[Window is hard to roll up or down]

Thanks! And I have an original Avanti shop manual on the way (thanks eBay!).

[Window is hard to roll up or down]

10 hours ago, mfg said:

PS...Consider yourself lucky that your '63 Avanti has manual windows!....Also, you should purchase a reprint of the Studebaker Avanti shop manual, and also buy the special tool used to remove the retaining clips which hold the handles in place (inexpensive)......Good luck....Ed

Thanks for the tips. Do you have a link to the tool for removing the retaining clips? Is it specific to Studebaker or Avanti, or it is a more generic tool?

[Window is hard to roll up or down]

My '63 Avanti has manual, crank-up windows. The window on the passenger side is really stiff to raise or lower, so I keep it up mostly. There is a lot of resistance in the crank mechanism and I'm afraid something will break within the door. 

Can someone give an explanation (or photos) of how to remove the door panel so I can see what's going on inside? 

If anyone has photos of the window mechanism, and typical points of failure, that would be helpful too.

Thank you in advance for your help.

[ANY TIPS ON HOW TO TIGHTEN UP MIRRORS]

I had the same problem and tried the solution where I removed the mirror glass, used stainless steel wire as described above, then glued in a new piece of mirror glass. It held for a while, but eventually loosened again. So then I just bought a repro Stratovue mirror, installed it, and it is great. And it looks original. 

[Are you ready for this?]

That's my car in the video. I am the 4th owner. I was told the car was repainted once around 1970. The owner at the time (owner #2?) apparently didn't want the Studebaker logos on the car (although Avanti logos were OK), so he removed them and filled the holes. Then owner #3 put all the Studebaker logos back on the car. I assume the small holes on the trunk lid were from a mis-drilling when mounting the logo, although I don't know for sure. I put some small rubber patches on the inside of the trunk lid so that no water will enter through the holes, but have left the holes as-is. If someone has a clever idea for filling the holes and making them match the paint, I'd like to hear it. But I have no plans to paint the car anytime soon, so it will live with some of its patina. 

Regarding the supercharger and A/C....

It came from the factory as an R2. The first owner soon decided he really wanted air conditioning so took it to his Studebaker dealer who removed the entire supercharging system, and installed factory A/C, which is what it has now. Someday I would love to find a modern supercharger that would fit. Or replace the A/C compressor with a smaller, modern unit and find an Avanti supercharger (and associated hardware) and have the best of both worlds. 

The A/C compressor has loose bearings and is noisy, so I don't use it anyway. I will probably try to replace it with a modern A/C compressor at some point.

My armrests do have a piece of carpet in the insets... would that have been a chrome inset originally?

 

 

[Voltage regulator for '63 Avanti needed]

On 8/6/2019 at 12:52 PM, walterjim said:

I'm looking for a voltage regulator for a '63 Avanti. The current regulator is pictured. It has three connections on the frontand one on the back. Thanks!

@walterjim - Did you replace your voltage regulator with the Prestolite VBV-6221C? If so, how did that work out? The one in my Avanti looks just like this photo, and I need to replace it too. 

[Where to locate number on engine head]

3 hours ago, PackardV8 said:

It will be the casting number above the two center exhaust ports.  Verify both heads.

Can you be more specific about where to look? Do I need to remove anything to see the number? I found the number you can see in the attached photo, but I don't think that's it since it doesn't end in 582 or 570.

[Where to locate number on engine head]

My 1963 R2 had the supercharger removed at a Studebaker dealership early on, and air conditioning was installed instead. In a recent conversation with the knowledgable folks at Myer Studebaker parts, they asked me if the head was replaced when the supercharger was removed. I don't know the answer to that. They said that I can look at the raised numbers on the head and if it ends in 582 it is a head from an R2 and if it ends in 570, it is the head from an R1. Can someone describe exactly where I should look for that number?

Thanks for your help.

