Gunslinger
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Posts posted by Gunslinger
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First...make sure whatever heel you pick clears the calipers...especially if it has the Turner Disc Brake conversion or another conversion done to it. You also have limited clearance in the front...the rear not so much. If the front coil springs have compressed (not at all uncommon), they should be replaced to restore ride height or the chances of the tire striking the inner fender edge is greater. I wouldn't go wider than a 70-series aspect ratio regardless of rim diameter for the front. Again you have more room to work with in the rear. Maintain a standard offset rather than one that makes the tires stick out from the fenders or body contact potential increases plus it's better for the wheel bearings.
With 16" tires you will find a much greater selection of tires available for the car...15" sizes appropriate for older cars are more or less a dying breed with limited selections from most major tire makers.
Regardless of what you choose, try and make sure you keep the overall diameter as close to factory specs as possible otherwise your speedometer will be inaccurate...probably even more inaccurate than when the car was new.
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Beginning with RQB1563 the serial number was also attached to the dash where it was visible from outside the car...at the corner of the dash on the driver side. If there's no serial number placed there it's prior to that...but that may not be really conclusive as the dash pad could have been replaced at some point.
As Pantera said...there should be a plate riveted to the door jamb when you open the river door.
A couple of tips to at least narrow down the model year it might be...do the seats have headrests? Are the windshield wipers bright chrome or matte finished? What make carburetor does it have? Does it have a single or dual brake master cylinder? Do the doors have cups in the armrests or pull straps? Is the ignition switch on the dash or the steering column?
All those features can narrow it down but again are not definitive as the car could have been modified over the years.
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Starting with the 1981 model year the government mandated a 17-digit VIN which contained information such as manufacturer, engine class and actual serial number. Poor to that Avanti II cars were all RQA/RQB/RQC plus numbers. After the VIN requirement was mandated Avanti Motors continued their "RQ" sequence but for internal accounting purposes.
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Not sure…there are two different Saturn air deflectors that fit. I used the larger of the two.
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If you look at the December 1963 parts manual for the Avanti the plastic cover is listed but never actually entered production...maybe a few but I've never seen one. If Avanti production had continued the cover would have most likely been produced. I believe its purpose was to insulate against heat from the transmission area. Anyone who has an automatic equipped Avanti knows how hot the shifter quadrant can get.
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Yes…those air deflectors do help. They do it a couple of ways…they direct additional cooling air up into the radiator area with a side benefit of reducing air turbulence under the car that otherwise would be aerodynamic drag rather than cooling.
I installed one on the ‘70 Avanti I had and noticed an immediate 10-15 degree reduction in engine temperature at speed. When idling or low speed it was little to no help. The deflectors need speed to be functional.
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R4 engines were not very streetable...radical camshaft and overcarbureted for anything but wide-open driving. While a/c may have been available for a R4 if any had been ordered...it probably wouldn't have been very a/c friendly in a practical sense. What dd they have...12:1 compression? Racing gas would have been required to keep detonation at bay and adding the load of a/c would only make it worse.
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Under the dash...directly under the hood latches are holes in the body...should have plastic caps in them but they could be gone after so much time. You can reach up with a long screw driver and pop open the hood latches.
The rubber gas hose...if it's what I think it is...should exit to the underside of the car. It's a vent line. Depending on what year Avanti it may be for a charcoal filter for emissions reasons.
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From what I understand the reason is the planetary balls require a certain amount of rolling friction to roll properly. With synthetic fluid with its lack of inherent friction the planetary balls will slip and skid rather than rotate and that will create hotspots and wear spots which reduces their effectiveness and lifespan.
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You should be able to source one from Jon Myer of Myer’s Studebaker, Dan Booth at Nostalgic Motors or Studebaker International.
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There was no Avanti in any James Bond movie that I'm aware of. If so...I would think Avantis would have a much higher profile in the public eye and have higher market values.
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Did you replace the receiver/dryer or whatever is used in its place? Anytime the system is opened up the dryer should automatically be replaced. The expansion valve should be looked at as well...if that clogs the high side hose will literally explode off the compressor...no need to ask how I know that.
That being said...the GM A-6 compressor...while large and heavy...is an exceptionally good piece of cooling equipment. I've heard people say it can damn near cool a house. Replacement compressors may not cool as well even though they may be lighter and smaller.
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Just a guess on my part but I think it's a corner stiffener for the frame. In the mid-'70s Avanti Motors ran out of original Avanti frames and started using somewhat lighter gauge frames from standard Larks and added the X-member and stiffeners to bring them up to original specs.
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4...Clark Kent was the reporter...with an assist from Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. 🤣
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Again...depending on your state laws and assuming they have special license plates for antique or historic cars, the car may be exempt from emissions regulations. If that's the case you can do as you like. You'll have to check with the state for that.
EGR systems existed before catalytic converters so whether you keep it may have no effect otherwise...not sure of that. I used to have a '78 Corvette that I got rid of the cat and installed a true dual exhaust, got rid of the EGR and the car ran great.
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There's ethylene glycol and propylene glycol. I don't know anything about Glycerol...it may just be a trade name for one. There re some coolants...like GM's Dex-Cool...that are not compatible with ethylene glycol coolants at all...mixing them will create a cloudy mess that forms clogs and GM had a real issue with aluminum engines overheating and blowing due to not adequately alerting owners and non-GM dealer techs about the issue. Unless one completely flushes the system and changes hoses and anything else internal to the cooling passages mixing types is not recommended. Stick with what's appropriate for the year, make and model.
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The moonroofs Avanti Motors used were not designed strictly for the Avanti...they were adapted from another vehicle (Lincoln I believe)...and thus were neither fish nor fowl when it came to long term durability. They would leak after a time if the glass warped or the roof fiberglass degraded or if the seals dried out. Their drains were channeled into the hog troughs where the water would sit and cause rust.
Most advanced Avanti owners avoid moonroof equipped cars. I know a guy (now passed away) who owned a body shop. He actually had the roof off his Avanti sliced off and a NOS, solid roof grafted on to get away from the problems.
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G13 coolant is not recommended for cars with brass or copper cooling systems and heaters. You should use a good ethylene glycol coolant for older cars. You'll have to change it more often than the long life types but its chemical makeup won't attack the cooling system components or cause clogs.
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If your state allows it I would do as Jim78 says...lose the cat and install a true dual exhaust with low restriction mufflers. Also...as he says...you can buy aftermarket cats and install them but only if you really want them.
Installing a true dual exhaust will do wonders for performance in most cases...especially if you increase the pipe diameter from the factory pipes to 2 1/4" or 2 1/2" diameter.
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Harding…he told Egbert either make the Avanti out of fiberglass or forget it.
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There's a lot of "experts" out there spreading misinformation...even if unintentionally.
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I don’t believe Edelbrock calls them dashpots or throttle kickers…they call idle or a/c compensators or some such name. It’s been a while since I’ve used anything from Edelbrock…great stuff BTW…but I believe they have brackets for them as well.
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Check with Edelbrock…they sell a dash pot for their carburetors which are modern versions of the Carter AFB.
To rebuild or not?
in 1965-83 Avanti
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It's probably more cost effective to buy a crate engine and drop it in...they're available in many horsepower/torque levels. When you rebuild the current engine it's all too easy to go down the rabbit hole with modifications. When it comes to Avantis having the original engine has never really been an issue among collectors.