Cowl tag streamer info needed

[studegary]

quote:Originally posted by barnlark

"The streamers were on the body before paint and trimming out. They were used to identify "unusual" items for the line workers.
A Skytop roof panel starts out as a different part from a normal roof panel. It is not a normal panel with a hole cut into it on the line."
Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

Gary, I appreciate the work that you've done tracking down the history of these over the years. I understand that there were many uses for these as well as the exec and employee requests now. How were the skytops built?

In my understanding, cars destined for Skytops had body tubs assembled with a top panel with the hole already in it. When the car was trimmed out, an entire sun roof assembly (black or white) was installed. I believe that Studebaker purchased the sun roof assemblies as a unit from Glebe (?).

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer

[bams50]

quote:Originally posted by studegary

quote:Originally posted by barnlark

"The streamers were on the body before paint and trimming out. They were used to identify "unusual" items for the line workers.
A Skytop roof panel starts out as a different part from a normal roof panel. It is not a normal panel with a hole cut into it on the line."
Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

Gary, I appreciate the work that you've done tracking down the history of these over the years. I understand that there were many uses for these as well as the exec and employee requests now. How were the skytops built?

In my understanding, cars destined for Skytops had body tubs assembled with a top panel with the hole already in it. When the car was trimmed out, an entire sun roof assembly
(black or white) was installed. I believe that Studebaker purchased the sun roof assemblies as a unit from Glebe (?).

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

It's Golde.

Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"Some people live for the rules, I live for exceptions"- 311

"Do they all not, by mere virtue of having survived as relics of a bygone era, amass a level of respect perhaps not accorded to them when they were new?"

[barnlark]

Thanks, Gary. The history and rarity of those are starting to really interest me. So, were the roofs tooled up and stamped as one unit and attached/welded to a cowl and lower body with one of those streamers on it to help the line know what roof to attach? Or did you mean one large unit stamping instead of two pieces and the skytop streamer was for the skytop trim to be recognized further down the line?

[studegary]

Bob A. - Thanks. I shouldn't have trusted my memory on the company name. It has been years since I used the name, that is why I put the "(?)" after the name. I guess that I should have researched the name before responding, but I tend not to do that. This whole forum becomes a sort of memory test for me. This reminds of last evening. I had dinner with a lady that I first met about six months ago (the only time that I ever spoke to her). At the dinner table, I told her what model of car she drove, the approximate mileage, where she worked and the condo complex she lived in. She responded by saying, okay what unit do I live in? When I immediately replied with the correct four digit number, her long time friend said that he didn't even know that.

Barnlark - I mean that the stamping of the roof panel itself (almost flat piece) is different for Skytop cars (sedans and hardtops). This panel was used in making up the greenhouse and complete body section.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

SDC member since 1968
Studebaker enthusiast much longer

[stude dude]

Found another streamer today that I hadn't seen before, 'GOV', obviously an abbreviation for a government vehicle. Any others out there?

Chris.

[studegary]

Found another streamer today that I hadn't seen before, 'GOV', obviously an abbreviation for a government vehicle. Any others out there?

Chris.

Doesn't seem obvious to me ("government"). I thought that it meant that the vehicle was built with a governor (to control maximum rpm/speed).

[Roscomacaw]

Gary, your reasoning doesn't hold water. There's NOTHING about a governor-fitted vehicle that could make a difference in the body tub. Consequently, I can't imagine a streamer tag to so state.
No one has ever fielded a viable explanation for the "SPEC QTR" streamer that came off a '64 sedan either - not even the PO lent a clue when RQ dug it up from the PO files.

Let's face one fact, we've seen a number of Speedsters that never had a "speedster" streamer on them - and there have been other such anomalies for various features that demonstrate inconsistencies with these tags. I've got several of these secondary tags, and while most of them seem interpretable, there are exceptions - like the SPEC QTR tag. Another one is the streamer I wrested from a '61 Lark 4-dr (Regal, I think) that simply has a single letter on it - "G", I think. I haven't looked at it in a long time. When I took that tag, I looked ALL around that seemingly complete vehicle and saw nothing out of the ordinary about it to warrant a special notation. But it must've meant SOME thing to SOME body, and I'd bet anything the book that could break all those codes was/is lost to eternity.

[studegary]

Gary, your reasoning doesn't hold water. There's NOTHING about a governor-fitted vehicle that could make a difference in the body tub. Consequently, I can't imagine a streamer tag to so state.
No one has ever fielded a viable explanation for the "SPEC QTR" streamer that came off a '64 sedan either - not even the PO lent a clue when RQ dug it up from the PO files.

Let's face one fact, we've seen a number of Speedsters that never had a "speedster" streamer on them - and there have been other such anomalies for various features that demonstrate inconsistencies with these tags. I've got several of these secondary tags, and while most of them seem interpretable, there are exceptions - like the SPEC QTR tag. Another one is the streamer I wrested from a '61 Lark 4-dr (Regal, I think) that simply has a single letter on it - "G", I think. I haven't looked at it in a long time. When I took that tag, I looked ALL around that seemingly complete vehicle and saw nothing out of the ordinary about it to warrant a special notation. But it must've meant SOME thing to SOME body, and I'd bet anything the book that could break all those codes was/is lost to eternity.

Those streamers do not only indicate body differences. The first to come to mind is a streamer for Air Conditioning (maybe extra holes in the cowl) or the Y4 ONLY tag on a Y4 body tub.. How would the tub of a government vehicle differ?

In the 1970s, in South Bend, I saw many special streamers on 1960s Studebakers. They were often for special treatment of an employee's car. It was a sort of testing ground. To me, SPC QTR means some sort of special quarter panel treatment (probably to resist rust). I have also seen streamers for Special Rockers (rocker panels).

I thought that the Speedster tags were for the early Speedsters and were eventually dropped (at least in South Bend). Remember that the early (at least first 14) Speedsters were K5 bodies like any other President State hardtop. Then they became K7 bodies, unique to President Speedsters (for 1955).

Of course many of these streamers have been "relocated"/placed since the time of assembly, such as the couple of incorrectly placed Speedster tags in this thread/topic.

[Dick Steinkamp]

Those streamers do not only indicate body differences. The first to come to mind is a streamer for Air Conditioning

...also the "4 speed" streamers.

I personally think it is a good thing to have some mysteries about these cars.

[8E45E]

Those streamers do not only indicate body differences. The first to come to mind is a streamer for Air Conditioning (maybe extra holes in the cowl) or the Y4 ONLY tag on a Y4 body tub.. How would the tub of a government vehicle differ?

In the case of a wagon, the GSA often ordered them without a rear seat. That would mean the exclusion of spot welding the rear seat riser, pivot, and latch brackets to the body.

I did not check to see if there was a tag on this particular '62 ex-GSA wagon: http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...-Vehicle-Sales

Craig

[SN-60]

[QUOTE=studegary;

I thought that the Speedster tags were for the early Speedsters and were eventually dropped (at least in South Bend). Remember that the early (at least first 14) Speedsters were K5 bodies like any other President State hardtop. Then they became K7 bodies, unique to President Speedsters (for 1955).


No Gary, streamers were not used only on early Speedsters. My Speedster, (The Doctor's Car), was assembled during the last week of South Bend production, and it came with a cowl tag streamer.

[Flashback]

The streamer on my 53 had XL on it. What does that mean?

[SN-60]

The streamer on my 53 had XL on it. What does that mean?

'XL' on a Studebaker cowl streamer has me stumped. Do you recall anything out of the ordinary, either body-wise or mechanical, on your '53?