Gunslinger

On the ‘70 I owned I found replacements through Dan Booth at Nostalgic Motors. That was about fifteen years ago so I don’t know if that’s still an option. You might get the numbers off the lenses and do a web search which might bring up the original application.

Spacers were standard on cars with a/c due to added weight of the compressor. Avanti coil springs also have a tendency to compress with age and miles…contributing to the front suspension bottoming out and tires rubbing against the fiberglass. If the spacers are going to be reinstalled I would suggest new coil springs at the same time unless you know for sure they’re recent and not sagging.

If your car has cruise control…it may not work properly with LED brake lights.

There is a horn relay…probably under the hood but maybe under the dash. Try tracing the wire back from the horns to it…it will either be under the hood or the wires will lead through the bulkhead between the engine and interior. Don’t overlook the contacts and wiring in the steering column but the relay or the fuse (check the fuse box to see if there’s one located there) would be the easiest.

For the average Avanti a 200R4 is a better choice for an automatic than a 700R4. It has a better spread of gears and can be built to be stronger than necessary for the application. The 700R4 was designed for larger heavier vehicles and performance applications. My ‘70 had a 700R4 and the 1-2 shift was nearly immediate and very abrupt. It was far too easy to spin the tires in any gear. Another potential issue with the 700R4 is due to its bigger case…it often requires new neutral safety switch and backup light switch arrangement to be fabricated. There are differences in Avanti body dimensions so that need is not universal. A good transmission builder can take into account the engine size, horsepower and torque, cam specs, rear axle ratio, weight of the vehicle and build a transmission to make for a great driving Avanti.

More power also means more heat...something an Avanti already has issues with.

To be honest...I put EFI on my car simply because I wanted it. For as much as I drove the car it really wasn't cost effective. It did work great though. A carburetor is a much simpler way to go...and a cleaner looking installation as well. For a stock or near stock small-block Chebbie a 500 cfm carb is all you need. A 600-650 is fine as well is you re-jet it...it's a bit more than necessary as it is...unless you plan on spending time at higher rpms. For any Edelbrock carb without an electric choke you can add one...Edelbrock sells them separately.

Do you mean the proportioning block? It’s under the master cylinder…follow the metal brake line from the master cylinder to it.

Studebaker International, Myer’s Studebaker and Nostalgic Motors should all carry them.

I can’t remember the source but the information I had was that the #8 car was intended to do the record runs but the overheating issue relegated the car to photo and backup status and the #9 car was used to make the record runs. As far as streaming goes…the techniques used today such as air dams, spoilers and the like were all but unknown then. Besides…Studebaker probably didn’t have time and money for such things. The Granatellis went with known techniques that could be adapted quickly and cheaply. Racing teams today use computer simulations and wind tunnels to fine tune designs.

The #8 Avanti had an overheating problem.

Check with Jon Myer of Myer's Studebaker. Last I heard he had nearly a hundred reproduction headliners his inventory.

The headliner should be in the fawn color which I don't believe needs paint. If you want to paint it...the original fawn color is what you want.

Top post battery...group size 24...side-post battery...group size 74. There may be batteries today that replace those sizes or smaller with increased cold cranking amps. Check around for possible substitutions.

The latch assembly probably needs adjusting. The part the latch hook locks over needs to be moved upward and locked down in place. Or…do as many Avanti owners do…never…or rarely…lock the trunk. If you’ve ever had your release cable freeze or break you’d understand.

I saw that engine when it was rebuilt and is supposedly the original block and heads having taken some years to collect all the original or correct parts.

With an Edelbrock version of the AFB their manual calls for ported vacuum. I will assume the original AFB...whether Carter or Edelbrock...would be the same.

It’s not unusual for car companies to have multiple suppliers for many parts. It’s to insulate them against supply disruptions, strikes and the like. General Motors contracted with Carter Carburetors as a second supplier of Quadrajet carbs in case a strike by Rochester workers disrupted supplies. Something as generic as a jack is probably such a part. As long as it meets specs and an agreeable price can be agreed upon it can be purchased and used. Tires are another such product.

Does it have to be an original Studebaker supplied jack? You can go to Walmart, Pep Boys, Auto Zone or other store and buy a new scissors jack and handle pretty inexpensively.

Something to check...your front coil springs could be compressed and sagging. That's a common thing with Avantis with some age. If that's the case replacing them will cure your tire rubbing issues.

Here's photos of the Avanti I was talking about with the solid roof grafted on in place of the original with a sunroof. It was 2010 and the owner passed away not too long after.

It was a burnt orange 1985 Avanti if I remember. I may have a photo or two of it on my laptop…will have to look later.

I’ve seen an Avanti converted from a moonroof to solid. Unfortunately the owner passed away shortly after the conversion was done. He owned the body shop that did the work…which looked flawless once completed. If I remember correctly…he purchased a solid roof section from Dan Booth and the car roof was cut off and the new grafted on. I don’t remember whether the headliner was custom done or stock Avanti parts replaced the original. This was probably ten years ago…maybe more and I’ve no idea what happened to the car after his passing.

You’re better off replacing the speakers while your already there…you don’t want to pull the dark any more than necessary. Another tip…while you have easy access…replace all the gauge bulbs at the same time for all the same reasons.

Once the radio is out the speaker and grille can be taken out from underneath by removing four nuts. The speaker will drop down and the grille will then pull out from above. If you plan on replacing the speaker…two things to make sure of…get a speaker of the same impedance (ohms rating)…and get a speaker the magnet is not so big it hits the radio body.