1960 Lark - forum registry

[62champ]

60V-1437 - 60V-W4, For sale on Ebay, March 2016

climitizer, radio - digital camera photos with quality from 1998...










Car for sale on Ebay, March 2020.

[Cultural_infidel]

this may be a silly question, but why is that most vehicles have a serial number with 5 digits instead of 4?

Forgot to add a pic of mine earlier

[62champ]

60S-65702 - 60S-W6, for sale on Craigslist, Philadelphia, March 2016

Regal trim, push button radio (later model) climitizer, back-up lights, lighter

[abkco]

This is my 60 Lark. Just got it out of the paint shop and about to start on the interior. Colonial Red. 60s-37670. I'll take more pictures when I finish it. I purchased it from the original owners son, who had removed the motor and transmission, because he was planning to turn it into a racer. After years of it sitting, he gave up and sold it to me. I put in my 62 Champ's overhead 6 and standard transmission with overdrive and it drives really smooth.

[abkco]

I found the original car purchase order from March 1960. Looks like he traded in a 47 Chevy for $50.00! "Birddog" Ron Kaufman was the salesman. Still has the Glandale Studebaker license frame. I'd love to put it on the road, but I'm waiting on Southeast Studebaker to send me the interior. It's been 13 months and counting!

[nebraska stude]

Currently, and since Oct. 1973 owner of Lark 4-door 60V-2494. V8 automatic, padded dash but no radio, full dish hubcaps. Went to northern Wisconsin to buy this. An elderly woman had bought it new and kept it at her summer cabin, the rest of the year she was in Florida. The odometer showed 29,850 miles when I headed home. Drove it home, near Omaha, via Milwaukee, where I got in a race with a 67 Ford convertible. Two years later the transmission went out, and I foolishly parked it out back. Have moved it around some, and looked it over tonight. Now I have the skills to bring it back, hope I have the time, only 5 vehicles in line ahead of it. One of them is even a Studebaker.

[62champ]

60S-37367 - 60S-F4-10775, for sale on Ebay, April 2016

Production order shows climitizer, oil filter (now missing?), regal upgrade kit, and silent dry air cleaner. Radio & hoot ornament added at some point.











For sale again, Hemming.com - August, 2024.

[62champ]

60S-30381 - 60S-L6, for sale on Ebay - April 2016

Climitizer, twin-traction (or at least emblems), automatic. Originally a six, now a later V8.

[Hallabutt]

I have asked this question many times during the last eight years that I have owned "Humphrey," my all original 1960 V8 Deluxe four door wagon. Verifying the car's originality was pretty easy since it had been owned by the same family since it was nearly new, and it had been parked in the same garage, without moving, for thirty nine years. The question that has gone unanswered is, why the inner fenders were not painted on the Lark production line. I have spent enough time researching this to know the process was just about universal when it comes to the Larks, but not necessarily the convertibles an not the Hawk line at all. Was the short cut management mandated, did the process very from shift to shift or from day to day and did it extent into the 1961 produced cars?

My inquiring mind needs to be put to rest on the subject! I am sure that there was a reason for the choice being made, but it seems to me based on production expediency, with little concern for producing a quality product! Except in very rare circumstances, like "Humphrey," the short cut did not play out well in real world survivability or serviceability.

[StudeRich]

It was obviously NOT important to the Factory workers to do more than an overspray if at all, on these since almost no one but the Local Garage or Dealer would ever see the Primer.

They also never planned on making them rust free for 56 Years.
Yes it was quite random, some Later Years when Production was much slower than the Hay Days of '59-'60, they were better.

[Hallabutt]

Thanks for responding Rich. I do suspect that this was the situation as corners were cut in order to up production, but I can't get it through my head that people in production management and quality control would have turned a blind eye of the lapses in procedure that would have led to quality complaints by the customers. The unpainted inner fenders are not the only production problems that I have seen on these 60's cars, just one of the most glaring and consistent throughout the production run.

[BRUCESTUDE]

I have asked this question many times during the last eight years that I have owned "Humphrey," my all original 1960 V8 Deluxe four door wagon. Verifying the car's originality was pretty easy since it had been owned by the same family since it was nearly new, and it had been parked in the same garage, without moving, for thirty nine years. The question that has gone unanswered is, why the inner fenders were not painted on the Lark production line. I have spent enough time researching this to know the process was just about universal when it comes to the Larks, but not necessarily the convertibles an not the Hawk line at all. Was the short cut management mandated, did the process very from shift to shift or from day to day and did it extent into the 1961 produced cars?

My inquiring mind needs to be put to rest on the subject! I am sure that there was a reason for the choice being made, but it seems to me based on production expediency, with little concern for producing a quality product! Except in very rare circumstances, like "Humphrey," the short cut did not play out well in real world survivability or serviceability.

I agree with Bill; in all the other Studes I have owned the inner were fenders painted, but not my Lark (and other 60's I've looked at)! Must've been a tweak in the production process to speed things up, maybe a decision by a newbie manager?
While my 259 was out for rebuild this winter, I painted the inner fenders with POR15 to make it look a little better until the day comes to paint the car.

[62champ]

60S-64939 - 60S-F4, for sale online, June 2016

Two door sedan - Lots of modern modifications, including brand X V8

[62champ]

60V-39374 - for sale online, summer of 2016

radio, climitizer.

[StudeRich]

Wow! That Deep Green on that 60V-36374 Deluxe 2 Door Sedan really just POPS!

It looks like an amazing modern clear coated version of the very similar shade, but with way less shine, Original '60 Color; Williamsburg Green Baking Enamel with Factory Orange Peel.