All Activity

Hi Rick… LED’s are no doubt a very good idea, and no, I haven’t installed them yet. (but I probably will)…. But getting back to that third brake light, let me tell you a story that happened to me many years ago…. At the time I owned a red 1964 Avanti….red tail lights against a red body really makes matters worse…. but anyway, after I stepped on my brakes and signaled a right turn, the fellow behind me pulled in just to tell me that he almost drove into the back of my Avanti, and I should fix my brake lights! (the lights weren’t broken) He was very nice about it, however at that point I installed a very bright third brake light….It’s not obtrusive, and safety and keeping my car and myself in one piece is much more important to me than any authenticity concerns!…. Thank You, Ed.

Have you considered going to LED bulbs in your factory tail/brake light housing? They are very bright compared to the old-style bulbs, adding a 3rd brake light I think would look out of place and to some people gaudy but to others, not,,,

Probably close to the very top of ‘must do’ items related to driving in modern traffic….. Studebaker Avanti tail lights are simply too small to be clearly noticed by other drivers…. who are probably driving too fast or on their cell phones anyway!…. A bright third brake light dead center at the bottom of the rear window is an excellent idea…I added one to my own ‘63 Avanti twenty years ago. PS….. I suppose a third brake light installed at the interior TOP of the rear window would work just as well.

That's what I figured, thank you,,,

Has anyone added any additional brake lights? I want something subtle when not lit up, but something really obvious to the idiots behind me when I'm stopping.

I found a modern voltage regulator my dad installed when he updated to electronic ignition- he hid as much as he could from the Originality Judges. Then I read and reread the article about putting the modern japanese alternator in and bypassing the voltage regulator all together. I did that, and now it runs beautifully. I'm happy with the 55 amps because the electric fan really pulls electricity. I've run new 8 awg wire with 60 amp fuse directly from atl. to the battery because that original wire is looking tiny and brittle. Now to figure out why no interior lights, although the backup lights work.

Now that’s getting things done… NICE!

Thank you Marc ! Next time, I will translate with Google or try to use my best English 😉

Good points Gun.. The generations after '64' I really had little knowledge of..Glad You could fill in. ( I better learn fast since I just bought a '73' with a 400ci sb., turbo 400 tranny..doubt that combo was stock)

Engine is in and running, ready for show season and cruzing

Thanks aardvark and Gunslinger- that's the kind of info I'm looking for

For those who don't speak French or don't use internet translators, this is the request: Subject: Switches on the ceiling "Hello, I would like to access the headlight and other switches located on the ceiling. How do I detach the console? I removed the two screws, but when I pull, nothing comes off..."

Avanti Shop manual....

Working on my '64 R2 and the factory manual indicates to torque the connecting rod caps to 52 ft lbs but watching the video of Petes' garage, he is working on a '62 289 and says the torque is 32 ft lbs. I doubt the torque is different for a '62 vs '63/'64 289 so is the manual wrong or is Pete? Below is the video, FF to around 29 minutes in to see his commentary,,,

‘65 through about ‘71 are possibly the best to rebuild…still using most Studebaker parts and the Chebbie engine makes things easier. Add to that Avanti II cars are all individual…few are exactly alike so you can modify them easily to suit your personal tastes. After about ‘71 Avanti Motors started changing things as original parts became used up and more to the point…meeting increasing federal emissions and safety standards they had previously been exempted from as a small manufacturer. The down side? Post-Studebaker Avantis will rarely ever maintain the value of original Studebaker Avantis in equal condition.

Both are out there. I’m pretty sure the hood bracket is the same as what the 60s station wagons used to hold up the rear window above the tailgate if that helps. Pb

63-64 were original Studie.. 65-89ish (or whatever the end of production was) were Chev small blocks. '01 -04 were Pontiac Firebird TA 05-06 were Mustang GT. The 65 and up series are the Best Buy since the prices are relatively low and the upside is the GM driveline is a easy car to find parts for. Hope that helps

So on the ''Vehicles for sale'' section... a '73' was listed. I bought it this past weekend It WILL become a derivative of that Photo.... I expect to do this for around $10k.

Thanks guys. Hope to hear more experiences.

Am confused re the 4(?) generations of Avantis. Not too keen on the first gen due to high prices and possible lack of parts. Of the next 3 generations which used Ford or Chevy engines? Transmissions? Frames? It's hard enough finding qualified mechanics to work on older cars as it is. I want one that is ready to go. Don't want a trailer queen. Limited mechanical skills I changed radiator/PS pump/starter etc on my 67 Riviera but am getting a bit too older to be crawling on the ground. Much thanks in advance.

Nelson, Yes ,this is the Paxton building on Olympic Blvd in Santa Monica where all the R3 and R4 magic happened. This photo is about a year old and the building was vacant at the time.

Bob. I that photo the old Paxton Products building?

Thanks for the compliment The same can be said for you, Bob. I indeed enjoyed our long conversations and look forward to more of the same in the future.

We met you guys at them Palm Springs meet last week. I think I remember Idaho plates on your Avantis? It must have been a great road trip! The no ac, windows down and loud sure brings back memories. I remember going to the nationals in Dallas Tex forty plus years ago. I drove down in a black 64 R3 stick. It was hot as hell all the way down and back. Over 100 degrees while we were there and humid. I was a lot younger then so I guess it didn’t bother me as much. I remember at that meet Denny Lockman showed up with his freshly painted 64 on a trailer behind his Buick convertible. I also bought an Avanti II while I was down there. I don’t even remember how I got it home. The good ole days!