Gunslinger

You might want to replace the rubber brake hoses…especially if you don’t know how old they are. They can look ok externally but internally go bad. By any chance…did the brake fluid get replaced by silicone DOT 5…or already had DOT 5 replaced by DOT 3 or have them mixed? They’re not compatible and will make the fluid turn into a milky looking mess that will give a very spongy pedal if not fail altogether. If that occurred a complete flushing of the brake system is required along with new hoses and seals. DOT 5 also requires a thorough bleeding of air. Any bubbles are much smaller and can be a bear to get rid of.

Depending on what’s wrong with the current radiator it should be able to be recored. Any competent radiator shop can do it.

#2 happened to me with a Studebaker R1 years ago. Depending on the age of the fuel pump you installed the diaphragm may not be compatible with modern fuels.

Vintage Air does make quality products. There might be another possibility…one of the vendors…either in Avanti Magazine or the SDC’s Turning Wheels makes a bracket for the Sanden compressor. It might be just for the Studebaker engine…not sure. You might also check a source like Summit Racing to see if a Sanden compressor bracket is already produced for the Chebbie engine.

I’ve found one of the biggest problems with older cars is that you have to undo what past owners have done before fixing it right.

For whatever reason a previous owner had the power mirror removed and the door panel reupholstered to hide where the switch was. Are you sure the console isn't wired for mirror switches?

The door may have been reupholstered at some point...covering where the switch goes...or the adjustment switch could have been located elsewhere such as under the dash. Maybe the wiring is for something else someone might have installed? Maybe the wiring harness included those wires regardless of whether it was to be equipped with power mirrors? The best way to find out whether the car was factory equipped with power adjustable outside mirrors is to get a copy of the build sheet from Nostalgia Motors...it will show how the car was originally equipped.

Check with Jon Myer of Myer's Studebaker. The last time I was there he had a number of Avanti parts cars. He may have what you want.

Studebaker also had some serious and inherent problems not directly related to the Avanti. When Sherwood Egbert became President of the company he visited many dealers to get a feel for them. He sensed they were very loyal to Studebaker but very unaggressive at sales. There also the issues that not all of the country was assigned dealers so many areas had no Studebaker presence at all…and many dealers were dueled with other makes that were bigger profit makers for the dealer and some were simply mom and pop dealers…a repair garage that was technically a Studebaker dealer but only kept a few cars at a time. The Avanti program was really stuck between a rock and a hard place…the crash program to bring the car to market without sufficient lead time led to defects that would or should have caught during testing and caused production delays and problems with cars that did get into hands of consumers. If Studebaker had given the program sufficient lead time the company probably would have still had the money cut off without any Avantis being produced for sale. The end result would likely have been the same…Studebaker exiting the automotive business. As I’ve heard it…the Avanti was a “magnificent failure”.

During those years my dad owned a newspaper and his personal policy was to buy from those who purchased advertising space in his paper. When he wanted a brand new car for the first time he wanted a Buick Riviera (new at the time...this was late '63 or early '63) but the local Buick dealer didn't advertise with him...so he went to the local Pontiac dealer and bought a new '63 Grand Prix. There was a fairly closeby Studebaker dealer at the time that advertised with him occasionally but the Avanti wasn't my dad's cup of tea...he might have been interested in a Hawk GT but for whatever reason didn't seem interested in one...maybe it wasn't even on his radar screen to begin with. My dad may have had his thoughts colored by a previous experience with Studebaker. My mom said they once had a '39 Studebaker that was the worst car they ever owned.

Arguable at best. The reality was Studebaker could not produce the Avanti in appreciable numbers to begin with and sales were lost along with what goodwill and publicity they had. It’s all well known and no reason to go over that. The Ford Mustang was often marketed as a secretary’s car…six cylinder and economy oriented where the Avanti was marketed as an upscale vehicle. Ford was looking for mass sales while Studebaker looked the Avanti as a halo car…sales were certainly wanted but also to bring in foot traffic to sell Larks and some Hawks…Studebaker’s bread and butter cars. The Lark series were the secretary cars and economy minded buyers. The Avanti was more directed at the Buick Riviera, Ford Thunderbird and Pontiac Grand Prix market.

If Nostalgic Motors is out of stock on the reservoirs then call Jon Myer. He has a number of Avanti parts cars and may have a serviceable reservoir tank.

I don't have a photo but that's where the reservoir was located.

Skip…you might check with Summit Racing or maybe Edelbrock as they used to reproduce the Quadrajet though it’s been some time. Maybe some carb rebuilder might have some un-rebuildable Q-jets sitting around for parts. Also…check with K&K Automotive in Frederick…they’re top notch carb rebuilders and might be of help.

I’ll guess 15.7 gallons. Specs for a 2005 Mustang usually give a 16 gallon capacity so that could be close enough.