Gunslinger
-
Posts
3,670 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by Gunslinger
-
-
The front speaker was standard with the AM radio. The rear speaker was an option. The front is 4"x10" and I believe the rear is 5"x7". I think the radio was a delete option, though I've not seen an Avanti without one.
-
The best place for a radiator overflow tank is on the front right bulkhead next to the hood hinge. It's as perfect a spot as you'll find. The washer reservoir bag should go on the right side inner panel just ahead of the blower motor. That's the space it goes in when the car came factory equipped with one. If you have the parts manual, the engine bay exploded diagram will show the location. Save the battery space for clearance of an a/c compressor.
-
Look in a Summit Racing or Jeg's catalog or their websites. They each sell their own brand of fuel pumps, as well as Carter, Edelbrock and Holley. Each is shorter than stock and are usually able to be "clocked" in order to line up the fuel line for any application. The down side is they likely will be somewhat more expensive than a stock replacement type but on the other hand are going to be better quality.
Summit Racing also has a line of stock replacement parts as well...look and see if that will serve your purpose as well.
-
I recently purchased a 1970 Avanti Motors Parts and Accessories price list to go along with my '70 Avanti, and when I looked through it, out fell an eight page Avanti II Parts Supplement as an addition to the Studebaker Avanti Parts Catalog.
It lists Avanti Motors part numbers for post-Studebaker Avanti parts, the vendor each was sourced from, and the vendor's part number for each. It's a 1970 listing, so it may not be much help to those who own later Avanti II's, but it should still be a help to all to some degree.
I've scanned the list as a .pdf file and anyone who wants a copy, just send me an e-mail and I'll e-mail it back as an attachment.
-
I can only answer a couple of your questions...
engine color...black;
p/s pump reservoir...on the '63 R1 I owned way back when...black...but the paint regularly came off when fluid spilled on it;
harness clips and such...look at Eastwood's website...they have plenty of products to clean and refinish those things...Griot's Garage has engine bay dressings to keep those parts looking good;
the original exhaust did not have a crossover pipe...what you have has been added later;
Mopar ignition module...your choice where the a/c evaporator is a good one...another good place would be behind the passenger side of the dash where it's also away from engine heat.
Hope someone else can answer your other questions.
-
Jerry...
I don't know if it's the same windshield, but if it is, Studebaker International carries them. There's also a vendor who advertises them on Ebay on occasion. If it's not the same windshield I have no idea where to find one outside of a donor car. Hopefully, someone here can say whether it's the same part or not.
-
PM sent to you.
-
When I had my '70 completely rebuilt, I considered a trunk location for the battery, if for no other reason than get some weight off the front end, but ultimately I left it up front. I didn't want to lose any trunk space, and after the body shop did their magic on repairing the poor earlier repairs on the car, made it feasible to leave the battery in the stock location. The custom shop that installed the engine and transmission, also reinforced the battery location and installed a battery hold down made for the Optima battery and it looks great.
Of course, the car doesn't take a 3EE battery as '63 Avanti's do, so the inner fender body contours are different. The 3EE is an industrial battery and can't always be found, though farm and tractor shops often carry it. What I have seen done on one '63 Avanti is use two Optima 6 volt batteries...They're narrow and long and take up no more or even less space than a 3EE. The owner connected them in series for 12 volts. It was a nice looking installation though I'm not sure I would do it...those Optima 6V batteries are quite expensive.
-
How stock is the car going to be?
If you're going stock, leave it in the front...if not, put it in the trunk.
One of the reasons people put them in the trunk is to reduce the 60%-40% front weight bias. Anything you can do to lose weight in the front will help that and improve handling. That's why people put in modern AC compressors, aluminum pulleys (from Lionel Stone) and replace the heavy stock Studebaker steel wheels with lighter ones (Ford steel or aftermarket "mags").
If you're doing anything major to the drive train to make it other than stock, I'd suggest any or all of those changes.
But if you're trying to keep it stock...might as well go all the way and leave the battery where God and Stuidebaker intended.
BTW...I haven't read much about battery weight induced cracks. I'm not sayingthey don't happen, but they don't seem to be a big problem on solid cars without damage.
Agree 100%! My '70 had stress cracks under the battery when I bought it, but then the car had been struck in the left front sometime during it's history and had poor repairs done to it. Since you have a '63, I'm assuming you have the long, narrow 3EE battery. If you decide to change it to a trunk location, get a standard size battery such as a Group 24 which fits the later Avanti's. Also, standard size batteries are less expensive, than a 3EE, more powerful (in far more choices of quality level) and have better warranties. You can check Summit Racing and Jeg's and they each sell trunk mounted battery kits with a box, hold downs, etc. A trunk mounted battery should be shielded from anything in the trunk hitting the positive post. You should also use a heavier gauge positive cable from the battery to the starter due to the extra length needed.
