Geoff
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Posts posted by Geoff
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Yes, hey Terry, and welcome. I sent a private message in the forum with my contact information.
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So I'll be going, oh let's just be accurate, "totally nuts" with my build. Here are some of the mods I will be doing:
Air extracting elements in the hood and front fenders
A skid plate (if I can fit one under the engine bay)
A belly pan
A rear diffuser
I'd love to recreate the 20th anniversary car's front fascia/bumperSome of those necessitate other changes which I will make, and there are more changes I will make to my car. The preceding added to say, I don't mind doing exactly as your illustration shows, blocking space behind the fascia, especially if it means smoothing the incoming air.
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Ed, I'm a late X'r so I didn't see the animosity between Studebaker & Avanti in the 60s and 70s. Though today I notice SDC & AOAI operating as two separate entities, and more than that, it's like they go out of their way to be separated. I would love to see them co-mingle.
My Blake era car says Avanti on the trunk but I will make that change to read Studebaker. I look at every Avanti and think, "Without RL doing work for Studebaker, the Avanti wouldn't be here." It's because of that I connect all Avanti models to Studebaker.
True, not all Avantis have Studebaker engines. These days not all Mustangs have Ford engines either. Some owners like to take the gen. III & IV GM small block and swap that in because: less weight, more power, LS & Vortec interchangeability, huge aftermarket support, etc…
Once my car is done, It'll be driven anywhere and everywhere. I live in Maine with family still in California. My build does plan for an LS and I'll take it to LS-fest west (Las Vegas), east (Kentucky), and LS-fest Texas. My plan also calls for Corvette front and rear sub-frames, and I would love to attend Corvettes at Carlisle with it. If I hear of a Cars & Coffee gathering within a day drive and enough notice, I'll leave my house whenever I must to get there, just for C&C. Then drive home.
I can hear people saying, "Don't forget to dance with the one who brought you." And I get that, I will attend SDC & AOAI meets. However, it would be so much nicer if those could be one and the same.
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Here's a chart with good recommendations. Obviously some stretching can be done but literally your mileage may vary. One great example I can think of is the C4 ZR-1. That car's rear tires were (315/35-17) on an 11" wide wheel, which the chart doesn't suggest. Meanwhile the same car's fronts were (275/40-17) on a 9.5" wide wheel. The chart says that's the maximum recommended tire width for that wheel.
Here is the formula to use if you're trying to stay close to stock wheel & tire diameter for speedometer and odometer accuracy:
Cross section × profile as a percent × 2. That product / 25.4 to convert millimeters to inches. Then + the wheel diameter. So the above tire sizes would look like this:
315 × 0.35 × 2 = 220.5.
220.5 / 25.4 ≈ 8.68 inches. And then + 17 ≈ 25.68 inches. And
275 × 0.40 × 2 = 220.
220 / 25.4 ≈ 8.66 inches. And then + 17 ≈ 25.66 inches.
If you can calibrate the speedometer and odometer all of that is unnecessary.
Otherwise, it's interesting to play with cross section and/or profile changes in the digital world to discover what tire sizes your car could wear. All while heeding the above warnings from the posted picture, of course.The 1985 Avanti you have used 205/75-15. Those are about 27.11 inches tall. Stay close to that and you'll be all set.
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So um, wowzers! What a week it has been here. Sheeeeesh!
Anyway, I've had some thoughts on my current project. In no particular order:
- Fix what's in the car. Articles like these are helpful.
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"Simplify and add lightness." -Colin Chapman.
- Remove sunroof and offload to someone who could use it. Plus, less weight and less weight up high. Double bonus.
- Maybe remove and replace with a rudimentary moonroof (lift and latch rear for vent / pop out and stow the panel).
- Uninstall the current inbuilt moonroof and replace it with a spoiler moonroof.
