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1962 Lark Indiana State Police cars

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  • 1962 Lark Indiana State Police cars

    The recent discussion of Lark Marshals in another thread got me to thinking Forum members might like to see the Build Order for a 1962 Studebaker Lark Pursuit Marshal built for The Indiana State Police, and subsequent delivery of a fleet of those cars to the authorities.

    Here is a Build Order for what was probably one of the 1962 Lark Pursuit Marshals shown in the second picture...no, I have no idea which one, but they were all virtually identical! Note the many special features and deviations, as we've discussed elsewhere from time to time.

    An interesting observation may be made about the F4 Oil Filter specified. That engine (#P88991) is close to the #90916 when they went to the full-flow filter, so we know a car built as late as March 6, 1962, still had a partial-flow filter.





    Below is my friend John Knapp, left, helping deliver the new Police Cars. I well-remember John's heavy tweed coat he was wearing, and can picture it hanging on the "tree" in his office at Snider Auto Service as I was nosing around his desk while he was out and about the dealership. He was so amused by my Studebaker enthusiasm as a 17-year old that he rarely, if ever, put anything off limits in his office!

    This photo is from the August 1962 Studebaker News. Editing might have left something to be desired, since they repeatedly misspelled Snider as Snyder. The correct spelling is SNIDER Auto Service.




    Here's a better picture of John Knapp, up close in his office at Snider. I'm sorry I don't have one of his Business Cards, but the Business Card below, of Tune-Up Specialist and another good friend, Bill Mitchell, will verify the name of the dealership.




    John Knapp passed away maybe 15 years ago, now, but Bill Mitchell is very much alive and well. Bill and his wife still live in their Speedway IN home, close to the 500 track, where he lived while working at Snider. Bill occasionally attends our Indy Chapter SDC meetings.

    Here's a nice picture of Bill Mitchell, left, with SDCer and 1957 Golden Hawk 400 guru Tom Lawlis, taken at an Indy Chapter meeting exactly a year ago:




    Good memories of good Studebaker friends: Bill Mitchell taught me how to go through a Paxton Supercharger there in his work space at Snider. He was an excellent tune-up and light mechanical repair Studebaker "tech," as we would say today. BP
    Last edited by BobPalma; 01-09-2013, 01:55 PM. Reason: added photo of Bill Mitchell
    We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

    G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

  • #2
    It's got a cop motor, a 289 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas....

    Comment


    • #3
      Bob,

      Interesting note....most that have all of the listed equipment, also list Twin Traction. Strange that this one dosen't, especially considering the road conditions in winter.

      Dan Miller
      Auburn, GA

      Comment


      • #4
        Here's a nice picture of Bill Mitchell, left, with SDCer and 1957 Golden Hawk 400 guru Tom Lawlis, taken at an Indy Chapter meeting exactly a year ago:


        Bp you say Tom is the 400 guru of the 400's if so do you know if Tom is the guy that about 15 years ago got a 57 400 out of California? the car was a white one and had about 48,000 miles but had been sitting in a friend garage for many years , All I know is that the owners Mother and Father had passed away and the brother was selling the house and I got all the extra Studebaker parts from their other son before the car was sold, the 2 brothers did not get along, at the time I was trying to find a buyer for the car as Chuck wanted around $12,000 for it and had advertised in TW but got no takers so he dropped the price to $9,000 and that is when I was trying to find a buyer, then out of the blue he sold it to some one from the South Bend area for $5,000 and it was gone and I have not heard about it since. Know anything about it?? BP
        Candbstudebakers
        Castro Valley,
        California


        Comment


        • #5
          Ispy, your post sounds like a shopping list for Jake and Elwood, (cop motor, cop tires, cop suspension) It would have been hard to imagine Jake and Elwood in a Marshall in the original Blues Brothers. Add in the pack of cigarettes, and sunglasses, you're ready to roll!
          Last edited by plwindish; 01-09-2013, 10:02 AM.
          sigpic[SIGPIC]

          Comment


          • #6
            Geez - there was so much to type up that the typist fell asleep after entering the serial No.! Just look at all those Zs!

            Most of this I understand except for "noise reduction package" - what the heck was that? And that "sheet2" "sheet1" "sheet 2 thru 13" stuff - I gather that one car was white while the rest of these were metallic blue. Have I got that right?
            No deceptive flags to prove I'm patriotic - no biblical BS to impress - just ME and Studebakers - as it should be.

            Comment


            • #7
              Great Photos! Thanks for sharing. I didn't realize the Marshals in 62 had reinforced roofs.

              Comment


              • #8
                What is a deviation permit?
                63 Avanti R1 2788
                1914 Stutz Bearcat
                (George Barris replica)

                Washington State

                Comment


                • #9
                  Any non-standard mechanical item had to be approved by Engineering before being issued. They had to “sign off” on the special equipment as to safety and suitability. If approved this special equipment was included on a form called a deviation permit. I have hundreds of them. The SNM has all of them filed by number.
                  Richard Quinn
                  Editor emeritus: Antique Studebaker Review

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    How about the build sheet for the '61 Marshal in the bottom of this photo? http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...ighlight=fleet

                    Think it has a 'fleet only' 4-speed???

