(first posted 3/11/2016) The story of Studebaker’s final few years are well known here. However, there is one vehicle that remains quite little known and has been seldom seen since the early 1970s. May we present the Zip Van.
1963 was a grim year in South Bend, Indiana, and nowhere more so than in the company’s administration building. Big investments (big by Studebaker standards, anyhow) in the Gran Turismo Hawk, the Avanti, the Wagonaire and even the workaday Lark had failed to boost the company’s sales volume in any significant way. What looked to be at least part of a solution appeared in the latter part of 1963 in the shape of a contract to supply over 3,000 mail delivery vehicles for the U. S. Post Office.
According to a history of Studebaker trucks by the Studebaker Drivers Club (found here), what was technically called the Model 8E5FC had been designed by Studebaker engineering in order that the company could make a bid for Post Office business. The mechanical components were all readily at hand, and included the 112 hp overhead valve Skybolt Six, the Borg-Warner Flight-O-Matic transmission, an instrument cluster from the Transtar truck line, and all of the other suspension and running gear bits that would be quite familar to anyone who had ever been under a postwar Stude.
Interestingly, it appears that these also came equipped with the Packard-designed Twin Traction limited slip differential. I wonder if anyone ever squeezed one of the V8s in front of that Twin Traction? For Express Mail, of course.
The van was designed with but a single seat, since mail delivery tends not to be a team activity. That seat had a bottom cushion that could flip up or down, and a unique pedal arrangement (with two accelerator pedals but a single brake) that allowed the truck to be driven from either a sitting or standing position.
The steel bodies were supplied by Met-Pro, Inc. of Lansdale, PA. Met-Pro had never built a truck body before, but was located in a depressed area, which evidently factored into the Government mandating that Studebaker use Met-Pro as its sole body supplier. Although the little truck had only an 85 inch wheelbase, it weighed in at over 4,300 pounds, according to the single source I found that mention’s the little vanlet’s weight. One source indicates that these bodies were of a unitized design, thus lacking a traditional frame. Could the inexperience with unit construction by both Studebaker and Met-Pro have been the cause of the high weight? The grille design was said to pay homage to the Keystone State where the bodies originated. Of course, that same general shape had graced many Studebaker front ends as well.
Although Raymond Loewy had designed many Studebakers and designed the new 1970 logo for the Post Office (by then called the Postal Service), he clearly had nothing to do with the styling of the Zip Van – which was a sort of anti-Avanti. Studebaker’s winning bid on the Post Office contract priced each van at $1,883.24, or roughly $300 less than the cheapest 1963 Lark.
This was not, of course, Studebaker’s first purpose-built mail delivery vehicle. Unlike other auto manufacturers, Studebaker had a long history as a manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicles. Although the Post Office was not then in the habit of standardized vehicles for delivery, Studebaker designed at least one wagon specifically for rural mail delivery. The unique design allowed the postal carrier to remain inside the closed wagon with the horse’s reins coming in through a front window. And in the era of local and regional contractors, it is quite likely that Studebakers of various sorts had their share of mail transport duties. But as far as a national contract to supply thousands of purpose-built mail delivery trucks, the Zip Van would be the first. And last.
The name was undoubtedly chosen to coincide with the rollout of the Post Office’s new ZIP Code. Many readers are old enough to remember when a name, address, city and state would get a letter from one person’s mailbox to another. In fact, it was not uncommon to see envelopes where the word “City” was the only thing after the street address, and which everyone understood to mean the same city where the letter had been mailed.
But times were changing, and mail volume had doubled in the twenty years before 1962. The Post Office’s “Zone Improvement Plan” was the answer. The country was divided into a series of numbered postal zones. These numbered zones would allow number-reading machines to begin their role in mail sorting, a role that has continued unabated. In the early 1960s, however, forcing the general public to use five unfamilar numbers on each piece of mail met with a lot of resistance. The Post Office met this resistance with an extensive ad campaign featuring a new animated spokesman, Mr. ZIP.
