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Same piece with air; with air has a hole in it for ac. And, yes, the other is kick panel cover.(I Iooked yesterday -to be sure!) Do some of these carpet makers send out 2.? I have a pair sans holes in the trunk (??)

I hear you Dwight! “My boring side story”…..In 1968 I purchased a 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk. I owned it for twelve years, drove it regularly, and eventually gave it an amateur restoration… Entered it in car shows, It was my first ‘decent’ car, however, I eventually sold it in 1980, moving on to Avantis! Fast forward forty one years and that same Hawk comes up for sale…. neglected and left outside for all those years.. most folks would have considered it to be a ‘parts car’ at best! Well, something inside me could not let ‘my’ Golden Hawk be scrapped… I bought the car back (for probably too much money) in 2021…. Over the last four years I have given the car a ‘decent’ restoration, bringing it back to life… The restoration included finding and purchasing a solid Hawk frame, and, of course pouring in more than a few dollars. (I did all work myself) Although I didn’t ‘need’ this car, as I already own a pretty nice 1955 President Speedster, (a very similar Studebaker), I had to save my boyhood Studebaker! I will never again sell this Golden Hawk, and if I did sell I’d no doubt lose more than a few bucks, but in some cases money becomes secondary to emotional attachment and accomplishment….. 56J’s Forever!!!!!

‘HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026’ to everyone... Especially owners and fans of Avanti automobiles!!

We should all do what we enjoy doing. For me, working the Studebaker market to make a profit is business, and there's nothing wrong with being a businessman, as long as one is honest. And, I've seen nothing in the preceding posts to indicate that anyone here is anything other than honest. But, business doesn't interest me; that's why I majored in engineering and physics. Accordingly, I am currently fixing up a neglected '63 Avanti in order to see it back on the road (even though I know I will take a loss when I sell it). That's where I get my satisfaction. There are others like me. Stay tuned: someone will get a good Avanti cheap. --Dwight, powered by Studebaker & Packard

Agree, but many just want to rag on others for their methods.. Sometimes a stand seems to be proper.

Amen!…. And those are very ‘cool’ vehicles!!

Ron.. I started the thread to see how others approach buying and selling. I don't cut down others. What I do do is state my methods and thoughts... Take them or leave them... Seems like my methods hit a nerve in some and they get obstinate about things.. They can buy/sell/enjoy as they see fit. ..................... Nice barn full of vehicles..Bro-Man

I have a 1989 Avanti Convertible that I rescued a few months back. Its original owner was Mickey Dolenz, the drummer of the band "The Monkeys" and includes a signed picture of the car when new. It was the second to the last Convertible made in the 80's with signatures of the assemblers on the back seat bottom. It pasted through 2 other owners and ended up with the grandson of Tom Larner, a big time Avanti Owner. It was driven regularly and has 139,000 miles on it. I have gone through the entire car to be sure everything is working correctly, had new upholstery installed on the front seat and cleaned up/treated the rest of the interior. The front end has been repainted to remove all paint damage. Tires, wheels, exhaust are all new. No Leaks. Asking $19,500 Ron

Each of us has our own motives when buying and selling cars. And actually, it's no one else's business what they are and we shouldn't be attacking each other about this. If you stated your motives and the results, then you should be done posting about it and let others do the same. It's 2026 and time to start the New Year out right enjoying our cars and the fun and help that we get from other owners and their cars. Here are mine, let's see yours!

I thought so.

Bob. You assume too much when it comes to my methods and motives. I haven't, and won't do that of You.. Who has animosity? Look back at your allegations and opinions. If You've lost on nearly every vehicle You've owned... You're a ''Typical American". We as Americans spend more on Vehicles than Housing... Sad part is Vehicles generally depreciate but Housing increases in value. So in general the largest expense used to be Housing but that has shifted over the decades.. Now it's vehicles. My background is as an Architect and Builder as well as a Designer of other items. I try my best to move forward financially... not sustain losses every time a New Model of vehicle comes out (pointing to New Car Byers here), How UnAmerican of Me. So... IF You are losing on most every vehicle, You might be a future seller, but in Your case I highly doubt it, Your wise enough to not sell less than market, so to me,, Your out.