The idea of using a spoiler moonroof would be to reduce the size of the storage box inside the car. Spoiler moonroofs are the ones that slide rearward, outside. That's a re-engineering issue though because I have to find a spoiler roof I like and adapt it to the car. My measurements of the car's current hole are ≈35.5" wide ≈17" long. If I was to do this I am comfortable altering each dimension. I have also thought of getting a longer moonroof, with panoramic plexiglass extending rearward of the roll bar hoop.
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My father would pop the hood on 1025 when daily driving in SF Bay Area congestion in the 1970s. Once the bottleneck cleared he'd stop on the shoulder, slam the hood and go. In his case it definitely worked but the speed we're talking was stop and go. Between the popped hood and the intermittent shift to N with a prod of the accelerator pedal (to spin the engine fan and water pump more) it cooled off the engine bay very well.
My solution is going to be extreme. I love road course racing and both racing Avantis built under Blake. My current project is going to pay visual homage to the Mid-Ohio GT but with some extras. In addition to flared fenders I'll be styling in fender air extractors aft of the front wheel wells. I have a second hood which I will add in a "waterfall" air extracting element and some louvers over the exhaust headers/manifolds.
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The way I've heard it come down through time was, Studebaker was working on an entirely new block; one with room for 4" of bore. It wasn't just a, "Let's rework what we've got" deal. At least that's going by what I have heard.
Jim Pepper says that Paxton did prefer reworking R2 heads as far as performance is concerned. But that was because the R3 head was made for more bore (and thus more cubes). So R3 heads with 4" of bore (or maybe 4.040" as the new for '68 Mopar 340) could be made to perform very well.
I know from talking to my father and uncle, that the heads on RS1021 (car 25) were ported, polished, and flowed. And those were factory R2 heads which were worked by hand (for many hours) to make them flow very well. Take R3 heads, port, polish, and flow those, then slap them on a 4" bore (or larger) Studebaker engine. Oh, what could have been.
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I only asked him if I could give more traffic by posting his ad here. Call him if you're interested. Dave is a super nice guy who will talk your ears off if you want. His cup o' tea are Corvettes, C1 & C2 especially. I think he has like (5) 1953-1955 Corvettes in various stages of completion.
You can see the body only car (being held up by a Model A frame); that's the Avanti behind the red one. The faded gold one is also seen in the distance. I know he would make a package deal to take 5 of the 6 (all the parts cars) in one fell swoop. The turquoise over turquoise runs but needs a little work to make it a driver.
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I know because of viewing Mr. Heacock's electric Avanti the spare tire well encroaches too much for an alternative rear subframe / suspension to fit.
I'll be removing my spare tire well with an oscillating multi-tool, glassing in the then empty circle and making something square-shaped to better fit my build. I foresee at least C4 rear suspension (C5/6/7 first choice) and an honest rear diffuser, complete with vertical strakes and end plates. Yes, on a daily driver … Well, if I was still in California; a fun three-season car here in Maine.
Flat tire? I already carry a tire plug kit (reamer and plug applicator) and Ridgid handheld pump in my daily. I'll just replicate that.
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10 hours ago, Nelson said:
The vanity I believe is the same as used in the 64 Lark.
That is some helpful information. Thank ya kindly!
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- I've looked at SI's site, and if they have the part I cannot see it. I am looking to ditch the center mounted parking brake and window switches in my 1985. I want that beautiful, low profile, locking center console in my car. Is it just a stiff board with vinyl covering? I don't even care about the color as I'd have its upholstery redone, or DIY the thing, if that's how it is put together.
- That necessitates I put the parking brake back under the dashboard. That's cool. I'd like to acquire those parts too; or I'll fab up the way the C4 has it, to the left of the driver's seat. Either/or.
- I would also like the pull out vanity within the glove box.
Does anybody have these parts, or know where they would be found?
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Not my cars, I just know of them and am helping out. They are not very far from Sebago Lake.
I just went to check out some Avantis, looking for pieces I'd like to use on my current project. There are some interior aspects I'd like to revert back to Studebaker appearance. I didn't see anything my car could use but the owner would like to offload some cars and I was approved to post here. Many cars need lots of devotion but one Avanti is close to being a driver. If I was done with my Mid-Ohio tribute I would buy one and work towards my [stroked RS1021/locked up Dana 44/63R-1025] with World Class T5 manual swap clone.
