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Yep, seat belt light. My '85 has that light in place. Well had, anyway. I'm tearing down for a resto custo mod. But 4174 was a basket case anyhow.

Thanks Grant- much appreciated... I had gotten under there but will be a bit more prepared for what to look for, next time.

The reservoir is attached by two bolts that drop down from the bottom of the reservoir and through the flat firewall that the reservoir sits on. From under the dash on the drivers side, you can reach up and feel the two nuts on the bolts that hold it in place. You can see the nuts if you are double jointed, lying on your back, with your head touching the brake pedal. Once the nuts are removed, the reservoir will pull straight up.....If you think that you may be needing to remove it many times (say to fix a leak that can't be easily fixed) When reinstalling, I used velcro adhesive strips (after covering the two holes in the firewall) and simply attached the tank in that manner. I will come off with not much effort and it will not come off from normal (aggressive) driving.

My 82 model took 3 lbs, so you should be able to do that much.

Not only are the refrigerants different, the lubricating oils in the refrigerant lines to lubricate the compressor are different, too. R12 uses mineral oil. R134 uses polyalkylene glycol (PAG). If you convert from R12 to R134, any parts that are retained for re-use must be thoroughly flushed with an appropriate solvent to remove all the mineral oil, something that will cut and remove the mineral oil without damaging the parts. About 25-30 years ago I converted the A/C system in a 1993 Ford Crown Victoria to R134. The kit came with everything except the evaporator. Since I didn't replace it (buried inside the dashboard) I flushed it with some kind of alcohol and blew out the alcohol with compressed air. I don't remember what alcohol I used. The conversion worked well, and it was still cooling when we sold the car in 2006.

Looks like you can buy the replacement on Ebay, not as expensive as I thought. Happen to know what size the charge is?

Appropos 1981 Avanti II - Can somebody please provide some feedback about how to go about removing the windscreen washer reservoir/bottle. How is it attached? Repainting the engine bay soon so info is very appreciated. I'd hate to bust it. 😒

Screw on service valves are for R12. Most anyone who does a 134 conversion replaces those and the dryer at a minimum when doing a conversion. In a lot of cases the rubber lines need to be replaced as well. Now, that's not to say that some person came up with an adapter to charge 134 through those fittings but I sure wouldn't. R12 and R134 don't mix, you use different A/C gauges to prevent mixing the refrigerant, use the correct fittings and gauge pressures. There use to be some R12 replacement refrigerants available but I don't think those are available anymore. You'd have to call a local parts store and see what they have.

The 5 mph crash requirement was reduced to 2-1/2 mph in 1982 so I believe the original bumper was able to pass that requirement.

I believe it started in 1973, when the 5 mph bumper law became effective. My 74 still has one, though it has been shortened so it doesn't stick out so far. I left it on because at one time I was parking the car on the street pretty frequently. I believe Avanti Motors eventually got a waiver from some of the safety and emissions standards.

Qty 4. 15" x 6" wide. Came off a 1982 Avanti with 9,670 original miles. Extremely nice, includes immaculate Avanti knock off caps and all correct lug nuts. Photos available. Old tires removed and wheels boxed and ready to go. Can deliver to Spring Jefferson or delivery may be available. Current Dayton comparable NEW wheels are $895 each plus caps, plus lugs nuts. My current price on all 4 with caps and lug nuts is $1,200. ashie1@charter.net or 507-282-2679 Rochester MN

Well done. I agree with your assessment about the dash looking too Mustang for an Avanti. I also am not crazy about the shifter and the large steering wheel hub that houses an airbag. Having owned a 2006 Mustang GT, I wasn't too crazy about the latter two either! You did a great job 👍 👍

I bought a 64 Avanti project at an auction a little over a year ago for $4500. R1 with A/C and auto. Engine and transmission supposed to be rebuilt. Came with extras such as new dash pad, rubber kit, etc.

Very nice upgrades you did, makes the car look to me, more modern.

Awesome information. I’ll try the link you sent to hopefully talk to someone. Keith

Why not contact someone in the Keystone Region Chapter. You's are right in the middle of a lot of Studebaker owners. I'm sure they would be glad to help... https://sdc.cornerstonereg.com/Chapter/ViewChapters?loc=PA

I paid up for a used replacement from a well known vendor and got one that doesn't have chrome as nice as this one does. This bumper is for the guy looking for an inexpensive one for a nice driver- it has an area by the passenger side bracket that has a ripple. If you have hammer and dolly skills you can probably make it near perfect, except for the tiny rub on the chrome seen in the photo. Glad to take more photos of certain areas as requested. $175 plus actual shipping, which won't be too bad, they are very light.

So can I assume that since there are screw on connectors that it was never converted and the R134A note on the invoice was an error? Are there any economical replacement refrigerants for R12? Don't want to invest too much, not knowing if the existing system will even function. Might make more sense to install a modern compressor, etc.

1-2) It could have been installed back at the factory after purchase, a recommended repair shop that they used at the time or a repair shop that did it for the owner. 3 & 5) Your concept is correct. Replace the dryer, replace the service valve "stems" on the 2 hose fittings, vacuum it down for 30+ minutes and then recharge. The service valves will require snap-on connectors if the system has been converted to R134A 4) There isn't one from the factory. 5) Leak check the system once recharged

1) Today I got the production order for my 63 R1 (4223) and air conditioning was missing from the option list. I assume this means it was dealer installed later? 2) Found an embossed aluminum tag in the glovebox that was at some point installed under the hood (I assume) with "Studebaker Air Conditioning" and info about the system. Where would it have been installed? 3) When I was a teenager in the 70's, if I got a car that with air that wasn't working or out of freon, I would simply pump down the system with a vacuum pump (maybe replacing the receiver/drier), recharge the system and usually that got it working. Any reason that won't work today, assuming I can find refrigerant? 4) Does the Avanti AC system have a pressure switch to keep the compressor from running if there is no freon? 5) How can I tell if the system has been converted over to R134A? (a service invoice from 2005 says that they added R134A to the system at that time)

All brake parts except for shoes are new, and the shoes look recently replaced. I tried slamming on the brakes in a parking lot and looked at the tire stipes. The left rear was nowhere near as strong, barely there. So I'll try re adjusting it.

Great article. Please keep them coming. I agree that raising the rotary knob controls makes for a much better layout.

Thank you I’ll do that

You may also want to consider buying the Shop Manual. Although you don't have a '63 - '64 a lot of the mechanisms remained the same!

Anthony: I am still waiting to hear back from you.