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Desert Driver

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Posts posted by Desert Driver

  1. Ground floor would probably be too dirty and dusty. Upper floors would dictate more TLC when moving bodies downstairs. So my guess is the 2nd floor.

     

    Unfortunately not enough cars were assembled to meet dealer demand regardless of where they were built.

  2. 8 hours ago, Avanti83 said:

    Because it's SBC powered it probably has a TH350/400 trans in it. If so, a 700R4/4L60 or 2004R (overdrive units) should knock about 8/900 rpm off it. My 83 came with a 700R4 OEM.

    You would need to add a TV cable, modify the rear trans mount (move) and shorten the drive shaft.

    All of that is correct. Took out my Borg Warner automatic boat anchor and went with a 700R. At 70mph I'm doing about 2100 RPM..a lot more civilized!

  3. 7 hours ago, Jred said:

    I think I’m getting to my wits end with not having an illuminated dash, well only the tach and clock light up. Looking under the dash it looks like pulling the dash maybe the easiest route, is that correct?

    Don't recommend pulling the dash...that's a BIG project. I've had luck by removing the driver's seat and laying on my back (with plenty of foam rubber support) to access the gauges. You can also pull the radio speaker and get some of them. Nothing about this job is easy as the instrument panel was assembled on a bench, then installed in the car. Being a contortionist is also helpful!

  4. Whoa...that is something else!! Aint your grandfather's Lark frame doing the heavy lifting. Suspension looks really good, and the modern steering will allow you to power through all the turns at optimal speed. Are those new hog troughs I see? More photos, please....lovin' the stance you've given it!

  5. Agree wholeheartedly with Gunslinger, your library should include multiple books by multiple authors regarding Avanti.

    One of my favorites is by Studebaker archivist Andy Beckman, "Studebaker's Last Dance: the Avanti". The photographs and inside information are incredible due to Beckman's access to Studebaker documents and photos. Especially noteworthy is Chapter 6: Paradise Lost, which details reasons why Studebaker shuttered South Bend, thus ending Avanti production. 

    A freebie that makes for interesting reading is The Lamberti Papers - notes taken by Dr N.A. Lamberti, VP of Operations: https://studebaker-info.org/Lamberti/lambertipagesintro.html This voluminous document (depressing at times) is one of many tasty treats on Bob Johnstone's excellent web page: https://studebaker-info.org.

    Happy viewing! 

     

     

  6. Looks to be spring loaded and perhaps part of what kicks the lighter out when the element gets hot. The diameter of my original socket was too big for devices that plug in for juice (battery charger, air pump, etc) and wouldn't make a consistent electrical connection. Replaced the whole thing with a new socket and lighter from Amazon - did the trick.  

  7. On 9/16/2021 at 6:01 AM, tanda62 said:

    Thanks Leo.  Looks like you have the same bolts in place where the seat belts attach.  I am having a heck of a time getting them out!  Persistence is needed...

    Tom

    I suspect these things were put in with LocTite or a similar product. I was able to get mine out with massive quantities of PB Blaster and a beater bar - don't attempt it with a socket wrench. If you can get it to move a 1/16 of an inch either way, keep at it. That slight movement will allow the penetrating oil to seep down the threads. Do NOT use a blow torch to heat the bolt head - fiberglass and open flames are a deadly combination. Persistence and patience will do the trick!

  8. I applied HushMat as well as carpet pad to minimize noise and vibration from the rear bench seat springs. HushMat sticks to any clean surface, and the padding is held in place with Scotch Super 77 adhesive. Padding is on the fiberglass cover over the fuel tank, and on top of the driveshaft tunnel.

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  9. Hopefully that filter is catching all the rusticles from the old sender! It's a lot easier to work on the fuel tank by removing the rear bench seat. Another issue I had was the misalignment between the filler tube and the tank itself. A rubber hose is used between the two, and if it's not perfectly aligned, gasoline pumped into the tank will backflow and shoot out over your car. I was able to loosen the clamps on mine and rotate the hose, but sometimes it's a real booger to rotate. Keep up the good work!

