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SBCA96
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Posts posted by SBCA96
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Here are some tech articles I wrote that might be of help, they are also reprinted on Bob Johnstone's website.
Johnstones website :
http://www.studebaker-info.org/rjtechoct2014p1.html
Tom
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The 1969 Avanti failed the California smog test decades ago, back when they required one for title transfer. We had to take it to a smog referee. It still failed, when my brother told the Ref that it was a "Corvette" engine and in 1969 the Vette had air injection. Because Avantis were low production, it was told to us by Avanti Motor Company, that it wasnt required. A note from AMC was needed to show the Ref and the car passed. Now in California, cars 1974 and OLDER are smog exempt, so I doesnt matter.
For the record the Ram Horn manifolds have plugs in the holes.
Tom
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This was also used on many Fords around the same year, but I think Studebaker added a different bracket. The Ford one is nice since it has a fill tube in the cap and a dipstick.
Tom
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Its not actually a Honda battery .. its a battery made to fit into a Honda .. which happens to be the same width needed. There is a Ford application one that is also skinny, but its wider at the bottom and wont fit.
Tom
I am sorry but I cannot image doing something like that to an Avanti.
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Holes drilled and ready for final fitment check.
Everything checked out so add some paint ..
Bolted up.
I through bolted the "tab" sticking up on the outer corner, feels pretty stout.
Trial fit with a used battery looks good. This is a 75 series GM battery that fits Camaro, Caprice, Impala etc ...
Napa had a battery sale .. AAA discount and a 10 dollar rebate ..
Bought this conversion cable end from Oreillys .. you cut off the top terminal end and slide into the end tighten a set screw.
Tom -
Time to remove more material not need ...
Some guess work on hole locations by marking with the tray sitting ON the sway bar bolts ..
A couple "Hail Mary" holes drilled... (one had to be slotted after trial fit)
Flattened this a bit as the room next to the inner fender looked tight (I think it would have worked, but whatever)
The stud to bolt to the fender below..
Got dead on with one hole, the other needed slotting.
Trial fit looks good..
Tom -
Obviously the long metal piece spot welded to it wouldnt work given the angle they put the battery at and how
close the frame sits below so it had to be bent over. After a few measurements I found that the thickness of
a 2x4 would space the box where I wanted it off the nuts that hold the sway bar stand. For a Studebaker the
body sits lower, so I feel this piece can be removed the holes drilled through the tray at these locations. Since
the body is at this height now, that will have to wait.
Next was some trial fitting, some guesswork and some luck. Cutting off the excess material not needed...
They have a stud on this corner. There was still material left on the battery box in the fender, so a hole was
drilled here to use it.
Marked with a sharpie.
Tom -
As some of you may know I recently acquired my dads 1969 Avanti II after his death last year. The car was
originally from California, and now its back from a 20 year vacation in Michigan. It spent most of its time in a
garage, years ago it received a 1989 Camaro TH700R4 that was in my 1960 Hawk, and sports my Avantis '63
steering wheel (which will go into storage after I get a Grant replacement for it).
The car has the factory Corvette 327 engine, which I got running after first getting a battery to sit under the
hood in the factory location. Avantis are known for having blown out battery boxes, the box was molded into
the fiberglas fender and without enough bracing to handle the abuse. Most look like this by now ....
with this piece no longer attached ...
So the quest to fix this began. Many suggested to put the battery in the trunk, but I really didnt want to deal
with that effort, back where its supposed to go was best. Much fiberglass work was what I was told, but I did
not see a reason for it to be fiberglass, why not attach it better? I wanted to be sure that the mod would allow
me to lower the body later to Studebaker height (by removing the spacers) after I visit the engine height. So
attaching to the FRAME was key. I also wanted to go to a side terminal GM style battery and get away from
the top terminal setup.
First was to get a battery tray .. I wanted one with some material attached to work with, this 1990's Chevy
Suburban looked like it would work nicely.
Tom -
I converted mine to a little Honda style battery, half as long as the "tractor" battery and half the weight.
Has more reserve and CCA too. An old picture, but you get the idea.
Tom
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Will this adapter work with an HEI tach?
