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that pinion seal sure sounds high. I think it is the same as any Dana 44 or Dana 27. I bought one from NAPA a few months back. It was higher than I had remembered but I don’t think it was even near $90. I remember U joints where about $5 each about fifty years ago but they have to be way more these days.

You might try and get hold of John Hull…he was an officer in Avanti Motors early on. He may have copies of the drawings for such parts…or have an idea where they may be found.

I know very little about those late model Avanti’s, but I would imagine very few parts specific to the Avanti body were stock piled….. and if a few were stock piled, who is holding them at this point? Problems such as this can be a real challenge when you own a very limited production car……. Too bad they made a stressed part like that out of fiberglass or plastic, and I agree replacing it is probably going to be a custom job……. Good luck.

Ha ha… I’ll have to remember that one!

Wildfelr, Have you seen this on the SDC forum? It could net you a new pump delivered to your door. https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/tech-talk/71852-avanti-ii-power-steering-a-tale-of-two-pumps-and-four-hoses

Thx for the headsup--I'm always glad to not do something!

Most, if not all of us love these cars because of our memories of them, and my memories of superchargers are of orange ones. Restoring them as original takes us back to those times. But, when my '64 Avanti was mechanically restored I specified black for the blower because I thought orange would clash with the red R3 engine color. I now think differently. Of course, I can easily paint the blower Chevy orange, but that will leave the capscrew heads painted, which they aren't supposed to be. So, the major mistake is that I will have painted capscrew heads. Can't we all agree that painted bolt heads on a blower is a "major mistake?" --Dwight, powered by Studebaker & Packard

It's probably something Avanti designed and made for the car. Can the arm that attached it to the car be removed and taken to a fabricator out of metal?

I snapped the gas door cover off my 2002 convertible. GM part # 10284455 (the Pontiac Firebird part) will not fit. It is 6 inches across and metal. The Avanti door is 5 inches across. In addition, the Avanti arm which attaches to the back of the door and goes into the fender is made out either plastic-like or fiberglass. The arm is the part that snapped in half. he body shop cannot glue it back together. Any thoughts? If the door itself is not Pontiac, what could it be. I hope it is not something Avanti made up.

Factory wheel covers can still become frisbees…. (don’t ask how I know!!)

6’ Advanced from TDC. PS…. Go with true dual exhaust, but avoid the headers… too many negatives to make them worthwhile!

What is the best timing for it? That can make a huge difference all by itself. New pipes and headers will have to wait a bit, but are anticipated. Camshaft is a huge item too but a lot bigger job than setting timing. And, besides, I'm not sure acceleration an elderly fellow should be allowed. A 3:07 rear end isn't too bad especially out here where there is a lot of cruising and not a lot of stop and go. I think a 3:54 is a nice compromise.

Probably no fix since wheel covers and wheels aren't made for one another. I have never lost a wheel cover in 60 years of Studebaker driving. But I have no brand X wheels or repo wheel covers. My daughter has a 66 Mustang and the reproduction wheel covers kept flying off in the road ditch requiring stopping and retrieval. Finally She got mag type (correct accessory) wheels. I do believe the Chinese repo wheel covers are at fault; Val's were Taiwanese.

ooooooo Virginia i see... probably the most beautiful state for cruising YAAAAA .. in the summer ..best wishes ....BILL

RQB3263/81/305 .... GOOD MORNING DWIGHT .... YES PLEASE DO .....send pics of your PS pump ....THANKS ...if you can text them to my cell would be best .... 386-466-6434 .... where are you ??

Wildfeir, have you found a P.S. pump? I have one off a '70 Avanti II that looks like your pic. I can take a pic or 2 tomorrow (Sun.). --Dwight.

Hardly a “major mistake” Dwight! The supercharger on my fairly early ‘63 is painted Orange… and it looks nice…. however, if I was an authenticity nut it would be painted black!

Orange definitely ‘shows’ better under the hood… but for my money black is definitely correct, at least for an early Studebaker Avanti like yours!

I, too, would vote for the Cobalt wheel cylinders if keeping the original Bendix/Dunlop disc brakes. They are a better, more modern design than the originals. I, personally, have converted my Studebakers to modern disc brakes, either Turner or Hot Rod & Brakes (have used both). The HR&B disc kit has gotten good reviews & costs $150 or so less than Turner's kit. Jim Turner now uses Chrysler minivan calipers in order to avoid the clearance issues the previous GM calipers sometimes had. One note on rotors: I have just had to replace the rear rotors on my Olds Aurora due to rust (flunked Va inspection after only 1000 miles, 2 years). I'll never again buy non coated rotors. The coated ones cost more (20% ?), but I want to do my brake jobs only once. One can also paint rotors and I have done that. So, the good news on supercharger colors is that you can paint yours either orange or black, whichever you prefer. I made a major mistake in having mine painted black. --Dwight

Thank-you! I actually did that years ago on a Hawk I had. But I sold it shortly after and never knew how long they would stick on. So I thought I would get a second opinion before I tried it again.

Bob Ziff at Avanti parts and Restorations is showing new replacement pistons for $155 each. https://avantiparts.biz/cylinder-assembly-front-disk-brake/

If your caliper pistons are in good condition, why sleeve? It would make more sense just to rebuild by replacing the seals etc. Otherwise, the Cobalt replacement cylinders seem to be a good option. https://mossmotors.com/8777-2-cp-cobalt-brake-cylinder-axle-set?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzaqmz_-s_wIVgZqGCh2kYwuqEAQYFSABEgJSg_D_BwE#829=2405?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=free&utm_campaign=shopping Sumitomo cylinders are over $250 each on parts geek. https://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/1963/jaguar/xke/brake/caliper_piston.html?brand=genuine The Turner brake conversion is another possibility allowing for relatively less expensive parts. Not sure what the Turner package consists of now, but when I purchased 20 years ago, Turners used Mustang rotors and GM calipers. Sleeving has gotten more expensive. Apple hydraulics now wants $135/cylinders for sleeve and $165 for rebuild. https://www.applehydraulicsonline.com/collections/dunlop/products/copy-of-jaguar-dunlop-caliper-cylinder-sleeved-and-rebuilt-1

There is no definitive answer on the original supercharger colors. Some believe that very early Avantis had black then they switched to orange for the duration. Rebuilt superchargers were definitely black.

Back up on line.

My opinion of the platforms that you’ve mentioned is that you’ll likely get fair market value from each one. Pick one, sell it and donate the proceeds. If your objective is to maximize the dollar amount of the donation, you may want to consider working with one of the organizations to include the vehicle as part of a fundraiser. Frequently at these events participants will pay considerably more than what the item is actually worth because they know the money is going to a good cause. Essentially, they’re making a donation and getting something in return. Alternatively, you could simply donate the car, take any applicable tax deductions, and avoid the whole process of selling.