Stuart Boblett

Can someone suggest where to get carpet or cocoa floor mats for my 82 Avanti II? I ordered a set from one distributor but they were too large and did not have a slot for the floor mounted gas pedal. They did refund my purchase price when I sent a picture.

Where do I find the paint code on my 1982 Avanti? Thanks

I recently acquired an 82 Avanti II and the previous owner had the front brakes upgraded but does not remember what he put on it or if it a turner kit. It has the Magnum 500 wheels that rub the calipers without a 1/4" spacer. With a spacer the amount of threads available for the lug nuts is too small to be safe, about 1/4". The lug studs are 1/2-50 1.625 long with a .650 knurl (Dorman 610-132) but I have been unable to find these any longer. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I recently acquired an 82 Avanti from the original owner and I am disappointed in the quality of the paint job. I was told that it was original except for a front fenders but there is a large amount of orange peel and checking all over the car. Is this typical of the cars of this era? Maybe this is why most of the ones you see are light colored and not black like mine.

The more I see and hear the more I think I will try to keep all the junk for a while since it is not running bad. When the original wimpy motor gives up the ghost or all the stuff becomes more of a problem, I will probably replace the whole thing but hopefully that will be a while. I will try to just drive and enjoy it for a while. I did find the water temp sending unit hidden right where you all said it was, right under the exhaust manifold. Now to figure out the best way to get to it, probably from underneath. I am a life long Chevy guy but they sure seem to not like people working on their SB engines with stuff like this sender, the spark plugs, the distributor etc being in very difficult locations especially for these old antique hands and body.

The 58,000 mile engine runs pretty well with the exception of a fairly strong gasoline smell inside that I have not run down yet. It is not a power house for sure but will do for now. My next step on that is to pull the rear seat and check the seal and hoses at the tank. So far I have not found a visible leak or dampness but there are many hoses in the system that I have not gotten to yet. I know the gasohol crap that is shoved down our throats is hell on rubber hoses and components in the carburetor.

Thanks again, mfg. I have already eliminated the cat and plan to get rid of all the other junk I can. I will get a carb and distributor for a late 70s 305 chevy, hopefully that will really clean things up and make everything more tune-able for this old shade tree mechanic. This stuff looks like the typical knee jerk reaction to more bureaucratic government mandates. Your responses are really appreciated.

I have a newly acquired 82 with all the computer controlled carb and other stuff as well as the smog pump (maybe CA car) and associated junk. I have been corresponding with several other owners who replied to a different thread but thought I would post an additional thread in case some one who might wish to input. I would like a good description and advise on how to eliminate the standard computer controlled carb and all the related stuff as well as eliminating the smog pump and all the plumbing and wires associated with it. Does anyone else have any suggestions or comments. Thanks everyone.

Thanks Popeyesteve, I am still trying to get a handle on my newly acquired car. Does yours have all the anti smog "junk" with a zillion hoses, tubes plumbed into the exhaust and many valves throughout the firewall? I bought my car from the original owner and think he acquired it from a Virginia Dealer who got it from a California dealer. Thanks. Thanks mfg, I appreciate your input. I was just contemplating that very thing today. Do you know if there is a good description on here or elsewhere describing the best way to eliminate all that CCM stuff as well as all the smog pump and related junk. I cannot even find a systemic drawing on either system for my year car.

Is the water temperature sending unit the unit in the picture on what I think is thermostat housing and has a beige body that is underneath the air cleaner hose opening. What I have does not seem to match up with any wiring diagrams I have but I think they were for the early cars. I just want to confirm before I start yanking wires and pulling senders. Thanks.

Thanks GlenW, that is what I thought. I do have one more question. Is the ammeter circuit hot all the time and connecting a third wire for the voltmeter will cause a continual though slight draw on the battery? I think I know just enough to be dangerous. Thanks again.

I am in the process of installing a volt meter in place of the ammeter on my 82 and have a question. From the hand drawings on Bob Johnston's site it looks like that circuit just feeds through the ammeter from the battery to the alternator and is the main circuit for the vehicle. It appears that if I disconnect the wires from the ammeter I will lose about everything on the car. If I just tie the two ammeter wires (red and white/red) together and bypass the ammeter will everything function normally. Is there any reason not to do this? Over the years I have found that a voltmeter is much more valuable to me than an ammeter in a vehicle. Am I right on all of this or am I way off base. Thanks.

I acquired an 82 Avanti and am in the process of taking care of its needs. The steering seems to have an excess amount of play when driving and am looking for recommendations on this. Is the PS steering box adjustable? There does not seem to be a inordinate amount of play in the individual components but the steering still sucks. The workshop manual I have is the original that I think covers 62+ and is used for pretty much for all the years. Is this correct? Will the original manual give an alignment technician the information he needs for my 82 which I believe is on a Studebaker frame? I have tried to review all the posts but have not found an answer. Thanks, maybe one day I will learn enough about these cars to help others.

The next time it is on a lift I will get a couple pictures. It is a really heavy looking frame appearing to be made out of much flat steel. Maybe there is a Lark frame under their somewhere covered up by the heavy stuff.

I had my newly purchased 1982 up on a lift for my first time today. I was told that it had a Monte Carlo frame but it looks more like a heavy duty truck frame, I am impressed. Does anyone have an idea what frame I really have or how I can find out?