1927 Dictator? I’m not sure and need some help

[Chucklehead]

Hello, new to the site. My name is Nate. This week I picked up what was told to me to be a 1928 President. I have determined the best I can by surfing the internet that it is in fact a 1927 Dictator, however I am having problems deciding what exactly it is. The car is in amazing shape. The doors open and close beautifully even. It appears to be mostly here, even found the original curtains in the back of the car while cleaning it out. This is a one owner car. The original owner died and it sat on the family’s property until now. I can not locate the info tag that is supposed to be in the frame rail, I think it’s just plain gone. Bedsides trying to get a clear answer on what the car is I need to understand how to get the correct numbers to register the vehicle. I also need to find a wiring diagram as the vehicle has had wires detached and things removed, I know big surprise. I am able to work on the vehicle and can hit wire the car but would really like to operate the car with the original knobs and switch’s. I would really appreciate some insight and knowledge, thanks in advance!

[oldford]

I believe what you have is a 1927 Studebaker Dictator, second series which included bullet headlamps and double bar bumpers. Also had the Atlanta hood ornament. Nice car.

 

Frank

[Chucklehead]

Is this the hood ornament you are referring too?  This is what came with the car.

[Mark Huston]

This is the Atalanta Studebaker radiator cap.   In the early versions it has a threaded base.  Later version was quick release style.   Like everything else with Studebaker’s the Atalanta radiator cap has running changes and you need to be careful that you get the correct version for your car.   Also, original Atalanta caps are made out of pot metal and very fragile.  There was at one time someone who reproduced the Atalanta cap in bronze.  Both in threaded and quick release.  If you can, get a reproduction cap.   It will be much more durable than an original pot metal cap.  The example in the pictures below has the end of the extended arm broken off. This is typical for an original Atalanta cap.  

Edited January 18, 2021 by Mark Huston (see edit history)

[Mark Huston]

43 minutes ago, Chucklehead said:

Is this the hood ornament you are referring too?  This is what came with the car.

Here is a picture of a 1927 EU Dictator with a close up of the radiator showing the Atalanta radiator cap.   

[Chucklehead]

You’ll have to forgive me as I’m sure some or all of my questions may seem obvious to you all, however I dong know much about this car, and while I have learned some about it by trying to dig up I go about it I am still pretty in the dark. What was the tell that the radiator cap was not the original? Also if you have spotted anything else in the pictures that is incorrect I would love to know. I am very curious as to the wiring of car. How things worked etc. I don’t know what all the pieces did originally. I can rig up wires to probaly run the car however I need more intricate information about all the little mechanisms so I can make them function properly. So any tips about where to find this stuff or who to talk with would be very much appreciated . 

[nzcarnerd]

On 1/19/2021 at 2:51 PM, Chucklehead said:

You’ll have to forgive me as I’m sure some or all of my questions may seem obvious to you all, however I dong know much about this car, and while I have learned some about it by trying to dig up I go about it I am still pretty in the dark. What was the tell that the radiator cap was not the original? Also if you have spotted anything else in the pictures that is incorrect I would love to know. I am very curious as to the wiring of car. How things worked etc. I don’t know what all the pieces did originally. I can rig up wires to probably run the car however I need more intricate information about all the little mechanisms so I can make them function properly. So any tips about where to find this stuff or who to talk with would be very much appreciated . 

 Perhaps the most important thing to remember with Studes of this era is that there were ongoing changes to specification (Mark H pointed to that with comment about the Atalanta radiator cap), which means that if you run across another 1927 Dictator it is likely to differ in detail from yours. This era was Studebaker's heyday as far as production numbers were concerned. They built over 65,000 of this series between June 1926 and September 1927, an era which included the introduction of the Dictator name. There are no surviving detailed production figures - ie breakdown by body style.

 

Perhaps someone with a similar car can comment on this but I think the numbers on the engine suggest it was cast in June 1926. The early number 1778 confirms this. Without the original serial plate it is hard to say whether this car is a Standard Six or a Dictator. The numbers went from 1346001 to 1410000 and the changeover number was 1385940. This would suggest that just over 4,000 were sold before the name change.

[dictator27]

How about a photo of the dashboard?

[Chucklehead]

I appreciate all the info, thanks all of you, I am not the most skilled internet searcher hence me reaching out in a place where people would probably have some good info, that being said I would like to get my hands on a service book or wiring diagrams so I can see what all the switches and knobs used to do as they are all disconnected, and I have included a dash pic as requested, don’t mind the dash clock that has been installed, it’s going to get deleted

Edited January 22, 2021 by Chucklehead (see edit history)

[dictator27]

What is on the dashboard above the steering column?  Anything on the little tag on the right side of the dash?

[dictator27]

To nzcarnerd's point, Studebaker did not observe annual model changers in the '20's, preferring to do running changes instead.  This is what can be determined from your photos:

The EU on the body tag is the model, the W indicates 4 door sedan.  The 896 is the assembly line sequence number.  It is not body style specific,  but since about 65,000 of the EU series were built, it is reasonable to think that your car was built very early in production because it is so low.

Other indications it is early production are the steering wheel, which appears to be a hold over from ER production and the ignition switch - the three position switch to the left of the steering column.  There is no advance/retard lever on the dash, so the electrical system is Wagner.

[nzcarnerd]

5 hours ago, dictator27 said:

To nzcarnerd's point, Studebaker did not observe annual model changers in the '20's, preferring to do running changes instead.  This is what can be determined from your photos:

The EU on the body tag is the model, the W indicates 4 door sedan.  The 896 is the assembly line sequence number.  It is not body style specific,  but since about 65,000 of the EU series were built, it is reasonable to think that your car was built very early in production because it is so low.

Other indications it is early production are the steering wheel, which appears to be a hold over from ER production and the ignition switch - the three position switch to the left of the steering column.  There is no advance/retard lever on the dash, so the electrical system is Wagner.

 

Are you sure about the body tag number? I have never seen a tag with a five digit number - admittedly not actually that many - and had assumed the number was a body sequence number. I have an FCW-1 tag in front of me that came with my latest purchase and that has a four digit number.  My cabriolet is #457 and I had assumed that meant they built at least that many cabriolets. Of course we will never know actually how many were built. I have one not-very-clear photo of the engine bay of Kevin Wise's cabriolet and the number looks be three digits starting with a 6.

 

Hope fully Richard Quinn may know more.

 

 

[Old buicks 2]

Here is a wiring diaghram

[keninman]

When I went to Michigan to purchase my Dictator the gentleman also tried to convince me to buy this 1926 Standard Six. The pictures of your car put me in mind of it. It also had the temp gauge radiator cap and maybe that is what is doing it. That is a very nice looking car you have. 

[8E45E]

On 1/22/2021 at 2:46 PM, nzcarnerd said:

 

Are you sure about the body tag number? I have never seen a tag with a five digit number - admittedly not actually that many - and had assumed the number was a body sequence number. I have an FCW-1 tag in front of me that came with my latest purchase and that has a four digit number.  My cabriolet is #457 and I had assumed that meant they built at least that many cabriolets. Of course we will never know actually how many were built. I have one not-very-clear photo of the engine bay of Kevin Wise's cabriolet and the number looks be three digits starting with a 6.

I'm not certain prior to the second world war, but South Bend body production used separate numbering for each individual body style, starting from 1, or 101 at the beginning of the model year. 

 

Hamilton production did not break out body numbering by body style.  A two door coupe could have the next sequential body number after a four door sedan, for example. 

 

Craig

[Joe Petrello]

Does anyone know where I can buy a remanufactured Atlanta 1927 thread on radiator cap?  call Joe (509) 386-3876