Tom
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I think if I was faced with this issue, I might be looking at improvement rather than replacement. Consider
cutting open the door and installing a crash bar into it, that supports and door and hinges. One thing that
bothers me about my Avanti is how it would (or wouldnt) fair in a side impact.
I cut apart a 1994 Firebird door a few years back that had been t-boned by an SUV, the door was almost
torn apart, but the crash bar was there. It had gone from straight to curved and now I use it as my prybar.
The car was hit so hard it went into a spin and hit a center margin, breaking off both rear axles.
I am sure the passenger would have been killed if the seat had been occupied, but imagine what it would
have looked like WITHOUT!
Tom
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Interesting. I have both a 3rd Gen Camaro cover and a 4th gen Camaro cover. I guess this weekend I will try them.
I can tell you having both these cars next to the Avanti, the Avanti looks like a Miata by comparison, the Camaros
are quite wider, which makes the cover fitment seem impossible.
Since I posted this, my current cover has started to fall apart, and I ended up with a second Avanti, a 1969 which
had been owned by my dad. So now I need two covers, they have to be outdoor use.
I got a quote that was almost 250 a cover, which when you are buying 2 (well three, as I need one for my wifes 78
Camaro) it starts to approach a grand very quickly.
Tom
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You might be interested in this site, they are building the IRS designed by Ford for the 1st Gen Mustang.
This was rejected by Ford when it was decided that it made no improvement (and was costly). The early
Mustang is the same size as the Avanti (some say Ford used the Avanti in some of their design) so this
should fit fairly easily.
http://mustangirs.com/pdf_articles/Hot_Rod_Magazine.pdf
Their site :
http://mustangirs.com/products.php
Tom
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The 5th gen Camaro is HUGE, that would look like a Moo Moo on Tayor Swift ....
Tom
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True, but do they carry one the fits an Avanti properly? I have read in the past that a custom fit cover for a 1965 Mustang fastback fits perfectly... thoughts?
Tom
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My car cover has finally gone south. The car sits outside, what is a good fitting weather/sun resistant cover that fits well with wind?
Tom
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I am late to the party, but I have a 1963, that has one 1963 turn signal on one side and a 1964 on the other.
I would consider letting go the 1963 assembly for a 1964 to match the other side. Cutting is easier than filling.
Tom
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I have been i the process of a new prototype effort, just FYI :
Tom
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Congrats on the win.
Tom
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Thanks, with all the upgrades I have done to the car, the seats made the best results, the
car was really NOT comfortable to drive more than around town. With the Camaro seats
I can drive 55 miles and not feel bad at all. The lack of a lumbar support is murder. The
next nice upgrade was the TKO 5 speed, as my Avanti had the 3 speed manual and not
synchomesh. The large brakes eliminated the leaking stock cylinders and the wheels I
like how they ride/handle. I wish I could drive it right now, but the throw out bearing went
south and I hurt my neck working on my wifes car. Pulling a trans right now could be bad.
Tom
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Lucky for me ... my Avanti is black.
Tom
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In my opinion staying with rubber is the best bet, poly squeaks and delrin is hard. Metal
bushings transfer much harshness. I had steel bushing uppers on the '78 Camaro for a
little while and it was too much, that said we are running 40 series tires.
Tom
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How well have the aluminum Studebaker heads held up at the exhaust ports? I recall them being
rather long and couldnt possibly have "coolant circulating around" them. Just saying that I would
be quite surprised a casting company would make a part they know will not hold up ... though I am
also concerned and voiced that to Dave as well.
Tom
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The downside is the amount of road vibration and noise you will encounter after.
Tom
Questions about avanti
in 1965-83 Avanti
Posted
I designed my own system back in 2006 using a modern caliper, a slide over 11 rotor and an option of a 13 inch rotor. Its all over each of the Studebaker forums if you do a search. I havent been posting much recently, but I have lots of content once I start again. My brake setup was featured in a few articles in Avanti magazine.
https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/tech-talk/83439-rad-ideas-mustang-gt-and-cobra-brake-adapter-bracket-update
I still have some in stock.
Tom