chuck
-
Posts
34 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by chuck
-
-
I put a Custom Auto Sound radio in when the original failed and put an automatic antenna in also. With a little creative wiring I was able to use the original wiring, eliminate the switch, and have the antenna go up and down when I turned the radio on or off or down when I shut the car off with the radio on and back up when I start the car if the radio is on. It is better than having to use the switch.
chuck
RQB-3553
-
Jim78,
What did you use as the vehicle? Mine is an 82 with a 305. The carb crosses to a van but I am guessing a Camaro setup would be more appropriate.
chuck
RQB-3553
-
Please do, I am interested in getting some replacements for my Avanti.
chuck
RQB-3553
-
The Studebaker International wing window dividers are duplicates of the original design with rubber cast over a metal bar. They must be riveted in place just like the original divider seals. This requires disassembling the door and pulling out the wing window assembly, drilling out the rivets, placing the new seals in place and then riveting them in place. I have about 85 of the rivets left since I had to buy a box of 100. I did this about 3 years ago-it was an all day job. They looked good and sealed the wind wings but did not last because the rubber is too soft (not the right durometer hardness). You can see the lip that seals against the wind wing completely broke off the rest of the divider in one of the photos of my initial post. Dan Booth (owner of Nostalgic Motors) has come up with a replacement that doesn't require disassembly of the door. One of them is shown in the pictures below. They appear to be a harder rubber compound than the SI seals-he claims they are the same as the originals and are the correct durometer hardness. To apply them you have to cut the old rubber off of the metal bar that is riveted to the wing widow frame-in my case now the SI metal bar. This took a couple of hours with a razor blade-tedious but not hard. You then glue the seals onto the metal bar with Gorilla Glue and clamp them until it sets-24 hours. The seals look correct and the wing windows seal nicely against them.
chuck
RQB-3553
-
I replaced the wind wing seals on my Avanti yesterday. The ones I got from SI three years ago and had to take the doors apart to install failed after 2 years. I tried the Dan Booth solution this time. It didn't require pulling the door apart but was still a bit of work. The finished product looks good-I hope they last for a while-he claims they will.
chuck
RQB-3553
-
My 82's paint job is pretty good and the car has been garaged all but 2 months of its life-I needed some working space in my garage so the Avanti spent some time outside. The paint is starting to crack around the edges of the hood opening and the edges of the hood. This is typical of old lacquer paint jobs. Also I am starting to see some what appears to be bubbling in various spots around the car. But for 35 years it still shines up nice. Considering doing some major sanding and repaint once I finally retire.
chuck
RQB-3553
-
Popeye Steve,
A rich running condition on Quadrajet (even the CCC one) is usually due to a saturated float. Get a fresh float and it should fix the problem.
chuck
RQB-3553
-
The weld on the vent fitting at the top of the tank had cracked and caused a strong gas smell inside my 82 when I first got it. I had the took out the tank and had it refurbished and coated inside and out. No smells since then.
chuck
RQB-3553
-
I've been out-of-town for two weeks and the Avanti has been sitting on the lift. I finally got back to the rear axle tonight. It has an inner seal and an outer seal. Had to tear up the seal to get it out, the outer race was loose in the housing. Everything was coated with differential lube and there was evidence that the bearing had been packed with bearing grease-a half moon of it around the top of the seal I mangled to get out. The shaft shows where the inner seal was running on the shaft. This does not seem consistent with what I have heard about 1982's. I would not have expected an inner seal or bearing grease. I have found a Spicer document on-line called X510-7, Front and Rear Axle Kits Miscellaneous Models 1979-1985 that has several pages specifically on Avanti rear axles and it shows both seals. It shows all the part numbers but has a note on the rear seal/bearings to consult the manufacturer! On facebook group, I got a referral to use a Spicer 706517X kit for the rebuild of the rear bearings/seals. This looks right in the pictures although it appears to have roller bearings-no big deal, I have replaced cone bearings with rollers on other cars. Working on an Avanti always results in a fun search for parts. I just wonder why everyone says the later years were lubed by the diff oil-while this one was for the last few years, it didn't appear to be meant to be!!!
chuck
RQB-3553
-
I will have to look, but there should not be an inner seal on this axle-it has flanged axles and the bearings are lubricated by the differential lubricant.
