Gunslinger
-
Posts
3,671 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by Gunslinger
-
-
I bought a set of used Recaro's from a parted out Avanti for my '70. They needed foam and covering...the upholstery shop that did so supplied the foam. Whether they cut it from stock, used pieces or bought custom shaped foam I don't know...they simply look great. When I first bought them I checked with Recaro about sliders and bases and was told they were an obsolete seat so they didn't have bases but did tell me where I could get them (Wedge Engineering). I don't know if they would have foam or not, but an upholstery shop or supplier would be the best place to check.
Here's a pic of what mine look like after being redone...
-
I'm assuming you have the original Borg-Warner Power Shift automatic. Type F is probably the best choice...it will give you firmer shifts. Dexron will give smoother shifts, but I believe most will recommend Type F.
-
If you want to be sure the mix is right, get the pre-mixed coolant...already 50-50% right from the jug. A bit more expensive but also not with tap water with minerals and other chemicals not good for a radiator and cast iron engine.
-
It's pretty futile to try and decipher the production numbers of Avanti Motors. There are the numbers of cars built (completed), cars actually sold, and the VINs didn't always match the production and sales figures as cars didn't always get completed in numerical order of VIN. There's also totals of the model year vs. calendar year. Cars built to order could and probably were jumped ahead for completion as opposed to cars built on spec for inventory purposes. I believe all printed figures are accurate as far as they go, but there's several different ways of coming to those totals.
-
Are you sure it doesn't work or is it just not getting power? Use a test light to see if there is power in and out of the switch, and if so, is there power at the blower motor itself. If the motor itself is the problem, remove it and take it to an electrical supplier...maybe they can match it up with one that can replace it. It's probably a pretty basic 12v motor. The motor can probably be repaired by a shop that rebuilds starters, alternators, etc.
Lots of cars used blower type rear window defoggers during the '60s, so it shouldn't be difficult to come up with a replacement either from an electrical supplier or even a junkyard.
-
I don't know how you would specify a shortened coil as Studebaker vendors probably sell the stock spring and either don't have the equipment to shorten them or won't for liability reasons. A spring shop might as they can probably make you a spring to order. Maybe you should call Mike Myer at Myer's Studebaker...he's a racer and maybe he knows just what to do. The worst he can do is say no. It could be just eliminating the spacer at the bottom of each spring will give you the rake you want with no modification to the springs. I don't know if that's even proper to do from a safety standpoint. Maybe so...it could be it was cheaper for Studebaker to add the spacer than specify another length coil spring to inventory from the vendor when the Avanti was first designed. Maybe someone who has done just that can add their experience doing that.
Replacing springs is not a job for the amateur...you really need a lift and the appropriate equipment. The actual procedure isn't difficult but it's real easy to make a mistake and get hurt without the right tools.
-
The rake on the Studebaker Avanti and the lack of it on the Avanti II is a body orientation thing...not a frame or suspension thing. It's more correctly a matter of adding or removing spacers and insulators between the body and frame at the appropriate places to achieve the rake you want. It's easier to remove the coil spring spacers from the front, which some prefer to do. If that doesn't achieve the rake you want, you have have a spring shop shave or remove a coil from the springs. Avanti's through 1985 all use the same coil springs...R3 and R4's excepted. I don't know the difference in them...stiffness or spring rates maybe.
Over time the front coil springs on Avanti's have shown a tendency to compress with age. I wouldn't go with anything less than a stock spring rate. A spring shop can probably make you a set of coil springs to achieve what you want if you don't want a set shaved down. You can buy stock springs from any of the supporting Studebaker vendors or have a set made by Eaton Springs through their website. It's possible Eaton is the supplier for our vendors but I really don't know if that's the case.
-
There is no cross reference...it's Avanti specific and the only other cars that used that rotor were Studebaker Larks and Hawks that came equipped with disc brakes. You can buy new rotors from several Studebaker vendors like John Myers and Studebaker International. They run about $200 each.
I don't know what you'll gain by drilling or slotting them. There may be a good safety reason not to do so...they're solid discs...not ventilated. They may be by nature not thick enough to be slotted or drilled without compromising their strength. Generally, slotting is preferred to drilling since many times stress cracks will begin at the holes and could weaken the rotor.
If, down the road you decide to go with the Turner or Steeltech brake conversions, that would be a good time to use drilled or slotted rotors. An Avanti rotor is thin enough when within spec to possibly compromise its strength and safety.
