boogieman
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Posts posted by boogieman
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In my '79 with TH400 trans, the drive gear, on the transmission tail-shaft, is brown plastic, 15 tooth,
and the driven gear, on the speedo cable is plastic.
GM uses color coding to help differentiate the number of teeth on gears.
Each additional gear tooth is supposed to change the ratio by 2.5%. accordingly.
For my rear gear ratio, 3.08, and tire size I needed a 33 tooth driven gear. GM only goes down to a 34 tooth so
the speedo will be slightly off but much closer to correct. My '79 had a 36 tooth .
I used several of the calculators available on-line to check for gear tooth required. They all gave the same answer.
Needing a 33 and having to use a 34, anybody know if the speedo will read fast or slow?
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Almost 60* here today. Clear and bright. Rain for the next few days after today.
I'm using the down time to get my '79 ready for Spring when it gets here.
Just realized I have several pieces of hard sided luggage in storage.
Might have to get it out to see if they will work with the car. If so I can have them painted or covered in
matching interior leather for a "fitted luggage" look for the car.
Very much in-line with the "GT" image and exotic car standards of years gone-by.
Interesting conversation pieces if nothing else.
Then I'll have a place to carry my road gear and cleaning supplies incognito.
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The paint code sticker for my '79 is still on the back of the vanity mirror.
"Post Road Brown Metallic"
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I will gladly trade any number of our yearly 100+* days for your snow days any time!
I can put on enough to keep warm but can't take enough off to get cool.
In 1980 we had 45 consecutive days of 100* + weather. Hit 113* on 4 of those days.
A pocket thermometer in my hat band registered 120* on those days.
I was working on a project of 3 - 1,000" long x 60' wide warehouses with the nearest shade at least 1/4 mile away.
Average about 20 such days every summer. And more 95+ days than can be kept track of.
From late May through mid September it's just plain HOT!
Hello good A/C!
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My '79 has the tool pouch and came with wire hubcaps. No tools though.
I intend to correct that as I get the car ready for spring and road trips
and local cruise events.
In a side note while getting the jack and spare tire well ready for a spare, I found the
original lug wrench still in place in a recess in the trunk floor to the left of the tire well,
and covered with glued down original factory shag carpeting
Never used. A little rusty but still there.
Who knew.
I found a 1.5 ton scissor jack at Harbor Freight for $20. Perfect.
I did have to modify a longer jack handle I had on hand as the one that came with the jack is only 20" long.
Now I have one 40" long.
Another "find" was a piece of masking tape on the underside of the tire well cover adjacent to the jacking instructions
with the numbers "2897" on it.
And the same numbers written in grease pencil on the underside (trunk side) of the rear package tray.
This car is so original and pristine I am amazed that it is 36 years old and still so well taken car of..
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Another 3" of snow here overnight. Most unusual for Texas.
I like it!
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English Color found the code for my '79 in GM Post Road Brown Metallic.
An exact match. Give them a try.
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Our youngest son lives in Holyoke.
They have over 4' of snow on the ground still.
We got 2" of snow yesterday. The whole city shut down.
Schools closed early, businesses closed.
Over 500 wrecks in the area.
Interstate highways closed.
Hours long traffic tie-ups.
Winter Texas style. Another ice storm scheduled for Wednesday.
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Winter final hit here in the Dallas area.
Snow on Wednesday.
Freezing rain yesterday morning.
Snow again today and tonight.
More freezing rain tomorrow morning.
More ice tomorrow afternoon and evening.
Cold rain Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.
Shop time getting ready for spring!
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If yours is equipped with a clutch type of fan it may need replacement. They can be very noisy.
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Took the "cow catcher" off my '79. Mounted the Cibie lights to block-off plates on the 5MPH bumper ram housing ends.
Hand made an air dam/splitter mounted to the underside rear edge of the front panels. Bumper end to bumper end.
The center section hangs down 4" and is angled forward at the bottom app. 45*. The ends direct the rest of the undercar air
around to the bottom of the front wheel-well openings. Plenty of clearance, additional air flow, and looks great painted the body color
I also removed the grill and fabricated air block-off panels to direct all air from the splitter directly through the radiator.
The panels close off the open area behind the front panel from the grill opening up, completely forcing all the air across the radiator surface.
Painted semi-gloss black they are almost invisible too.
Will have to wait for summer to test but feel sure this will be an improvement. I've done this same thing on other cars I have owned
and it helped a lot each time.
Tried loading a pic but even on the smallest setting the file is too big.
I also rebuilt the rear springs. Using tires to get a 5* front "rake" to approximate the "Avanti Stance". The tires chosen leave a 2"
even gap between the tire circumference and the wheel opening both front and rear. And the bigger rear tires will help the 3.08 rear gear
get the car down the highway easier. Maybe even better gas mileage too, as if it matters much. A win-win situation for me.
