. Can anyone point me in the right direction on this?

[6hk71400]

What is the beginning number of the first 63V? That should give a good ball park as to the last 62V built and the first 63V built.
That is what I have used in the past to determine engine numbers as well, except for the 64 model engine numbers.
The Cannon/Fox book, "The Complete Studebaker Story" generally has been my guide, but I suppose a Motor's Manual may have the information.

Bob Miles
Tucson AZ
Home of "Lazarus"

[StudeRich]

Yeah but, didn't they just jump forward to a nice round, even Number to start the next years Car serial numbers? Of course they would never be 100,000 higher though.

That never gives us a ending Serial, same with Engine Numbers. All we ever know is the Starting numbers are always Higher than the Year before, and the Last Car of that year, but never HOW much higher.

[6hk71400]

I believe in 1959 and 1960 over 100,000 cars were produced. I did at one time own the 100,000 Lark made, a 59 V8 2 door station wagon. It had a plaque attached to the glove box door stating " You are riding in the 100,000th Lark". It was Tahiti Coral.

Lost track of the car when I took sick and sold it to a non Studebaker guy who was only interested in buying a Studebaker and turning a buck on any car he had.

Bob Miles
Tucson AZ
Home of "Lazarus"

[14x7]

If you have a digtal camera , take pictures of the serial number , Maybe try includeing color of the door jam , then a picture of the car ( so the color of the body matches up), then walk in to the dmv, Just a thought, Hope something works out for you...

[BobPalma]

My newly acquired 62 Cruiser has too many digits for it's serial number on the "Pink slip." All the books I have show starting numbers but no final number. I want to show DMV proof that the number has been transposed incorrectly but need proof of it. I have ordered the production order from the museum already but that too will take a few weeks. Can anyone point me in the right direction on this?

What StudeRich said, Warren.

However, please post the entire number you have here, exactly. Assuming it is too high to realistically be a 1962 Serial Number, I can post a formal acknowledgement of that and sign my name as Technical Editor of 30+ years with SDC.

Then you could print off a copy of my "documentation" and take it with you. No guarantee that would work, but it might help. It has on occasion. BP

[6hk71400]

Ok here is what I found: Serial numbers would start with the year and type at 1,001 but engine number would continue in sequence.

1962 Starting Engine number 259 V532901 South Bend
VC19601 Canada
289 P79801 South Bend
PC2801 Canada

1963 Starting Engine number 259 V586601 South Bend
VC21,401 Canada
289 P93801 South Bend
PC 3,401 Canada

Therefore, 53,700 259's rolled out of South Bend counting Larks and Hawks and 14,000 289's total V8 production would be around 67,000. That would put an ending serial number for 1962 approximately 62V 68001. All of this is an extrapolation and approximation. Whether this would satisfy California DMV is another question.
This information is on page 357 of Studebaker The Complete Story.

I hope you can get this resolved. I went through 6-8 weeks of going around with the contracted company with our Arizona DMV about the serial number on the Speedster. The person insisted it was the letter I instead of a 1 and it wasn't until the investigation with the State of Arizona DMV that they came back with the number being a 1.

Good Luck Warren and I hope this is of some help.

Bob Miles
Tucson AZ
Home of "Lazarus"

[6hk71400]

I would think a documentation from Bob Palma would go "miles" (pun intended) over what information I just gave. When I was going through my title problem, I offered to get the production order and did bring a copy of my book, but they were not interested at the contract title agency at the time. Believe it or not, the contract agency was helpful. Any time trying to deal with the State of Arizona DMV usually met with eyes rolling in the head and a "are you serious" look and a general disinterest in doing any work to get the car titled and registered.

Bob Miles
Tucson AZ
Home of "Lazarus"

[Warren Webb]

The numbers started with a different beginning such as in my case 62V, the car being a V-8 or if had been a 6 cylinder the starting number would have been 62S & the sequence numbers are not for the total but for the total of cars with that series engines. 59 & 60 production although being over 100,000 the ending numbers may not have hit that due to either engine series if they didn't reach over 100,000 for that year. I had ordered the 62-63 Lark monograph from the museum. Maybe that will contain the information I need.

[6hk71400]

That is true about the 59 series. I do recall now that approximately 98,000 59S cars were made so the Serial number would still not top 100,000 in any year. I had that knowledge but sometime just needs to be jogged out of my head

Bob Miles
Tucson AZ
Home of "Lazarus"

[Warren Webb]

I found it !! Why I didn't think of looking up in the Turning Wheels index? There I found the February 92 issue, page 12 had a history article by Fred Fox that contained the ending serial numbers. In my case it's 45,398. My Cruiser was made (I'm guessing right now) around the end of October/beginning of November.

[Skip Lackie]

I found it !! Why I didn't think of looking up in the Turning Wheels index? There I found the February 92 issue, page 12 had a history article by Fred Fox that contained the ending serial numbers. In my case it's 45,398. My Cruiser was made (I'm guessing right now) around the end of October/beginning of November.

Warren-
I can confirm the 45,398 serial number for 62V cars. I have the copies of the company production records that Asa Hall made during visits to South Bend in the 1960s. For some years, including 1962, there are records of the ending serial numbers for each month of production. About 1% of the serial numbers were wasted for some reason, so the highest serial number was always higher than total production (which for South Bend 62V was 44,397). Anyway, I'd be glad to make copies for you to use with the DMV if it would help. However, these were internal working docs and don't even have the company name on them, so I don't know if they'll look official enough.

[studegary]

For a South Bend 1962 Cruiser 62V-45398 and for a Canadian 1962 Cruiser 62VC-3268.