Geoff

I surmise R4 would have an awfully hard time competing against the boost pressure of R3. R4's bump in compression ratio and additional carburetor can only get so far against a boosted engine. I've heard Andy Granatelli spun an early R3 engine to 8,000 RPM. [Another / the same] early R3 was regularly shifted by Ron & Doug Crall in the 1970s at the R (of "thousand R P M" printed at the bottom of the 6k tachometer). That's got to be closing in on 7,500 RPM engine speed. I heard it was shifting at 8k in half-mile drags at Riverside, Andy was able to beat 426 equipped Mopars. 426 Hemi*? Probably not. The 426 max wedge is more likely. The mighty Mopar would have led through most of the first quarter-mile while the R3 was reeling it in, making the pass before the finish. I hear it ... 8,000 RPM!!?? That's way up there; that's mother effing Hondur vee-tech territory. At that time, and in his position with Paxton Products, he didn't care if the engine went kaboom. I would love to acquire a basket case R2 Avanti and use some modern parts and practices to build an 8,000+ RPM capable stroked R3 homage. Although I would do what's necessary to back the engine with an M22 "Rock Crusher" 4-speed. Because too much gear whine is never enough 🙂 * Although, 426 Hemi cars don't do well on the drag strip⬇️ https://youtu.be/ey7WippcuCI?si=1v27SYBm8or__8mO

Carroll Shelby pretty much guaranteed the 427 Cobra could 0-100-0 in under 14.5 seconds. Ken Miles accomplished a 13.8 second time, and the record is 10.3 seconds. I don't know if the double Paxton Cobra could do much better? Well, unless slicks were involved on a VHT prep'd surface. Then decreasing braking distance requires wider front tires, stickier rubber, or as Colin Chapman said, "adding lightness." Might as well VHT the whole anticipated distance so the stickiness also helps in the 100-0 section. If that $6500 was witnessed in 1965, 2025 dollars would equal $64,729.48. I understand why they'd sit. The reliable $25k car is hard to come by these days. Flipping the values, $25k today would be $2510.45 in 1965.

CSX3015 has a twin Paxton blown 427 FE engine producing 800 horsepower to motivate 2350 pounds. 60 comes in less than 4 seconds if the tires can actually find and hold traction. Oh to feel that experience some how, some day.

I do not have direct experience here although you could buy this, https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Wheel-Fitment-Tool-for-Tire-Fit-Testing-Size-Measuring-Mockup,485869.html and try to find points of interference. Alternatively, finding your current wheels' width, backspace, & offset could go a long way to discovering how you might manipulate the existing space with new wheels. Not very many in the Avanti community deviate too far from stock diameter wheels. One Avanti owner in the AOAI Facebook group has his 1984 with the following setup: 225/45-17 on 17 x 7 wheels and 4" of backspacing front 245/45-18 on 18 x 8 wheels and 4.5" of backspacing rear Avanti through 1985 were on a different frame than Avanti 1987 and after. I don't know if or how that may play into the problem. I'm about to try to shove 17x11 wheels under all 4 corners of my Avanti later this year, although I have to lean heavily on my planned body, frame, and suspension customization to make that work.

Oh I don't know about that. I hit 117.7 dB about six feet away and, eh three feet off the floor, upon changing 1025 from single baffle glasspacks that were on the car from sometime in the '80s until I personally removed'em for Silvertone's loud option, August 2021. I would have loved to have the loudest option under the car while I was in high school … although if the housing development hated 1025 as it was, they would have really hated it to have been louder. I heard it as a toddler with the loud pipes, and my name for it was "Blue Noisy." So I also saw it as turquoise for a short time. Then I saw it in that Native American skin tone red primer stuff for years. These days the tuners like to purposefully screw with the engine timing so raw fuel shoots into the exhaust manifold/header causing explosions downrange of the combustion chamber; heard as pops and bangs at the exhaust tip. 1025 had quite the valve overlap, causing boost pressure and raw fuel to shoot out the open exhaust valve. It was fantastic sounding if I had to take my step-monster to SF from the east bay. Crossing the lower deck of the bay bridge (the solo trip returning home), I'd position the car against one of the steel side barriers (the fast lane or slow lane) and just hit WOT … repeatedly. The radio didn't work at times in that car and I … did … not … care. *I wasn't done with it. So I got done with him.

Here is a quote from my uncle regarding motor mounts and 1025, posted to Bob Johnstone's page: Maybe something contained therein will give a clue?

The five most expensive words in automotive maintenance are, "While you are in there." If I recall correctly, people in the Avanti circle have found some FoMoCo models with aluminum driveshafts fit with a little massaging: Lincoln Mark VIII ['93 - '98] Police (P71) Crown Victoria ['93 - '11] Panther platform Mercury Marauder ['03-'04]

Ha ha. I read this and my brain went to a Vinwiki video. It's one of the regular guests talking about Penske & Donohue during their SCCA Trans-Am years; the 20+ foot high tower of gasoline which filled Donohue's 30 gal. fuel tank in under four seconds. https://youtu.be/EC5KYwxvqjs?si=M_-t2YVvBuqpuJJj The whole video is excellent, the fuel bit starts at 10:02

I know factually the reverse lights and trunk access panel having been removed was a way to reduce air pressure inside the rear of the car. Fans of Avanti know that built up air pressure wants to blow out the rear window. Airflow under, around, and behind the car worked to suck out interior air from the holes where the reverse lights were. I'm in the dark when it comes to the clear tube and black rubber hose aspects without knowing specifically where everything was aimed. They could have been trying to get cool air to blow on the differential and/or rear brakes for all we know. The black rubber hose looping: would that be a way to "artificially" add force? On the same wavelength as the winged Mopars' spoilers. They weren't built that high to clear the trunk, that's the "plausible deniability" explanation.

