Dealership wrecker

[62champ]

Back in 2000, I found this truck in a "junk yard" in Liberty Hill, Texas. I took a photo of it and did not think anything of it. A short time later, I got the opportunity to interview the original owner who ran the Studebaker dealership in Georgetown, Texas, (Truehardt Motor - later Southwest Motors) which he and his father bought shortly after WWII. When I mentioned seeing this truck, he asked if I had looked under the hood - I stated that I had not.

He said it looks like the wrecker he had bought for the dealership in 1952. He said he called engineering before ordering the truck because instead of the big six in the 2R16, he wanted a 232 V8. Engineering told him it could not be done. So, when he ordered a 2R16 to his specs, he ordered a complete 232 as well. He said the crate with the motor and everything that came with it were attached to the rear chassis of the truck. When the truck arrived, he put his two mechanics to work and after a weekend of work, the big six was laying on the shop floor and the 232 was in its place. The wrecker was used during the rest of the history of the dealership.

Wonder if it is still around 17 years later...

[StudeRich]

That is a WAY COOL Story! So now are you going to say: ... "and then I woke up?"

[Skip Lackie]

Interesting that Engineering said installing the V8 in the 1.5 ton truck couldn't be done -- since they had been putting the 232 in the model 2R28, a 4WD, RHD, 1.5-ton truck built for the Indian Army since the year before. There couldn't have been many engineering changes required.

I suspect that company management, for whatever reason, simply didn't want to add another model to their truck lineup. Maybe it thought that the booming truck sales of 1949-50 would continue. (They wouldn't.)

[jclary]

Interesting that Engineering said installing the V8 in the 1.5 ton truck couldn't be done -- since they had been putting the 232 in the model 2R28, a 4WD, RHD, 1.5-ton truck built for the Indian Army since the year before. There couldn't have been many engineering changes required.

I suspect that company management, for whatever reason, simply didn't want to add another model to their truck lineup. Maybe it thought that the booming truck sales of 1949-50 would continue. (They wouldn't.)

.... He said he called engineering before ordering the truck because instead of the big six in the 2R16, he wanted a 232 V8. Engineering told him it could not be done....

You ever wonder...what extraordinary lengths, to satisfy a loyal Customer/Dealer, available from South Bend Corporate...depended on who answered the phone at any given time?????

[53k]

Back in 2000, I found this truck in a "junk yard" in Liberty Hill, Texas. I took a photo of it and did not think anything of it. A short time later, I got the opportunity to interview the original owner who ran the Studebaker dealership in Georgetown, Texas, (Truehardt Motor - later Southwest Motors) which he and his father bought shortly after WWII. When I mentioned seeing this truck, he asked if I had looked under the hood - I stated that I had not.

He said it looks like the wrecker he had bought for the dealership in 1952. He said he called engineering before ordering the truck because instead of the big six in the 2R16, he wanted a 232 V8. Engineering told him it could not be done. So, when he ordered a 2R16 to his specs, he ordered a complete 232 as well. He said the crate with the motor and everything that came with it were attached to the rear chassis of the truck. When the truck arrived, he put his two mechanics to work and after a weekend of work, the big six was laying on the shop floor and the 232 was in its place. The wrecker was used during the rest of the history of the dealership.

Wonder if it is still around 17 years later...

Sort of a strange move. Maybe the dealer just wanted the V-8 sound because the 245 six cylinder engine had 200 ft pounds of torque at 1600 rpm while the 232 V-8 had 190 foot pounds at 2000 rpm.

Many years ago I bought a 1960 one-ton 4WD Studebaker wrecker from the original owner dealer. The 1960 truck was actually built in the 1961 model year, but had to be called a 1960 because Studebaker no longer offered the 245 six in trucks in 1961 and the dealer would not accept a V-8 one-ton. I can attest to the really incredible torque of that engine, especially at low engine speeds.

FYI, George Hamlin bought the truck from me. Since his restoration of the truck it has been pictured and discussed in Turning Wheels.

[62champ]

So now are you going to say: ... "and then I woke up?"

I never went back to check under the hood, but he described it pretty well not to believe him.

He had another story about an unusual vehicle sale a few years after they started the dealership in 1947. They were leasing a building just a block from the square and had just enough room to have a single car in the showroom. Georgetown was a relatively small ranching/farming community of @2500 at the time. One summer morning a pretty old gentleman parked across the street in his 1920s something that was in almost as bad of shape as the driver - old straw hat, overalls, tobacco stained beard, etc. When the old man returned, his car would not start so Mr Truhardt sent his mechanic across the street to have a look. Mechanic said it was in pretty bad shape and thought it might be terminal.

The old man was resting in the dealership when told the news. He then inquired about the car in the dealership - a brand new Landcruiser ( think it was described as a "bankers" car). Mr. Truhardt chuckled and told him the price and the man disappeared out the front door, with the thought he was off to find a ride home. About 30 minutes later the old man returned with the cash in hand for the LC. Mr. Truhardt said he found out the guy owned the biggest cattle ranch in the area and could have bought multiple cars with no problem...

[Swifster]

So who is near Liberty Hill? LOL!

[62champ]

So who is near Liberty Hill? LOL!

At the time that lot had @ 150 vehicles in it, majority of which were from the 50s and 60s. Only a half dozen Studebakers...

[studegary]

Knight's Garage, the Studebaker dealer in Wappingers Falls, NY had a Studebaker wrecker/tow truck. I believe that it was a 1949. I kept track of it for quite a few years after the dealership closed, but I do not know where it is now.

[skyway]

"About 30 minutes later the old man returned with the cash in hand"

Moral of the story; Never presume about the old guy in the bibs!

[Mrs K Corbin]

There's a Stude Wrecker owned by Bob Brown that was used by a dealership in Nashville. I see it at the local Studebaker show occasionally.