mfg
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Posts posted by mfg
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44 minutes ago, John Hull said:
When I have some spare time I will check the actual production records. Using a TW ad as a source is a new one on me and is dangerous to even reference because as Abe Lincoln said If its on the Internet it must be true
Regards
I know what you mean… I haven’t completely trusted ‘Turning Wheels’ since the powers that be changed the beautiful old Studebaker script SDC Wheel emblem to that ‘modern’ (??) abomination!
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1 hour ago, aardvark said:
just saying.
i've been out of body paint for a long time.. Still I know what it takes.
On my own vehicles I always had a bit more paint mixed than I thought would be needed for the job….That way possible future ‘spot’ repairs could be performed with the exact color on the car…. This philosophy has paid off for me over the years!
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24 minutes ago, Gunslinger said:
I doubt if Studebaker intended or cared about such issues so far into the future…there was never a thought about these cars still being on the road sixty plus years later. I doubt if any car maker did…any words to that effect were nothing but ad copy.
It’s neither here nor there… but for Studebaker to have to change over a ‘near bulletproof’ clutch release system, as found on, for example, a ‘63 G.T. Hawk, to a ‘complicated mousetrap’, as the Stude suspended clutch pedal system really is, was too bad….
I realize, of course, that the ‘thru the floor’ clutch pedal was considered ancient history and VERY dated by 1961!
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1 hour ago, wildfelr said:
RQB3263/81/305 OK .... EXPERTS... IS THERE A RELAY IN THE HORN SYSTEM?
IF SO THERE IS IT LOCATED?
HORN WORKS WHEN TESTED DIRECT TO THE BATTERY SO THE GROUND IS GOOD ALSO
PLEASE ADVISE
BILL IN FLORIDA ....85 DEGREES TODAY
Relay located under hood beside voltage regulator
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59 minutes ago, Nelson said:
No. It may have a 4 speed tag but I don’t think it does. It was a 259 three speed car (?) pulled from the assembly line and moved to engineering for installation of the R3 package. I imagine the car was pretty near completed when it was pulled. I know convertibles started life as a hard top then went to another area where the roof was cut off and convertible components added. I would think that would be Pre frame but i am uncertain of that.
I would love to have been a ‘fly on the wall’ watching THAT conversion!!
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13 minutes ago, stantheman said:
After about 60 years of wanting to get an Avanti I am in discussions to purchase a 1964 R2. At the moment this car undergoing a full body-off restoration. It is currently configured with an automatic transmission, but the restorer has all the either rebuilt or NOS parts to convert it to 4-speed. My question surrounds the "feel". Does the 4-speed shift easily or does it require some effort? I've owned many manual transmission vehicles but I will be turning 70 this year and if the shifting requires effort I may just leave it configured as an automatic. With the car fully apart at the moment it would be easier to do the conversion. I look forward to hearing your comments.
The type of shifter to be used would have a lot to do with effort and feel… A Hurst shifter is much superior to the factory Ansen type……
Certainly a for speed manual is more ‘sporty’, however, the stock Avanti Powershift is really an excellent transmission… and I hate to say this.. but I think that us Avanti owners over 70 would probably be happier without having to deal with a clutch pedal!
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21 minutes ago, aardvark said:
Likewise MFG.
I was a Body worker and Painter. I hold to my timeline. The paint mix should be "in house or a match to the original car color ..I don't know, but a good Painter can blend. A mediocre one, maybe not.
Some colors are much more forgiving as far as blending paint goes than others… ‘Avanti Turquoise’, which the subject car is, can be a ‘toughy!
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1 hour ago, Hogtrough said:
I ended up ordering the Turner kit, which I believe uses GM calipers. Since I'm not going for 100% originality it seemed like a logical upgrade. After looking over the kit and its instructions and reading about some of the fine adjustments required for the the OEM brakes, glad I did. I just want something that is up to date and works well.
Good move!… The ventilated discs and the modern sliding calipers with larger pads are all DEFINITE improvements.
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1 hour ago, Guy said:
Id like to know specifically what are the weak points in the clutch pedal linkage?
Probably the biggest culprit is the adjustable clutch push rod which connects the clutch linkage bellcrank to the clutch operating shaft… proven to be too weak and actually bendable under compression when in regular use… even with a ‘normal’ pressure plate..
Another Achilles Heel is the clutch operating shaft’s outer support bracket, which is welded to the frame side rail…. That part has been known to weaken over time and tear off of the frame. (sometimes weld fails) This failure has shown up with normal and high performance pressure plates…..
Not unique to the suspended system, but sometimes showing up in all Studebaker clutch release systems are the pressed on release fingers, which are located on the release shaft and press against the release bearing, loosening and rotating out of position… These two release fingers should ALWAYS be electric welded to the release shaft whenever a clutch job is done on these cars. (as a bulletproof supplement to the factory press fit)
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Wow!… Owned since new! I’ll bet you have some interesting Studebaker dealership stories you could share?
I also like the mirrors mounted on the doors… although I must admit that on my own ‘63 they are up on the fenders, where they were when I purchased the car thirty years ago….. (still trying to grow those four foot arms!!)
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3 hours ago, 63stick said:
I'm restoring one of my Avanti's. The factory shop manual says, It uses a 12 spring pressure plate with the 4 speed trans. Mine, which is all original has a 9 spring pressure plate. Later build, 63R 3186. I have heard there was some problems with the Z bracket welded to the frame with a 12 spring. Could they have changed them to 9 spring later on. I plan on putting in a 9 spring when I reassemble it. Not planning on Drag racing it. Was just curious.
I can tell you that when Studebaker went to a suspended clutch pedal, beginning with their 1961 Lark models, it wasn’t a great system… it unfortunately has a few weak points which have shown up over the years…..