Note the screened openings under the main windshield covered by the hinged “storm window”, a crude but efficient way to combine increased visibility with ventilation. Also, note the engine access hatch in the desk-like dash surface.
Production of the Zip Van did not get underway until September 3, 1963, which was after the start of 1964 model year truck production. These were, however, all designated as ’63 models, apparently to comply with the federal contract. Remember that bit of history that the last Studebaker produced in South Bend rolled off the line in December of 1963? Well, that history is not actually true. That December shutdown may have affected all retail vehicle production, but the last actual vehicle was probably a Zip Van, which remained in production in South Bend into early 1964 in order to fulfill the Post Office contract. The Post Office must have been satisfied because it exercised its option under the contract for an additional 25% on top of the original specified quantity. All in all, a total of 4,328 of these were built before Studebaker closed South Bend vehicle production for good. In 1964.
With the long life that most Postal delivery vehicles have had, why have most of us never even seen one of these? These were pretty much all gone from Postal duty by the early 1970s, mostly replaced by the Jeep Dispatcher. Like with other classes of vehicle, Postal vehicles (especially those with steel bodies) did not live as long in those days as in modern times. These were sold off to the public as surplus when they were done delivering the mail, and their fate was probably like that of most Studes during the ’70s – to the junkyard with the first need for a moderate repair. The company that ran ice cream trucks in my neighborhood in the ’70s ran some of these, as I recall. The lazy S on the white hubcaps gave it away.
Several sources indicate that the Zip Vans were liked quite a lot by letter carriers and that they were in regular service for seven years instead of for the five years that had been planned. Unfortunately, with Studebaker being a Canadian company in 1965-66 (and one that did not produce trucks in any case), the chances of a second contract for Zip Vans (even with the GM engines used by Studebaker Canada) was somewhere from slim to none.
It is interesting that the Postal Service never sought to buy more Zip Vans with chassis supplied elsewhere to mate with the Met-Pro bodies. However, the Jeep FJ-6 Fleetvan was offered in postal spec starting in 1965, which was close enough in size and concept. Later vehicles like the Jeep Dispatcher and the Grumman LLV have been a bit smaller. With the modern Postal System’s increasing reliance on parcel delivery, something the size of a Zip Van might be more suitable again.
I have a habit of wasting time by checking my local List of Craig for Studebakers. I don’t see a lot of them, but I am sometimes tempted by the occasional Lark or Champion. I had never, however, seen a listing for a Zip Van until this one, which was for sale in Lafayette, Indiana, about fifty miles from me. For some reason, I want this very badly. But is there anything less suitable for a play vehicle? One seat and probably quite miserable to drive. Of course, if I want something fun to drive, I have a Miata for that. And this is a Stuuuuudebaaaaker! [Author slaps self.] So no, I will not be buying a Zip Van. Which is why this is a Craigslist Classic and not a Curbside Classic, because had I actually found this and seen it in person, it may have come home with me. And then I would have to sleep in it.
By 1966, the public’s compliance in using ZIP codes when addressing envelopes had improved to 50% and would continue improve from there. Mr. ZIP undoubtedly gets a lot of the credit, likely from making the kids pester their parents and grandparents into obedience. I know that I can still remember my family’s first ZIP code, though I managed to learn it without getting one of these board games. What I did not know at that tender age was that the very last American Studebakers were instrumental in moving our ZIP-coded mail.
Further reading:
Studebaker Zip Van at the Studebaker National Museum (Jim Grey)
1982 Jeep DJ-5 Dispatcher (Robert Kim)
Postal area codes have just become required here, I didnt have one when I moved to this house now I have one, none of those odd little vans about though the mail arrives with a woman on a bicycle as intended.
New one for me Ive never heard of a Zip van, churr.
I was happy to see you use all caps for “ZIP.”
It’s become an anachronism; the servicemark registration for the term has expired and most writers now use lower case. But the all caps usage is a nice reminder that the word “ZIP” is an ancronym for, as you pointed out, “Zone Improvement Plan.”
