Dwight FitzSimons

Correct, there were 9 factory R3 Avantis, but no factory R4 Avantis. Back in the late 1960s a local fellow had a crate R4 engine installed in his '63 Avanti. As I recall the reason he installed a hood scoop was for clearance (rather than just for looks). There was one R4-equipped Lark type. I believe that car survives. --Dwight

Back in the late 1960s a local fellow (central VA) had an R4-equipped '63 Avanti. The car went through several owners, and by the time the engine failed, ALL the rings were broken and two cylinders were ruined. Sunoco 260 was the only gasoline adequate for a 12.5 C.R. and not all of those owners knew (or cared) that the engine had to have a very high octane gas. But, to answer the original question, an R4 should beat an R3 to about 25 MPH, just as an R1 will beat an R2 to 25. The reasons are obvious. Above 25 the R3 will reel in the R4 pretty quickly, especially if the R3 has high output pulleys. --Dwight

Drain plug?

All 1964 Skybolt 6s had a breather cap intended for use with the mandated PCV system, i.e., with only two very small holes for pulling air IN. Probably most R3 and R4 engines had no PCV system, and so their breather caps were open. So, only the R3 & R4 engines with a PCV system would use a 1963-64 6-cylinder breather cap. AFAIK only the 1961-62 non-california Skybolt 6-cylinder engines had open breather caps. Those are the ones to look for at swap meets to chrome plate for an R3/R4 engine. --Dwight

The senior 1956 Packards came standard with a 374 engine. But, years ago, one of the Studebaker specialists (can't remember their name) in PA bored one out to 409 C.I. That would produce some torque! --Dwight

So, evidently, he wasn't fired for the altercation? --Dwight

Shimming up the body 1.5", in addition to using thinner motor insulators, is much more than necessary for the carb enclosure to clear the hood. Both of my R3 Avantis used only the thinner insulators and the enclosure cleared the hood. Not by much, though. --Dwight

"BUT...I have to ask.. If ZDDP is such an ''engine savior'' why then isn't it in ALL Motor Oils? " I suspect that zinc was phased out of motor oils for anti-pollution reasons. Zinc is a metal and is what pennies are made of (with a copper plating). We don't want to breathe fine particles of any metal. The engine experts at SDC recommend a motor oil especially formulated for older flat-tappet engines, such as ours. The example often quoted is Valvoline VR-1 Racing Oil, available in both mineral and synthetic. That oil contains sufficient zinc and is the one I use in my Studebakers (synthetic). A couple more oil companies have jumped on the bandwagon and are offering oils formulated for our older flat-tappet engines. See pix below: --Dwight

4) Champ pickup. Do these even have a headliner? --Dwight

Or, notice that the front of an R3 car sits a little higher than an R2 car. --Dwight

The crankshaft and rods interchange (maybe with some massaging). --Dwight

So, Egbert asked Clarence Francis to contact Loewy? --Dwight

A couple additions from my sometimes-faulty memory: 1) Albert Erskine bankrupted Studebaker by paying out dividends from corporate reserves until the reserves were essentially gone. He way underestimated the breadth & depth of the depression, 2) There's nothing necessarily wrong about coming up through the engineering ranks. 3) A missed opportunity for Studebaker was the departure of Peter O. Peterson (late '40s?). He subsequently turned one of the truck companies around in spectacular fashion. --Dwight

Is 15 pounds for just the glass itself or for the door glass assembly (with surround)? --Dwight

Well, using my skill gained on multiple-choice questions in college, I'll guess c) Two hundred. --Dwight