Studebaker Storing Bodies

[TWChamp]

Reply 12 is interesting that the body was going onto a car with 6 ply tires. I don't ever recall a car having 6 ply tires.

[556063]

We can let the more educated historians chime in on this one, but the only reason to stockpile bodies that I can determine would have been to supply the other plants that did not have their own body facility. I recall stamping operations continued at South Bend after December 1963, to supply Hamilton. I will continue to search for the picture of the bodies loaded nose down on rail cars headed for LA.

[8E45E]

I will continue to search for the picture of the bodies loaded nose down on rail cars headed for LA.

See my link in Post #15.

And a pre-war photo where the bodies to the left may have been 'just unloaded' from a railcar: http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...non-Plant-1936

Craig

[556063]

See my link in Post #15.

And a pre-war photo where the bodies to the left may have been 'just unloaded' from a railcar: http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...non-Plant-1936

Craig

Yep Craig, I've seen the photo of those 54/55 bodies from the train wreck in Valpo. As you point out, no back glass in those bodies. The photo I'm looking for shows bodies from about 1950 on a rail siding in South Bend. I took the following photo of the paint line that ran to the upper floors of the SB body plant when my wife and I went through it before the recent upgrades a few years ago. Paint was obviously applied up there. Granted, that eBay Photo could have been a staging area to feed the body line at SB. The primer on the bodies seems to be as shiny in your Vernon 1936 photo as it does in the eBay photo a decade later. Funny, they would install the windshield and backglass before putting the finish coat on the car. But, who knows?

[lumpy]

Reminds me of the 1970s when Batesville casket was down the street from my folks house ... The guys that ran the place were into hot rods and harleys. When you went into the warehouse there was long rows of shiny caskets in different shades and models standing on end. On the other end of the shop was a 4wd dodge power wagon frame up build with a 440 and a bad ass 69 sportster with a 1200. On the downside I also remember delivering all the caskets for the PSA crash in San Diego

[DougHolverson]

I think that image may have come from the 1947 Life magazine article they did on Studebaker. You may also recall that chevy vegas were shipped standing on their noses too (complete cars, not just bodies). That's when the sealed battery was introduced.
Mike Sal

How'd they keep the oil from leaking out?

[RegalChampion]

How did they store the Land Cruiser bodies?? The longer bodies would have hit the roof!!!

[Dean McHenry]

The Vegas had a special oil pan design that kept the oil contained when on its nose. Aslo why they are impossible for a full sized sort to get in one of them as they had to be low enough to allow them to be shipped roof to roof on the nose in a standard rail car width. DMc

[BRUCESTUDE]

I always assumed the completed bodies were kept in a "bank" such as shown in the color photo; there was a lot of work putting a body together before it was ready to meet up with the chassis at the South Bend plant. Before the overhead conveyor was built in the early 50's these bodies were trucked to the assembly building. (S.Bend experts please chime in!)

[8E45E]

Before the overhead conveyor was built in the early 50's these bodies were trucked to the assembly building.

Yes they were: http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...ll-want-to-see

Craig

[BRUCESTUDE]

Yes they were: http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...ll-want-to-see

Craig

Excellent article!!