studeboy Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I wrote a letter to Turning Wheels after their article on GE dictators. They refused to print it because it disagreed with the FACTS the author had written. The claim was that the larger style running lights did not appear until the beginning of type 3 GE Dictators. Here is a photograph to put that to rest. My car is a type 2 4 door royal sedan(with extended roof line, and all four door windows the same size). Yet it has the later style larger cowl lights. I have had the chrome belt line off and rechromed. There is no evidence the lights were ever altered. The car is largely original except a poor old repaint. The sedan is a Royal type made before they switched to dual sidemount spares and before they switch to the head light bar with the letter S or 6. It has full chrome headlights. Studebaker made all kinds of running changes in the GE at various arbitrary points during the GE production. I think more accurate information about these cars should be welcome not suppressed. Sorry the picture isn't better but at -12 degrees I can't take the car out of the barn today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studeboy Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 Some how my photograph didn't come through so I will try again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 (edited) I haven't seen the article you refer to but I am not surprised you have a 'hybrid' model, because, as you rightly say, Studebaker made many running changes in that era which confuse restorers. If you have a copy of the Crestline book Studebaker Cars by James Maloney, you will see several cars of that era with your mix of older radiator and later cowl light. Many of the pictures of the cars of the late 1920s in that book are captioned incorrectly but by comparing the various modesl it is not hard to see the progression of models. I have a later GE Royal with wires and side-mounts (and right hand drive) but it is very much unrestored, including having a big hole in the side of the block caused by number three rod breaking just below the piston. Amongst the bits deposited in the tray at the side of the engine was the camshaft - in three pieces. What is your serial number? According to the list in The Standard Catalog, the GE went from 1410001 to 1460000 but there was a major change at 1437601, but I don't know how this was significant. Maybe the introduction of the later radiator style?? I am guessing that your car built near the end of the second series - probably September/October 1928 (maybe?). Unfortunately my car is buried in the shed and I can't get to see its number but I know it was first registered in NZ in March 1929 so I guess it had to have been built in late 1928.By the way that chrome strip over the cowl is called a surcingle. Try googling 'surcingle molding'. It has its origins in horse harness. Edited January 18, 2011 by nzcarnerd (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studeboy Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 Hey NZ, Glad to finally find someone willing to actually talk about these cars. I have spent days pouring over my August 1928 parts list. I first came across the deficiencies in the Master catalog for all sixes 1928 to 40 when I tried to replace my missing lower (at the bottom of the steering column) spark advance lever. Mine was missing so I used the only parts number 168025 and ordered the blueprint from the studebaker museum. The blueprint was great and a friend who is a machinist made an exact copy for me. However the lever bore was too large to attach to the tube at the bottom of the advance tube. I next bought a lever from a late model 26 standard six, which also was incorrect.I purchased an original standard six parts catalog with a 38 page section on GE dictator parts in the back. It gave part # 150310 which was the correct lever.My car is body number GEW2 7714. The tag is missing from the front frame rail. I am hoping someday to find the secret number stamped in the frame but haven't yet. Reading the parts list it becomes obvious Studebaker changed the parts when ever they felt like not just at the three major breaks for types 1 2 3. Some changes are listed by serial number. some only by engine number etc. One perfect example is the rear differential. They switch from a single to split differential at car number 1,428,149. This was about half way through the production of type 2 cars. They first introduced side mount tires at serial number 1,430,230 . Again about half way through type 2 production but not at the same time as the differental change.I could go on and on. Type 1, 2 and 3 even have totally different frame part numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 A quick note to acknowledge your comment. Send me an email lmdawber@clear.net.nz. Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studeboy Posted January 24, 2011 Author Share Posted January 24, 2011 An image from NZ reminded me that I had this Studebaker produced image which illustrates my point. This image is from Studebaker Motor Cars, the mid 1928 studebaker sales catalog.If you look closely at the two type two cars in the image you will see that the Royal car, in the larger image at the top, has the larger running lights mounted on the trim strip. It is a model made before they went to dual spares on the Royal model. The smaller image at the bottom of the page of the regular sedan has the older style acorn running lights. The two commander sedans on page 15 in the same catalog show the same difference. The Regal commander has the larger running lights and the regular sedan has the smaller acorn lights.I believe this is clear evidence that these were made by Studebaker this way. I also have an ad from a 1928 Studebaker Wheel magazine for a Dictator Royal Sedan type two with the larger running lights I could post if people would like more evidence that these were built this way by the factory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Good Old Days Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Hi Studebaker GE owners!I have one too, a GE touring, serial number 1422113, 2nd design.Can anyone please tell me how the striping on the wood wheel should be? According to the brochure the wheel is in colour of the body, we did find the original colour but no sign of any striping on the wheel before sandblasting them. Please, if you have any pictures or additional information it would be of great help! I prefer pictures from original wood wheels before restoration ! Thank you! Carine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Hi Studebaker GE owners!I have one too, a GE touring, serial number 1422113, 2nd design.Can anyone please tell me how the striping on the wood wheel should be? According to the brochure the wheel is in colour of the body, we did find the original colour but no sign of any striping on the wheel before sandblasting them. Please, if you have any pictures or additional information it would be of great help! I prefer pictures from original wood wheels before restoration ! Thank you!CarineI would be very careful about sandblasting your wood wheels. They might need to be done with something other than sand. Do your homework before you dive into it. I have had no experience but if they are ruined they might be difficult to replace.Regarding pinstriping, there are some indistinct pictures in the Crestline book Studebaker Cars by James Moloney. They appear to have one tapered strip on each spoke - wider at the centre and tapering off towards the rim. I suspect that most cars did not have them or perhaps they might have been applied by the dealer on request. My own GE is on wires so I can't comment from experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Good Old Days Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Hi!Thank you for your answer. I already thought of the possibilty the dealer would apply the striping, in the Twenties this was more common then unusual that the the dealer applied the cars to the wishes of the buyer! A bit like Citroen is doing now, you can order a car and choose the colours from the dash and other interior parts, even body parts!I think selling cars then was more 'on demand', like it should be after paying its price.Studebaker didn't make it much easier for us restoring cars, look at at what they did with the running lights!The sandblasting did go very well, the wheels were in very good condition and we have a set in spare! These are under the car now, I haven't bought the new tyres yet! It's easier to move it that way! Carine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_Pink Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Hi Carine, That wheel looks fantastic! Well done.Regards, Dave... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 The reflected light on the painted wheel in the thumbnail above looks a little like uneven pin striping. I wonder how many of the cars in the pictures in book actually have pinstriped wheels and how many just have light reflections on them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Let's look at this a little differently...the other view was hurting my brain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stude8 Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Since the subject here is getting toward wood wheel spoke pin stripe detail I thought I'd attach images of the original wheels on my 1928 Studebaker Commander Regal Victoria Model GB serial 4052319. When detailing the wheels and replacing worn tires I decided not to restore the spokes since they were still in pretty good original condition. Here are photos of a wheel as received on car and after cleaning up and painting metal hubs and rims then installing new Denman 6:00x20 tires.The pin striping is untouched on any of the wheels.Stude8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Good Old Days Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Let's look at this a little differently...the other view was hurting my brain.Sorry, but the blue is original! I hope your brain isn't hurting too much! Mine stil is, after the mayor stroke I had in 2009!Thanks for the nice pics from the original wood wheels, nice looking tyres!I wonder if all the pin striping on the wood wheels should be black?The pin stripes we found on the body are 3 different colors, ivory white, red and yellow. We are quite sure they are the original colors, because they were hidden under paint sprayed over them!Like the original leather was hidden underneath a horrible red upholstery!:mad:Thanks for reading and all the help!Every question brings another one! Hope I can use more of your knowledge in the future!Our Dictator Touring is, for as far as we know, the only one in Europe!So it's hard to compare when you don't have an example to do so!Till next time!Carine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Good Old Days Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Here some more brain training!BTW this paint was found on the car and parts! Don't forget this car is made the USA! So don't be mad with me having these 'fun' colors! Carine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now