I like my cars to "sit up on the suspension" with a modicum of "authority".
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
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I've been reading his column for years. The guy knows more automotive trivia than an episode of "Jeopardy".
I commend his taste regarding Avanti's.
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In the April '15 issue of Hemmings Classic Car magazine, on page 39, there is a reference to the Avanti.
"Probably the most famous resurrected car is the Avanti" as quoted by Pat Foster.
Not much but there it is.
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Post a picture if you can. We're all anxious to see your ride.
While you're at it, try to document everything you can about your car and improvements.
At least the next owner won't have to research everything possibly needed and you will know exactly what you have.
Things like parts numbers, purchase locations, dates of purchase, costs, copies of receipts, warranty info, etc.
I keep all mine in a 3 ring binder in plastic sleeves for easy reference. And in chronological order.
Guess I'm an organizational freak. Comes from my 47 years as a contractor.
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Heard from my mechanic yesterday. They have the MC in hand.
The OEM A/C compressor is leaking at the rear seal and needs replacing.
Otherwise the A/C blows cold and works great.
The best option speedo drive gear, a 34 tooth, is in hand too.
Had to get a new Group 26 battery yesterday too.
Best part is there is a 2 year full warranty on all parts and labor.
Might have everything buttoned-up and ready for pick up by weeks end or the first of next week.
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My point exactly Gunslinger. I want the spare to fit in the well with the lid latched.
I have a space-saver spare but the diameter is way to short for my usage.
Looking for something in the 24" to 25" diameter range.
I found that jack I referred to. It is a stand-up type, similar to a bottle type, but operates with a collapsible crank handle.
Should work in a pinch.
Great news YOGI. Mine is in the shop getting issues addressed so I can get it on the road this spring.
And yes, driving these cars invokes "the fishbowl effect" where every other car on the road gawks and stares
at what they are seeing. We can't be shy about it but must be aware of what others are doing for safety's sake.
I love it by-the-way.
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Found what I was looking for. The Bendix # 11515 is incorrect.
The correct one is Bendix #11642.
Or Wagoner # F75811
Or Raybestos # MC36248
Or NAPA # 101379 or 36249
Original application for late 60's to early 70's Ford and Mercury cars such as
T-Birds, Fairlane, Torino, and Marquis.
In a side note, my mechanic says that most 4 bolt mount master cylinders are for Mopar applications
and most 2 bolt mount cylinders are Ford applications, all generally speaking of course.
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I have the 14's. 15's around here are hard to come by. The 14's clear the brakes and all it has to do is
keep the car off the ground until I can get repairs taken care of.
And fit into the tire well.
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Thanks Gunslinger. Just as I thought, the bottle jack I have is short enough to fit under the car but subsequently
has a very short lift capacity, and a very short handle, so not very usable.
I have an old scissor jack on hand. Into the Avanti it goes.
Saw an original Avanti jack on ebay. Sold for $192.50.
I have found a 14" x 5" steel wheel to use as a spare. All I need now is a 24" to 25" tall skinny tire
so it will fit in the tire well. 14" tires are getting hard to find.
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Hey YOGI. You get that '79 home yet?
Question for you.
Does your car have the original jack and lug wrench?
Mine has a small hydraulic bottle jack that I don't think is correct.
What does your have?
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The car is in the shop for repairs. Got the speedo gear # figured out for my tire/axle ratio. Need a 34 tooth. Ordered.
Having an issue with the master cylinder. Needs rebuilding or replacing.
Can anyone confirm that a Bendix #11515 is the correct replacement for my '79?
My mechanic is somewhat stumped at identification.
Getting the A/C up and running too.
Spring is coming and I plan on running the Texas roads.
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So in some respects this is a pre-production manual. Cool. Rare even.
Useful? Not so much.
A survivor from the ravages of time.
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Very interesting indeed. Coincidence?
Post pics when you can. Congrats on the purchase.
I have a friend who lives in South Bend. He remembers going by the factory and seeing cars sitting out awaiting shipment.
No pics though.
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If you get the car the build sheet is readily available to confirm the car as-built.
My '79, #2897, was started on March 30, '79 and shipped out on May 24, '79.
So yours may be a late '78 build or early '79.
No way to tell without the build sheet as actual production was not necessarily by serial # only.
In an interesting side note, I am selling-off some of my collection of car parts.
An older guy came by Saturday for some parts and was astounded by my '79.
Says he never saw one or even heard the name before. He was seemingly impressed.
Just goes to show how unique these care are
Out of curiosity, what is the color combination?
Avanti Pouch!
in Avanti Trivia
Posted
Cleaver, Brad.