55 Commander Original Engine?

Recently purchased a 1955 Studebaker Commander Conestoga Wagon. VIN 8844126, engine compartment stamp 16G8 D4 324

Head #535976
Engine #VL 1151

We are at least the third owner of this vehicle and have been told that the engine has been rebuilt. The original engine should be a 224 V8. The previous owner told us that it had the original 259 Bearcat. Head number, engine number and service manual don't seem to match up. Has my engine been swapped?

[studegary]

Early 1955 model year production Commanders were 224s and late 1955 model year production Commanders were 259s (all Presidents in 1955 were 259s).

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

1959 DeLuxe pickup (restomod)

[Dick Steinkamp]

quote:Originally posted by sparemetenpin

Recently purchased a 1955 Studebaker Commander Conestoga Wagon. VIN 8844126, engine compartment stamp 16G8 D4 324

Head #535976
Engine #VL 1151

We are at least the third owner of this vehicle and have been told that the engine has been rebuilt. The original engine should be a 224 V8. The previous owner told us that it had the original 259 Bearcat. Head number, engine number and service manual don't seem to match up. Has my engine been swapped?

Looks like a 1955 Canadian built 259.

http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/tech_v8data.asp

Why do you believe it should be a 224?

You can get the original production order here. It will list the SN of the engine the car was built with...

http://www.studebakermuseum.org/

[Dwain G.]

Everything is probably just as it came from the factory. The D4 identifies it as the mid-year 'Ultra Vista' model. The serial number range makes it Los Angeles production, the engine number is a Los Angeles number, the cylinder head casting numbers are correct, and it is a 259.
No, the numbers in the 1955 Shop Manual won't match up. You need Supplement No. 1 to go with the main manual.

[img] http://home.comcast.net/~jdwain/53C.jpg [/img]
Dwain G.

[Roscomacaw]

And to elaborate on the "Body Tag" a bit....

16G8 is the designator for a '55 Commander.
D says it's a 2-door wagon.
4 indicates it's level of trim (WOULD HAVE been a "3" if it had been of the earlier-in-the-year, flat windshield variety).
324 indicates the 324th 16G8-D4 BODY TUB to be welded together - not necessarily the 324th 16G8-D4 wagon built as body numbers didn't tend to run sequentially as the cars were assembled.

Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle!!

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe