Moto Exotica 1955 President

[StudeMichael]

Note the power windows on this one!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCO8O-gr1B8

[SN-60]

Pretty car, but I believe I can see the beginning of the infamous 'Studebaker Stripe' at the rear edge of the left fender,...also, the 2bbl Stromberg seems out of place on a '55 President.....Beautiful interior!

[dean pearson]

That's a really nice example for sure! The electric windows are an upgrade right?
I think I have a fan shroud and a radiator for one of those.

Dean.

[StudeRich]

If your Radiator has Three Rows of Tubes that are staggered for better Air contact and cross Fins rather than Vertical Fins, it's the correct Core and Tanks.

[Commander Eddie]

The electric window switches in my '55 President look just like those. A rare feature but a factory option at the time.

[bezhawk]

The door panels look way wrong without any stainless trim.

[studegary]

That's a really nice example for sure! The electric windows are an upgrade right?
I think I have a fan shroud and a radiator for one of those.

Dean.

Not sure what you mean by "upgrade". If you mean they must be aftermarket - no. Power Windows were a factory option in 1955.

[14x7]

My 1955 president has Power windows , and the brush aluminumn strip looks correct ,because mine has that. The window switches look correct ,mine look like that. The carb doesn't look correct, mine has a 4 barrel. That ulpostery job looks new... Nice car thou....

[BobPalma]

My 1955 president has Power windows , and the brush aluminum strip looks correct ,because mine has that. The window switches look correct; mine look like that. The carb doesn't look correct, mine has a 4 barrel. That ulpostery job looks new... Nice car tho....

That's correct, Michael; the subject car for sale should have a 4-bbl carburetor.

All 1955 Presidents had 4-bbl carburetors; even the early ones that had single exhaust.

This is the second 1955 President I've seen in recent years from which the 4-bbl and manifold have been "purloined," to be polite.

Here is the appropriate page from the early (i.e., "straight windshield") 1955 Brochure, number D-217-9/54:



Note the 4-bbl carburetor but single exhaust. By mid-year, all Presidents got dual exhausts as standard equipment, not just the Speedster. BP

[8E45E]

By mid-year, all Presidents got dual exhausts as standard equipment, not just the Speedster.

The availability of power window was also a mid-year change. This car has single exhaust and power windows. It must be a very early calendar-year 1955 President.

Craig

[63t-cab]

And the learning continues,I always thought ONLY Speedsters got duels . I had a 55 Pres State HT that came with Single Exhaust "don't remember it's #s but now know it had to be early built". the brochure mentions 175 HP,but no mention of CI. though We apparently know it's the 259. having said that I wonder if ANY later Presidents actually made their way out the door with SINGLE exhaust.

That's correct, Michael; the subject car for sale should have a 4-bbl carburetor.

All 1955 Presidents had 4-bbl carburetors; even the early ones that had single exhaust.

This is the second 1955 President I've seen in recent years from which the 4-bbl and manifold have been "purloined," to be polite.

Here is the appropriate page from the early (i.e., "straight windshield") 1955 Brochure, number D-217-9/54:



Note the 4-bbl carburetor but single exhaust. By mid-year, all Presidents got dual exhausts as standard equipment, not just the Speedster. BP

[BobPalma]

I got a PM about this from Cliff Tattersall, who owns a January 1955-built 1955 President DeLuxe with single exhaust, but Cliff said his '55 had a replacement engine, so he wasn't sure how it was built. So I decided to dig a little deeper, comparing my second-series 1955 brochure (D-221, dated January 1955; curved sedan windshields) with the information printed in D-217, posted above in Post #9.

Here is how I answered Cliff about later, low-line 1955 President DeLuxes maybe having single exhaust:

Entirely possible, Cliff; I do not know when duals were made standard, but I'm pretty sure they were by year's end.

1955 had to be the most confusing postwar year as to equipment and trim levels, particularly horsepower ratings. The first 1955 brochure, the one I posted, says the President has 175 HP. The second 1955 brochure, D-221-1/55, says the President has 185 HP with the same 7.5:1 compression ratio and 4bbl carb as the earlier brochure!

The only way to account for that extra 10 HP would be if duals had been made standard...or if the Advertising and/or Marketing Depts. were playing fast and loose with the figures during the early days of the industry's horsepower race, which is entirely possible. BP

[63t-cab]

Bob, I was incomplete in posting. what I was thinking when I said "out the door" was a Customer telling Studebaker " I DO NOT want duel exhaust" on My end of the Year built President - the olo never say never

I got a PM about this from Cliff Tattersall, who owns a January 1955-built 1955 President DeLuxe with single exhaust, but Cliff said his '55 had a replacement engine, so he wasn't sure how it was built. So I decided to dig a little deeper, comparing my second-series 1955 brochure (D-221, dated January 1955; curved sedan windshields) with the information printed in D-217, posted above in Post #9.

Here is how I answered Cliff about later, low-line 1955 President DeLuxes maybe having single exhaust:

Entirely possible, Cliff; I do not know when duals were made standard, but I'm pretty sure they were by year's end.

1955 had to be the most confusing postwar year as to equipment and trim levels, particularly horsepower ratings. The first 1955 brochure, the one I posted, says the President has 175 HP. The second 1955 brochure, D-221-1/55, says the President has 185 HP with the same 7.5:1 compression ratio and 4bbl carb as the earlier brochure!

The only way to account for that extra 10 HP would be if duals had been made standard...or if the Advertising and/or Marketing Depts. were playing fast and loose with the figures during the early days of the industry's horsepower race, which is entirely possible. BP

[BobPalma]

Good one, Joe. The reality is that 1955 was a crazy model year at Studebaker.

Stop and think of all the tooling that had to be changed mid-year to build the new Ultra-Vista models; I mean consider the enormous number of body parts, many of the basic 1953 structure, that had to be changed for the new Ultra-Vista models; more than you think at first glance. And all that had to be accomplished over Christmas vacation just to "'git 'er done," even though Larry the Cable Guy wasn't there to supervise.

Upholstery and trim selections were through the roof as to complexity and variety throughout the year...and all the changeover and horsepower figure juggling to discontinue the little 224 engine for the Commander...and give it the President's 259 without undermining the President's power prestige "too much." Again, all mid-year.

Oh, to have been a fly on the Board Room wall, watching all those decisions being made, with the accompanying wailing and gnashing of teeth. BP

[63t-cab]

Maybe deep down that's one of the reasons why I so put 55s high up on My list of favorite Studebakers

Good one, Joe. The reality is that 1955 was a crazy model year at Studebaker.

Stop and think of all the tooling that had to be changed mid-year to build the new Ultra-Vista models; I mean consider the enormous number of body parts, many of the basic 1953 structure, that had to be changed for the new Ultra-Vista models; more than you think at first glance. And all that had to be accomplished over Christmas vacation just to "'git 'er done," even though Larry the Cable Guy wasn't there to supervise.

Upholstery and trim selections were through the roof as to complexity and variety throughout the year...and all the changeover and horsepower figure juggling to discontinue the little 224 engine for the Commander...and give it the President's 259 without undermining the President's power prestige "too much." Again, all mid-year.

Oh, to have been a fly on the Board Room wall, watching all those decisions being made, with the accompanying wailing and gnashing of teeth. BP