All Activity

I'd take them and pay for the shipping if you'll get them boxed up for FexEx or UPS.

One solution................

It just dawned on me what the cut out is for, on cars with stick shift the clutch rod comes thru a hole next to steering colume which it appears was cut open, heres a picture of my 63, not cut open with clutch rod sticking out.

You have to remember...back when the Avanti was built Studebaker (and other car makers) were using pretty skinny tires...not those with wider footprints like they do now. It took less effort to turn the wheel regardless of whether equipped with power steering or non-power.

Heck, I often run 45 psi in the front. If you’re really worried just drop it to 44. 🤫

Yah, most radials I've used ( Michelin) have a 44 psi cold limit. Due to the weight distribution ratio, It would make a lot of sense to bump in front. I'd try 38 or so, for starters

Hi, by Avanti has been delivered to Europe right at the beginning in 1963, to Milano, Italy. So, althoug being an American car, it was never in use in the US. Currently it has the speedometer in kilometer per hours (KPH) but the temperature gauge is in degree Fahrenheit. Does anybody know if this has been like this back then or have there also been temperature gauges with degree Celsius? Just curious as the mix of European and US metrics in my car is interesting and unusual.

I recently rebuilt my R2 and added A/C to it. It had had the blower pulled years ago and an original A/C unit installed. I used the original evaporator and condenser a Sanden rear exit compressor and new lines. It has a stock 4 speed radiator (automatic transmission) with a transmission cooler in front of the condenser. The alternator is stock but much modified. All of the brackets and supports were made in house. Works great and the engine temps have stayed well under 190 to date. Everything clears the hood by 3/16 inch. not much but that is what the stock carb bonnet clears by. John C. The air cleaner is behind the headlight.

I installed a Vintage Air system on my car. Removed the battery to give me room to install it on the drivers side and added an extension to the power steering pump reservoir to get it up and out of the way.

I'd like to know more about the electric steering. I too have an R2/R3 with AC. it was modified many years ago by a previous owner. However, my car utilizes a hydraulic power steering unit. SO the pump is driven by the engine. Therefore, my setup is very congested and one of the brackets rub up against the bottom of the hood. So as I noticed from your photos, you had the ability to move the alternator where the power steering pump was, leaving plenty of room on top for the AC unit. I am really unhappy with my power steering setup, it's another mod and has caused many other issues below, it's a rack and pinion unit but interferes with the exhaust and oil pan. So the electric steering looks like an opportunity to fix a lot of problems.

45 lbs?….Whoa!!!!!

Does your Avanti have the optional fast steering? Manual-steering Avantis had a slower steering gearbox (more turns lock to lock) than power-steering Avantis. But, the power-steering gearbox was an option on a car ordered without PS. It was a rare option, but I saw one back when they were new. The quick-steering gearbox, without power assist, would certainly make an Avanti steer hard. The Avanti's production order should list that option, if it was ordered. --Dwight

thanks! - I will try that.

put more air in the front tires. Try 45 psi for a start.

The Studebaker Lark I sold last year was originally equipped with power steering from the factory, but sometime before I bought it, it was converted to standard steering. To make steering at low speed a bit easier, I learned to anticipate which way I was planning to turn after a stop. I did as much turning while the car was still rolling, and avoided turning the wheel when the car was stationary.

Hi mfg and Hogthrough, thank you for your recommendations! - I will try both. Probably it's the tyres as you mentioned. I just checked and it has 215/70VR15 90W front and rear. They were on when I got the car and I had not really focused on the tyres, yet.

When you consider how many were wrecked or scrapped, that is an amazing percentage you have accounted for- probably 90%! Thanks for the years of diligence in doing that

What you describe is simply what non power steering cars are like. But as mentioned elsewhere, narrower tires and a grease job can help a lot. Be sure to hit ALL the fittings including the center link one. Top off the steering box lube. Make sure the tires are fully inflated (35 pounds should be OK depending on tire), and go with 195 tires if they are ready for a swap. This made a lot of difference on my Silver Hawk. My Avanti has power steering, which is fine when it works but my driveway may soon be condemned by the EPA if I don't get the leak fixed!

I saw some pictures of those online, looked like a good sturdy system.

Paul, I have Magnums like yours on my Avanti…. however my center caps are much deeper, (or one could say ‘taller’ than yours) Too bad you can’t find a set of caps like mine, as they are retained by a cone shaped inner bracket, with two 1/4” short bolts passing through the cone and into the back of the center cap…. Bulletproof, and very easy to remove & install. ( sorry my comment doesn’t really help with your issue!)

A really good grease job on the front suspension may help some… paying particular attention to make sure the grease comes out both the bottom & top of the king pins… sometimes it’s a struggle to get the grease to come out the top around the needle bearing.. but it’s a MUST that it does.. rotating that needle bearing with vise grips will help to work the grease into it. Also… I wouldn’t mount a tire any wider than a 205 on an Avanti with manual steering.

Getting ready to put on a new (new to me, not brand new) set of Magnum 500 wheels, and noticed that all the center caps are loose. Pulled them all off, and found two different methods of holding them on. One method was using the flat style 'speed nut' to hold the cap to the retainer; it appears that the speed nut was just pushed down until it bit into the stud, but there was really no way to tighten them uo: The speed nuts were a bear to get off, they did not 'screw' off, finally just bent the tabs. The 'studs' on the back side of the cap on this one was pretty bunged up. This was the worst one, but the others were not too much better: Two of the other caps were held on with what were similar to 'Pal' nuts, but are actually called thread cutting nuts, made to be used on studs with no threads: I figure these thread cutting nuts were the original method of holding the caps on. On one of the retainers, someone in the past had glopped on silicone to help hold it to the wheel; this was actually the tightest cap, hardly any movement -- but the nuts still were not able to be tightened properly: So, finally to my question -- given the condition of the 'studs' on the center caps, the thread cutting nuts don't tighten up properly. Not sure if new ones would improve that or not (but doubt it, especially on the worst condition studs). And the sheetmetal speed nuts I do not want to use, they for sure don't tighten up and are a bear to remove. Has anyone had this issue, and found an acceptable solution and/or modification (besides buying a set of reproduction center caps)?

Hi everyone! I got my 1963 Avanti R2 now finally registered here in Austria and had my first drive on the road - a great feeling! What a great car. One thing I struggle with, however, is that the steering wheel is quite stiff. So getting out of my garage with reversing several times is really hard work because the steering wheel does hardly turn when I drive at such low speed as when driving out of the garage. On the road with normal speed it is fine, but when revesing it is a real hazzle. Does anyone have recommendations how to improve that? Or should I retrofit power steering? (as it was originally without power steering I would rather avoid that if possible) Every input appreciated!

Just a thought, it wouldnt be hard to repair the cut out with fiberglass. I would lay up several layers of glass on a flat surface, flat card stock coated in wax or packing tape. You can then cut out shape to fit and glass the piece in place, I have used this technique extensively on both my avantis. The photo shows where I used this technique to repair area where ft bumper mount goes thru body. Some idiot felt the need to cut it up in order to replace A/C hoses.

Use this stuff... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X9X7JWP?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1