Gunslinger
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Posts posted by Gunslinger
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I'm certainly no expert, but it seems reasonable that you would see more than a 2mpg increase with the transmission change. You could likely expect a significant reduction in rpm's at cruising speed and the engine would simply be loafing when not under load. That should result in much better fuel economy as well as reduced engine wear. I've talked to Corvette owners with a TH-350 or -400 that swapped to a 200R4 or 700R4 and many say they get upwards of 22-24 mpg after the swap...not all, as many still don't drive a Vette economically, but they still enjoy the lower rpm's at cruise and better fuel mileage, just not as much as some do.
It will take some period of time for the swap to pay for itself, but reducing engine wear and tear is benefit in itself.
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I appreciate your info on the conversion....I too am thinking of installing an overdrive automatic/injected engine in my '81. Does anyone know of a site which shows this being done in some detail?
Thanks,
Paul
I had Edelbrock fuel injection added to the GM Performance 350HO/330hp crate engine/700R4 installed in my car. The only site I know that shows it is on the Avanti Yahoo group where I have photos of my car being rebuilt. It shows the system on the bare frame and when the body is on. Don't know how much help that might be. Send me a PM if you have any questions and I might be able to answer them for you.
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In my '70 I had the original Borg Warner 3-speed automatic replaced by a 700R4 along with the crate engine. I only have about 600 miles on the car since it was all done so I really don't have a handle on fuel economy yet...haven't even tried to figure the mileage at all, but it really does idle down the road at 70-80 mph. It has a 3.31 rear and can really smoke the tires if I'm not careful.
There was no serious issues at all for the speed shop that did the work...the 700R4 fit fine within the transmission tunnel and there was no problem locating the rear support. The only thing one could call a truly custom touch was they couldn't re-use the stock back-up switch and reverse light switch and had to fabricate new brackets due to clearance problems with the exhaust.
I had to get a new driveshaft so I went with an aluminum unit to reduce rotating mass. It wasn't much more expensive.
If you have the opportunity to install an overdrive tranny, you won't go wrong with either a 200R4 or a 700R4. The 200 should be a near drop-in since the length should be the same and you can re-use the driveshaft as is...unless there's something different about a short-shaft Hydramatic.
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I really feel for ya! That really sucks after all the work you put into the car...not even counting the financial outlay! It doesn't sound like the insurance will cover all the investment into the car...mine is under-insured as well. Rebuilding my '70 cost more than the market value...not at all unusual for cars today.
Hope you can find a buyer for the remains of your car and you can find a replacement that suits you. There are a couple Avanti's for sale in Avanti Magazine right now...including one in Long Island...not far from you in Jersey. Outside of that, keep an eye on Ebay and see what is available.
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I don't know an interchange, but they do show up on Ebay fairly regularly. You might also contact Jon Myers or Nostalgic Motors and see if they have any...maybe a good used one if nothing else.
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I have the 3M invisible bra on my '02. It's very difficult to see unless you're right up on the car. It is easy to remove...just peels off, but why would you? It's difficult to install properly...very time consuming to do it right. Since there's no pattern available for an Avanti, the installer had to custom cut it, fit it and heat it before actually applying it, then make sure there were no air bubbles.
It took about 4-5 hours to do it right.
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I've seen two different designs (round and square headlight type) with two different methods of installation. I've owned each and still have one for my '70. One is definitely easier to install than the other. I don't know who originally made and sold each...the one from years ago wasn't that good a design...the top edge would flap in the wind and beat against the paint ahead of the hood line. I had to run bungie cords through it and attach them under the hood to keep that from happening.
The one I have now is a better design...goes on fast and doesn't flap in the wind. Again, I have no idea who manufactured it...I bought it several years ago off Ebay.
You might try Studebaker International...I believe they used to sell them. Maybe they might have one or two still still floating around or possibly a good used one. There's other vendors as well to try.
Maybe someone here might have one to sell. If nothing else, maybe a good upholstery shop can fabricate one for you.
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I bet this design goes back to '53. I wonder how secure these bushings are, especially with modern tire loads?
