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Jim78

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Posts posted by Jim78

  1. I had the same issue with the belts on my '78.  I took them to a local auto upholstery shop and they shortened them for a small charge.  Alternately, if you google "auto seat belts" you will find numerous vendors who can supply the belt buckle in various anchor lengths.  You may want to consider going to the semi-rigid type which eliminates a lot of fumbling to hook up.

  2. 12 hours ago, WayneC said:

    They all came with glass covers, but there was a time when you couldn't find those glass covers; today's replacement covers are aftermarket. So if yours doesn't have them, my guess is that the trim "rings" are the same ones used for glass covers, therefore you should only need the glass and the gaskets (unless the owner who made the change substituted shorter screws).

    Rule #1 of discussing Avanti IIs:  Never say "never" and never say "all".   Some models came without glass covers.

  3. On 10/7/2021 at 3:56 PM, Kodjo said:

    I have a standard antenna (12 euro only) too but no ground wire. Works perfect. Why should I run one?

    Just for fun, take a piece of wire and and ground it to the chassis.  While listening to the radio, touch the ground wire to the housing of the antenna and see if there is an improvement in the volume of the sound. 

     

  4. On 10/4/2021 at 5:29 AM, Kodjo said:

    Yes, I have found some on the net. But a temperature or current fuse? It is broken and I want to leaf it out. Would that be a problem?

    That type of fuse was used on the lighter sockets to prevent meltdown or fire if the element didn't pop when it reached the proper temperature.  If you're not using the socket with the heating element, that special fuse really isn't needed.   On my '78, I found that circuit was protected by a 20A fuse in the box.  Since I will not be using the socket for a cigarette lighter, I reduced that to a 10A fuse for powering my plug-in Bluetooth converter/cell phone charger. 

    Since you have an early RQA, I would think that your wiring would be the same as the Studebaker.  IIRC, the black 14 ga. wire from the lighter socket is tied into the circuit for the dome/courtesy lamp circuit.  If so, that circuit has a fuse in the panel.  You can verify that by pulling fuses out at the panel.   When you find the one that turns off the courtesy and dome lights, verify that it also turns off power to the lighter socket.

    The downside of using the lighter socket for powering phone/electronics is that it (like the courtesy lights) is powered all the time, regardless of the ignition key.  So, if you forget to remove a device when you park, it can run the battery down.  I intend to run a new wire from the lighter socket back to a fuse that is only powered in the ACC key position. 

  5. 1 hour ago, studegary said:

    You do not say what year, but it is posted in the '65 - '83 section.  I would advise you to run, not walk, away from this Avanti II.  I see the repairs as costing more to have someone fix than the car will be worth.

    Well said.  Run, don't walk.  These repairs would put you deeply under water on any Avanti II.

  6. 14 hours ago, Dwight FitzSimons said:

    I parted out two 1970 Avantis because of two reasons: (1) I needed some parts from each, and (2) Economics.  By this I mean that I had three choices: (1) Sell the cars as is and lose money, (2) Fix them up, sell them, and lose a lot of money, or (3) Part them out and make money.

     

    -Dwight

    Dwight's comments say a lot about the Avanti market, particularly #2.   A very experienced Avanti owner/trader often said "There is noting as expensive as a cheap Avanti".  This is VERY accurate.  My advice to someone buying an Avanti (or any classic car) in today's market is to buy the best original or restored car that you can afford.  Don't buy a "fixer-upper" as you will most certainly end up upside down in it.  Today's costs for restoration including parts, chrome, and paint are incredibly high, not to mention the cost of labor if you can't do the work yourself.  Then there is the delay in being able to enjoy the car while it's in the shop.  Find a nice car that doesn't need major work, or one that someone else has restored (and is going to take the loss on).

  7. By virtue of its design, the control valve has inherent "slop".  Movement of the spool within the housing is how it controls the fluid flow.  If the engine isn't running, there is a lot of movement.  Some mechanics mistake this for a bad valve.    If you're checking for lost motion in the steering linkage, be sure to do it with the engine running.   Expect some motion of the spool as it operates.

    I had a problem with excess motion in the steering of my '78.  I discovered that the steering box was actually moving on the frame.  The mounting arrangement is not the best design, but tightening the bolts that hold the box to the frame took care of that problem.

    I think that we have become so accustomed to rack and pinion steering in our daily drivers that the old '50s design of the Avanti multi-link steering, at its factory best, seems sloppy.   Add to that any wear in the king pins, or the multiple rod ends, and it gets "loose".  

    Another issue not yet mentioned is the control arm bushings.  Worn/cracked bushing can allow the control arms to move horizontally, which will also contribute to the problem.  Be sure to check these, too.

  8. A friend of mine has a copy of an autographed Tom Kellogg print for sale.  He's a classic car collector, but not into Avantis, so he would like to pass it along to someone who is.  Artist J. Kent Stansbury did this art work in 1999.   It appeared on the back cover of Avanti Magazine Spring/Summer 2001 Issue #114 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Avanti and Tom Kellogg's team creation with Raymond Loewy.   A limited series of 200 11x17 inch prints were signed and numbers by both the artist and by Tom Kellogg, and were available at the June 2001 national meet in Villa Rica, Georgia.  