I've visited Las Vegas a handful of times over the last eight years. I managed to hit up the Shelby museum a couple times because I wanted photos of the radiator isolation box and A-pillar fences/strakes on the Daytona Coupe. Anyway, here's one of the two blowers (other visible in background) on the remaining Cobra made as described in Bill Cosby's "200 MPH" comedic routine. Visible if you zoom in, "Manufactured by Paxton Products a div. of Studebaker Corp. Exclusively for Shelby American Inc."

Affirmative. With a black crinkle paint finish on the lid.

The crappy thing is, if you want to get a new one today it looks like this: https://vortechsuperchargers.com/products/vortech-maxflow-carburetor-enclosure-box-assembly?variant=35229934986 because Vortech and Paxton merged. With laser scanning and modern practices like 3D printing, Vortech/Paxton should be able to make repro's of the better looking original ones.

I sure can. I'm in the northeast US and only have a driveway available so maybe by late March but more likely mid-April is when I'll return to my project. She's got a nice heavy duty outdoor car cover on her now. Ultimately I'm going to remove the factory inbuilt moonroof and find another car's spoiler moonroof to install. The spoiler type vent at rear (as do many) and slide open but the panel slides above the roof. I was advised by ASC sunroofs & leather interior this change could give as much as 1.5" additional headroom. I kinda like the notion of that.

This is an interesting subject for me to follow for future reference (a handful of years down the road), though in the immediate future (Spring '25) I actually want to separate my moonroof frame from the roof panel. How best shall I go about performing said operation? I have no headliner, that step is clear. I see what appears to be putty clumps at the seam. Shall I grind those with a rotary tool, or oscillating multi-tool?

Jeebus! I could possibly shave 18 pounds off the car right there if I was to replace my two with an option from the plastics family. Plus maybe drop another pound or three by replacing the front vent wings and the rear vents. I just removed my doors to work on them in my basement over the winter, gahd zooks were they heavy. I love me some Colin Chapman philosophy, "Simplify, then add lightness." I already have the idea to replace my radiator's frame and the steel bumper beams with units made from billet aluminum, or carbon fiber.

Let's shoot in the dark, 2) fifteen pounds.

If we add a sprinkle of the Granatelli's work to the mix, I have a photo showing 70.4 (even bank) stamped on an early R2 --> R3 development car. The odd bank was stamped 70.6 (but I didn't photograph that one). That would be a drop in CR (9.7 & 9.676 to 1 respectively). This done in order to increase boost of course. Factory 289 (3 9/16" bore & 3 5/8" stroke) cylinder swept volumes: 36.1333009 cubic inches 592.1187 cubic centimeters A 58 cc combustion chamber equates 10.21 : 1

Oh, for sure! It could've been an evolution of the Flex or Taurus, or Escort/Focus. Borrow an old Mercury name and call it the Lynx. It is most definitely not a Mustang.

mfg is referring to the Mustang Mach-E. And yes, it's a disgrace to the nameplate. Some people bring up the Mitsubishi Eclipse, when discussing the Mach-E, as the Eclipse too went the way of the crossover body style. Mach-E, yuck!!

Let's flip a coin for the remaining two and select "3) eleven" LSC cars made for 1987.

I also haven't answered this. Maybe it's time I should. So yes, the Avanti is awesome. I even like the "fat lip" cars, the LSC, the 4-door, and convertibles. I'm no fan of the "cow catcher" but those are easily removed and the supports repurposed. I like: Champ pickup. I'd love to get a basket case early year Lark Wagonaire and a later junked Champ long bed, in order to build a quad cab long bed Champ pickup. Studebaker 289 powered and artificially huffed, of course. Some of the Lark lineup. I love the Lark Daytona, Chevybaker Larks, and even 4-doors are nice. I'm not a Hawk fan although I do like its predecessors; the cars which styling-wise morphed into the Hawk. I don't have a Champ although if I did, I'd want to do something to accentuate the embossed S T U D E B A K E R written across the tailgate. And in the background area have a mural of America's heartland, landmarks, or history.

That is some excellent looking work. Nicely done, Guy! I've been thinking about designing turn indicator buckets to accept (2) stacked [1034, 1156, 1157] bulbs. I'll be going with LED lighting and desire more brightness with some redundancy. I may even have my corresponding headlight turn out, when that side's indicator is on, as seen on new cars. There is a box I'd love to check off my build sheet, "See better. And be seen better." J.W. Speaker and Morimoto are fighting for headlight honors at the moment. It's a serious battle.

Out of the 200 production 1987 cars, let's go with "4) fourteen" LSC cars made for 1987.

I think Sonja is pulling our leg. There is (at least) one EV converted Avanti, and it is running around Fairfield, California. I met the man and saw his car. Dave Heacock is who owned it when I saw the car, oh goodness, nearly exactly 9 years ago. His is a 1985 (car 4162). Dave had a shop build the underpinnings for his creation, and the reason I was interested in it was because he had a C4 Corvette's independent rear suspension bolted in under his Avanti. I heard that's what the SCCA raced Mid-Ohio Avanti GT had. While I was living in the SF Bay Area I asked to see how Dave's particular build was done. I wanted to install a C4's Dana 44 IRS under my creation, except now I feel I can make the C5-C7 Corvette transaxle and torque tube work, which is the direction I'll be heading with my project after this cold snowy season ends.

I took an offshoot about clearances and solutions about working within confined spaces; there is relevancy.