[1987 Tire Pressure Sticker]

I have found a company that makes replacement automotive stickers, I'm looking into cost.

Good luck,

Jim Wood

 

[1987 Custom Wheel Owners Manual]

[Leaks....]

Here at the shop I use ACDelco 10-108 Cooling System Sealing Tabs. GM called for them any time you opened a Cadillac cooling system. You can get them at any GM or AC Delco dealer. I haven't seen any problems with them and have been using them for 20-30 years.

https://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-10-108/dp/B0026JK8C8

Good luck,

Jim Wood

[1987 Amoco Oil Flyer]

[1987 New Car Warranty]

[1987 Leather Interior Upkeep Card]

[1987 Company Brochure]

[1987 Sales Flyer]

[Rubber headlight rings]

They make a glue for rubber or silicone o-rings. You cut the o-ring material to length and glue it. It may work on the rings.

Google (o-ring adhesive).

Good luck,

Jim Wood

[1987 Avanti Coupe Owners Manual]

1 hour ago, JensenHealey said:

What rear TV ? None of these three cars have any sort of "rear TV"

What was this rear TV supposed to be used for? Do you mean a screen for a backup camera?

Color TV monitor for the rear passengers, may have only been available in the SC version, I'm not sure. My 1987 Coupe is wired for it, so it may have been standard wiring.

Other options were heated seats, rear headphones, driving computer, auto day-night mirror, headlight timer, remote control alarm system and power moon roof.

About anything available at the time.

Good luck,

Jim Wood

 

[1987 Avanti Coupe Owners Manual]

23 minutes ago, wdaly said:

Re:  Various parts and manufactures - my (former) '88 coupe (bought new) used Ford front door armrests.  

My '87 Coupe also. I remember that the armrest has the Ford part # molded into it, I used that to order some mounting hardware from Ford.

Used '87 Chrysler La Baron HVAC controls and power window motors.

The wiper switch is Jeep with a ground wire to it.

Every thing they could use off of the Monte Carlo donor car.

The power window switch is made by Cherry Switches from Germany.

One of the main electrical harnesses behind the center console and going thru the console to power the rear TV is a Marine (boat) harness.

I had a problem with the engine just dying, found that one of the fuse box Bat+ wires ran thru the Marine harness to the rear of the center console and back to power part of the fuse box. Bad sealed connector in the harness would overheat and kill the power to the ignition fuse. That one was a real pain to find.

Good luck,

Jim Wood

[1987 Avanti Coupe Owners Manual]

40 minutes ago, studegary said:

There were 158 1989 Avantis built.  What makes you think that only 17 of those were convertibles?  I do believe that there were 17 1991 convertibles.  Perhaps that is what you were thinking of.

Your probably correct.

Still, I doubt there are many people with much experience working on a limited production vehicle from 30 years ago.

Good luck,

Jim Wood

 

[1987 Avanti Coupe Owners Manual]

How about a little help with more information and pictures.

This late year Avantis were very limited production vehicles, and Avanti used many different parts from many different suppliers.

I doubt many people have looked at the wiring for a 1989 Avanti Convertible, what about 17 made.

My 87 uses parts from GM, Chrysler, Jeep and Cherry.

Brake lights, hazard flashers, and turn signals would not go thru the headlight circuits.

What does your headlight switch even look like? Is it on the dash or on the column?

If your switch is in the dash and has a circuit breaker it would only shut down the headlights.

Have you pulled the headlight switch to check for an overheated plug. Vehicles of this era had full battery power going to the headlight switch and melting the connectors.

If your Avanti has a floor high beam switch have you checked the wiring, they are bad about corroding and all headlight power goes thru it..

Are there other fuses dead in the fuse box that would lead me to believe that a power wire is dead?

1989 Chevrolet Caprice wiring diagram shows (no fuse #) that the tail light 20amp fuse is HOT AT ALL TIMES and then goes to the headlight switch circuit that does not have the circuit breaker and then to the tail lights etc.

My professional opinion is that you have a dead power wire to the fuse box OR (and more likely) several different wiring problems.

A Power Probe would make this task much easier to diagnose.

Good luck,

Jim Wood

 

 

[Drivers door alignment - 1987 Avanti Coupe]

I took both the 64 hinge and my 87 hinge and separated the parts. When I laid the bent strap of the 64 on top of the 87 you could see how the 87 was bent wrong.  Mine was just bent wrong from the factory.

Good luck,

Jim Wood

[1987 Avanti Coupe Owners Manual]

You can find my Owners manual at Bob Johnstones great Avanti site.

https://studebaker-info.org/OM/87avom/87AVOM.html

Good luck,

Jim Wood

 

[Gas gauge fluctuating]

If you can get to the sending unit you can unplug the two wires and use resisters to test the gauge.