-
You're going to need a ton of parts of which many may be completely unavailable unless you have a donor car...regulators, motors, relay, wiring harness, switches, circuit breaker, drives, idlers, springs, stops as well as many small parts. You might even need to get new door panels as the switches may not be located in the same place as crank handles so you don't have holes showing in the door upholstery. Motors are available as new reproductions ($200 each), switches you might be able to adapt from other cars, but the hardware will be difficult to locate in good condition. Almost nothing beyond the windows themselves and the tracks will interchange with the electric parts.
In my '70 I had to replace a regulator for one of the power windows as somewhere back in time the door had been damaged in an accident and the regulator was damaged and never fixed properly. A good used regulator and its attached parts did not come cheap.
Not that it can't be done, I think this is a case where the orange isn't worth the squeeze. You'll be halfway through the installation wondering why you ever started.
-
You have to be careful with parts that may simply "bolt-on". Just because they fit doesn't mean they're the correct application. The internal valving, etc., may not be correct for an Avanti. Not to say it won't work fine, but there's always the chance it will cause a problem such as too much or too little boost for the application.
What you might do is look at Summit Racing or a Jeg's catalog. They have many different brake boosters that will fit...maybe with a bit of adapting the bolt patterns...but they will still require some engineering knowledge to make sure they will function with going to a custom master cylinder, adjustable proportioning valve, etc. There's a lot of custom cars out there with updated brake systems such as these and someone had to figure out which was correct for the size and weight of the vehicle, caliper capacity, etc. Go to a custom speed shop and see what they say. There has to be a formula to figure it out.
Also...sent you a PM regarding this.
-
Corvette bodies at the time were made by Molded FiberGlass, the same as the Avanti bodies. Chevrolet later had several sources for Corvette bodies but Avanti Motors stayed with MFG. I don't know if Studebaker specified a different bonding agent for Avanti bodies, but I would suspect they left that up to MFG since they allegedly had the expertise in that area. It's quite possible, and maybe even probable, that Chevrolet received the body panels from MFG and assembled the bodies themselves and would have used whatever bonding agent they could buy from any number of suppliers. They probably used the same brand at all times..."Low Bid" brand. I do remember reading that a major reason for early Avanti body fit problems were traced to MFG's not having experience at actually assembling bodies, so that could support the idea of Chevrolet assembling Vette bodies themselves.
There were contemporary accounts in car magazines when the Avanti was new that mentioned a superior body finish to the Avanti compared to Corvettes. Corvettes also used larger and fewer panels than on the Avanti. The Avanti, when assembled, has a one-piece body. The Corvette doesn't depending on which generation you're discussing.
Another potential explanation is all the handwork that went into the Avanti body. It probably has far more man-hours in assembly and finishing than a Vette which by comparison, is a high production volume car. Corvettes (again, depending on generation) also have specific problems that after time and lack of care, makes for body problems that can be mistaken for joint problems.
-
There's a number of different carb bonnets available for the 5 1/8" neck of new carbs. The downside is I don't believe there are any that look identical to bonnets used by Studebaker. Do a web search on carburetor bonnets, supercharger bonnets, supercharger accessories or some other word combinations. I know K&N makes a bonnet as well as other manufacturers.
If you want original appearance, you may be out of luck without having one custom fabricated. There are some carburetor pressure boxes similar to the R3 style available. Vortech makes one for their blower kits and are made for Holley or Demon carbs linkages. Maybe an Edelbrock will work.
You might also log onto Edelbrock's Community Forum and see what is said there. I have seen discussions there regarding superchargers. Someone there should be able to give advice on that.
-
Power steering was an option, so it's not unusual to see it added. There was no smooth dash option to the best of my knowledge. Of course, if your car was an original prototype (there are a few of them out there), the smooth dash might have been done but that's conjecture on my part. Prototype cars also came with the rear view mirror mounted on a ball socket on the dash rather than be glued to the windshield. They also VIN's added later with numbers outside the R1001-R5643 range.
If your car isn't a prototype, the dash was changed later or professionally recovered and filled in.
-
Most unrestored Avanti's I've seen had the interior of the wheel wells black...as in undercoated. I believe that was done by dealers. Even Avanti Motors later had undercoating optional, but they said it was for sound deadening purposes only.
