Desert Driver
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Posts posted by Desert Driver
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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!
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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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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!
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The replacement sender should work just fine. Before installing it, test it using a multimeter. When the float is all the way up, there should be enough current to make the gauge read "Full". The sender aint high tech, and there are plenty of "how to" videos on YouTube.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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!
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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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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.
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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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Lew Schucart, editor extraordinaire of Avanti Magazine, can probably help you out: editor@aoai.org
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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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Hate to hear what happened, as you did your very best to prevent that outcome. I purchased a new windshield for my '71 about a month ago, along with the rubber gasket. While Dan Booth was willing to talk me through the job, I felt it was well above my pay grade. A shop mechanic gave me the name of a professional installer who did the job in my driveway. From start to finish, about three and a half hours and $300. Well worth it IMHO. The only problem was getting the new windshield out of the shipping box. The glass was wrapped in plastic, then they spray foamed up to the top of the box. No damage thanks to the excellent packaging, but a real pain to tear the foam out of the box.
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Three is the correct answer for the number of AVX's built. One coupe, one convertible and one T-top.
AVX 1 (coupe) is owned by AZ chapter prez Dale Sexton, who is the third owner of this stunning turquoise car. Dale has a lot of documentation on this car designed by Tom Kellogg, one of the original Avanti designers. Here it is alongside my '71 Avanti at a recent car show in the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix.
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I pulled my rear seat a couple of years ago and decided to add a little sound proofing to the divider. The original pad was pretty nasty and falling apart. So the divider got hushmat installed and I glued carpet padding to the divider. The dimensions of the old pad were used on the new pad.
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David Bass can most likely help you out. He restores wiper motors and knows all things wiring. He helped me out on my '71 (the switch is exactly like yours) Dave can be reached at 503-551-0453.
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The intensity of my speedometer bulb is not as strong as that of the tachometer and fuel gauge, making it difficult to read at night. Both the tach and fuel gauges are newer, and the markings are sharp with no yellowing. But the speedo is probably original equipment. Any suggestions on more illumination, other than replacing the gauge? And any advice on how to get to this bulb without throwing out your back under the dash?
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I just had the gear box on my '71 Avanti rebuilt - bushings were shot, which resulted in steering slop. This on the heels of a new rag joint, king pins (see photo below), and a rebuilt bell crank. But finally after almost four years, the steering is where it should be at all speeds!
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This could be a great way to kill time while we all social distance...Name the parts you see on Kodjo's floor! I'll get the ball rolling...I see a disc brake in the lower right hand corner, and a drum brake by those stacked tires.
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9 hours ago, Kodjo said:
Thanks for your reply! I also thought the hose does not belong there but was uncertain.
These tires are 27 years old. The car was on axle stands all this time. So, the tires are round and look very new. Will they be still safe to drive?
Papa needs to buy baby new shoes. Those oldies aint goodies!
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10 hours ago, ntenna said:
Toe-in and centering can be set from one location?
I vote for this guess...one stop centering, as opposed to going from one wheel to the other. Tighter quarters, though.
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Definitely doesn't belong in the tank. Only thing that comes to mind is a hose fell in when the tank gage unit was removed. I'd think if the hose is still pliable, it fell in later than sooner in the life of your car.
Your wheels and raised white lettered tires look so good on your car!
Studebaker Installation Instructions for Kit AC-3469 Air Conditioning Avanti Models 1963 & 1964. Maybe helpful for RQA Owners also.
in 1963-64 Avanti
Posted
And another piece of the puzzle falls into place! Thanks so much for posting this...I'll print and insert in my shop manual.