This 1937 Studebaker Bus Is Incredibly Rare And Has Near Unlimited Hot Rodding Potential

Jan 30, 2015BangShift XL, XL Online Find4

This 1937 Studebaker Bus Is Incredibly Rare And Has Near Unlimited Hot Rodding Potential

Chances are that you have never seen a 1937 Studebaker school bus. According to the seller this is one of four ever built and the last one that remains in existence. Frankly we think that it is awesome and has some pretty wild hot rodding potential. This could be made into an awesome rig to cruise to shows and depending on your budget, this sucker could be made into one of the neatest campers/RVs the world has ever seen. While we’re calling it s Studebaker bus, that only really gives credit to the chassis and (original) drivetrain. The real artists here were the guys who worked for Patchett and Carstenson who actually built the body, starting with the front end that is unlike anything we have ever seen before. With that awesome horse collar looking grill, the pair of nicely rounded fenders, prominent fender mounted headlights, and big split windshield this is a truck that drove straight off the pages of a cartoon and into real life.

The seller claims that the bus does run and drive. At some point it was repowered with a 400ci Chevy engine (not sure if we’re talking big small block or little big block) which is backed with a Turbo 400 transmission. As you will see in the photos, the original Studebaker flathead inline six is available if you are in the restoration mode. Can you imagine how horrible it would have been to ride in this thing as a kid with that engine trying to move something of this size and weight? Unless it had a 50-speed transmission behind it you weren’t going anywhere in a hurry even on flat ground.

We’re pretty much in love with this whole thing. If you had the opening bid price of $27,000 (hey it is the only one left!) what would you do with it? Camper/RV? Bag it? Paint it black with flames? You tell us!

Here’s the text of the eBay ad in case it sells quick:

This is an example of fine craftsmanship in metal working. It’s a 1937 School bus one of four (and last remaining) buses ordered by the state of Arizona. The chassis is Studebaker and the body was built by Patchett and Carstenson, which later became Gillig which is still in business today.

 
I have quite a bit of history compiled that will go with the Bus plus the original engine and transmission, linkages etc. It has a chevy 400 V8 with a Turbo 400 auto transmission. It runs and drives, quite the head turner as is. 
 
The Bus is driveable ,it’s probably best to trailer for any distance. Price is As is, where is, no warranty.
 
There is a toilet and blackwater tank installed, some extra parts, wire gauges, and a brand new rv stove.
 
The drivers seat is original and there are two student seats.
 
The Bus was built in Newman CA and saw service in Arizona, Los Angeles, and eventually ended up in Indiana at two different museums

 

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE A BUNCH OF PHOTOS AND THE EBAY LINK FOR THIS AWESOME 1937 STUDEBAKER BUS –

bus1 bus2 bus3 bus4 bus5 bus6 bus7 bus8 bus9

 

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE EBAY LISTING FOR THIS INSANELY RARE 1937 STUDEBAKER BUS

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4 thoughts on “This 1937 Studebaker Bus Is Incredibly Rare And Has Near Unlimited Hot Rodding Potential”

  2. Ted

    I see two Allison V-12’s linked ala the Freight Train in this ride, some serious Alcoa rims, and some burn out shots reminiscent of Pat Minick. That would just flat out work.

  3. Keep It Original

    One of four built and the last one remaining and you want to hot rod it instead of restore it???

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