I’d go with the lighter spring pressure plate if you don’t plan on drag racing… The clutch linkage in your Avanti will thank you and your left leg will thank you!!
Good luck!
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2 hours ago, aardvark said:
Again. a 2 hour fix.
People are getting anal about an emblem placement so I've said enough.
Easy to say “a two hour fix” however, as a former auto body shop technician & manager, I know how fussy folks can be about even the smallest details… and this askew Avanti nameplate IS NOT a small detail to a collector car owner… You should be able to comprehend that….
I’ve seen minor spot repair jobs on vehicles sometimes turn into complete repaints due to color variations that even an expert auto painter, who has mastered the art of tinting & blending, can’t overcome….
So please do not write off the work it would take to correct this nameplate error as a simple two hour job…. because you never know!….Thank you my friend!
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I believe that the lower crossbar on the shocks Dave Thibeault sells to fit ‘57 - ‘ 66 Studes have the correct ‘spread’.
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1 hour ago, grant mills said:
The alternative to the spacers is: remove the (wider) flange/rubber from the base of the old shock and use it to replace in the flange in the new shock. I had already tossed the old shocks when I learned this.
I hear you… however, removing the original flange/rubber from old shock for a re- install into the new shock is easier said than done. (but not impossible!)
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13 minutes ago, Geoff said:
Yeah, the two large American icons (Mustang & Corvette) get really wacky with their judging. On the Corvette forums, guys have altered the acronym NCRS which normally means National Corvette Restorers Society to Non-Correctly Restored Stingray, which was where I was going with my '69; most definitely not stock.
The poster's issue with incorrectly drilled holes in the fascia is an easy fix.
I enjoyed the fiberglass repair tutorial Mike & Mike (Avanti Restoration & Services) showcased at the 2012 SDC Int'l meet. Maybe they need to put on another one soon? Learning from them made repairing my crash of 1025 easier. We even removed one example of the old method to repair fiberglass. Bill Alderman (1st owner after the Granatellis) must've had a fender bender, as there was a thin galvanized steel plate backing inside the right front fender (at the vertex IIRC) and rivet locations were visible through the paint.
I've gained confidence to take on much of my current project DIY status, between what I learned in South Bend, and via the YouTube channel 'Paint Society' who has a closing tag line, "Don't overthink it, it's just paint." I take that to mean, "It's not something which can't be easily worked or corrected."
But, we need to remember that “ it’s just paint” can cost up to $800 per gallon for the good stuff, (plus catalyst & reducer. So it pays to get it right the first time in my book!
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35 minutes ago, wdaly said:
Let's see - that only leaves 26 or 54 and you said, "it would surprise". That could only mean Fifty-Four! 🤔
YES!….Kind of hard (for me) to believe … The info came from a 2012 for sale ad in TW… seller claiming his Avanti being one of 54 South Bend converts!
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38 minutes ago, Geoff said:
How about 3) 39?
Sorry no… not 39.
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24 minutes ago, Nelson said:
Bob. I never heard Studes were delivered without floor covering? I know seat belts were in the trunk in 1964. Are you sure you don’t have that crossed up? The carpets were installed with twist type nails to get a nice fit. The tool would have been air powered I would think.
I’ve wondered how much attention was paid to the occasional ‘streamer’ attached to a body tag screw….With the streamer, body tag, and firewall all painted the same color, and the bodies moving along on an assembly line,I’m sort of surprised those occasional steamer tags were noticed at all!
Did the ‘64 R3 Commander sedan have a streamer? With all of its special equipment one would think it would have!
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1 hour ago, wdaly said:
Hmmm. Many years ago at an AOAI national meet in St. Louis I was asked if I would sign-up for "The Judgement" as there were only four cars in my category and apparently they had 4 trophies - I hadn't prepared the car for scrutiny - guess who won 4th Place? I was so 'proud'! But, that's just me..........😀
Congrats wdaly!…. A win is a win… and it’s always nice to have your Avanti ‘recognized’!
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7 hours ago, Geoff said:
Oh, you mean before they were loaded up for Youngstown?
I shall take a stab at 1) 17.Yes Geoff… before Youngstown… but not 17!
HINT…. The answer might surprise you…It surprised me!
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36 minutes ago, Mark L said:
Regarding my response in post 3 above, this is a photograph of the production order that was found in the dashboard of our chapter member's 1961 Cruiser. In the bottom center it says "Production Order - Body Set". In the bottom right corner, it says "Instrument Panel Copy". This does not specifically answer the question in post 1 above.
Hmmm!…. I find this very interesting… Maybe I should have looked closer under Studebaker dashboards!!!
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33 minutes ago, regnalbob said:
So?
Re-read original question
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36 minutes ago, regnalbob said:
Studebakers except the Avanti were delivered to dealers without factory installed floor covering.
The carpet or vinyl was in the trunk with the sill plates and dealer installed.
Speaking of Avantis here.
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2 minutes ago, Footer said:
90% of people don’t even know what an Avanti is, let alone notice a slight curve in the emblem. Redrilling the emblem holes might require a spot paint on the nose which, if not done right, would be more noticeable. And an expensive venture. Most cars have bigger issues to worry about. Mike
Tell that to the judges at a national AOAI event (especially after you have spent $$$$ on a restoration of your Avanti)….COME ON MAN!!!!
Fitting a group 51 or 51R battery into a '63 Avanti
in Avanti Information
Posted
To me, there are three main reasons for making this battery modification…..
1) Taking weight off the front end of an Avanti, and placing it in the trunk…..improving weight distribution
2) Removing the stress of supporting a very heavy battery from a rather fragile and breakable fiberglass inner fender skirt
3) Leaving an obsolete and cumbersome 3EE battery with the John Deere folks, and moving to a much more common (and in my opinion more reliable) Group 24 style