-
My 82's rear is leaking at the bearing seals, what are the proper bearing and seals for the Dana 44? Thx.
chuck
RQB-3553
-
Yeah, my front springs are original. I did cut back the wheel arch lip already 'cause it was hitting on hard bumps. I might have 215's on it now that I think about it.
chuck
RQB-3553
-
I plan on replacing the wheels and tires on my 82 with aluminum wheels, probably Torque Thrust wheels. I know this has been discussed before-what is the best width and back spacing to use. If I remember 6 inch wide with 3.5 inches of backspacing? Running 205/75-15s now-not much room for anymore up front.
chuck
RQB-3553
-
Spent the afternoon replacing the power antenna on my 82. Got a replacement from Amazon that looked similar. However, looking similar doesn't mean much. First the mount for the body was just barely bigger than the hole in the body-played around and found I could use the old antenna's mounting plate on new antenna. However, the antenna then sat too high and it's mounting bolt would bottom out before tightening on the body. A trip to the old bolt/nut/washer collection turned up two washers that took up the space perfectly. The antenna looks like it was always there. Then I got into the electrical hookup-my car had a switch on the lower left of the dash that controlled the up/down of the old antenna. Even though the new one used three wires like the old one, there was no way to get the old circuitry to operate the new antenna. A few years ago I put a Custom Audio Sound radio in the car and I remembered it had a wire for antenna control I didn't use. pulled the tray in the middle of the dash out and there was the wire. I jumpered it over to the old antenna switch. I decided to repurpose the wires in harness at this point. Hooked the yellow 12volt wire to the brown with white stripe to power the antenna,and the yellow antenna control wire to the blue with white stripe. At the back I hooked the antenna to the appropriate repurposed harness wires and use the old ground that was back there. Wahla!. I turned the radio on and the antenna went up-turned the radio off and the antenna went down. I took the old switch out and taped up the unused wires, prettied up the wiring and called it a successful day!!!
chuck
RQB-3553
-
I used a Dorman 742-251 and a Dorman 742-250 (opposite sense). Once you get them you can easily see what has to be cut away-don't worry, the shaft is the same diameter as the old Avanti regulator and the gear meshes perfectly. It took me 15 minutes per regulator to make the modifications. Used two 7mm bolts from Lowes to hold the new motors on. They work absolutely outstandingly!
chuck
RQB-3553
-
By last winter both of my 82's windows had stopped all together. I removed the regulator mechanisms, modified them with a dremel and replaced the old motors (both of which had cracked magnets that stopped them from turning) with Dorman motors out of a Ford truck for $35 apiece, cleaned and regreased the regulators. The gears and bushings in the regulators fit the Dorman gear and shaft perfectly. No wiring changes were necessary except to put new connectors on the Avanti wires. The windows work like a charm now.
chuck
RQB-3553
-
Sorry I am late with a response but I recently put a set of JW Speaker knockoffs in my Avanti II. They plugged right into to the connector. I did have to enlarge the hole in the rear of the headlight bucket about an inch. Since these are supposed to last for 50,000 hrs of operation, I don't expect to have to replace them ever. They throw a very bright white pattern that is much better than the SilverStar's pattern that I had in the car. I am very pleased with them and night driving is a pleasure. I even got rid of the driving lights that were hanging below the bumper as they didn't even show up with the LED's on. Another benny is that they throw all that light and draw half the amps that the conventional lights drew.
chuck
RQB-3553
-
It's time to replace RQB-3553's radiator. I recored it 16 years ago but now it really needs to be replaced. What's the best bet for a new radiator-I can handle fabrication of brackets for mounting?
chuck
RQB-3553
-
I had a gas tank rebuilder in Pa. repair and coat my tank internally and externally a few years ago. It was a couple of hundred dollars. They can restore a tank in any condition (even essentially rusted away). I don't remember their name but I found them through an online search for gas tank rebuilding.
chuck
RQB-3553
-
The fiberboard panels in mine were in decent shape so I cleaned the remains of the old foam seals off, Thompson's water sealed them, and then glued new seals to them. I found the seals at Studebaker International under "cowl seals"-even they didn't know what they were called when I talked to them though they knew they carried them! They are working fine now.
chuck
RQB-3553
-
I know on my 82 the rear brake shoes are the same as a 78 Chevy C-10 Pickup. I don't know about the rest of the hardware.
RQB-3553
-
Does anybody sell new seals for the air vent doors in the front footwells? Mine are leaking badly and the air coming out of those is cold in the winter and hot in the summer!
chuck
RQB-3553
-
A number of years ago I looked up the number of the carb on my 82 to determine what the carb was built for-a Chevy Van with an automatic!
chuck
RQB-3553
-
Make that RQB-3553
OEM versus Vintage Air - who has experience?
in 1965-83 Avanti
Posted
Jim78,
I was asking for "How did you specify the compressor you needed?" They don't list Avanti's on their site. Was it equivalent to some type Chevrolet or did you talk to them with the compressor model number? My compressor is in the same location.
chuck
RQB-3553