scottgriggs
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Posts posted by scottgriggs
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Jay doesn't seem to like Studebakers.
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According to a passage in the Lamberti Papers (https://www.studebaker-info.org/Lamberti/lambertipagesintro.html), Studebaker was forced to install quiet tone exhaust systems on Avantis bound for New Jersey, due to complaints about the noise level of the standard exhaust. There is some mention of how they would handle that, as the quiet tone exhaust was an extra cost option.
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No wonder there were no customer-ordered R3 Hawks.
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Is there a photo of what that looked like?
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I will say white.
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I agree with WayneC. I have had this happen on a brand X vehicle and became aware of it because of a hissing noise when actuating the brakes. The fluid leaking into the booster created an audible vacuum leak.
Scott Griggs
Louisville, KY
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I'll say 4) 14.6 mph
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3) D'Arcy Agency Photos?
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I'm not sure hood clearance with the small block Chevy was the driving factor for eliminating the rake and changing the stance of the Avanti II. What I have read suggests Newman and Altman didn't like the nose-down attitude of the Studebaker Avanti and felt that it was unbecoming for a personal luxury car. I have seen enough Studebaker Avanti's sporting engine-swapped small block Chevies to think the hood clearance issue was not the real reason.
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It would be nice if the SNM could get the #22 car loaned to them for display from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum. I'm pretty sure I have been to the IMS museum and not seen the #22 car on display every time. If they take it out of rotation, send it to South Bend!
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I was just looking through some references I have. In the 1963 SAE paper on the Studebaker Avanti, the front wheel rates are given as 100 lb/in for the standard duty springs and 130 lb/in for the optional heavy duty springs. I also found a Car Life road test of a 1969 Avanti II in which the front wheel rate was listed as 116 lb/in. So that suggests the Avanti II springs were at least as stiff as standard Studebaker Avanti springs, if not slightly stiffer. It’s possible that Avanti Motor Corp developed their own front coil spring for the Avanti II, and if that is the case, they could have adjusted the free height to produce the same curb height even with the lighter Chevy engine. Unfortunately, I’m not aware of any Avanti II parts catalog or service manual that would provide that answer (I think the early Avanti II’s were overall so close to Studebaker that they relied on the Studebaker service manuals).
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Thanks, guys. Here’s another question for you. A small block Chevy with cast iron heads (like the 327 and 350 engines used in early Avanti II’s) weighs on the order of 100 lbs less than the Studebaker V8 (maybe closer to 150 lbs if the Stude has a supercharger). If the same front springs were used on Avanti II’s, with the lighter powertrain and a single front wheel rate of 100-115 lb/in, the front *suspension* ride height would be about 1/2” higher on the Avanti II than on a Studebaker Avanti. That would be on top of whatever rake adjustment was achieved by shimming the body.
Does anybody know if early Avanti II’s used the same front coil springs as the Studebaker Avanti with the standard duty springs (p/n 526135)?
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It is well known that Newman and Altman didn’t like the original Studebaker Avanti rake and thought it was inappropriate for their hand-built Avanti II.
Exactly what changes were made to the car to alter the stance?
I have heard mention of a “spring spacer”, and that would raise the height of the front of the vehicle by changing the front suspension ride height at curb condition (increase jounce travel, reduce rebound travel). If the front Springs were unchanged from the Studebaker days and the engine weight was reduced, it would have a similar effect of increasing the front suspension ride height. It would also be possible to shim the body to frame contact points (which would not effect suspension travel or curb height, but would increase the clearance between the engine and hood). Photos I have seen of Avanti II’s do seem to show limited air cleaner to hood clearance, however I have seen small block Chevies in Studebaker Avantis that clear the hood and appear to have the original Stude rake.
So, I’m curious if the rake change was made by changes to the front suspension ride height, body to frame shimming, or a combination of the two.
I appreciate your responses.
Scott Griggs
Louisville, KY
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Gunslinger,
Do you know how much your car weighed after your changes? Did you measure the front and rear weights?
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10?
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Thanks, Avanti83. I'm currently looking at RQA Avanti II's, but of course not every car has the color combination I like. So I'm thinking about what options would exist to change the interior.
Scott Griggs
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Thank you, gentlemen. Good information.
Avanti83, did you apply the dye to the carpet on the lower portion of the door panel as well as on the vinyl to achieve the color change?
Scott Griggs
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What options exist for changing the color of an Avanti dash pad? My preference would be a black dash. Obviously, dash pad replacement would do the trick, but I haven't been able to find and information on what is available and cost. Does anyone know?
Are there any other options for a color change? For example, I have seen dyes on one of the Stude parts websites. I'm not sure if that could be done, or if it would be a durable solution.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
Scott Griggs
Louisville, KY
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I saw this car in Louisville when it was auctioned in 1987. Don't know what it sold for.
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I was going to say 1977 also, because I had understood that the "donor car" started life as a 1977 model.
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Dec 9, 1963 is the date Studebaker Corporation announced the closure of the South Bend vehicle assembly operations.
August 16, 1987 is, I'm guessing, the date when it was announced that the Avanti factory in South Bend was closing with production being moved to Youngstown, OH.
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Wow, that was an expensive option in 1963. An R2 could be had for $210.
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On 2/4/2019 at 6:40 PM, PackardV8 said:
If the buyer wanted to pay for it, Paxton would send the heads over to Joe Mondello (RIP).
jack vines
Not much of an R3 without upgraded heads...
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Were the R2 heads ported?
Avanti Changes!
in Avanti Trivia
Posted
He didn't like the "II", the slow steering ratio (fast steering arms), the loss of the rake (partially remedied by smaller front/larger rear tires), the lacquer paint, and the 5 mph front bumper.