Gunslinger
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Posts posted by Gunslinger
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The Avanti was the first American car to have modern caliper disc brakes as standard…a big safety point. There had previously been cars with disc brakes but were outliers in the scheme of the industry…the Crosley Hot Shot had spot disc brakes…whatever spot discs are…but the Crosley wasn’t a good seller.
A completely padded interior for safety was a great advertising point as well but probably didn’t carry the same cache as the brake advance.
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It was reported that for sentimental purposes some wanted the Packard name resurrected.
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The #9 has nothing to do with serial number…it’s the number assigned it at the Bonneville Salt Flats by the USAC or whomever was the authorities of the time trials. There was also the #8 car which was an Avanti…I believe the #5 car was a GT Hawk…and so on. #9 happened to be the car that made the record runs…#8 was supposed to but it had an overheating problem so the honors fell to #9.
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Some very early Avanti IIs received the chrome piece and the "pirate's buckles" on the sail panels but the Studebaker "S" is blacked out. If you look at early sales brochures they're very clearly on the cars. The small "pirate's buckle" between the rear seat cushions was there as well but covered with upholstery...at least the '70 I had was like that. I don't remember whether there were any of the buckles on the door panels early on but there may well have been.
At what point the exterior emblems were dropped I don't know...it really made no sense to keep them with a blacked out "S" and made for a cleaner exterior look as well to my eye. Not using them also meant they could be inventoried and sold through the parts department.
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I don’t know what air cleaner Studebaker would have used for an R4 Avanti but many years ago I saw an Avanti with R4 installed. The air cleaner was similar to…if not identical…to an early Mopar 426 Hemi air cleaner. I don’t know if it was a Studebaker sourced part or a Mopar unit that was used.
Unfortunately I can’t find any photos I may have taken of it.
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Measure the spread of the mounting holes…any quality speaker that has the spread and matching impedance (ohms) should work fine. Speakers today are probably superior to what was available back then. In the ‘70 I had I installed Boston Acoustics speakers and they were awesome. There are a number of good brands to choose from…Pioneer…Kenwood..Alpine and others.
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Bob Palma is a long-time well known guy in the Studebaker world though not as much with Avantis. He’s long been a technical advisor with Turning Wheels…the Studebaker Drivers Club’s magazine and regular columnist in Hemings Classic Cars. His dad was one of the last…if not the last…Packard dealers.
Last year during a routine health check up Bob received the news had had cancer which had already spread. He’s been going through treatments and was just informed nothing is helping and treatments are being discontinued. He’s been given 4-6 months.
I’ve known Bob for some time…one of the greatest guys you’ll ever meet and one of then most knowledgeable people on Studebaker out there…mechanically and historically.
The Studebaker world will suffer a huge loss that will be difficult if not impossible to fill.
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It needed the ground strap or there would have been no effective ground plane for reception purposes. A metal bodied car forms its own ground plane.
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Condenser filter on the alternator. I’m not sure if there was an additional one on the distributor…probably not since the distributor was covered by shielding.
There have been one attached to the radio itself.
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Prototyping for the 340cid engine?
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It would make sense for Studebaker to have test fitted a R4 engine into an Avanti for measurements and clearances. You don’t wait for it to be made a production option without knowing how it’s built and assembled. Without such measurements how do you produce special parts and know costs?
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False. When I installed Recaro in the '70 I owned the base was made specifically for the Avanti as the original design tracks were not interchangeable...and the standard Recaro tracks fit right on the new base. No change to the floorpan were necessary.
Any changes that might have been necessary were not for the Recaro but to meet federal safety standards but those would have happened several years prior to the introduction of the Recaro seat option.
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When Avanti Motors bought parts they eased them into the assembly line as needed...and they would often buy a larger quantity of parts for a volume discount...then it might be the following year before the parts were actually used. They also didn't necessarily use parts stocked in order of delivery...the oldest part in inventory didn't always get to be used first...it could sit there for a long time before being pulled for use. When it was used they could have been using updated parts for some time. There are cases of Avanti IIs receiving tapered axles into the '70s when the flanged axles had been standard from the beginning or nearly so.
The cover was most likely a Corvette piece.
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Are you sure it can't be rebuilt? That's usually a good option. Otherwise look at it and get any numbers off it and maybe a manufacturer name. Then do a web search for a replacement...possibly through Rockauto.com or NAPA.
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I had a ‘78 Corvette that had that cover. Prior to its use Chevrolet used a steel cover similar to that Studebaker used for the Avanti.
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It wouldn’t start when it came off the assembly line due to the distributor or coil being incorrectly wired…in front of a magazine writer and photographer. So…false.
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Paper was cheap…but so was Studebaker which had precious little funding. I don’t know the answer to the question but would be surprised if true.
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I believe that’s the car the magazine showcased as it came down the assembly line…then it wouldn’t start as the distributor was hooked incorrectly. Embarrassing to happen and then be reported that way.
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There was a first one that was seen in early Avanti promo ads and brochures. I don't know whether it ever made into production cars...but if it did it must have been very few.
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Check with Dan Booth at Nostalgic Motors. He’s probably the one most likely to have one…possibly even NOS.
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3 hours ago, mfg said:
I've always understood that the Studebaker Avanti was introduced to the shareholders in South Bend, and at the NY New Car Auto Show on 4/26/62?
Your one day off, but who's counting??
Your problem is not with me but Don Jones. -
Here on the AOAI website in the “Avanti Story” by Don Jones…it’s clearly stated that on April 25, 1962 the Avanti was introduced at the NY Auto and also at the Studebaker stockholders meeting in South Bend. Mr. Jones stated that immediately following those events the cars were taken by aircraft on a national tour of twenty-four cities. Whether that means the tour began that day or once events concluded isn’t clear.
What else could have occurred that day that qualifies as “momentous” I don’t know…maybe mfg’s birthday?
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The Avanti was unveiled to the public at the NY Auto Show.
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Sherwood Egbert passed away.
1963 to 1964 AVANTI CHANGES
in 1963-64 Avanti
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Yes…all Avanti disc brakes were power assisted.
I’ve never seen a ‘63 or ‘64 Avanti that didn’t come with chromed valve covers as standard. Photos of prototypes show painted valve covers but they would have been swapped to chrome before being given new serial numbers and other upgrades before being sold in 1964. The valley cover was originally chromed and changed to painted black.