Nelson

Wow. That’s impressive. You are a die hard.🙂🙂

Sounds like a good plan to me. It is all personal preference as to stick or automatic but the overdrive just changes the entire driving experience to the positive. As for expensive: I figure the older you get the richer you are as you have less time to spend it. Just do the OD automatic and enjoy it. That 3.92 axle would be just about perfect.

Ed. Too bad tires can’t talk as I think this tire could have a lot to say. If you look at the tracking surface it is worn to the thread then there is some rubber then worn to the thread again etc. I think since it isn’t an even wear all the way around that what we see was caused during one of the out of control slides, some were a mile or more long, that happened on the wet salt. Instead of rolling wear you see the tire quit rotating and the rubber was quite literally being scuffed away as the car was moving 90 degrees to the direction of the tire. I think stuff like this is just too interesting.

Talk about sealing head gaskets. Have you ever tried pulling the heads off a virgin R3. You would almost think those heads were welded on the block! R3 head gaskets have always been hard to find even in the mid seventies. I was told by Miles Walker to just grease the head gaskets instead of a sealant so you can actually reuse them. I’ve done this several times and haven’t had any problems. Evidently Joe Granatelli told Miles to start doing that as the gaskets were getting in short supply.

Dwight. Ted Harbit had a source for replacements so I assume that information was passed onto Phil when he picked up the business. Have the heads ever been off your R3?

Brad. It looks like these heads had the original type head gaskets judging from the print left on the head face. Are these available?

That could be or the other possibility is I’m wrong.

Craig.didn't Brooks Stevens deign one or more of AMC’s larger cars? I remember the passenger door on the two door car was longer than the driver’s side for ease of entry into the rear. Novel idea and practical. Maybe this was the Pacer but I seem to remember that on a larger AMC model.

I remember the energy crisis was the ultimate nail in the coffin. The Wankel is inherently inefficient from what I remember. What I meant is AMC and Studebaker both got blindsided by GM. No real fault to GM just how the chips fell. It is/was a competitive industry.

Wasn’t the Pacer another Brooks Stevens design? It was an interesting car. We called them fish bowls back in the day. I do think stuffing that 250 inch(?) in-line six in it didn’t help matters at all. I guess the scenarios are similar to the Avanti though. GM introduced the 63 Corvette which screwed up the production of the Avanti potentially killing the car and GM pulled the Wankle engine intended for the Pacer at the last second which forced a crude redesign of of the Pacer to fit that long, heavy six cylinder.

I think it is but it very well was the same Avanti, R5642. I know it saw two auctions just not sure of others?

Cement in the exhaust system, that’s interesting.I guess a lower c/g would make the car more stable at high speed? More weight is good for high speed sustained runs.

Ed. I looked for evidence of an X member being removed and couldn’t find anything. I think the car was made intentionally without it. I also can find no witness marks where it had the weights in the front part of the front fenders. I believe the record book was consulted and this car was made as light as possible and was dedicated to shorter runs and all standing start records. Normally weight is good at Bonneville but not for the case of short standing start type records.

Brad. Did you find anything wrong?

I remember a story from back in the late 60s or early 70s and I think Bob Andrews (?) substantiated it. Back when Studebaker was keeping the Avanti top secret they evidently had a prototype at Molded Fiberglass in Ashtabula, Ohio. The car was taken off premises for a joy ride by some of the engineers. They lost control running through a farmer’s fence significantly damaging the car. I guess it created a lot of ruckus at MF and at Studebaker. The car was quickly towed back to MF before the news media or passer byes could photograph it. Does anybody remember this tale that might shed more light on the event?

I first saw it at StuV products about fifty years ago. Chis Banke owned it then. He sold it to Lionel Stone who sold it to Paul Wolfe who sold it to me. It was pretty much intact when Paul bought it. He sent it out for a total restoration which was a failure. I bought the car in peace’s about twenty years ago. I pretty much started over on the restoration as the shop doing the work was way over their head.most of the parts were there but fortunately I had two other cars to go by to help in the correct reassembly.

Thanks, Ed. I know some of them would not have made it if I didn’t latch onto them. I’m glad I did it. I’ve attached a few more photos, one of the over size fuel tank and one of the engine induction system. Joe Flannery nicknamed the engine a kamikaze engine as it has no air cleaner and was meant to run at full capacity with fingers crossed.

The wheels are actually olive drab. I painted them a week or so prior to the show. They do look black but aren’t. The rim and spokes should be bare magnesium but I just didn’t have time to get that done. I was trying to squeeze those 60 year old Allstate tires on the rims on a warm day plus a few hundred other things in order to get it to MCACN. As shown, the engine was not running but is very close, no fluids in the trans or rear end, no brakes and still no top canvas. But the car put on a good show. If I was a millionaire bringing it to Bonneville for another run would be a lot of fun. I really doubt Hot Rod would have an interest though. I’ve approached them multiple times concerning the R3 Daytona they road tested in the Jan , 1964 issue and the attempts all fall on deaf ears. They should start thinking out of the box but they just don’t.

Here are a few interesting photos of the 64V1001 R3 Bonneville car. Large fuel filler opening for rapid filling, twin fuel pumps, 1 inch vent lines exiting at tail lights, original one off Allstate racing tires(originals), extra instruments, original wrinkle finish roll bar, 8k tachometer and a 120 mph speedo. I guess it was too early for the 64 style 160 unit. The exhaust exits in front of the rear tire. It’s a pretty neat car.

Still looking. Any leads out there?

Yes the 65 and 66 flanged axles are a decent alternative to the tapered 44. I think the 64 and earlier Dana 44 axles were 18 spline? and the 65 and 66 are 27 or maybe 29 spline. Also the Dana 27 and Dana 44 for 1965 and 66 share the same axle.

Probably a tough one to answer. The newer assembly i an sure has more splines but the R3 may be bigger in diameter.

I know on the R3 prototype and I believe the Bonneville Avantis that cross brass was cut out for blower clearance. Then later it was redesigned with the relief for the blower hose incorporated in to it. I think that is right. If so, I don’t think it was removed for the R3 install unless the plenum hit it?

I kind of agree with Gunslinger. The 63 is more sporty and the 64 more eloquent. The round light cars look masculine, brutal, and somewhat more correct. The squares lights look more refined or polished. What it boils down to for me is having both and then it doesn’t stop there. Then it’s color combinations and power trains, It just doesn’t stop. The cars aren’t cheap but they really aren’t expensive in comparison to similar collector cars. Garage space seems to be the limiting factor or maybe the wife.

Looking for any amount of original upholstery vinyl material in orange/tangerine or any seat skins, seats or panels.