1964 Avanti for $4500.
In the link's photos you'll see a couple fleeting views of a red 1959 Silver Hawk which is also available for $5500.
https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/cto/d/gorham-1964-studebaker-avanti-sale-or/7665157802.html
Dave prefers phone contact and his number appears in this CL link. Click the blue "show contact info" oval in the ad.1979 Avanti II. It's white with a moonroof, and is $3500
1963 Avanti body only, is $1000
1963 Avanti R1 in turquoise over turquoise $8500 [This one is nearly driver quality]
1963 Avanti R2 no motor is $2000
1963 Avanti (faded) gold R2. With matching engine and everything for $6000
In addition to the 1959 Silver Hawk above, he has a 1963 Hawk for $6000.
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Aside from the notion to direct more air through the radiator (with which I agree), and aside from punching air evacuation holes/louvers in the car (hood and/or fenders), I would include adding Water Wetter to your cooling system.
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Oh without a doubt there are simpler ways of accomplishing the same task. Your spacers or Ron Dame's popping of the hood release (my father would do the same for 1025 when he was driving it in the '70s). I even heard a suggestion of removing the underhood insulation pad and pulling off the hood's rear weather stripping.
My project is a basket case which I'll be stripping down and building from nearly step 1. My love is for road course racing and I enjoy performance street cars. My target numbers are sustained 1.1 lateral-G, 60-0 in sub-100 feet, with 500 pound feet & horsepower through a chassis dynamometer, so ≈610 crank.
The underpinning is Studebaker frame with C4 Corvette front and rear sub-frames worst case scenario. C5/6/7 trans-axle setup in best case scenario. Which boils down to, does trans-axle fit while maintaining 2+2 style? I'll be doing some measurement homework. The planned heart is a Magnuson supercharged LS2 so 700+ horsepower is possible, but for a fun and reliable three season street car, that's too over the top.
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For heat management and aerodynamics I have far larger ideas.
I want to implement a Cobra Daytona Coupe "waterfall styled" air extracting hood, complete with an isolation box to section only the radiator, and then fender vents aft of the wheel wells to extract engine bay air. The fender vents I would style into genuine Mid-Ohio Avanti GT fender flares.
I understand the Daytona Coupe's whole nose hinges forward. I'll do what is necessary to work within constraints. If I can't swing that style, my backup plan are louvers like on 5th gen. Camaro Z28, ZL1, or on the later Mustang GT500s.
For the fender vents, my notion is to allow engine bay air to vent outside. Tall and skinny as in C7 Z06 dimensions, or shorter like a 3rd gen. Firebird Trans-Am, or as with Ferrari 550. I'll essentially tunnel through from inner fender to the exterior.
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There have been a surprising number of Avantis to hit movie and television screens:
https://www.theavanti.com/media.html -
In my case I'm striving for a visual homage to the Mid-Ohio Avanti GT and hood pins fit the motif. The 1985 I'm starting with is missing a lot, it's a basket case, and I'm working with a clean slate.
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21 hours ago, 64Avanti said:
The drawings for the larger bore engine show a bore of 3.75 in. This required moving the oil galleries some. If they had a very good block with little core shift they might have gotten to a bore of 3.840 at .090 over. But that would not have been good for a production engine. There was no way to get to 4.00 in bore without making some major changes to the oil galleries.
There have been rumblings of 340 & 360 Studebaker blocks either planned and/or in existence before the December close. These would have used the existing 3.625" stroke Studebaker crankshaft, so math demands bores of 3 7/8" (342) and 4" (364). Why were larger bores being examined? Look no further than the R3 head; that thing needs more bore than what Studebaker had on tap.
The drawings of 3.75" might have been an idea to manipulate what was in existence. The 340 & 360 blocks may have been another idea altogether, a new casting that unfortunately became stillborn as it ran up against the wall of time.