                    Craig

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Typical of that era of Studebaker production, the car was built after the date that it was scheduled to ship, even though it is "SOLD RUSH".

                      The engine number is "P *". Is that an error or does it indicate a heavy duty 289?
                      Gary L.
                      Wappinger, NY

                      SDC member since 1968
                      Studebaker enthusiast much longer

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Roscomacaw View Post
                        Most of this I understand except for... And that "sheet2" "sheet1" "sheet 2 thru 13" stuff - I gather that one car was white while the rest of these were metallic blue. Have I got that right?
                        I believe that indicates what panels of the car were to be painted what color. In this case, the majority of the car was dark (Marine Blue) and the roof panel was light (Sand Dune).
                        Gary L.
                        Wappinger, NY

                        SDC member since 1968
                        Studebaker enthusiast much longer

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Roscomacaw View Post
                          Geez - there was so much to type up that the typist fell asleep after entering the serial No.! Just look at all those Zs!

                          Most of this I understand except for "noise reduction package" - what the heck was that? And that "sheet2" "sheet1" "sheet 2 thru 13" stuff - I gather that one car was white while the rest of these were metallic blue. Have I got that right?
                          Bob: My understanding is that the Noise Reduction Package would refer to electronic (background "static" noise) reduction; i.e., more capacitors and assorted suppresion devices on the various electrical components so they would not interfere with radio transmission equipment.

                          I could be corrected on that, but that's what I believe from reading other material. For example, the 1962 Studebaker Passenger Car Master Specifications folder PD 62-22 identified that option as Radio Suppression Kit - Military Standards. I guess all that wouldn't fit on the PO!

                          As for the color notations, all the cars were the unique O'Brien #1021 Indiana State Police Marine Blue Metallic; not at all unlike 1964 Strato Blue (but not the same, AFAIK) except the roofs, which were Niles Sand Dune White #S-474. You can kind of tell that by looking at the second picture.

                          The notation as to colors and sheets directs the Production Dept to paint all manner of individual components, interior pieces, etc., in Marine Blue, as would have been identified on those separate sheets. Otherwise, it gets confusing and crowded on the PO.

                          To wit: Here is a copy of the Build Order for the overdrive 1956 Golden Hawk my father sold new. It was to be fitted with a custom leather interior (and was; I sat in it when it was brand new and "took in" the wonderful fresh red leather aroma at age 10 in the dealership's Service Department before delivery), so individual parts of the interior were to receive specific colors, as noted.

                          You can also see that making all those notations on one small piece of paper gets kind of ridiculous, so it was easier to refer production people to separate sheets with detailed information. (I don't have those for the subject police car, however.) BP

                          We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

                          G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by ROADRACELARK View Post
                            Bob,

                            Interesting note....most that have all of the listed equipment, also list Twin Traction. Strange that this one dosen't, especially considering the road conditions in winter. Dan Miller
                            Good observation, Dan! I've had this Build Order for years and never noticed that. 'Can't believe it was left off, but it looks like it was. BP
                            We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

                            G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by candbstudebakers View Post
                              Here's a nice picture of Bill Mitchell, left, with SDCer and 1957 Golden Hawk 400 guru Tom Lawlis, taken at an Indy Chapter meeting exactly a year ago:


                              BP you say Tom is the 400 guru of the 400's if so do you know if Tom is the guy that about 15 years ago got a 57 400 out of California? the car was a white one and had about 48,000 miles but had been sitting in a friend garage for many years , All I know is that the owners Mother and Father had passed away and the brother was selling the house and I got all the extra Studebaker parts from their other son before the car was sold, the 2 brothers did not get along, at the time I was trying to find a buyer for the car as Chuck wanted around $12,000 for it and had advertised in TW but got no takers so he dropped the price to $9,000 and that is when I was trying to find a buyer, then out of the blue he sold it to some one from the South Bend area for $5,000 and it was gone and I have not heard about it since. Know anything about it?? BP
                              No, it doesn't belong to Tom, Bob.

                              But it is indeed here in central Indiana; it's sitting here in an SDC friend's tight, dry garage/basement awaiting restoration about 6 miles from me...but I'd better let the owner (a good friend and forum lurker) step up and post whatever he'd like anyone to know about it!

                              If you remember, it was the very first 400 Show Car Built, shipped to California for the show circuit in late winter/early spring 1957. I've got a photo of it around here somewhere taken when it arrived in central Indiana from CA. If I find it, I'll post it. I honestly don't know where the photo is right now...and, yes, of the meager total of only 51 1957 Golden Hawk 400s built, we have two of them within 9 miles of each other west of Indianapolis. Figure those odds! BP

                              We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

                              G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

                              Comment

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