Jump to content

Sean Mulholland

AOAI Forum Members
  • Posts

    17
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Sean Mulholland

  1. I have a 69 and had to change the control valve. In order to remove the pitman arm I disconnected the steering box and pushed it aside in order to get enough clearance to use a pitman arm puller. I hope this is helpful to your situation.

  2. Thanks guys for the input. I found it through Bob Johnstone's homepage. There are a bunch of pictures of RQA0307 ( mine is RQA304 ) and with them a good picture of the decal. I am going to try and reproduce it. I am a little goofy with trying to do everything as it was made, but I am having fun. have been poking around with this car since 1984.

  3. Thanks Wayne and Gunslinger. I think I have pretty definitive information now. My wife has done a tremendous amount of sleuthing and has purchased some sales brochures for the early Avanti II on-line.

    The first one has a penned in year of 1968 and shows the Studebaker R1 air cleaner and chrome valve covers with raised center section and the Avanti II decal as you both suggested. The second one came with a 1969 sell sheet from Sutton Motor Imports of West Los Angeles in an envelope post-marked November 6, 1968. This brochure shows the Corvette chrome air cleaner and the same previously mentioned chrome valve covers. I think you are correct, Gunslinger, the air cleaner was probably changed with the switch to the quadrajet 4-barrel, which came on my Avanti II when I bought it.

    I appreciate your help on this, guys.

    Sean

  4. It just goes to show there was not much standardization in the early years of Avanti II production. I've seen engine color painted valve covers and now chrome plated valve covers. It may simply be what came on the engines Avanti Motors purchased. If GM changed the specs on crate engines that's simply what Avanti bought.

    My '70 came with the finned aluminum valve covers found on optional Corvette engines...not the base engine which is what Avanti installed. It's generally called the LT-1 valve cover but it came on the optional higher horsepower engines above the base 350/300hp. While that valve cover came on many 350's, I don't believe it came on any 327 engines cars. Avanti Motors could well have bought 350/350hp crate engines if the price was right or base 300hp engines weren't available. There was no horsepower emblems on the cars to note any differences.

    I still tend to believe the switch to the chrome Corvette air cleaner coincided with the change to the Quadrajet carburetor. The different size air horn neck from the AFB would have made a change necessary. The only other reason I can believe prompted the change would be if Avanti used up the supply of R1 air cleaners.

    Until someone with truly definitive information presents himself, all this looks to be very arguable to any judge. I think more than a few things depended on who the assembly line worker was and how he did things compared to someone else on the car they assembled.

  5. I was gigged at International for my valve covers and air cleaner. When I purchased the car in 1984 it had plain chrome valve covers and a chrome 1968/69 Corvette air cleaner. During restoration I replaced them in kind. It is a 1969 (RQA304) and has a 327. Can anyone tell me for sure what is correct?

  6. I had to change the tube length of the drive shaft. It cost $100.00

    I have a 1969 Avanti II . I changed the transmission from automatic to a muncie 4-speed. I used a Studebaker Lark pedal assembly and linkage down to the frame. On the frame I mounted a 3/4" Willwood master cylinder connected to the Studebaker linkage. I used a Howe hydraulic throughout bearing. I have a Hurst competion plus modified to come up through the automatic console opening. I used the existing crossmember and transmission mount. I bolted the mount to the tansmission and used a short 1/4" plate to bridge back to the crossmember.
  7. I have a 1969 Avanti II . I changed the transmission from automatic to a muncie 4-speed. I used a Studebaker Lark pedal assembly and linkage down to the frame. On the frame I mounted a 3/4" Willwood master cylinder connected to the Studebaker linkage. I used a Howe hydraulic throughout bearing. I have a Hurst competion plus modified to come up through the automatic console opening. I used the existing crossmember and transmission mount. I bolted the mount to the tansmission and used a short 1/4" plate to bridge back to the crossmember.

  8. Thanks for the input. The reason I think mine had a York compressor is that the hoses have York flanges and makeshit copper tubing (plumbing fittings as adapters. My sister had a 70 and it had a york. It doesn't matter to me which compressor I use I just don't want to be gigged for the wrong one.

    My '70 came with the Corvette engine with the York compressor. I've seen early Avanti II promotional material which clearly shows the York compressor installed, but I can't think of ever seeing any promotional materials showing the GM compressor, at least not until maybe the 1980's.

    I would think Avanti Motors would have standardized one a/c system to make assembly easier but it could possibly have been an availability issue...they installed whatever compressor they could source at the best price. Possibly when they would place an order for engines from GM, compressors were or weren't available for them. A small company like Avanti Motors didn't have a lot of buying power for such small lots of components so they bought whatever was available at the time.

    I spent some time in automotive retail many years ago and often a supplier rep comes in with an overstock of a part and gives a great price if you buy a bunch. It's possible Avanti Motors could have obtained a stash of the GM compressors from somewhere at too good a price to turn down. When they were used up they went back to the York. It's possible but I tend to think they simply bought what was available at the best price at time the parts were needed.

  9. I used to own a 69, which, if I recall correctly, had a Delco A/C compressor from new... are you certain

    yours didn't begin it's life with a Delco? I sold that car to SBCA96's dad (SBCA96 posts frequently

    on this forum), so he could verify my memory.

    I also owned a 66 which did have the York, but I doubt that I have any old photos showing it (I'm away

    from home this week, so I can't dig up old photos).

    Have you checked with Dan Booth at Nostalgic Motors? He may have the brackets, or at least

    know whether your car should have a Delco or York...

    call him at 248-349-4884 monday to thursday 10-4:30 eastern time.

  10. I am restoring my 1969 Avanti II (rqa0304) back to original for next years meet. It has a delco air conditioner which I want to change back to a york unit but I need to see what the mounting and brackets look like. Can anyone help me.

×
×
  • Create New...