mfg

That’s what we’ve heard…However, I would not call that the reason Checker Motors was beneficial in the startup of Avanti Motors. Other thought on this brain twister??

No Checker fans out there??

If you say so bubba!!

🫩

Two different race Larks…. Two different owners…..Two similar engines….. I’m confused… however that is nothing new! I guess the answer to this trivia question is ‘Open To Interpretation’ !!

Why was Checker Cab Company a ‘lifesaver’ for the fledgling Avanti Motor Company in 1965?

Interesting!

Yes.. that must have been an interesting visit! Once again, the HRM article was very detailed, with various photos of Bergener’s Lark, including an overhead shot of the R4 engine which had the standard Stude Avanti side mounted Paxton supercharger, and a custom ‘Y’ that split the boost into the two AFB carburetors…I was thinking that’s how those three pistons got cracked!

Thanks Nelson… I was pretty sure we were speaking of two different Larks! Did you ever see the HRM article on Bergener’s car?

Hopefully this 1982 info fills in some gaps concerning B300… Rosters can be considerable work… For a time I was roster keeper for the President Speedster model… Starting with a prior roster that had about 185 cars in it, the Speedster roster had about 350 examples before I moved on!

Apparently, R5642 was ordered the way it was… a very expensive Studebaker Avanti… to try to recoup some of the investment capital loaned to a family member in an attempt to prop up a Studebaker dealership he opened. After Studebaker ended car production, ordering this car was apparently one way for the loaner to get some of his money back…. By ordering a new ‘very expensive’ Studebaker… at no charge.

We attended a ‘Cars & Coffee’ this Sunday morning in our ‘55 Studebaker President Speedster….. I think this is a great idea!… The show ran from 7AM till 11AM… and our Stude was back in the garage before the midday heat hit… leaving time to do other things later in the afternoon… My point is this… As I get older, attending a car show midday during the summer months, with the usual New England high temperatures and humidity, is something I’ve began to avoid over the last few years… My Avantis and other Studes are non-A/C cars!… So an early morning meet seems to me to be good way to ‘beat the heat’… (not to mention there being less traffic on the roads to contend with.) This summer it’s going to be Cars & Coffee for me !!

Studebaker Avanti seats?

Jim Bergener’s ‘60 Lark drag race machine was definitely not called ‘Studependous’! That name was written on the sides of the car, and featured in Hot Rod Magazine. I believe you are thinking of a completely different car that used that same name?

As an aside…. The Studependous Lark (with this R4? engine) ran like a rocket on rails! The car was written up in a period HOT ROD magazine, with photos. One of the photos was an overhead shot of this engine with the R4 dual quad manifold installed on it AND a Paxton supercharger. The supercharger boost was split to the carburetors with a custom made ‘Y’ adapter. Now, Mr. Bergener was selling this engine with three cracked pistons… and I’m wondering (and it’s only a guess) if he was running the 12.5 compression pistons and that Paxton blower… which would account for the Lark’s fast times?

Very interesting!! What I have is the ‘for sale’ ad which Mr. Bergener ran in 1982, in which he stated that B300 started life as a 12.5 compression R4… and he was offering it, (with it having three cracked pistons) and throwing in a complete Avanti R2 engine for $4,000… The twin four manifold and an R3 type carb air box, and a few other parts came with the deal. Once again….INTERESTING INDEED!!

Always thought a factory produced chrome bezel in there would have been a nice touch…. similar to what they did on the square light Avanti’s, but that never happened!

PS Ard…. Definitely no fuel pump inside tank.

Thoughts?… Guesses??

Are you referring to the top height of the seatbacks, or the horizontal height of the front & rear seat cushions?

I’m afraid that the fuel tank needs to be removed and cleaned… That ‘bottom dead center’ outlet really can cause issues like this.., However, it’s great to hear that your ‘400’ runs well… and it wouldn’t surprise me if the smoke clears up after a time!

Now I understand what you mean… I added up the year to year price increases over the four years and came up with $6,495.00…. Good ‘Sherlock Holmes’ work Bob… But I’m afraid you broke Stacey’s bubble!! 😉

It’s correct according to the page you posted Bob. (last paragraph) Do you mean I left FOB South Bend out of my text?

The R3 engine which is/was under the hood of Avanti R5482 was previously under the hood of the ‘Studependous’ drag race Lark….. That R3 engine (B300) started life as an R4 Avanti engine…… True?

Let’s toss you the trophy… Correct!