Where did I say it is a problem? I simply shared my interpretation of some of the things you’ve said in this thread. It is of no concern to me that you need to buy and sell cars at a profit in order to take part in the hobby of collecting classic cars. What strikes me as peculiar is the level of animosity you seem to have toward others who aren’t concerned about making a profit on every vehicle they buy. Those folks are your customers. “Beware” of what? FWIW: I have a truck and a motorhome currently for sale, both at prices below what I paid for them. That makes me a seller. With the exception on one motorcycle that I owned for a short period of time in the 1980’’s, every vehicle has been sold for less than the price paid and I haven’t counted the number or totaled the losses. That may make me a foolish, out of touch loser in your book, but I’m satisfied with my lot in life. All the best. Happy new year.

That administrator has to go!

I would second the contact Dan Booth. i replaced the cable in my 67 Avanti II. The Cable was ok but the housing was broken. I took a few pictures but deleted most of them after I was done and the turn signals were working. The switch had gotten water in it and was stuck, I think that caused the plastic housing to break. The steering wheel and top portion of the column will need to be removed. The first mistake I made was pulling the cable out the bottom and not attaching a wire to snake the new cable back in. I like fishing but not when they are not biting but after many attempts and a couple of bait changes I got a piece of bailing/mechanics wire up thru the column. Then was able to pull the new cable in. As best I remember I did a lot of google searching and found some write-ups for Oldsmobile and Buicks with the similar Saginaw tilt column's. Steve This is where the black plastic housing was broken. This is the top of the cable. The new cable has a metal housing These are the only pictures I saved.

It appears the SDC Forum is offline again.

Bob. I don't make moves to lose. I have had 67 vehicles in my life. I've lost on very few. The few I've lost on have given me a little wisdom.. There is a top to what I can put out and right now. I'm near that but why do You see it as a problem? The assets are in house and in time they move and get replaced... This year is a shift.\ Also when profit is no longer a factor... in my opinion, You lose touch with sensibility. It's an expensive game and every transaction is to be studied. I know this goes against the Hobbyists in general, So be it.... You might be a future seller... Beware.

Sorry the answer here is TRUE!

My guess of the week is false.

You’re siting on unrealized gains. Of course, those “gains” are based on values that you have placed on the vehicles. Frankly, if I were engaged in a hobby/business where profitable sales were essential, I’d be selling as much as possible at 10%, 50% or 200% profit. Doing so could put you in a position where profit is no longer a factor. No disrespect, but you present yourself as someone who is the equivalent of “real estate poor”. You have a lot tied up in vehicles, your cash reserves are down and you can’t buy another car unless you sell one or two. That’s the message I’m getting, maybe I’ve misinterpreted what’s been said. You also seem to be trying to time the market, which rarely if ever yields positive results. My advice, take the profits. Rinse and repeat.

It would kill the enjoyment of owning my cars if I had to bank on that they would increase in value….. I mean, it certainly is nice if a profit is made when a car is sold, but most experienced car collectors know their lucky if they break even.. and generally they lose a few bucks on the deal…. That’s just the nature of the animal aardvark…. Anyone DEPENDING their collector car’s value will go up may as well roll the dice in the stock market.

MFG As. said in multiple ... this is a Hobby and Business at the same time. Every deal I've made on vehicles I meet the sellers expectations so there is never a hard feeling finishing the deals. No Stealing..IF that's the implication,... (In fact the '02' Avanti I gave the seller full asking price) The purchase numbers are real and the profits are already in place ''at time of purchase''. What I'm seeing is these values have escalated over the 2 years I've owned the 3 vehicles I listed (above). So I'm better than my 50% goal on the profit margin. You see, the upside is I get to own and drive these beauties without fear of financial losses. That, my Friend is Goal. #1... Goal #2 is I eventually move on and profit well. (Got the Porsche and a VW up ''for sale'' now to possibly cover the Avanti purchases and then all is well on my financial front.)

All done here?

No problem Bob, Glad I could help you!

Pretty basic for a factory job (body lift)…. but it worked!!

Well, I hope you reach your financial goals… I never knew any hobbyist that had to so strongly consider the present and future financial aspects of purchasing in Avanti. (other than automotive repair shop or body shop owners) However, any way a person can achieve their goal of Avanti ownership is a good way I guess. (Other than stealing one!!!) More power to you, Good luck & Happy New Year!