1922 Special Six Photos

[Stude Light]

Here are some photos of a 1922 Model EL Special Six, taken in July 1922, just prior to durability testing.  It had just a few hundred miles on the car.  VIN 3022378. Thought it would be nice to share some original photos.

Scott

 

[keninman]

Boy I'd hate to be the driver for the test with no floorboard or seat. 

[nvonada]

Maybe it was not the durability of the car they were testing...

[Stude Light]

Just proves what a nice ride they had...."34,826 test miles and only rags for a seat"

[studeq]

Great photos. Where did you get the information on the car?

[commander Dave]

Just curious, I didn't think there were any vin's  that early. Fill me in. Commander Dave

[Stude Light]

19 minutes ago, commander Dave said:

Just curious, I didn't think there were any vin's  that early. Fill me in. Commander Dave

I'm talking about the car chassis identification number that is on the tag behind the left front wheel.  Technically, that is the VIN.

 

7 hours ago, studeq said:

Great photos. Where did you get the information on the car?

 

Well, maybe where you would be least likely to look….the historical records from the General Motors Research and Development Organization’s library.  Two years ago I thought I would search the database for anything Studebaker related and found 11 reports which included:

 

1921 Studebaker Light Six Touring Car 25,000 Mile Durability Test, Engine Dyno Test, Remy Generator Failure Report

1922 Studebaker Special Six Touring Car 35,000 Mile Durability Test, Engine Dyno Test

1922 Lanchester Damper Vibration Test from a Studebaker Big Six Engine

1923 Test Result for Wagner Distributor from a Studebaker Light Six

1925 Standard Six Engine Dyno Test

1929 Differential Metallurgy Report for Studebaker Commander

1931 Studebaker Inland Driveshaft Vibration Test

1932 Studebaker President Engine Dyno Test

 

These tests were conducted by General Motors Research Corporation, which was formed through the earlier acquisition of the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (DELCO) by GM in 1916 and later split off from product manufacturing into GM’s research development group, led by Charles Kettering, in 1920. Tests conducted prior to 1925 were performed in Moraine, Ohio, which is a suburb of Dayton.  In 1925, General Motors Research Corporation was moved to Detroit, Michigan so the later tests were performed there.

 

Like most companies, General Motors performs testing on their competitor’s products to benchmark their performance.  The reports are a result of the competitive benchmarking that General Motors performed on several Studebaker products in the early years of the company. I was able to get permission to release these documents outside of GM and I provided a three ring binder containing all the reports to Andy Beckman (archivist at the Studebaker National Museum for those that don’t know).  The only photographic history contained in all the testing are the four photos of the Special Six prior to test and these two Special Six engine dynamometer test photos.

Scott

[Spinneyhill]

Blimey, the health and safety police would have a fit if they saw that today!  Shut down forthwith.

[studeq]

Thanks for the information. Great early history and even better photos. I would be interested in seeing that 1932 President engine dyno test report. Could you post it or make a copy and snail mail it. Just send a invoice with it or can pay upfront. Appreciate the history. 

 

Richard Quinn (editor emeritus: Antique Studebaker Review) rtq11@aol.com

[Guest trap442w30]

looking at the pictures, is that the engine that was in the car?  If that is oil under the fuse box, they didn't do a very good job of cleaning it first....or did they melt the fuse box....that might explain all the wires bundled up and the different coil.

[Stude Light]

On ‎11‎/‎4‎/‎2017 at 9:40 PM, trap442w30 said:

looking at the pictures, is that the engine that was in the car?  If that is oil under the fuse box, they didn't do a very good job of cleaning it first....or did they melt the fuse box....that might explain all the wires bundled up and the different coil.

Yes, that is the engine that came from the car after the 35,000 mile durability test.  Keep in mind that the engine was disassembled at least 4 times during the course of the durability test to repair it due to cracked valves, pulling head and scraping carbon, scraping and re-shim bearings, fixing connecting rod dippers, late in the test the radiator drain cock fell out and the engine overheated - rebuilt much of the engine after that incident.  There is a full page of all the things that broke on the car during the test.  So it isn't surprising that the engine was dirty and some things modified to fit it to the dyno.

[studerex]

On 11/4/2017 at 12:23 AM, studeq said:

Thanks for the information. Great early history and even better photos. I would be interested in seeing that 1932 President engine dyno test report. Could you post it or make a copy and snail mail it. Just send a invoice with it or can pay upfront. Appreciate the history. 

 

Richard Quinn (editor emeritus: Antique Studebaker Review) rtq11@aol.com

Dick, Did you ever get the dyno report?  

[Stude Light]

He did.  Send me an email...smrdeza@lentel.com