Footer
-
Posts
146 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by Footer
-
-
I went to the local Pull and Save and bought a quadrajet and Intake manifold off a 1976 Chev 4x4. $20. A local retired Napa guy rebuilt the carb for $100. The electric thing on my 83 hasn’t given me much trouble other than it seems to run rich. We’ll see how it turns out. Mike
-
Give Dan Booth at Nostalgic a call. He likes the look and has done it to the later cars. 248-349-4884
-
My 64 Daytona R1 4 spd had a tach and a 160 mph speedometer. Funny an R2 wouldn’t. Mike
-
Welcome Glennon
In Washington State one can license their older vehicle as a “collector’s vehicle” and only a rear plate is required, while the average vehicle must display front and rear. The collector vehicle classification does limit the use of the car-it can’t be used as a daily driver. Check your state regulations for how you intend to use your car
Also, check this recent link. Mike
-
The Avanti Stiletto
-
In Washington State I have a collector vehicle plate, a one time purchase that goes on the back only. There are restrictions so it won’t work for a daily driver. Looks like Maryland has an “historic vehicle” category but your car has to be fifty years old. The Chevy dealership I worked at in college used dealer plates with springs and clips the hooked on the rear bumper, never tried it on the front but it could probably be done to withstand the wind.
I agree the Avanti looks better without the front plate. Mike
-
Looks like a good candidate as a museum piece.
-
That’s going to look nice. Mine are already cut, just need to bend the instrument panel and of course the gauge removal. Thanks.
-
R2W, I’m thinking of changing my yellowing and peeling brushed aluminum dash and console to the 83 black 20th anniversary style. Any tips you want to share? Did you have to bend the dash piece or was it already bent? Thanks, Mike
-
Not only would a six not have fit the performance image of the Avanti, the length of the engine would probably been an issue. They might have had to mount the radiator on the front bumper! Mike
-
Good rant Wayne, I agree! Mike
-
I love the “sloper” in my 81 4x4 stepside, but I can’t imagine having one in my Avanti! The decision to use the SBC made sense at the time and turned out to be probably the best choice as years went by as folks had lots of options to upgrade their engines. Mike
-
If you are worried about a judge that probably couldn’t decipher what was original throughout an Avanti II anyway, leave the black cover on for the judge, then put your chrome cover back on so you can enjoy the look the other 99.9% of the time! I agree with Jim and Gunslinger. Enjoy your car the way you like it. Most people don’t know what an Avanti is anyway, let alone what air cleaner it had. Mike
-
I’m 6’5”, so I sit so high in most rigs the rear view mirror interferes with my view out the windshield. The only thing a low mirror does to me is block the view of the hood. I’ve thought about lowering the one in my 83. Make sure you get it where you want it when you glue on the new mount, that glue grabs quick!
-
I was introduced to Studebakers in the late sixties when my folks bought a 56 Sky Hawk as an extra car. I’d never heard of an Avanti, but after I did I was smitten and followed the car through the Newman/Altman years, then through Blake and Kelly I would read the brochures and articles of how the Avanti was different from factory built cars, that the assemblers took their time to make everything just right when they put them together by hand. Although quality was advertised, it sounds like it wasn’t always the result. I finally bought mine two years ago, 1983 RQB 3771. It is about the end of the line for the chrome bumper era, the style I like the best. I enjoy mine and hope you find one that brings you pleasure. Good luck with your search, Mike
-
According to Bob Johnston’s registry, my 83, RQB 3771, once had a blower. It wasn’t on it when I got it and I have no history on it. A crate motor might be more practical but a supercharger on an Avanti is kind of neat! Mike
-
Randy gave his location as “Spokanish”, maybe it’s the same car. Mike
-
I had corrosion in my positive cable running across the firewall to the starter. Couldn’t see it under the insulation but a new cable made an amazing amount of difference when it started the car. Mike
-
Just out of curiosity, what’s the difference between the 259 and 289 -bore, stroke, or a little of both? Be interesting to see what, if any, machine work was done since it’s supercharged. Mike
-
At 6’5”, the rear view mirror in my Grand Cherokee blocks out a large part of my front view out the windshield. I have to duck a bit when approaching intersections. That doesn’t seem safe to me. I have thought about lowering the mirror on my Avanti since I would rather be able to see traffic than the hood. I would think unless you are going for show points put it where it works best for you.
The best thing about the cold is when it starts to warm up! We’ve been pretty lucky so far this winter in eastern Washington. Mike
-
Nice pic Brad, what LEDs did you install and how do you like them? Mike
-
Avanti Magazine says September 4th - 6th, 2019. Mike
-
My 83, RQB 3771, is on Bob Johnson’s registry with some very interesting pictures of it’s early life, including a supercharger on the 305. Wish I knew more about it’s history. Lots of changes over its life. No more supercharger, no more wire wheels, moonroof, luggage rack or red dash. Dan Booth said there was no build sheet available for it. A turbo would be novel but you wonder if you would get a better bang for your buck with a crate engine. Mike
-
On my 83 (RQB3771) the three under dash toggles are power antenna, door locks, and interior lights. Console left to right are left window, de-icer, auxiliary lights, and right window. All the switches are the same so I’m thinking they are factory, but with all the changes this car has gone through in its life it’s hard to say. Mike
Worth Repowering my 1991 Convertible?
in Avanti Pub
Posted
I guess a question I would have is at what point does the “make it special” factor get outweighed by the cost factor? My 305 certainly is no hot rod, but I wonder if the cost of an LS vs a crate 350, say 330 hp or so would make it that much more fun. Kind of limited by tires, suspension, and brakes at some point, but a LS would look good at show. I realize there is probably no right answer for this, but how about some of you with high hp conversions weighing in if you feel like you got a good bang for your buck. Thanks, Mike