UPDATE: **SOLD** Was on eBay.
Mike spotted this FJ look-alike. Is there some type of connected history between these ‘Zips’ and the FJ-3 & FJ-3As? Or was USPS dictating the design?
“BUY IT NOW OR MAKE OFFER on this very rare US MAIL 1963 Studebaker Zip Van that has spent it’s life in southern New Mexico and is sun baked with the cool ratrod patina everyone is looking for. It has been sitting for years and does have a lot of surface rust and little rust through on the body(look at closeup pictures of the rust area’s). It is not running and has not run in years but it does roll fine for transport. It does NOT have a title, buyer will get a bill of sale only and the auction receipt that I got when I bought it. please look at all 60+ pictures with closeups. please ask questions before buying or making offer, if you have less then 10 feedback or are outside the US please email before buying or making offer, I am trying to show everything I could find wrong with the truck, it is not running nor have I tried starting it.”
Here’s a restored one that I found on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jarviseye/7454916470/in/photostream/
Interesting:
In late 1963, it won another Government contract, this time for 4,238 postal delivery vans for the U.S. Post Office. These postal vehicles, designated as model 8E5FC (FC for forward control), were called Zip-Vans in production, and were a very different job than assembling Army trucks. The Zip-Vans were a Studebaker design, and used the Studebaker Champ 6-cylinder engine, automatic transmission, frame, suspension, and steering components, and the Transtar instrument cluster. The bodies were built by Met-Pro of Lansdale, Pennsylvania. Because of the considerable truck division effort in their design and development, it’s probably a safe assumption that the company took considerable satisfaction in winning this particular contract.
http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/StudebakerTruckHistory.asp
Better looking and more colorful than the things the post office uses today to lose the mail.
There was one of these Studebakers at the ATHS Truck Show in Yakima last year. It was the first time I learned that Studebaker made mail trucks. I walked up to check out the FJ-6, and it wasn’t one.
**Steve E.**
So that’s interesting; after reading A Brief History of Studebaker Trucks, I find out that there is a connection after all, only the other way around. After Studebaker went out of business, Kaiser Jeep bought the government contracts including the Zip van. Learn something new every day.
Looking to buy one.
Hi Ted,
I’ve never run across another one. If I do, I’ll let you know.
– Dave
I have one for sale….
Hi Duane,
If you’d like, I can post it for sale on eWillys (it is free). There may be some interest in it. Feel free to email me at d@ewillys.com with some pics and info.
Thanks,
– Dave
I have one for sale. Minimal surface rust. 64,429 miles.
Can you send me some photos, I maybe interested
It looks like the one in the post has sold. I’ve updated the post.
– Dave