Dave
You have a point about the tire loads. Tires today have far more adhesion than the tires available when this 50+ year old suspension and chassis was first designed. Since the tires today grip better it shows off the deficiencies of the design...particularly if there's any wear at all in the bushings, steering box, tie rods, etc. The use of modern tires (wider tread and greater adhesion) with any kind of spirited driving may well increase the wear rate of the parts.
The suspension was designed with tires of the day in mind. It wasn't expected to last forever or there wouldn't be any need for new cars and new designs.
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Hopefully someone can give you the name of a good shop close to Tampa, but if distance isn't a big issue, I can recommend the shop here in Maryland that did the reconstruction of my '70. Mine was the first Avanti they had ever done so a second should go easier since they've had their learning curve. They did outstanding work and are very familiar with fiberglass cars as they specialize in Corvettes and other restorations.
There's also an excellent speed shop very close to them that can do custom work.
Send me a PM if you're interested.
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I don't have a copy handy, but I believe there's an ad in back Avanti magazines from someone who rebuilds gauges. Jon Myers sells tach sending units. Look in Hemmings Motor News as well for vendors that restore gauges.
For the lower control arm, it should be a standard Studebaker piece so any vendor selling them should have one...Studebaker International, John Myers, Fairborn, SASCO, etc.
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Go to <http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/avanti/> and you can join the Yahoo group there.
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The remote starter should have two wired clips...one goes to the large terminal that the battery cable is connected to, and the other wire is clipped to the small terminal marked "S" (starter). You don't want the small terminal marked "R" (resistor).
There are remote solenoid kits sold for GM starters...many with GM chassis motorhomes install them, but it's not necessary unless you want to.
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The solenoid is mounted on the starter itself, not on the fenderwell like a Ford. You're gonna have to crawl underneath to access the post to hook it up if you can't find room to reach down from above.
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Owners manuals can be purchased from Studebaker International, and the original fluid for the power steering is no longer available and hasn't been for many years...Type A, Suffix A. You should be able to use any universal power steering fluid available at any automotive parts store without any problem.
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I would try removing the switches and try cleaning the contacts first...also check the wiring connections on the heater motor as well.
If you need a new switch I believe you can get those rocker switches from Jon Myers of Myers Studebaker and Dan Booth at Nostalgic Motors as well as Studebaker International. They're something like about $50 a pair since they're dual switches. I believe the only difference between the parts is the earlier parts are more cream in color and the later switches are more white. Other than that, I think they're fully interchangeable.
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I agree. I don't know of anyone so knowledgeable on Avanti repairs as Jon Myers and Dan Booth.
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One Avanti owner (I cannot remember who), adapted a set of power seats from a Ford Explorer to his car. He did post pics of it. I don't know if he posted them here on AOAI or the Yahoo group.
I don't know how much work it took to complete the installation, but he did get it done.
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I have a similar situation on my '70...the factory seats don't give good support at all. I imagine you can modify the seat brackets to give you more seat back angle and thigh support, but what I did was to buy a pair of Recaro's from a later Avanti. The upholstery shop I use is trying to get matching leather now.
You might look into the floor reinforcements sold by Classic Enterprises. They call it a seat anchor repair device and maybe you could drill mounting holes a bit higher to achieve the seat angle you want.
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It seems to me a great location that's convenient and already located near the main wiring harness might be to mount a universal fuse block or a fabricated one on the flat cowl area immediately behind the brake booster. Access is easy while you're simply standing there rather than rooting around the trunk and the entire cluster of wires can come up from underneath rather than running mases of wires to the trunk and back. I would think the longer the wire runs the heavier gauge you might need for some circuits.
It just seems a logical place for a fuse block unless you already have something else planned for that location.
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Instead of painting them silver, try having the plastic chromed...it's really not chrome plated but some kind of plating that simulates chrome....I believe it's called vacuum metallizing. There's a number of companies that do that for car restorations but the only one I can remember the name of is Mr. G. They have a website at <http://www.mrgusa.com/>. Contact them and ask if what you want is a workable solution to your problem. It's probably the same process exterior plastic emblems go through that are chromed.