Studebaker was definitely working on the logistics of making a [next gen. | updated] engine when it was so rudely shuttered.
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Dwight, I found on auto.howstuffworks.com that a compressor spinning at 50k RPM is going to give somewhere between 6 and 9 PSI of boost. It also stated that centrifugal supercharger impellers can spin about 55k RPM, give or take.
They mustn't know about https://www.rotrex.com/ superchargers though, a company which produces four supercharger models. Their two largest models spin at 90k RPM, their mid-size model spins at 120k RPM, and their smallest spins faster than 200k RPM. Those impeller speeds are closing in on some turbocharger impeller speeds, which Garrett claims can spin up to 350k RPM.
I've also heard this expression before, "boost is a measurement of restriction." Thinking about that more, that makes sense. One won't be 'filling' anything if there's a way out, and the cleaner/larger the way out the faster the escape and the lower the built up pressure.
I read an interview with a Vortech engineer who suggested 115-119 LSA or else boost escapes out the back, and I recall 1025's engine, RS1021 had quite a bit of valve overlap, pressurizing the exhaust. That car accomplished what it did with 2" diameter exhaust pipes, but with boost pressure forcing out the exhaust, the pipe diameter variable for power becomes somewhat moot.
https://ateupwithmotor.com/terms-technology-definitions/turbocharging-and-supercharging/
https://auto.howstuffworks.com/how-much-horsepower-does-supercharger-add.htm
https://auto.howstuffworks.com/supercharger.htm
https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/torqstorm-offers-a-great-supercharger-for-mild-mannered-engines/ -
I am contemplating installing hood pins on my build. I prefer the AeroCatch design, as they offer flush or surface mount, and either are available in locking or non-locking. https://aerocatch.com/
There's also the original design, a metal dowel protruding through a hole in the hood, with a metal disc fastened atop the hood, all secured with a clevis pin, linch pin, or wire lock pin.
The most difficult part I see is: how does one anchor the dowel pin? It needs a strong support system to hold it vertical and remain stable. One thought I had was to convert/repurpose some of the existing hood latch mounting hardware on the body for support.
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Just got it opened today. It was one stuck buggar, and I might have broke the latch housing in the process. Oh well, this thing is my basket case.
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I don't know about anybody else, but the very instant I saw this picture, I thought: "Panoramic roof candidate!" As seen on new cars like some Benzes. Just lay in a large curved piece of Lexan / Plexiglass / Polycarbonate, tinted if you like, and let the light shine through.
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Who sells, or is there a good source for getting the center console as seen in Studebaker and early Avanti II? I will be relocating my parking brake and power window switches, and would like to replace those with that shallow locking center console.
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Oh humans knew about streamlining. Lots was discovered in the 1940s via the Germans and then WWII and all those fun times. In the 1930s Wunibald Kamm discovered that if you design a vehicle with a teardrop rear (all the way to the tip), and then truncate the rear before the tip [usually on an angle but some cut vertical], that the effect to the air is similar to leaving the tip. Today we say cars with this style have a Kammback, Kamm tail, or k-tail.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kammback
I concede the Studebaker budget and the stress of the timing in getting a new halo car to market would have pushed anything extravagant to the back burner or off the table. That part is unfortunate because, damn! What if, right?
Latest model bumpers
in 1984-91 Avanti
Posted
I'd be living a dream if somebody knew where to source a recreation of the 20th anniversary's bumper. All bumpers [bumper covers] post-1983 chrome are urethane, ya? It is a material I've not worked with much but I have a feeling I'll plunge down that rabbit hole. Lord knows I love to learn content in various rabbit holes.
I'll be making and installing the correct GT fender flares, and I will install some other racy parts, but with an Avanti we don't have many options over stock. If I were to buy a 1989 Avanti front bumper and remove the air dam portion to meld onto my car, I can't do that without subtracting from the total number of 1989 Avanti front bumpers. I would be far more friendly to other Avanti owners if I found a [Cervini's, Saleen, or other] urethane piece I like and work some modification magic on my car.