Gunslinger
-
Posts
3,670 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by Gunslinger
-
-
You can get the parts you want for a round headlight conversion from Studebaker International. It's not listed in their catalog as a conversion, but simply as the '63 Avanti round headlight front panel. They also have the right and left headlight buckets for the round headlights.
The problem you'll likely have is locating good round headlight chrome rims and glass. I don't think anyone has NOS parts for that. You'll have to find some good used or possibly repro parts if any are available.
-
In my '70 which is in the rebuild shop now, I'm replacing the front and rear lap belts with new lap belts in the rear and shoulder belts in the front. The "B" pillar already is threaded for a shloulder belt but has a plug covering it so it should make the install easy. Don't believe a Stude would be drilled and tapped this way, but it likely can be.
An upholstery shop can provide and install a belt system if you want. I ordered mine through SeatBeltPros.com. You have a several styles of buckles and a huge selection of colors to pick from.
If you plan on driving the car regularly, then shoulder belts are the way to go.
-
I believe the Avanti II used the same opening in the bezel as Studebaker did. I have the faceplate out of my '70 since I had an Alpine CD player/stereo installed. I'm out of town right now, and if no one else gives you the dimensions first, I can early next week when I get home.
A good custom stereo installer or custom speed shop should be able to fabricate a bezel if need be to match your interior.
One thing you need to keep in mind is the size of the replacement radio behind the dash opening. Make sure it gives clearance for the speaker mounted above it.
-
I don't know about master cylinder volume being a problem...never heard of that with these systems, but is the system fully bled of air? Also...would there be any chance of silicone DOT 5 brake fluid being mixed in with non-silicone DOT 3 or 4 fluid? That will create all kinds of problems...they simply do not mix. Look at the brake fluid in the reservoir and see if it looks cloudy or congealed...a sure sign of the wrong fluids mixed.
I would completely flush out the lines and calipers and make sure they are completely dry and use fresh fluid. Avanti Motors used silicone fluid at least since 1970 according to their advertising brochures. It's an easy mistake to make mixing silicone with non-silicone.
Most, if not all, performance cars specifically say do not use DOT 5 silicone fluid now. It aerates in hard maneuvering, causing a mushy pedal. Avanti's that use the screw-in brake light switch (the original type) that is not mechanical will have problems with silicone fluid.
I think many knowledgeable people now say to leave silicone fluid to museum cars and not cars you drive.
Hope you find your problem quickly and get it taken care of. Let everyone here know in case someone else runs into the same thing.
-
If you do a websearch you should be able to find a copy of a Studebaker service letter that provides a factory approved location to mount the mirror at a higher spot for better rear vision. I've seen it before...it may be in a back issue of the AOAI newsletter, but hopefully it's on-line.
If you're really determined to mount the mirror low as it came from the factory, I'm sure someone here can give you the measurements you need.
-
I think Andy Granatelli answers your concerns in his book "They Call Me Mister 500!" He discusses the problems they had when he took over at Paxton Products and the high failure rate of the superchargers. They found out that the problem was lack of quality control in matching up the planetary balls and all were not sized equally. When the superchargers were being assembled (all high quality parts), balls of slightly differing diameters were being installed together. Due to this, the larger balls were carry excess load and were failing prematurely due to excessive heat.
What you need to do is make sure all the planetary balls are precisley identical in diameter, even if it means having to replace them all to do so. I would also use a high grade synthetic fluid in the blower as it will handle the heat better than mineral based transmission fluid. I'd ask a speed shop for a recommendation of a good fluid.
Take care of your balls and they won't let you down!
-
If you can't find anyone with a recommendation, check with some Corvette clubs on who they can recommend. If a shop is good with a Corvette, they have the experience and expertise to do an Avanti. Avanti's have their own peculiarities, but so do Vettes. If you find a shop that hesitates or isn't sure they can do it...avoid them. You want a shop that is confidant of their ability.
My '70 is in the shop now being given a body off rebuilding and I'm using a shop that specializes in restorations, particularly Corvettes. They're not cheap but they do excellent work and they've been great to work with. I'm very happy with the car thus far and it should be ready before Spring.
-
The Avanti name wasn't cursed untill the egotistical scam artists like Blake and Kelly got their hands on it. I can't remember when I've laughed as hard as I did when I saw the local news announcement about Kellys arrest. Maybe justice will finally be done.