  10. Having gone through my power windows, I strongly suggest you purchase a new spring. There's a better than 50/50 chance of burning out the motor if you don't have the spring doing the heavy lifting. Its sole purpose is to assist the motor when you raise the window. The glass is heavier than you may think. When you lower the window, gravity helps to wind the spring. Removing a window is a real pain...but you'll find it a lot easier to repair the lifting mechanism with it out of the way. 

  11. If you can get past the constant mispronunciation of Studebaker, this one is pretty good! The Loewy quote about going from zero to zero in 12 months is one I hadn't heard. And Egbert's mandate to VP Engineer Hardig is comical. Wish this guy would do a new voice over to correct his mistake (I'll let the Brigette Bardot faux paus slide).

     

     

  12. Getting side to side window wiggle on my '71. Check out the videos and suggest where I should start on this project. The felt in the window track is at the end of its useful life. But even with new felt, there may be something else going on. Window raises and lowers just fine, and the only noise is from the lift motor. Once the window is fully up, there's no wiggle. 

  13. My '71 has an AMC column, but that may not be the same as yours. Dan Booth of Nostaglic Motor Cars may be able to tell you based on your VIN. Newman Altman used whatever was available on the shelf, so there are differences and darned little documentation. Like they say, no two Avantis are the same!

  14. 12 hours ago, tanda62 said:

    The headliner looks great.  What sound and heat proofing did you install?

    Thx!  It's Noico Red 150mil from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TKXCN6F?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

    Not only does it reduce heat transfer, it also has sound absorption qualities. Very easy to install (press and stick) and the adhesive is super strong. Before it got blistering hot here in Phoenix (116-118 degrees), I took temperature readings in the car before the new headliner was installed. 135 degrees at the roof, 115 degrees at the roof with the Noico material installed. While the original headliner was glued to the roof, the new fiberglass headliner "floats" and is not attached to the roof. With insulation and dead space between the roof and the headliner, the temperature split will probably be greater!

     

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  15. On 6/14/2021 at 8:42 PM, 1inxs said:

    Nice follow up to a super helpful post. Your headliner looks fantastic, Nice Job!

    Thanks...the original headliner was shot after 50 years. In spite of the complexities of the installation, this job brought a lot of satisfaction.

  16. Took a while, but I finally completed the installation of a new fiberglass headliner for my '71 Avanti, and it looks great! There are two panels - front and rear, with the roll bar separating the two. I used a thin rope to pull the rear window seal over the headliner, but could've used my finger as the seal was quite pliable. The roll bar cover was coming apart after all the years and heat. I basically rebuilt it using existing parts, silicone adhesive, Gorilla Glue tape, and straightened all the clips that hold it to the roll bar. Crash panels (above driver and passenger windows) required all new clips. The rear headliner panel was a challenge...the curl in the fiberglass had a mind of it's own. Plus it had to be shortened front to back by about an inch. Cutting fiberglass with a sharp pair of scissors while maintaining the radius for the rear window was a challenge. The last photo is of the fiberglass I cut in order to install the rear headliner (front headliner fit perfectly). On a difficulty scale of 1 to 10, the front panel was a 6 and the rear was an 8. After the installation I wrote recommendations to the instructions that came with the kit. If you want to tackle a project like this...go for it! You'll really like the finished results. And I'll be happy to share my recommendations.

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  17. I recently purchased the fiberglass headliner kit from Meyer's Studebaker. A perfect match to the checkerboard headliner that was installed in my '71 Avanti. The headliner is not rigid, but very flexible and doesn't require adhesive. As far as the safety of fiberglass in the interior...guess what? The whole car is made of fiberglass, so what's the big deal? My two biggest challenges on the project so far are removing the crash pads over the driver and passenger side windows, and scraping off the adhesive used in anchoring the headliner (sound and heat proofing coming). The crash pads are attached to the body with five metal clips per side - I broke nine of the ten clips getting the pads off. Fortunately Meyer's Studebaker has them in stock. Two surprises - finding another North American Rockwell sticker above the rear window, and the hand written color choice for the headliner on the back side. This is a work in progress, so I'll post additional photos.

     

     

     

     

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