This is a great duo that is up for sale. Two former workhorses, a 1961 and 192 Studebaker Champ pickup trucks can become your projects for the asking price of $3,500. They are wanting to be sold as a pair. The trucks are located near Medford, Oregon and one of the trucks has a title while the other truck does not. Thank you, Dan O, for the tip. You can find it here on craigslist.
Both trucks are missing their original engines, but the seller says they have a Pontiac 326 with a TH350 transmission from a 1967 LeMans that you can rebuild. Sadly, it is extra money. The 1961 is a short bed step side. It is a two-wheel-drive half-ton and is the one with a clean title. The 1962 is a long bed fleetside that is also two-wheel drive and a half-ton as well. It is designated as a parts truck and does not have a title.
The only photo of any interior is the long beds part truck. The dashboard is in rough condition, but the seats and other components are in pretty good shape. Many of the other photos show different angles of the trucks and emphasizing certain blemishes, just so you know what you are getting into. The seller says that Studebaker used Dodge stampings for the beds in 1959 and 1960. Can any Studebaker experts out there weigh in on that statement?
The seller says that they have owned the one truck for over 30 years. As sad as it is, it is good that they have decided to let it go and hopefully the trucks will go to a good home. Even if one has to be reduced to only a frame, at least you can make one of them a driver. So, would you take this pair of Champs on?
The fleetside box was the Dodge one. I think it was used on ’59 – ’61 Dodges, then Chrysler sold the tooling to Studebaker (for use on ’62 – ’64) with an agreement to make replacement parts if needed. I always thought it looked too wide for the Champ that was based on the compact Lark. The stepside box was from the old stude pickup as was the frame.Notice the front bumpers don’t line up right either. But Stude did what they could with what they had.
The Champ was another one of my favorites. The green pickup box was same one used in their pickups dating back to 1949. Red one was the Dodge. Both looked odd behind the Lark cab, but like geezerglide sez, they were on a tight budget,,,and few were sold. Shame, my favorite pickup of the era, mostly because of the Lark styling, which I always liked. I knew a guy in N.Wis. that had one, would not sell. Lot of work here, and limited interest, still, but probably one of the rarest Studebakers. Nobody bought Studebaker cars, and even less pickups. Classic swing and a miss. Like if Rambler offered a pickup.
Sure would be a cool project, I’d slide something traditional and unusual in there like an early ford 289 and a 5 speed or a buick nailhead. Love the red one. Good luck to the new owner!
Cheers
GPC
Dodge came out with this bed in 59, and used it during the 59 and 60 model years. It was called the “Sweptline”. Dodge had restyled pickups for 61, and sold the bed to Studebaker in late 60 or 61, and of course they had to produce new tailgates with “Studebaker”stamped in. The beds were not used on Studebakers prior to 61.
I listed a 61 last year that was in much better condition than either of these two along with a Ford pickup, neither drew much interest. The market just isn’t there for the Lark based pickups yet.
God bless America