We've discussed this on the Avanti Yahoo groups board...regardless of what anyone might think of Mike Kelly, he's entitled to a presumption of innocence until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Let's treat him as such.
The fact is, Mike Kelly saved Avanti...twice from being nothing but a footnote in automotive history. Regardless of how the current situation shakes out, he deserves our thanks for what he has done for the marque. Let's show some support and hope for the best...for Mike Kelly and the future of Avanti Motors.
-
Everything else being equal (which it rarely is), the Stude Avanti is a better long-term investment (particlularly a supercharged one). Practically, an Avanti II is better since there was no real standard as they were built for a particular customer so you can change whatever you like to suit yourself and not hurt its value. The Chevy drivetrain is a plus for most purposes.
Also, it's not strictly about the up front price...condition, condition, condition!
-
You have a lot of issues to resolve there. You have to determine if there are any outstanding taxes to pay on the property (the county should be able to tell you that), or any other outstanding debts or liens against the property the contents could be seized for auction to pay those debts.
If you can get the VIN's of the Avanti's it will be a big help in determining more about them. At least see if the cars say Avanti II or Studebaker (on the trunk lid). Do they have round headlight frames or square? Automatic transmission or manual? Do either have "Supercharged" emblems on the front quarter panels just ahead of the doors? The 1972 sticker is likely a state registration sticker, not a model year sticker...probably the last year the car was registered.
If you can get the VIN's of the cars, check with your state motor vehivles administration. See if the cars have a current title, or any title. Maybe you can file for lost or abandoned titles to the vehicles.
The finned Stude with the hood bulge sounds like a Hawk...also a desireable car if not too far gone. It certainly may have a supercharger and other parts that can be sold off if the car isn't restorable.
For more info on the Hawk go to the Studebaker Drivers Club website. There are also many other websites that can help. Just do some web searches.
Let us know more of what you find out. We can be of more help also.
-
You're right about the 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. So many problems with cars are generally a simple or straightforward fix...it's the time and effort diagnosing the source of the problem before the fix can be done that gets so frustrating.
Just follow basic techniques of diagnosis from the easist to the more involved maybe the problem won't be too tough to repair. More than once I've followed the adage "if it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is!"
Best of luck!
-
I'm just taking a guess here, but it sounds similar to the reproduction rubber seals made for others. I have a Corvette I installed new weatherstripping on and had problems getting the windows to close properly. From what I've been told, the reproduction weatherstripping is solid, where original manufacture rubber is hollow through the center. The repro stuff is simply not pliable enough to work easily at the beginning. The Avanti rubber you have may be similar to this.
About all you can do is wait for a very hot day (or maybe use a heat lamp on the rubber), park the car in the sun and close the trunk lid tightly. The rubber will soften up and settle in to where the trunk lid can operate normally....more or less.
I've done this with the rubber on my Corvette, but the windows, while they close better, still haven't gotten to the point where they worked like they did with the nearly 30 year old seals.
Good luck.
-
Congratulations on your purchase and welcome to the fraternity of the most wonderful, misunderstood automobile that gets no respect. If you're like many of us, it will be a love/hate relationship you'll have with the car.
Someone other other than I will have to help you with the sunroof leak. I have intentionally avoided owning an Avanti with a sunroof precisely for that reason. I've read where the problem has been due to seals needing replacing as well as the channels and drains being clogged and needing cleaning.
Again, congratulations on your car and hope you thoroughly enjoy it.
-
How come they left Avanti out of the list of manufacturers attending? After 45+ years Avanti still gets no respect!
-
Regarding elimination of the hog troughs...I know they're engineered as an integral part of the car's safety design, plus they serve as an anchor for the roll bar plus help secure the body to the frame. Have you made provisions for tying the the roll bar to the frame?
I'm not trying to criticize what you're doing...I simply am interested in the engineering behind it and how you're solving issues that crop up. I know automotive engineering has progressed far since our cars were built in the '60's (Hell...the Avanti chassis is early 1950's technology!).
I'm really interested in seeing your finished product and how it works in the real world. It should make a real screamer of a automobile...Avanti or otherwise.
-
The VIN plate is on the top of the right frame rail just ahead of the firewall. It's a metal plate riveted at that location.
It could well be covered with oil and grease so you may have to wipe it off to see it.
-
I wholeheartedly agree. I know advertising is expensive, and Avanti's would have to be targeted to specific audiences...but if you don't let people know you're out there and available they can't even consider your product for purchase.
