My Grandfather’s 29

[Gaby]

Hello. I came across this new car sales contract. It was for my grandfather’s 1929 Studebaker. The model appears to say “Dic”, I’m guessing Dictator? Also serial # is1451332. I’m wondering what the car would have looked like. Thank you. 

Edited February 28, 2018 by Gaby (see edit history)

[studeq]

Your grandfathers car would have been a late production (3rd Design) 1928 Dictator model GE sedan. I am attaching a page from the Antique Studebaker Review in which I tried to explain the differences in GE series cars. The photo in image one shows a 2nd design car with the longer windshield visor and older style radiator shell. In the second image I have included a 3rd design car and you can note the shorter visor and newer radiator shell. Note in image number two the car has spare tires mounted in the front fenders (side mounts) and wire wheels. These cars were referred to as Regal or State models. The economy version of the same car would have had wood wheels and a rear mounted spare like the one in the first image. There is no way to determine from the serial number whether your grand dad's car was the standard or state model though it was most certainly a 3rd Design. I have just completed a 5600 word article for the magazine Collectible Automobile that covers the Dictator line from 1927-37. It is due to appear in their August issue which will be out in June. The last photo is a restored 2nd Design GE belonging to Don Armacost of Grandview, Missouri. Have a lot more data if required.

 

Edited February 28, 2018 by studeq (see edit history)

[Gaby]

Wow, thanks! That’s a lot more info than I expected. He was a pretty neat guy, he was chased out of Mexico by Pancho Villa’s gang, 12 years later he’s buying a new Studebaker. Thank you again, I’m looking forward to your article. 

[studeboy]

Actually the photo from the 1928 Studebaker catalog is of a Royal model. The regular type 2 sedans had acorn  running lights. The type 2 Royals sedan at first were wooden wheeled with a rear mounted spare. During the production run they switched to the side mounts. Here is  the page from the Studebaker sales catalog. 

[Gaby]

Thank you! Awesome

[nzcarnerd]

On ‎28‎/‎02‎/‎2018 at 9:09 PM, studeq said:

Your grandfathers car would have been a late production (3rd Design) 1928 Dictator model GE sedan. I am attaching a page from the Antique Studebaker Review in which I tried to explain the differences in GE series cars. The photo in image one shows a 2nd design car with the longer windshield visor and older style radiator shell. In the second image I have included a 3rd design car and you can note the shorter visor and newer radiator shell. Note in image number two the car has spare tires mounted in the front fenders (side mounts) and wire wheels. These cars were referred to as Regal or State models. The economy version of the same car would have had wood wheels and a rear mounted spare like the one in the first image. There is no way to determine from the serial number whether your grand dad's car was the standard or state model though it was most certainly a 3rd Design. I have just completed a 5600 word article for the magazine Collectible Automobile that covers the Dictator line from 1927-37. It is due to appear in their August issue which will be out in June. The last photo is a restored 2nd Design GE belonging to Don Armacost of Grandview, Missouri. Have a lot more data if required.

 

 

I was interested to read in your article the mention about rear end ratios. We have a third series GE Royal (which should look like the one in the b/w photo above, but doesn't as it needs some work), and the standard axle ratio in that is 4.6:1. We have fitted a higher 4.3:1 rear end which I thought was the highest available. My son has also fitted a cylinder head which has had 80 thou planed from it but it has not been run on the street since that happened. Other projects have got in the way but there is the hope that we might have it going for a back roads rally on the first weeKend in June.