Secret serial number

The secret serial number was lightly stamped on the chassis to make sure the right chassis was mated to the correct body. I got a call one time from someone in Pennsylvania that told me that the Motor vehicle bureau would not transfer his out of state title because they could not find the serial number on the frame. I suggested to him that he takes a piece of "DYMO" tape with the serial number on it and glue it to the frame and than spray some undercoating over it thinly and put dust on it. He went to a different bureau and it was no problem. HE GOT HIS TITTLE AND CALLED ME BACK.

Yea, that guy build a fake car. He bought 440 car, paid $300 to have a fake VIN and body tag made, got a title for the fake VIN and tried to sell the car. The fact that the VIN never existed uncovered the fake.

That's why it's great that the Jet Thrust registry tracks not > There is an interesting article in the latest issue of Hemmings Muscle

Not at all!

If such things worry you, go ahead... worry yourself sick over it!

Doesn't bother me, as I am imune to such sickness.

Your '31 is a neat car... I would be proud to own it. Whether it had the engine that came with it or not would not influence my desire to own it, or what price I would be willing to pay for it in anyway, what-so-ever, period.

It's on one of the flanges, near the center but not exactly at it. I'll be darned if I can remember which flange or which side though. All I know is that my frame matches the number on the door post, which means exactly squat when we're talking about my car :)

nate

I haven't a clue. The crossmember where it was stamped on a "normal" Studebaker doesn't exist on an Avanti (replaced by the tubular thing.) If you get an answer I'd kind of like to know, just out of curiosity.

nate

Malcom Gillette wrote:

I didn't expect to find the one on my '53 given how rusty the frame was. Some light sand blasting on the rear crossmember found it easily. Couple of the numbers are stamped in hard and show up well, but the others are very faint. On my car, the number was on the passenger side on the front flange of the rear 'member. Best seen while laying on the ground and looking straight up.

Jeff

snipped-for-privacy@shaw.ca wrote:

I have been following this interesting thread. No answers for my situation though.

I have found the serial numbers on both 59 2 door wagons I have. The one car is a complete running but not titled car. I put it on ebay a month or so ago to try to sell. Long story short I still have it. The other car has a title that matches door plate and secret number. That car is realistically a parts car with one catch: 100,000th Lark. Points to ponder:

1. Take the running driving parts car and shoot it in the head for everything for the 100,000th car. Lots of work and sad to do, but would have correct but not numbers matching 100,000th car.
2. Take all the stuff from the 100,000th as far as serial number plate and secret number and change all the color, interior etc on the parts car. Easier but then it is not the really the 100,000th any more.
3. Have a good 59V title and plate from another 59 lark that could be titled in AZ, put that one the bummed title car and sell it to someone with full disclosure.
4. Forget this whole mess sell everything for ,500 and let the new owner figure it out. The problem with that is no one seems to be interested in the package at all.
5. Donate it all to SDC National Museam. They are not interested either.

Guess I am stuck. Guess number 1 will be what I do.

Bob Miles

It is stamped on the horizontal flanged-out area of the U-shaped crossmember and one views it by lying on their back, looking up. As JH mentioned, it is on the flange that is closest to the front of the car. It is stamped either on center, or near the center of the flange, except on '64 to '66's where its moved over to the left near where the crossmember curves a bit before it meets up with the frame rail.

Craig.

Dave is right...this is the SDC, not the Corvette Club!

Bob (pissing up a rope is hard work...and messy!)

Dave Lester wrote:

No matter what you do, the 100,000 car will not exist with all the parts intact as built in 1959. I hope this thread does not keep anyone from saving a rare car that needs a major restoration. Some Avanti's are on their 3rd frame by now, big deal. You legally own the 100,000th Lark, you did not steal it, not create a fake serial plate, nor are you trying to commit fraud. The only question is how many parts have to be replaced to save that part of Studebakers history. Restore it exactly the way it was built anyway you can and let the new buyer know how you did it and screw it.

What follows was reported to Jeet Thrust group and the present owner, as of 2004.

64v21052 was bought by me in Massachusetts from someone who didn't own it (hadn't paid off loan). Mass is a title state. A visitor representing the loan firm got me to detail the transaction and sign it and gave me rights to the car a few days later. I drove it to CA in '72 and sold various parts to people there, ending up selling the rusty hulk to Lionel Stone, who passed it on to the someone else decafes later.

Have fun, folks Karl.

64V20152 John Poulos wrote:

No, this is the alt.autos.Studebaker newsgroup. The SDC guys do their own thing over on their own forum (like bitch about modifieds and customs...) Here, we bitch about gas prices, politics, and religion... with an accidental Stude thing tossed on here and there.. Jeff (were eye protection when pissing up your rope) Rice\\

The Federal government began mandating multiple number stamping (secret numbers) in '68 and even with that there are numerous instances of misstamped and missing numbers on unmolested cars. If the factories couldn't manage 100% compliance with number stamping under the threat of Federal fines, imagine what it was like with no government mandate. Collision damage early in the car's life is another issue, a frame component properly replaced years ago with a parts room part could be hard to spot.

Well, as I said, you could order frames from the factory and they would be blank, never saw anything about stamping them like they do the service blocks. To to show how fast and loose they were 40 years ago, look at this build sheet from the factory. Makes me wonder what they did with the frame on this Avanti and did the buyer know the history. It was built in early 62, converted to 64 styling, titled as a 63 and sold new in mid

1. Put that >> Here's my question, what do I do if I can't read the serial on either

Today, that would be totally illegal to 'update' a previous year's car and sell it as a current year model. The FTC clamped down on that years ago, as did the NHSTA which came out with a new set of rules every year which most all the automakers had to abide to including the month and year of manufacture on the data plate. (Some smaller companies such as Avanti and Checker did get exemptions, but the date of manufacture was still on the plate). And then later, the EPA had their yearly standards, so it be next to impossible now to get away with it. One thing I do remember from around 1986 was when Chrysler sold a large batch of (same year) K-cars as 'brand new' when in fact they had many testing miles racked up on them. It was later revealed they had their speedometers disconnected until the it was time to deliver them to the dealers. There were full 1-page newspaper ads that appeared not long after with Lee Iacocca's picture and a huge "I'm sorry" at the top with is apology below it promising never to do it again.

Craig