More times than I can count when driving my '02 people have said they had no idea Avanti was still in business and producing cars. One guy even told me seeing my car made his day just to know they're still out there.
That doesn't necessarily mean these same people would buy one, but if you don't let the world know you're out there, there's no chance anyone will consider your product. It's Mike Kelly's company, and if he's happy with sales as they are, that's fine. It's his money and his call.
-
Call Jon Myers of Myer's Studebaker (614-674-4897). If anyone can help you, he should be the one.
-
Call and ask an auto glass shop what the current stuff to use would be. You could also ask someone like Jon Myers (www.myersstudebaker.com>) who is in the business of restoring Avanti's. If anyone would know I'm sure he would.
-
Sounds like you made a good choice. The dollars alone don't tell the story on a body shop. High price doesn't necessarily mean quality work anymore than a low price automatically means substandard work. Experience, stability and reputation means a lot.
I picked the shop for rebuilding RQB1574 for several reasons...I know the owner from my Corvette club, they've been in business for years, while they do general body repairs, they also have a team dedicated to restorations and they specialize in Corvettes, so they're experienced in fiberglass and body on frame assembly techniques. Right now in their shop, besides my car, is a '67 GTO, '70 Chevelle SS396 and a '96 Corvette Grand Sport. BTW - the Grand Sport is owned by the President of my Corvette club...a beautiful car he took to the drag strip and lost control of, hitting the guard rail. What he was thinking I don't know.
While the money is certainly important, having the job done correctly is equally important.
-
You can try Studebaker International, Nostalgic Motors, or Myers Studebaker. Any of them should have what you're looking for.
I bought a right front quarter panel for RQB1574 from Studebaker International...great service and quick shippers. They shipped the parts right to the restoration shop. My '70 also needed some work under the battery box and the body shop fabricated that repair and it looks like factory new.
Also...if you're interested, there's a nearly complete 1970 Avanti II body on Ebay right now.
-
Are you sure you didn't simply blow a fuse to the dash lights when the work was done? Check the obvious before tearing things apart looking for the problem.
For the electrical drain, you can isolate the circuit causing the problem. You'll need a second person (or very long test wire leads). Remove the negative battery cable and run a test light between the battery post and the cable end. It should light up if there is a drain. Then make sure the doors are closed and all accesories are turned off and pull one fuse at a time. When the test light goes out you've found the circuit that's causing a problem. From there you can start isolating the exact problem. It's better to use an ammeter/ohmmeter tester, but I don't know what values you would be looking for as excessive since all cars will have some minute drain, particularly if they have lots of electronics on board.
I don't know if Avanti's are like this, but the electrical switches in Corvettes are different from most cars. Since the cars are fiberglass as well, switches such as the door and glovebox switches aren't self grounding. The switches are wired so they're always hot and ground when the door or glovebox is opened, completing the circuit. If Avanti's are the same way, a switch such as this could be the culprit.
-
I understand the R-5 engine in the Due Cento was disassembled and its parts are unknown. I've never seen anything to the contrary of that.
I believe the car still exists and is owned by someone...who I don't know. After this many years it's probably been through a succession of owners so who knows what it looks like now compared to its appearance at Bonneville. I haven't seen anything which identifies the VIN of the Due Cento.
-
It's pretty straightforward dropping the steering column. If you have the shop manual it gives the instructions. It's only a few bolts.
If you have a steering wheel puller, it would help to remove the steering wheel (and unbolt the driver's seat...makes for much more working room).
Brake Fluid swap?
in 1965-83 Avanti
Posted
Anytime you change from or to DOT 5 fluid you have to completely flush out and dry the entire brake hydraulic system. Any mixing at all will create problems. In fact, most, if not all, manufacturers of performance cars specifically state not to put DOT 5 fluid in their products.
The seals won't suddenly fail...they have to already be wearing out. It would be a good idea to change all the seals if you've changed fluid types. Seals have to be kept lubricated. If the car isn't driven regularly, once a month or so simply pump the brakes and that will make the pistons move and keep the seals lubricated.
If you're having a rear brake locking up, it could be from a misadjusted brake shoe or from being soaked with brake fluid from the leaking wheel cylinder. Pull the rear drum and if any shoes are fluid soaked, all you can do is replace them. There's no getting the fluid out of them.