1926-1928 Bearcat

[TKC]

I am trying to get information on how to tell weather a Stutz in the family is an originally restored car or pieced together from different cars, or possably a knockoff of a Stutz. Anyone have an idea where I should start?

[Ivan Saxton]

Stutz used Fedco plate on the dashboard, which should match the composite of letters and numerals on the Serial # plate on the engine side of the firewall. There is also the same number not coded, but in numerals totally, stamped on the chassis frame. On our right-hand-drive cars in Australia this is on the top surface of the bolted front crossmember, on the left side. The only left hand drive chassis I have had to look at, it was not there, but on top of the right side rail near the back engine mount. You will have to look. From memory the Fedco code for Stutz is DESCHWABLY, with D matched to 0, or if not, 1. The serial# plate will also say whether it is BB, which is 1928, or AA, which is likely 1926-7. AA has blue,yellow, and green enamel on the radiator badge, with similar wire wheel discs, and the same emblem silk sceened on the mount of the black-face instruments under a single glass cover. BB has white enamel instead, and white face instruments in an etched pattern surround which incorporates the image of the Ra radiator cap emblem.Two very late BB cars out here have a different instrument presentation more like the M Series. These have the latet BB engine numbers we know, starting with 93---. AA series have engine number starting with "8", and are a five figure number. BB engines are a five figure number, most if not all starting with "9". Early AA engines had cast aluminium two-piece cam cover. All sucsequently were pressed steel one piece. AA started with Timken hydrostatic water brakes, but some may have been converted to the later Lockheed hydraulics. Anyone who has water brakes can possibly still get new water-bags for them, made by an old rubber craftsman in Melbourne who Ken Stuchberry knows.

That should give you enough to start checking.

Ivan Saxton

[alsancle]

You can also find the serial number by removing the rear bumper and and examining inside the passenger side mount.

A.J.

[pughs]

Hi,

Is this the car once owned by Phil Kanan in the San Diego area?

Steve

[TKC]

Thanks for the info, I am going to give it a real good cleaning and look it over when I get back from vacation. I was told by someone today that the body may be a reproduction made by someone in Pennsylvania. Dose any one know who made these reproductions?

The car was bought from the Dean Spencer estate in Seattle in the late 80's Prior to that I don't know who owned it.

[Ivan Saxton]

I think John Jordan in Texas had one, that might have gone to Raymond Katzell. Bob Feingold with Unocal in Singapore had another reproduction Black Hawk. I got drawings and measurements of different detail from both. I understand the copy model was the car that was at Harrah's. Stan Francis in Colorado(?) may have built some also.

Ivan Saxton

[pughs]

It looks like the Kanan car colorwise. His car had Stutz chassis and running gear with a repro body. I saw his old car at Hershey on the field on Saturday this past year. If this the same car that was at Hershey, it is a repro body.

Steve

[TKC]

The car hasn't been out of the garage for at least 10 years.

[pughs]

Then it obviously isn't the car I referred to. Do you have serial numbers or body tags that would help identify it?

Steve

[TKC]

Just got back from Mexico today.

The VIN# is AA 5 84327 and the engine # is 84588 X

[pughs]

The AA 5 in the serial number (AA 5 84327) says that the body (or at least the body plate) started life as a 5 passenger sedan.

[Guest Admirer4Stutz]

That is not Phil and Frank Koenens Stutz. Theirs had black tires, different wind wings, painted bumpers and a few other differences.

[franklinman]

If your body is a repro and was made in PA, it was probably made by Bill Gift, of Chambersburg. He made at least 2 back in the '70's/'80/s. The last time I was down at his shop he still had one sitting there.

[Lozierman]

Sir,

I knew Dean Spencer and visited him often as this Stutz was being built. It did start "life" as a sedan. Dean bought it from a person living in Tacoma WA many years before he decided it should have the body it has on it now. As I remember it was originally owned by a person who owned a Tacoma newspaper. Dean had a fellow from either NZ or Australia living with him for a while who actually created this body. This was done in the mid 70s. There was someone who also built a similar bodied Stutz and had it at one of the Harrah's swap meets in the late 70s.

Dean never tried to fool anyone regarding this car. He just wanted a cool looking Stutz. He got one!

Dean also had a few steam cars...Stanleys, a Mobil and Whites. Oh, he also happened to have three Dobles at one time. A coupe, touring and a roadster.

I spent many days visiting and watching him work on cars and even took him out searching for parts, or recovering things I had found I thought he was interested in such as a Stanley boiler and front axle. I also sold him a 1912 Cartercar roadster I had purchased. He went with me when I went to buy it and he bought me lunch on the way home. During lunch we talked about the car in detail, and after he paid for lunch he made me an offer for the Catercar and I sold it! I had some great times with Dean and wish he was still around now.