-
I've never seen one for anything but the schematics for a Stude Avanti. About the best you can do is use that and work around it. I believe if you search around Bob Johnstone's site there are some additional hand drawn schematics for various years posted for a/c, power windows, and maybe a few other systems.
-
I believe I read they were also used on the 63 Corvette???
Yep...6.70-15 were factory tires on Corvettes from '53 through '64.
-
Unless you're looking for authenticity, try a compact spare tire used on newer cars...fits in the compartment with room to spare. For my '70 I bought a never used, still wrapped in clear sheeting temporary spare from a Jeep on Ebay...less than $30 including shipping and it fits the car with no clearance problems with the calipers or drums.
-
Sounds like I don't need to worry about the H or X pipe-I'll let the muffler shop decide if it's feasible. In any event-even with the current cat exhaust the old Avanti sounds better than the beat up Honda Civic with the huge wing on the trunk & that awful 4 cylinder exhaust! And the Avanti has Bruce Springsteen coming out of the original Blaupunkt cassette (I am a Jersey boy originally!) instead of bad rap music. Bruuuuuuce....avaaaaaanti- two of my favorite cheers...Joe
In my '70 I have an Alpine CD/FM stereo with Boston Acoustics speakers and my '02 Avanti has a Monsoon stereo system...quite often ZZ Top and Mountain are blasting out of them (and I complain about hearing loss!).
-
The sound really depends on which series Flowmaster you use. I have a '69 Corvette 427 and when the subject of mufflers comes up on those forums, most tend to share the same opinion as mine to the sounds of Flowmaster vs. Magnaflow. A car I had Flowmasters on was about the same loudness and tone as my old '63 Avanti with glass packs. Everyone in the area knew when I started it. My '02 Avanti has a factory installed Magnaflow car-back system and it has a wonderful low burble that opens up with speed.
I understand your point about our hearing at our age. I have enough hearing loss from gunfire when I was a law enforcement officer and firearms instructor (hearing protection notwithstanding), and many, many rock concerts when I was younger. I'm paying the price now. That...and I have always liked a car that when you start it, the ground shakes under it.
I'm not sure there's an advantage to an H-pipe or X-pipe for an Avanti. There may simply not be clearance underneath to do so. Between the two, an X-pipe has shown better hp and torque gains, but both show gains over a dual system without the crossover. The crossover pipe allows for balancing out of the power impulses the engine creates through the exhaust, but even though it's measurable, it may not be enough to notice by the "seat of the pants dyno". That's a tough call...if it's something you want to do, see if there's clearance for it and do so. The non-scientific method to determine where to install the crossover is to use a crayon and run a line from the exhaust pipe flange where it meets the header or exhaust manifold, to the muffler. Run the engine to normal operating temperature. Shut it off and check the crayon line. It will have melted and disappeared...where the line becomes visible again is where you locate the crossover pipe. The scientific reason for that I don't understand, that's simply the easy way to determine it.
Regardless of what exhaust you decide to go with, it surely won't sound like some of these sport compacts, or Ricers as I call them. They put those coffee can shaped mufflers on them that sound like a bunch of angry bees. As I said, I like to feel the ground shake under a real car when you start it.
-
Definitely dump the cats! If your car is exempt from emissions inspections go ahead and get rid of them. The dual exhaust systems sold by vendors will fit fine and you can also get a muffler shop fabricate you a set. The dollars involved will tell you which way to go. An advantage to have it fabricated locally is you can specify what diameter pipe to use...2" or 2 1/2". If you stick with the 305 engine, a 2" exhaust may be better and a 2 1/2" may be better for a 350 engine or otherwise higher performance engine. If you want, you can always install a pair of high-flow universal cats...not that expensive anymore and much smaller than the originals.
If you have a local shop fabricate an exhaust system, specify either aluminized steel or stainless steel, not mild steel which will only last a few years. Stainless is more expensive and will last forever. It's also more difficult to work with. Aluminized is easier to work with, less expensive, and will last nearly as long as stainless. Your call on that.
I have Sanderson block hugger headers on my '70 which has a 350 in it. It makes no difference whether a 350 or 305 sits under the hood. The exhaust ports are the same. If you go with headers, no matter what make, get ceramic coated...they'll last longer, look better and control heat better compared to painted steel. I chose Sanderson because of the quality and they have the thickest flanges you'll find...less chance of leaks and bolts that back out.