[Turquoise carpet]

My 1963 Avanti has a turquoise body with turquoise seats. The carpet is also a solid turquoise color. According to what I've read, the factory carpet for a '63 would have been a black and turquoise mix. However, my carpet and upholstery appear very original, so I'm wondering if some cars came with solid color carpets, or was my carpet replaced at some point? The carpet on the door panels matches the floor carpeting as well.

Thanks.

[Strato-Vue mirror fix]

Follow-up to this... I followed the instructions in the article to fix the wobbly mirror and so far it's holding well. I had a glass shop cut a new round mirror glass (cost me $14) and used JB-Weld to glue the mirror into the housing. I'll see how it holds up over time.

[Egbert Badges!]

On 7/6/2019 at 9:19 AM, mfg said:

Interesting point Brad!....You're probably speaking of R5653 (formerly EX2946)...... This is a engineering prototype that Studebaker later re-serial numbered and sold off.

Andy Granatelli apparently personally used this Avanti, and had an A/C unit put into the console.....He'd pull the supercharger and have an A/C compressor installed when things got too hot!

Interesting story about the swappable supercharger and A/C. My '63 came from the factory as an R2 but the first owner decided he really wanted A/C so had his Studebaker dealer remove the supercharger and added all the factory parts to make it look like an original A/C car. So the dash console has all the correct A/C vents and controls, but the car still has the Supercharged badges, 160 mph speedo, etc.  It would be great if I could find a supercharger (and related parts) to be able to swap that back in. And maybe buy a new, smaller A/C compressor to be able to run both if possible!

[Outside rear view Mirror placement]

I read somewhere (maybe in this forum?) that Avantis were shipped to dealers without outside mirrors mounted and it was up to the dealer to mount them and choose the location, based on Studebaker recommendations. I also read that this was true with seat belts. The cars were shipped to dealers without seat belts installed and it was up to the dealer (and the buyer) whether to install them or not. My '63 Avanti had no outside mirrors at some point in the past (I've seen early photos) but the previous owner installed them on the fender. My car also has no seatbelts. I've considered adding seat belts, but I would probably have to lift the carpet to find the mounting points, and cut the carpet, so I have not done so.

[Strato-Vue mirror fix]

My Strato-Vue exterior mirror is very wobbly and will not stay in any position. So I am following the repair idea from an old article in Avanti Magazine (see attachment). Since the mirror glass broke during removal I had a new mirror cut. My question is about gluing the mirror to the metal housing. The mirror glues to a small lip around the perimeter of the housing.  The glass guy who cut the mirror said to be careful about what adhesive I use because some adhesives will eat away at the reflective coating on the mirror. He has some adhesives that would not damage the mirror, but they say they are for indoor use only. Any suggestions about what adhesive would be best for this?

Thanks!

[Fuel tank capacity and fill-up]

Thanks @Gunslinger.  My car came to me with a slight discoloration from gas spilled below the filler, so I will definitely be cautious.

[Fuel tank capacity and fill-up]

I took my 63 Avanti to the gas station today. The fuel gauge showed one mark above empty. I put the gas nozzle all the way into the filler neck and filled it until it clicked off. I assumed it was full. But it only took 6.7 gallons. I was afraid to fill it more due to the risk of spilling fuel on the body.  Is it true that our cars have 21 gallon tanks? If so, do others find that gas pumps click off too early? Should I keep filing it further? Perhaps something about the design of the filler neck signals the pump to shut off too soon, or maybe my fuel gauge is inaccurate. I'm looking for experience here.

Note: I had a Triumph Spitfire that had the fuel tank filler just in front of the trunk lid, right behind the seats, in the center of the car. I once overfilled it and gas poured and sprayed everywhere, and with the top down, it was not pretty. So I'm hesitant to overfill.

 

[Avanti parts for sale...]

Has the car cover sold? If not,  which model of Covercraft cover is this?  Thanks.

[Interior side lights replacement bulbs]

2 hours ago, Gunslinger said:

It simply pries off.  Just be careful...don't try and pop it off from one side only.  Just pry a little bit from each side until it pops off.  If you have any, use a nylon or other non-metal tool just to be sure.  Such tools are available at most car parts stores.