-
Studebaker mechanicals present no problems...if a mechanic can work on any generic engine he can work on a Stude engine...no surprises. It's old technology and pretty simple. Studebaker engineering was very sound...particularly considering the slim budgets they had to work with. On some items they did the road less travelled in how they accomplished some design aspects...different, but not bad by any means. My own theory on that is since South Bend is outside the Detroit Big 3 sphere of influence, their engineers were less influenced by Detroit's group think and they came up with their own ways of engineering. Nonetheless, working on an Avanti presents some challenges, but those issues are generally Avanti specific, not due to weird or defective design. I think they started with a radio, speaker and wiper motor and built a car around them!
The interior...any good upholstery shop can deal with it. Find one that is familiar with old cars. Be careful...if I'm not mistaken, replacement of the rear half of the headliner requires removal of the back glass. If someone has figured out a way to accomplish that otherwise, maybe they can advise us. That's one of the ways an Avanti can be a real pain when dealing with.
The number one thing to do is obtain a parts manual and shop manual if you don't already have them. Reprints are easily available, and you can also buy them in CD form, though I find the actual books are easier to deal with.
Before you begin anything, put the car on a lift and check the frame and hog troughs (torque boxes)...if either is badly rusted you're looking a big expense and will have to decide whether the car is worth fixing. I know the car was your Grandpa's, so emotional value can easily trump financial value. Only you can make that determination. Nearly anything can be fixed...it's depends on whether it's worth the time, effort and expense to you. I'll never tell you emotional attachment isn't a solid point to consider. Some people look at things coldly and financially...some look emotionally for various reasons. It's your car, your money and effort. Just decide how important the emotional aspect is to you when you belly up to the bar and start spending money.
If the frame and hog troughs are solid...then you have a good car to start with. Feel free to ask questions here...lots of us here have experience in solving certain problems and sourcing parts. You'll find the parts network on mechanical parts for a Studebaker is excellent...lots of vendors who specialize in Stude parts and many also reproduce otherwise non-available parts. Some parts are just about extinct unless you can find a donor car...the back glass is made of "unobtainium" while brand new windshields are still available. Trim parts on an Avanti can be difficult and some easily found as they're standard Studebaker. It's the Avanti specific trim parts you may have trouble with. When my Avanti was being rebuilt there was only one mechanical part I was unable to find...the original part worked fine but was simply unsightly looking. A few pieces of interior trim were unavailable and the upholsterer handled it by fabricating...since then I've seen the parts come up on Ebay so they are out there. Sometimes it's just a matter of timing.
Keep us advised of how things are going and ask questions. Also be sure to take lots of photos of the entire rebuilding process...beginning to end. You can make a photo album for future reference. You'll be glad you did.
-
Use either DOT3 or 4 brake fluid. Avoid DOT5 silicone fluid unless you completely...and I mean COMPLETELY, flush out the entire brake system. DOT5 does not mix with DOT3 or 4 and creates many problems. In fact, it would be better to replace the brake lines, hoses, calipers and wheel cylinders if you want to use DOT5...anything that is touched by fluid. DOT5 does have some real advantages...it doesn't harm paint if it's spilled, it's not water based and won't absorb moisture so corrosion is less an issue, but as I said, it doesn't mix with DOT3 or 4, it takes more effort to completely bleed air out of the system, and is more expensive. Most, if not all, performance car makers specifically warn against the use of DOT5 in their cars as hard maneuvering creates air bubbles in the system and allows a mushy brake pedal. That's why it's so important to fully bleed the system of air.
Most likely, your '67 probably came with DOT3, or whatever it was called then (I don't believe the "DOT" designation was in use then). I know in 1970 Avanti Motors was saying in their brochures that they installed silicone fluid at the factory, but I have seen no documentation to exactly when they started with it...just with 1970 sales materials. It could have been done prior to that. The best thing you can do is completely flush your brakes and replace the rubber hoses just on general principles.
Brake parts for the car aren't at all difficult to come by...but "not at all difficult to come by" doesn't necessarily translate to inexpensive! It depends on the parts needed. You will find the vendors who specialize in Avanti's and Studes are the best places where you'll find the correct parts. I found out the hard way that parts someone's else's application guide say will work don't. Try and stick with our vendors and you'll be happier and get the correct parts sooner. Any parts such as brake shoes, master cylinders, calipers, etc., which you choose to replace that can be rebuilt, send them in as a core trade. We all need to keep rebuildable parts "in the food chain" or parts will get even more expensive down the road.
