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There's a good story that goes along with the answer to this one, so I'll wait a bit longer for a correct answer.

Pretty sure Valvoline engine oil

Ashland is correct! Now, for two bonus points, name the brand of engine oil used at Bonneville.

1984 Avanti ‘Touring Coupes’ were equipped with top of the line Recaro Model …..?….. leather front seats. 1) A….. 2) K…..3) C….or…..4) BBS

More info on the ‘HO’ engines.., Most ‘83 model year Avantis were equipped with the ‘LG4’ code 165 horsepower 305 engine…… Late ‘83’s and most ‘84’s and all ‘85 Avantis (except the Touring Coupes) were equipped either the ‘L69’ 200 horsepower 305 engine.

Sure would like to hear who it was!!

Ashland (I think!)

The Bonneville Avanti driver question is difficult and isn't getting answered, so let's try an easier one. What brand of gasoline did Avantis use for the Bonneville speed runs?

It was not Barbara Neiland.

Exactly the kind of information I was after. Thank you all. I now have a good idea of what to expect as I evaluate a vehicle to purchase.

I’m no doubt looking for trouble, however if anyone out there has a Packard Caribbean dual quad intake manifold collecting dust under their work bench,…. I’d be interested in purchasing! (352-374)

Uncle?

Yes, although some knock the 305, I find it to be a good reliable engine!..,My ‘83 Avanti ‘everyday driver’ has one, and it’s never let me down in thousands of miles……Happy Memorial Day!

Could it possibly be Barbara Neiland?

Not Sherwood Egbert.

Sounds like a good story.

In Bob’s Avanti Registry there are some photos of my car with a previous owner, Mike Valenti. Several changes have been made since then. One photo shows a supercharger on the engine, and the hood was customized with a second “gunsight” to provide space. Mr. Valentine lived in Florida, passed, and I have been unable to find any paperwork on the original car. Nostalgic has no record. Mine was one of the last built before Blake started the Anniversary cars, so sometimes wonder if there was some factory customization. If the 305 does have the least horsepower, it still has enough power to go to coffee and a few local car shows! Happy Memorial Day. Mike

Contemporary accounts from the time indicate that while the supercharged Stude Avantis had the performance image...the early Avanti II 327/4-speed cars were better performers. A lot can depend on other factors such as rear end ratio...whether the car had a/c or not...driver ability, etc. But the early Avanti II/4-spd was the hot setup. I've always heard stories about Avanti Motors installing some Corvette LT-1 engines in some Avanti II cars which would have been the setup to have...but I've never seen conclusive proof it ever happened. If there are any factory LT-1 equipped Avantis out there any present owners may have no idea of it...just wondering why their engine has such valve train noise due to the solid lifters. So many Avanti II cars have been parted out, rebuilt or had some other fate we'll likely never know if such LT-1 versions were produced...or if the car still exists does it still have its original engine? It could easily have been swapped out by an unknowing owner if they ever existed at all. Avanti Motors did promote an "Avanti Stinger" model as an optional high performance version...perhaps that was the source of an LT-1 engine option but whether any were actually produced is unanswered. About the only way to find out would be to examine every production sheet for every Avanti II built during that time period and see the options listed and check what engine was installed.

I think they had 35-30 extra HP… a quick visual for those is the dual snorkel air cleaner assy.

Cars & Coffee meets in Charlottesville, Va are excellent (1st & 3rd Sat, 8am - 10am). There are always dozens of interesting cars, with few modern cars, and a wide range of cars from Alpha Romeos to Wartburgs (just kidding, no Wartburgs). There always seems to be an exotic or two: Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren. Plus Twin-Cam MGA, SAAB Sonnet III, etc. --Dwight

Weren't some 305 HO (high output) engines installed in Avanti IIs? Those made decent power. I once had an '84 Pontiac Trans Am with this engine (BW T-5 5-speed trans) and it was reasonably powerful for the time.

Also, it’s the original R1 engine.

Greetings! I'm the new owner of a 1963 Avanti (though I'm a long-time owner of Hawks and Larks). I'm going through the Avanti, changing fluids and generally just familiarizing myself with it. I'm perplexed by a silver, cylindrical device that's mounted in the engine bay down under the alternator. It has wires running to it, and a fluid line (which may be oil or transmission; I have not yet been able to trace it). There's also an (evidently aftermarket) toggle switch on the dash that seems to energize the mysterious cylinder. It just kind of buzzes when the toggle is thrown. I've attached a photo of the device; photo is taken from under the car. Note the red logo. Does anyone have any idea what this could be? I assume it's NOT original to the car. I can't see any reference to it in the workshop manual. Thanks for any information you can provide! Steve

Avanti Parts Biz is who I use for all suspension parts