Engine?

[Dunkin]

What does RSH 37 stamped on engine stand for? Thanks

[Dwight FitzSimons]

That's the engine "serial" number.  It is actually an identifier of the engine type and the date the engine was assembled.  RS means an R2 engine (R for Avanti, S for supercharged). H means August. 3 is the year (1963). 7 is the date (7th).  So, your R2 engine was assembled on August 7, 1963.  This scheme of engine number was used only for the 1964 model year.  One assumes Studebaker would have continued to use this scheme in succeeding years, but, alas, South Bend shut down in Dec 1963.

--Dwight

[Dunkin]

Thank you for the information.

[Skip Lackie]

It is probably worth noting for the record that this system was a big change from the numbering scheme in previous use.  Up until August 1963, Studebaker gave sequential numbers to its engines, usually with a prefix to indicate type.  This meant that every engine had a unique serial number, and once that engine was gone, "numbers matching" the drive train to a given car was difficult, if not impossible.  But beginning in August 1963, all identical engines made on each day had the same engine number.  So even when an original engine is lost, finding another one with the same number is not impossible.  All that said, Studebaker people don't spend a lot of time obsessing over numbers matching anyway.

[Dwight FitzSimons]

32 minutes ago, Skip Lackie said:

All that said, Studebaker people don't spend a lot of time obsessing over numbers matching anyway.

Exactly.  I once had to replace an R2 engine in a '63 Avanti that had no engine.  I built an exact replica of the original engine, using parts from at least 5 engines.  All the parts were the best that I had, except that I paid no attention to the date codes.  I just picked the best parts to build the best engine I could.  The casting date codes on the parts I used ranged from 1963 to April 1964 (long after the last Avanti was built).  The point was to build the best R2 that I could.

As an aside, all the major castings have a casting date code, indicating the day the part was cast.  If interested in that I can send some information.

--Dwight

[mfg]

As Skip said, "Studebaker people do not spend a lot of time obsessing over numbers matching"...... I believe this is true, however, it does seem that as time goes on the 'numbers matching' bug is being mentioned more frequently by owners/purchasers of Studebaker related automobiles!

[64studeavanti]

I believe numbers matching matters more for #1, #2 quality cars. For drivers, as has been stated, it really does not matter. For judging, they don't seem to care.

[mfg]

16 minutes ago, 64studeavanti said:

I believe numbers matching matters more for #1, #2 quality cars. For drivers, as has been stated, it really does not matter. For judging, they don't seem to care.

Yes, I think that you're correct about that....It really depends on the particular car's model and quality.

[PackardV8]

On 2/5/2022 at 1:52 PM, mfg said:

Yes, I think that you're correct about that....It really depends on the particular car's model and quality.

I had an R2 customer with a bad block pay $1000 to have eight sleeves installed so his "numbers matching" block sleeved so it could be reused.  I had another customer who dragged in a early partial flow block because he didn't want to pay $100 extra to have one sleeve installed his numbers matching full-flow block.

jack vines

[mfg]

On 2/13/2022 at 3:39 PM, PackardV8 said:

I had an R2 customer with a bad block pay $1000 to have eight sleeves installed so his "numbers matching" block sleeved so it could be reused.  I had another customer who dragged in a early partial flow block because he didn't want to pay $100 extra to have one sleeve installed his numbers matching full-flow block.

jack vines

Wow...very interesting!....Both ends of the spectrum!!