There's nothing wrong with rebuilding your rear wheel cylinders as long as the cylinder and piston are not rusted and scored. A light honing is normal. Before you start trying to rebuild them, inspect them internally to see if they are, in fact, rebuildable. Spray penetrating oil on the bleeder valves and let it sit for a day before trying to turn them. If they snap off, you haven't wasted time and money with rebuild kits and end up with it being unusable anyway. Also spray down the eccentrics that adjust the rear brakes...if they don't free up you'll need replacements as well.
Some Avanti II's came with the tapered rear axle (especially early on in production) and some came with the flanged axle. What probably happened is as cars were assembled they installed whatever rear end/axle set was next in line in the parts bins. My '70 has flanged axles but I've heard a few owners with cars later than mine say they had tapered axles on their cars.
If you haven't already done so, get copies of the Avanti parts and service manuals. They are worth it far beyond their initial cost for the grief they save you in the long run.
-
As far as mechanical or electrical, it depends on the gauge. Ammeter or voltmeter are by necessity electrical...same with clock and gas gauge. Speedometer can be either...mechanical from a cable or electric if a sending unit is used. Oil pressure can be mechanical or electric...stock Studebaker is mechanical. I chose electric for my new gauges...I never liked the idea of an oil tube under the dash which could rupture anywhere between the engine and the gauge itself. A mechanical oil pressure gauge is probably faster acting and somewhat more accurate, but it probably makes no practical difference. The vacuum gauge is mechanical by necessity.
The brake pedal and accelerator trim is due to the speed shop changing from a floor mounted gas pedal to one mounted on the bulkhead. When they installed the fuel injection and needed a cable setup rather than the bellcrank, the floor mounted pedal created problems with setting it up. They mounted a steel plate on the engine side of the bulkhead and installed a Lokar gas pedal. I asked them to find a matching brake pedal pad and they did.
-
Jerry...
Joe and I don't live far from one another. We used the same upholstery shop for our interiors though I believe Joe's was more extensively done than mine. We each replaced our gauges with Auto Meter gauges, though he went with white faced gauges and I went with black faced. Look at an Auto Meter catalog or their website for ideas...they have a really bewildering array of gauge styles, but only a few list clocks to match. If you don't want a clock, add a volt meter in place of it. I wanted the clock and replaced the ammeter with a voltmeter. The gauge sizes are standard, so the selection is there. There are also other gauge manufacturers as well. We just happened to each go with Auto Meter. I believe Joe went their Phantom line of gauges...I went with Auto Meter's Z line.
As far as the gauge lighting, the Auto Meter gages came with gel covers for the bulbs...red and green. You use a standard bulb and slip the gel cover over it for the color lighting you want. Places like Pep Boys carry similar gel covers in other colors.
Installing the gauges is simple if the dash is out of your car. You can even discard the metal boxes the original gauges are held in with as the Auto Meter gauges come with their own brackets. You can take the old gauges and mounting brackets and sell them on Ebay...that helps offset the costs somewhat. You won't need the original tach sending unit in the car as well...sell that with the original tach. What you like can depend on the dash inlay...one style may look better than another.
Here's the differences in my car(pre-Recaro seats)...with the original gauges and the Auto Meter...
-
I believe Avanti Motors merely painted the emblem black to block the view of the "S". It seems it would have made more sense to delete the emblems from the beginning but I can't say what their reasoning was. My '70 has the emblem on the rear seat back panel but it's covered with upholstery the car was done in to hide it. Again, it seems more sensible to have deleted it and simply filled it in and covered it with upholstery.
-
All Studebaker Avanti's had the sail panel emblems (or "Pirate's Buckles" as some called them). Early Avanti II's had them (and the hood emblem) with the "S" blacked out. At some point Avanti Motors deleted the hood and sail panel emblems. Whether they deleted them due to the inventory being depleted or simply to save costs and to clean up the exterior a bit is unknown to me. Early Avanti II's used leftover Studebaker bodies so the mounting holes would have been there and needed filling if the emblems had been deleted before the original bodies had been used.
Your car could have had the emblems and a previous owner could have deleted them and filled in the holes or Avanti Motors could have when the car was assembled.
BTW - Studebaker International (maybe some other vendors) has reproduction emblems if you would want to have them.
-
Kinda gives you religion doesn't it? To be fair...to redo the interior of any car these days is not inexpensive. The advantage of an Avanti II is that every car was not built to a cookie cutter standard...each was unique for an individual buyer. You can change or customize one any way you like and it won't hurt its value as long as it's done well. Then again...some of the flamboyant and outrageous interior combinations of some Avanti II's (particularly the tasteless 1970's era) scream out for a makeover.
-
Did you check and see if the motor itself is getting power? A test light should tell you that. You can also run a jumper lead direct to the motor from a 12v source such as the battery and another jumper to ground and see if the motor kicks in. If it does, you have connection or ground issues.