For mufflers, it depends on what sound you like. I've had both Flowmasters and Magnaflows on different cars. Both are excellent quality. In my experience, Flowmasters have a loud, raspy sound that make you think you'll shatter windows of any neighborhood you drive through. Magnaflows have a deeper, mellower sound that open up at speed. At one time in my life I would pick Flowmasters...now I like Magnaflows better. You can get on their websites and listen to samples of their sounds.
While I think the Rochester Quadrajet is an excellent carburetor, it's electronic computer controlled version can be a nightmare. It's also hard to calibrate after all these years and probably not too many techs out there are experienced enough to do much with it anymore. It also could probably stand being rebuilt, which isn't cheap and few techs really understand a Quadrajet and how to set them up properly. Going to an Edelbrock intake and carburetor is a sound idea. My own recommendation would be to get the Edelbrock Performer EPS intake as it's designed specifically and is optimized for their square bore Performer carbs. The standard Performer intake in designed both for square bore and spread-bore carbs and while good, is not optimized for either. The EPS has better horsepower and torque numbers than the standard Performer. Not a huge amount better, but still an improvement.
Whichever intake you decide, get it without EGR...your current EGR likely doesn't operate properly anymore anyway, losing it and its associated plumbing will do a lot for cleaning up the underhood appearance and will probably run better.
The Performer 600 or 650 carbs would both work fine, though the 600 would likely be a bit better than the 650 for a 305 engine, especially at lower rpm's, plus it's about $100 less expensive. If you have a/c in your car, you'll need the a/c kick-up solenoid. It will be necessary and proprietary to Edelbrock. The Performer 1406 should be just what you need...electric choke and calibrated slightly toward economy, and it will still run better and stronger. Their Performer carbs are easy to adjust and hold their adjustments. If you're looking for pure performance, I think Demon carbs are where it's at, but for a street car Edelbrock is what you want.
The modifications you're considering should really wake that car up.
-
I don't have a spare, and as far as I know, it wasn't used in any other Studebakers. There are some Avanti vendors who may be able to help you. Check Myer's Studebaker and Nostalgic Motors, as well as Studebaker International. You might also check some vintage Mercedes parts suppliers...the door locks were adopted from Mercedes and may well be interchangeable.
-
It should be a Dana 44 like the Stude Avanti's. It should be a flanged axle rather than the standard tapered axles Studebaker used on R1 and R2 cars, but some Avanti II's received tapered axles, but I don't think it's known how many and until when that was done. It seems during the early years they used whatever was on the shelf and I've heard of the occasional Avanti II with tapered axles into the 1970's. I've seen no information of a change away from the Dana. I would think it was used until the changeover to the GM platform in the mid-1980's. There was a change in the rear brakes about 1971, so the backing plates and drums might appear different.
The 3.07 axle ratio was an optional ratio prior to 1976 and car RQB2374 as the 3.31 was standard. At car RQB2374 the 3.07 was made standard. You lose a bit of acceleration with the 3.07 but gain some top end and improved fuel economy which was possibly the reason for the change.
As far as whether you still have to pack the rear axle bearings by hand I don't know. If you have tapered axles...yes. If you have flanged axles I don't know. Hopefully someone here who knows for sure can answer that.
-
If it's pouring out as you describe, it may be no more than the hose connection which comes through the firewall to the heater control valve or between the control valve and the heater core. It can still be the control valve or the heater core, but I would think they would be dripping previously rather than a full flow. You need to look under the dash on that side and see exactly what's happening. It may be obvious or you might have to put pressure in the system to force the leak.
If it needs parts, all the parts should be the same from '63 through about '85. The '63-'64 shop manual may be somewhat different on dealing with Altman Avanti's but should still be a huge help to anyone working on it. If your heater core is the culprit, you may be able to have it repaired by a competent radiator shop. There may be some aftermarket heater control valves that will work...someone else may have that information. For the most part...yes, Jon Myers or Nostalgic should have most parts you might need.
For the stain in your carpet, you have to remove the carpeting as any padding underneath will be saturated and needs to dry. If left it will get moldy and you'll end up replacing it anyway. You might check with an auto upholstery shop for a recommendation for stain removal. I don't know if any household brand carpet cleaner will work on glycol.
Custom rims & tire sizes
in 1963-64 Avanti
Posted
There's at least one member here who is running 16" Mustang rims on his car. I think one of the limiting factors on any Avanti is the front coil springs...if they've sagged at all over the years you'll have problems with many wheel/tire clearance at least when bottoming out or hitting bumps. Make sure you have good springs before making any deviation from stock wheel or tire sizes.