I’ll yield to typical usage on this one, but I’ll continue to fight for the correct term for this weekend’s time change in the U.S.: It’s Daylight Saving (NOT “Savings”) Time.
“I’ll yield to typical usage on this one, but I’ll continue to fight for the correct term for this weekend’s time change in the U.S.: It’s Daylight Saving (NOT “Savings”) Time.”
To many, the time change is a Waste Of Time that may be on Borrowed Time. From USDOT, here is word that in preparation for possible action, its Inspector General is looking into the impact that discontnuance of the time change may have on transporation, which of course depends on accurate time measurement:
Audit Initiated of DOT’s Oversight of Time Zones and Daylight Saving Time
Since 2015, at least 45 States have proposed legislation either to change their observance of DST or to establish permanent standard time. For example, in recent years, three States have introduced bills to effectively adopt year-round DST by moving to an earlier standard time zone. However, DOT has not exercised its authority over time zone changes in over 10 years. Given recent State activity and the potential impact of time zone changes on transportation safety, DOT-OIG is initiating an audit with a limited scope to assess DOT’s processes for evaluating and responding to requests from States and localities for time zone changes and DST exemptions.
https://www.oig.dot.gov/node/38871
Great story, JPC!
First thing I noticed was the very Stude-like trapezoidal grille.
I don’t think our small town in southeast Ohio had any Zip vans, but I would’ve been pretty young during their prime. A Stude of any model was definitely a rarity. Hopefully the featured Zip van finds a loving home.
I’m a big fan of “Stud Buckets”, as we referred to them when we were kids, but this is an ugly, primitive beast. I had a neighbor in the 80s who owned an Avanti, a Lark convertible and a barn full of post-war Studebaker trucks that he was restoring, one by one. I used to borrow his SDC magazines and read them cover to cover. I think the first diesel truck I ever rode in was a single-axle medium duty Studebaker tractor owned by my neighbor…cool memories.
Good one, JPC. I’d never heard of these or seen one, of course not being located in your country my odds would be greatly reduced from the already minuscule chance of seeing one anywhere..
I can commiserate with your issues, the emotional pull of the unloved Studebaker is strong. However if you wind up sleeping in your new and unapproved Studebaker project vehicle the ZIP van is the one to have!
Very interesting, and a charming little van. Thanks for sharing, JPC! How much was it listed for?
$2999, I believe. A mite high for its condition, but it was said to run and drive just right. It may have sold as the listing disappeared pretty quickly.
I now have this van. I am using the info in your very informative article for my eBay ad. It will be offered at no reserve starting at one penny and will sell to highest bidder on Sunday May 1. Good luck!
Lindberg made a model similar to the Studebaker in 1/64 scale in the late 60’s and early 70’s.
This is the 1961-65 Jeep FJ-3 Fleetvan. Very similar in size and mission.
While I’ve only seen the one in South Bend, these are fascinating vehicles. When looking it over the Studebaker components came ringing through loud and clear.
I suspect you are right on this selling quickly; the question is whether or not the new owner has the privilege of sleeping in it.
Interesting machine, I guess you had to assume the standing up driving position when it was raining, can’t imagine you’d be able to see too well sitting down with those wipers up there hahaha. Weird to see such a basic vehicle with nearly full instrumentation too.
I wonder if the GVW was 4300 lbs. and that was confused for curb weight.
You could be right. Add a full load of mail and you are at 3 or 4 tons.
I’ve been pondering that 4300 lb number for a few days, and I just can’t see it. It would have to have been built out of cast iron. Or maybe it was armored so that it could also be sold to the Army?
And I’m curious as to the one claim that it’s a unitized body. Too bad for no underbody shots.
I remember these from 60s, although the Jeep van seemed decidedly more common. Our mail delivery in Towson was via a trike (Cushman, I presume).
Yea, that 4300 lbs # seemed waaaay off to me because that’s what my 67′ Galaxie 500 fastback ( BIG RED ) with 390, auto, factory A/C, power steering…. weighs.