-
I agree the quick steering arms won't do anything with the wander in the car's tracking. What they will do is slightly reduce the lock-to-lock time in the steering...from 3.5 turns of the steering wheel to maybe 3 turns. It won't reduce the turning circle of the car as had already been noted, the lock points limit the turning circle. You just get to those points a bit quicker.
As far as Dan's belief the quick steering arms may make the wandering problem worse, I have to defer to his expertise and experience. I would guess that the quick steering arms will make the car's steering dart back and forth more quickly as a result of the wander and you'll be constantly making corrections and even overcorrections...just a guess on my part.
If you're having your complete steering system rebuilt to eliminate the wander, I see no reason not to go ahead and install the quick steering arms. If you're not rebuilding the entire steering system, again I would have to defer to Dan's reasoning. If he has the arms on his wife's car, you can bet the steering is in top notch condition to start with.
-
Did Dan say why he recommended against using the quick steering arms? I have them on my car and have had no issues but out of curiosity I'd like to know his rationale.
-
That can't be correct for them. Starting in 1968 all cars had to have turn signal lights visible from the sides, so the trunk lights being the only turn signals is not correct. You don't have something unique...you have something wired incorrectly. Since I'm not all that familiar with Blake era Avanti's with the backup lights moved down low and the trunk lights changed to red lenses, but it makes sense that the trunk lights should at least be brake lights. Maybe the body mounted lights could be the only turn signals...maybe someone with an '85 can correct me on that.
Look inside the sockets of the trunk lights...are there two contacts in each or only one? If only one, they may be brake lights only. If there's two contacts in each, they would be both brake light/turn signal and running lights. Make sure you have the correct bulb in each.
Do the backup lights work correctly? If not, there might be a problem with mixed wiring. It's possible your car was originally a standard trunk mounted backup light system that was modified by a previous owner and performed a poor wiring installation.
-
First and most obvious...did you check the bulbs to see if they don't have a burned out element in each? On my daily driver I had both brake lights out and didn't know until someone I know pointed it out to me. The turn signals worked...no brake lights.
The gray and green wires are probably used for both brake light and turn signals. Simply running a jumper wire may not do anything but make both trunk lights blink at the same time. I would guess if you ran a jumper wire you'd have to install a logic circuit to separate the brake and turn signal signal functions.
If the brake wires to the trunk lights don't have power when the brakes are applied (I assume you've used a test light to verify that), then you have to trace those wires down to their source to see if they're getting power from there. There could be a ground problem for those lights or a broken wire. There could even be an inline fuse that's blown.
-
I think the Grant installation kit 3196 or 5196 is what you need, but there's certainly no way of knowing for sure until you try. The 3196 is the standard kit for a tilt wheel and the 5196 is a more custom kit of billet aluminum (maybe steel...I'm not sure). The 5196 is for the signature steering wheel only which I believe is what you're installing. I would think either Summit Racing or Jegs will carry either.
-
I have a Grant 3-spoke mahogany finished steering wheel in my '70, but that's with the old Studebaker steering column so it's a different adapter kit. My link Since your car has a Mopar steering column I would look for the application for a '77 or '78 Chrysler. I looked at Grant's application guide and it seems most use the same installation kit with the difference being whether it's a tilt steering wheel or not. But...you never know how much of a pain it will be to get the correct kit...we're talking about Avanti Motors here. They could have stockpiled steering columns from a prior year that could use a different kit.
-
Without changing seats and another make of floor mounts, you can take the bracket sections that bolt to the front, cut them and weld an extension of flat bar stock in. That would also require drilling new rear mounting holes. That's what was done to my car several years ago. I've since installed new seats and brackets and sold my old sliders. When you do make the modification, you pretty much lose any chance of someone sitting behind you as the seat back will nearly touch the back seat base.
-
Try Bob Johnstone's website...Avanti II tech info.
Question on Avanti II serial number and location
in 1965-83 Avanti
Posted
The 12AAV number is the actual VIN. The Feds mandated a 17-digit VIN from all auto makers in 1981. It was also mandated at various times the VIN be stamped or otherwise located at various places in or on the car. It was also mandated that the VIN must be visible from outside the car looking through the windshield though sometimes small manufacturers like Avanti Motors were granted delays in implementing some mandates. The car will have an RQB number, but it's more for internal use and not as a VIN as previously. I don't believe you'll find it on the car itself...maybe the build sheet or manufacturer's statement of origin might list it, and possibly the car title of some states as a model designation. It's only use is a sequence number since it was no longer the VIN.