I would do a web search for other companies as well.
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Welcome to the world of Avanti's! You'll find this a wonderful, frustrating and fun car to own and drive. Feel free to ask anything you like. A lot of experience is here.
For moonroof information, go to <http://www.studebaker-info.org/rjtechx3.html> and page down to the "Power sunroof/moonroof" section for help.
The parking brake does look a lot like a Corvette brake handle because it is! It's the same brake handle used in '68-'82 Corvettes. You can either find a used one from one of many Corvette vendors, or buy a new reproduction unit from companies like Corvette Central, Ecklers, Corvette America, among others. I don't believe the brake cables are the same, though. You may have to have them made up.
I have no idea where Avanti Motors sourced their seatbelts from, but for mine, I bought a new set from the SeatBeltPros.com. They have many styles and colors available. There are also other vendors as well if you do a web search.
I don't think anyone is reproducing the walnut veneer...there were several styles over the years and Avanti Motors used different styles depending on the customer's desires. The inlays in my '70 needed replacing and a local speed shop sent them to a custom dash veneer manufacturer and they made new inlays for me. They come in a variety of finishes...burl walnut, pecan, brushed aluminum, different color carbon fiber, etc. The only problem with going this route is that they're thicker than the original veneer and you'll have trouble opening the ashtray.
Once in a great while you might see a very good used or NOS original inlay offered on Ebay.
As far as the owner's manual, Studebaker International sells a reproduction of the 1971 manual (which has no model year shown), which was used for several years at least. If there was ever an actual 1979 manual, I don't know.
Best of luck!
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Is the sound coming from both tail pipes or just one side? Without actually hearing it it's difficult to say, but I can think of several possibilities.
It could be running rich and loading up and unburnt fuel is igniting in the exhaust pipes. Pull some spark plugs and look at them. If they're wet and gas covered, you're running too rich. If so, your carburetor needs adjustment or maybe even rebuilt.
If it's from just one side, you might have a burnt valve.
You say you have a straight through exhaust. Is it recent? Sometimes the noise might be normal but a quiet type muffler eliminates the sound but a straight through design makes it audible. Also, any engine requires a bit of back pressure for proper exhaust scavenging and full combustion. There's the possibility your engine has too little back pressure when backing off the throttle, and allowing unburnt fuel to exit the exhaust and combust in the pipes.
Studebaker used glass packs which were straight through, but also four barrel carburetors on a high compression engine or a supercharged engine to pressurize the induction system. That helped a great deal on scavenging. Your 400 cid engine is bigger displacement and low compression by comparison, plus I believe originally a two barrel carb. That can make for driveability issues of not precisely tuned due to its larger venturi's that can feed large amounts of fuel when you don't need it...like when backing off the throttle.
You could have other issues, but these are the first that come to my mind. I'm guessing your issue is either carburetor related or you need mufflers to introduce a bit of back pressure for full combustion in the cylinders, not in the pipes, or a combination of the two not calibrated to work together.
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The website won't come up for me. Maybe it came up for you if it might still be in your browser's cache?
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There should be no reason they won't fit as the '02 is on a Trans Am platform. Are you looking for completely new design wheels or a replacement for one or more of what you have?
The wheels that came on my '02 are AT Italia Riva's. They're available through distributors like Tire Rack and you can re-use the Avanti center cap if that's what you're looking for.
Brake Hoses & Proportioning Valve
in Avanti Pub
Posted
If you can't contact Nostalgic, you can get the brake hoses from Studebaker International or Jon Myers, and probably some other vendors. The proportioning valve, or more accurately, the distribution block, rarely gives problems so you may not actually need one. I wouldn't buy one from another make vehicle just because it looks the same...it may be very different internally and might have a different front/rear pressure balance. That can either lock up your front brakes too soon or not soon enough.
If you want an adjustable proportioning valve, you can get one through Summit Racing or Jegs, or a local speed shop. That can be installed and the front/rear pressure can be set up best for the car.