Thanks! Very helpful.

 

 

[Interior side lights replacement bulbs]

One of these lights is burned out in my 63 Avanti. How exactly does one remove the light cover to replace the bulb? There are no screws or obvious clips. Do you just pry it off? And if so, from what side should I pry? I certainly don't want to bend or damage the chrome trim. Thanks in advance.

[Headlight Upgrade]

On 1/6/2019 at 7:51 PM, Avanti-Tom said:

What are others using for quality low current, high vision headlights using H4 tech lamps.  Don't want to add relays and keep the factory wiring "as is."  Thanks

Anyone using this site:  https://www.carid.com/1963-studebaker-avanti-factory-headlights/

 

Did you purchase these? If so, we’re they a direct replacement? Did they improve your lighting? Thanks.

[Loud exhaust, Silvertone]

On 7/9/2019 at 12:21 AM, Kennie B. said:

Hi Will, 

The Hedman tips definitely reduced the "bark".  Now it has a mellow rumble.  As for the "banging", under deceleration there was a strong popping from rich exhaust fumes firing in the pipes with any fresh air pulled through variuos leaks I couldn't seem to close up.  This seems to have solved that.  As for performance, no loss as far as the " butt dyno" can tell.

@Kennie B.-  Did you have to weld the Hedman tips onto the exhaust pipe? Here is my current set up with wide-open tips. It looks like the U-clamp might just hold the exhaust tip in place without welding, but I'm curious about your experience. 

[Loud exhaust, Silvertone]

On 6/16/2019 at 1:21 AM, Kennie B. said:

Well, I have a chance to drive the car with the tips and it certainly sounds more " modest" and the "banging" on the over run has disappeared.  Once I get the tach sorted, then I can retest.  Then I can get you hard numbers.

My '63 came to me with glass pack mufflers and they are pretty loud. They are especially loud at lower speeds; it's a bit too reverberant inside the car for my liking.  I like a low rumble, but I would like to reduce the volume if I can without replacing the mufflers. Is that what these tips would do? And would these effect the power in any way? The tips on my exhaust pipes have no baffles now. Did you have to weld the Hedman resonator tips? Would I just remove the exhaust hangers near the tips and simply replace the existing tips. Or are the tips typically welded on?

I'm not sure what you mean by the "banging"... my engine doesn't have any backfires or bangs, just a bit too loud for my ears. 

Thanks,
Will

[Woodgrain Interior Trim on Console]

18 hours ago, 64studeavanti said:

Looks like you may have round knobs as well. I believe I have some spare panels and controls. I will check in the morning.

Mine is the turquoise interior with the flat control knobs. The one with the round knobs was from the History Channel video on Avanti. Let me know what you have for spare panels. I might be interested. Thanks.

[Woodgrain Interior Trim on Console]

9 hours ago, Gunslinger said:

The bottom console plate with the four slots is somewhat rare.  It was only used on a limited range of Avantis that were transition cars.  It carries some value to someone who needs it.

Transition meaning from 1963 to 1964? What would the console panel with A/C look like without the four slots? Just a solid panel with the control knobs?

[Woodgrain Interior Trim on Console]

I have a 1963 Avanti R2. The original owner had a Studebaker dealer remove the supercharger and add air-conditioning. So the center console has Avanti-correct A/C vents and controls. My question is that the center control area (and the console ash tray) are both finished in woodgrain trim, while the main instrument cluster is finished in Fawn paint. At first I assumed that the woodgrain was a contact paper add-on (it kind of looks like it could just peel off). But then I watched the History Channel special on Studebaker Avanti, and they showed one with the same woodgrain in the center console and Fawn paint around the gauges. So now I'm wondering if that interior combination was an option from Studebaker. See the photos. The turquoise interior is mine and the orange interior is from the History Channel video.

If I considered peeling off the woodgrain on mine, would I likely find fawn paint, unfinished metal, or something else? If it was indeed an original Studebaker interior option, then I will leave it alone.