When I was a young kid, our postman would let me ride with him, standing, for a short distance, maybe a couple of houses worth. I was fascinated by the sideways accelerator pedal that allowed him to drive while standing.
I still associate that universal Post Office odor with the Zip vans. My work occasionally brings me in some of their leased facilities, and when that odor hits me I flash back to that!
As a side note, the vehicles that they use today are getting very old. The way they get those things serviced is pathetic, and shows how and why their management practices are costing way too much money. You would think that they would have a fleet maintenance company come to the facility and service them, but instead they go on flatbeds, one at a time, for service.
Our Columbus neighborhood may be an exception, but the current mail delivery vehicle is a fairly new Dodge (Ram ??) Caravan. Pretty spiffy looking in white with the red & blue Post Office stripes. The prior one was a Chevy Uplander.
At work, the mail arrives in one of the old LLVs. The exhaust note, though wheezy, is kinda cool.
For the curious, ZIP 39601 from the postcard in the article is listed as Brookhaven, Mississippi. 😉
Our local PO must really be efficient. I recently saw TWO Uplanders getting hauled out of there on the same flatbed!
My only recollection of a Zip Van was circa 1975-76. It was the “sketchy” ice cream man in our neighborhood who my Mom wouldn’t let me buy from because she swore she saw him spit on the floor in the back of the van. The Studebaker script on the front fender is all I remember about the van itself.
DItto; I also saw two Uplanders getting hauled off Wednesday morning.
I think the Studebaker Museum might have one of these in their collection. JP, it’s just another dream vehicle you’d have if you had multiple acres and limitless dollars. My wife recently pointed out a Jeep FC-150 (?) that someone was using as a snowplow about 10 miles from our house. Now THAT would be fun!
There is indeed one in the museum. They have an Adopt-a-car program there. I wonder if that would permit an occasional overnight visit to my house. Surely Mrs. JPC would be OK with that. 🙂
Nice truck! .
I well remember these , sturdy and reliable of oddly designed like most Studebakers as well as U.S.P.S. Vehicles in general .
I hope it goes to a good home , it looks like it’s right at the tipping point between easy restoration and being another rusted out hulk in a few years .
-Nate
This Old Cars Weekly article has the GVW as 4350.
I remember a friend having one of these after high school. Fun, but thrashed, it didn’t last long in his hands.
http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/car-of-the-week/car-of-the-week-1963-zip-van
~4300 being the GVW makes much more sense than it being the curb weight.
The screened air intake below the windshield looks like a reverse-angled version of the one on a Land Rover.
Are you sure that Met Pro didn’t build truck bodies before getting the Zip Van contract? It sounds suspiciously like they were trying to trade on the good name that IH gave their walk-in trucks Metro, and hope that people didn’t catch that it was a metpro instead of a metro.
2 accelerators. a single brake, and a speedometer reaching 90 mph.
YIKES !
The mail slot in my 1955 apartment building in Brooklyn still has a card featuring Mr. ZIP. Sadly, no ZIP Van waiting outdoors. Don’t think I ever say this in use – we mainly had Dispatchers and slightly larger Dodge Vans.
Does anyone else miss the blue, white, and red livery?
Fascinating stuff, and so much more interesting than Fiat Doblo our Post Office is now using.
The idea of building a vehicle specifically for one user has a nice parallel in the Routemaster bus
Never heard of these. Reminds me of the jeep fleetvan.
There is one available for sale near Columbia, SC
Contact DEEPNHOCK at gmail dot com
Some pic’s are at:
http://s77.photobucket.com/user/deepnhock/slideshow/SC%20Zip%20Van
Thanks for the Zip Van story! Always wanted one of these sturdy, yet homely little vans for some odd reason…but never knew the story behind them. I’d love to bring one home with me.
I ran across your message and figured I would put it out there that I own a 1963 Postal Studebaker Zip Van model 8E5-FL. I don’t have the complete history I do know that the previous owner was doing restoration but passed away. I am hoping to sell it to someone interested in completing the project. 64,429 miles . asking $2500.00 but would consider any reasonable offer.