    This print is #65/200.  If you are interested and would like to make an offer, contact Jeff at kd6wva@aol.com

     

    Kellogg Print.jpg

  9. I don't see the need for a DPDT switch.  If one wire (B+) is hot in either position, there is no need to run it through a switch.  The other wire (ACC) will be hot in one position, and not the other.  So, the simple SPST shown in my sketch should accomplish that. Simple enough to try a bench check before crawling under the dash.

    Just to clarify.  With the wiring as shown in the sketch, the antenna will extend when the ignition switch is on, or is in the ACC position.  It will retract when the ignition switch is turned off.  You won't need to use the switch at all, unless you want to retract the antenna while the ignition is on. 

    If you want to have only manual control of the antenna, the DPDT would accomplish that, and you could use a single B+ source to feed both poles.  Of course, that wouldn't automatically retract the antenna when you parked the car. 

  10. The more I think about this, the more I think that we're over-thinking it.  If you were to abandon your existing switch, and replace it with a simple SPST (Single Pole Single Throw) switch, the wiring should be simple.  The switch must be of the maintained position type, not spring return.

    Check to see if there is a wire that is always hot that went to the old switch.  If so, run this power back through one of the existing wires and connect it to the red wire on the antenna.  If there isn't an "always hot" wire on your old switch, find a fused source on your fuse block for this B+ power (the "always hot" is necessary to retract the antenna after the key is turned off)

    Find a lug on the fuse panel that is hot in the ACC position only.  Run that power through the SPST switch, and back to the white wire of the antenna.  

    Solidly ground the case of the motor.  You could tap in to one of the existing ground wires that go to the shell of the light sockets. Or, you could use one of the existing wires back to the dash and ground it there. 

    With this configuration, and the SPST switch in the ON position, the antenna should extend any time the key is in ON or ACC position.  If for some reason you want to retract the antenna while the car is running (e.g. car wash) simply flip the switch to the OFF position.

     

    Antenna Circuit.jpg

  11. Check out Bob Johnstone's site.  It has a LOT of valuable information.  There are two electrical diagrams for the power antenna (10C and 10D).  I'm guessing that you have a "three wire" switch paired with a "two wire" antenna.  You'll probably need to replace one or the other.

    https://studebaker-info.org/Tech/Diagrams/AEC/aec.html

    Just as a side note, my '78 has NO antenna, as such.  They actually used the rear window moulding as the radio antenna.  It is a continuous loop, insulated in the rubber that holds the glass.  Not the best of antennas, but it works, and there is no external antenna to worry about ups and downs.  I had added a Sirius XM adapter some years ago, and recently dropped that service and added a Bluetooth adapter to my radio.  Now I listen to tunes from my phone.   No antenna needed.

    Also, remember that Google is our friend.  There are several links that would be helpful.  This one is very straightforward:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGQOPOGmieQ

     

  12. 15 hours ago, JavierB said:

     

    😕

    Update: so the antennae makes a click sound but thats it.  One click, like maybe a relay inside, and nothing, no up no down.

    I figured out the 3 wires are basically a way to switch the polarity for up and down.  Yellow/Brown went one way, Yellow/White was reverse.

    but no combination of wiring makes the new one go anywhere.  One click is all i get for my trouble.  Next is I guess opening it up.

     

    Before opening it up, consider the possibility that the new antenna may use case ground as part of the circuit.  Ground the motor to your battery "-", and try applying "+" to each of the wires, in turn.  If this works, you will need to connect a ground wire to the motor as the body will not supply a ground path.

  13. 15 hours ago, JavierB said:

    Yes, I found two bolts under the dash.  One is  relatively easy, near the fuse box, but the other one is a bitch, sitting over the steering column.  Got it out, but heaven knows how I get it back in without magic.

    3M VHB (Very High Bond) tape would hold the reservoir in place without the nut(s).

  14. Be aware that many wiper arms have a spring steel clip that latches under the spline of the shaft.  You pull this clip back to release it.  This can best be seen by using a small mirror under the arm.  A 90 degree pick is helpful. 

  15. 11 hours ago, Ed M said:

    Has anyone made a round headlight car out of a square headlight car?  I used to do fiberglass boat work and I don't think it would be too hard.  I have seen a couple of cars with the sunroof covered over.

    Ed M

    If you were to replace the nose panel with a '63, you would probably want to modify the slots for the bumper back-bars.  With the Avanti II body sitting higher on the frame than the '63, the slots are too tall.  If you compare a '64 Avanti and a II side by side, you can see the difference in the slots by looking at the distance between the top of the slot and the headlight bezel.

  16. Many consider the add-on bumper very unattractive.   As a result, many of these bumpers have been removed.  My '78 was originally equipped with one, but it is now gone.  Some choose to leave the frame extensions in place and use them to mount fog/driving lamps.  I removed the extensions, as well, and went to a '63-64 grill.

     

  17. If you think you need a steering dampener, you have other issues.  The Avanti steering is an antiquated king pin set-up that has an unusual bellcrank design, but it will track well if it is in good condition and is properly adjusted.  You need a shop manual and a knowledgeable mechanic.  If you can share more detailed information about your problem here on the forum, there may be some folks who can get you started in the right direction.  

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