I believe 240 ohms is empty and 33 ohms is full, I could be wrong.

I use a 200,100,50 resisters to test the gauge positions. If the gauge works its the sending unit. If the gauge doesn't work its the gauge or wiring to the gauge.

Good luck,

Jim Wood

[Drivers door alignment - 1987 Avanti Coupe]

First let me say that I am a professional mechanic and not a body man.

Purchased my 87 Avanti about 20 years ago, it had less than 70,000 miles on it. The black paint was faded on the fenders and hood and on the upper part of the drivers door where the door stuck out into the wind.. The upper part of the drivers door was adjusted away from the body about 1/2 inch.

The hinges were loose so I purchased rebuild kits and rebuilt them. Still could not get drivers door to align, I could get it adjusted close but then the door would rub the sill plate and be hard to latch.

Last year I was trying to adjust it again when it dawned on me (Read the first line again), when I purchased the car the upper part drivers door paint was faded from being in the wind for 70,000 miles. Could the hinge be bent wrong from the factory? The hinge is 1/2 to 3/4 inch aluminum, no way you could bent it without destroying the door (I have the original door with factory #'s and signed by builder inside).

I called Mike Baker @ Avanti Restorations and he had a hinge from a burnt up 1964.

The 1984 hinge is different then the 1987 hinge. The part that bolts into the pocket wouldn't bolt at the top, bend was at a different angle. The hinge is steel, not aluminum. I took the pocket part of the 1987 Hinge and mated it with the steel door part from the 1964, I installed it and it worked like a charm.

Just bad quality control from the factory. Don't know why the original owner didn't complain. I have the Invoice for this car - $34,000 in 1987.

 

 

[63 Avanti electric fan]

16 hours ago, Avanti83 said:

Agree with Jim again. I used a Flex-a-lite Syclone with a custom shroud but Jim's setup would be much easier to fab and install. I also used a Derale 16749 fan controller and added a manual override switch just-in-case.

I've purchased a Delta Current Control's constant temperature controller to play with, still need to install it. My TPI ECM controls the fan currently.

http://www.dccontrol.com/constant_temperature_controllers.htm

Good luck,

Jim Wood

[63 Avanti electric fan]

I replaced  my fan and shroud with a FORD MUSTANG Flex-A-Lite Black Magic Xtreme Series Electric Fans 105401.

Perfect width and was about an inch short.

Good luck,

Jim Wood

[Loooking for alloy hubcaps or center covers for 1988 LSC Coupe wheels]

Go to the home page and join. Magazine comes with membership.

Good luck,

Jim Wood

[Removing Rusted Body Bolts]

17 hours ago, arkus said:

using a 50/50 mix of atf and acetone will work much better than any commercially available solution that i ever used, based on over 65 years of being a professional mechanic. 

Seconded by a 45 year professional mechanic.

Good luck,

Jim Wood

[Why so hard to find wiring diagrams for GM cars?]

On 1/10/2021 at 12:37 PM, Avanti83 said:

Yup! I suspect you have now discovered why a couple of the best tools for old cars is a Volt-Ohm-Meter and a 12 volt probe. Even with a complete wiring diagram (if available) you will still need to generally start at either the fuse box or affected end and start back tracking. Avanti's are well known for corrosion and bad grounds causing issues.

I would suspect your manual (if available) should list the fuses that feed certain parts. If not, the 12 v probe will make sure there is power to all the fuses whether on full time, or in run or start mode.

I highly recommend a Power Probe for testing car electrical.

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Probe-III-Clamshell-Automotive/dp/B00G4YUWMC/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&hvadid=77859221684039&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&keywords=power+probe&qid=1610479502&sr=8-7&tag=mh0b-20

Can save a lot of time and headaches. You can test for power and grounds and supply both power and ground. Great for testing circuits or an electrical device, especially on a fiberglass vehicle.

Good luck,

Jim Wood

 

[No headlights, taillights, gauge lights or radio power in 1989 Convertible (added fuse block photos)]

On your 88 it would be between the wiper motor and the wiper fluid tank. But from pictures of another 89 it looks like they changed it. They may have used the Caprice firewall plug. It would be two piece with a bolt in the center that clamps the outer and inner pug connectors together through the firewall.

Good luck,

Jim Wood

[No headlights, taillights, gauge lights or radio power in 1989 Convertible (added fuse block photos)]

My 87 Coupe has 3 wires supplying power to the fuse block, sounds like one of them is dead. Check at the firewall plug connector, for power on both sides.

Good luck,

Jim Wood

[Why so hard to find wiring diagrams for GM cars?]

My 87 Coupe has 3 wires supplying power to the fuse block, sounds like one of them is dead. Check at the firewall plug connector, for power on both sides.

Good luck,

Jim Wood