Studebaker had a head start on building boxy trucks. In 1963, the head of Westinghouse – which still sold appliances back then – approached Sherwood Egbert about creating a fleet of compact appliance delivery trucks. Studebaker built a prototype pickup and van, but nothing came of the project.
The good news is the pickup was discovered in a barn several years later, and is fully restored and on display at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend.
IIRC, Met-Pro got the body contract because they had prior contracts with the Postal Service — building mailboxes like the one pictured with the smiling postal carrier in the ZIP Van at the curb… This might also explain the weight and the simplistic construction.
Pretty obvious that Loewy wasn’t hanging over anyone’s shoulder, spouting “Weight is the enemy!”
I have an engine and tranny here for a studebaker mail truck, engine stamp IEE420. I’m trying to sell it. It’s completely dissasembled, so you can use the parts if you already have one running, or put this one together. My father is an engineer and stored it all greased up so there is no major damage, only surface rust here and there. I’ve got everything, block, head, pistons, valves. email me sararmas@live.com i’ll send you the photos. i’m driving to OK in August and could drop it off between here (maine) and there…somewhere. I just want to find it a home!
Drove one of these once full of furniture from Tacoma Washington to Port Townsend (about 70 miles)…..overheated once, it was a Studebaker. Made it in one piece, of course, it was a Studebaker. The V-8 bolts right in any zip van. You just switch the motor mounts left and right.
Wrong! I’ve put an R-2 in a ZIP Van.
It requires a short (1 1/2 inch extention forward of the motor mounts, and you must use a V-8 flex plate, starter ring gear and bell housing. The alternator must be moved to the left side of the engine, and the battery sits all the way left under the dash surface and on top of the left wheelwell… STILL- the easiest engine swap l’ve ever done!!!
Just bought a 63 ZIP going to pull it out and see what I have.
Hi
Did you sell it ?
We own a zip van and they are indeed unibody, no frame
When I worked at the post office the year after I got out of high school (1966), my favorite delivery vehicle was the Studebaker Zip Van. it was right-hand drive and only 12 feet long. It was driveable from a standing or sitting position with great all-around visibility. After I used one for about a week, the supervisor told me since I was not yet 21 years old, I would have to stop driving it since it was right-hand drive. They told me I could only drive the parcel delivery truck…a large dual-wheel van the size of a UPS truck…typical government thinking.
Is this vehicle for sale? I am a Studebaker fan and am interested in any drivable Studebaker for reasonable money. I have seen $100,000 + vehicles for sale. Too steep for me.
I just can’t stop staring at the design choices behind that most optimistic of speedometers.
If a “Chevette” and a “Smart4two” car had a baby, and if it was a van…..
a fresh coat of paint, and it’ll look like a 2022.
ok, so change the he a headlights to rectangulars.
Little known trivia…
When Mr.Zip was a teenager he was called Mr.Zit…
When I was in college I had a pal who bought a surplus one for a few hundred 1970’s dollars to take back to school. I recall that parts were especially expensive–the dealer insisted on charging everyone “government” prices which probably contributed to forcing the used surplus vans off the road. I remember that particular van also had a speed governor which precluded driving on major highways.
> Unfortunately, with Studebaker being a Canadian company in 1965-66 (and one that did not produce trucks in any case), the chances of a second contract for Zip Vans (even with the GM engines used by Studebaker Canada) was somewhere from slim to none.
Studebaker was still based administratively in South Bend and continued to build Stude-designed and built engines there through the end of the 1964 model year, making Studebaker still legally a U.S.-based entity. It’s nice to think the underpinnings of the Zip Van were shared with the Avanti, but it doesn’t appear the V8 was available in the van, and a unitized body (Studebaker’s only?) was used rather than the body-on-frame setups of conventional Stude cars and trucks.
Anyway, I want one of these to turn into a self-propelled mini-camper and off-roader, converted to electric AWD. Studebaker did after all already have 10 years of experience selling EVs!
The Zip van was said to be the last US car/light truck to have a wooden body panel, the rear door.