SBCA96
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Posts posted by SBCA96
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I have a rather funny story involving that switch and a 66 Avanti I owned back in the 70's...
Was that the SAME 1966 Avanti that Jason bought from you? The white one?
Tom
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Considering the rarity of the Silver Anniversary cars and how far automotive technology has advanced, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one of these cars if it was priced fairly. Any issues related to the blower installation could be rectified, I'm sure.
Do you know if they used a Paxton blower? If so, then Paxton might be the place
to start as far as finding a solution. If they dont want to touch it, I bet that the
http://www.pcmforless.com/ place could fix you up.
Tom
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My understanding is that the Silver Anniversary cars were a bit problematic mechanically due to the supercharger installation not well matched to the computerized nature of the engine. The electronics of the era simply weren't sophisticated enough to deal with the forced induction. You could always take the drive belt off the blower and drive it that way.
Wow, no offense, but that blows my mind. Perhaps it was the electronics that the
Avanti Motor Company used in the car, but two years prior to that car being made,
GM was ripping up the road with the Buick Regal Grand National. Granted it was
a turbo car, but still forced induction and computer controled. I would say that an
'88 would be a good year to get. GM had some problems with the 700 R4 trans &
had solved them by mid 87. Earlier Avantis would be damned with the same bad
shifting and early failure that the pre-87 1/2 700's GM cars had. As for the engine
issues, I had never heard of that. Was it belt related, or just computer? I know
of a guy that does "miracles" for the Impala club :
The guys sware by him. His buddy does performance chips to order. I was going
to have him make one for our 1986 Camaro IROC.
In a quick search I found these:
http://www.collectorcarads.com/addetail.asp?CarID=3606
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?t...&paId=183813470
Tom
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I have a '63 Avanti that I purchased new. It was a daily driver until about 5 years ago and has about 360K miles. It's rest period began because of power steering leaks, and I really don't think I want to continue to live with the recurring leaks. I am considering going to rack and pinion and would appreciate any input. Is it a good idea, or not?
Rack & pinion has its advantages, but since it wasnt originally on the car, it wasnt
considered during the design of the suspension. The BEST way to go on your high
mileage Avanti would be to rebuild the front end, and replace hoses and steering
parts, and keep the original setup. There was an article in a past issue of Popular
Hot Rodding explaining the drawbacks of swapping a 2nd Gen Camaro to a Rack
and Pinion setup. I dont remember all the little details, but they touched on quite
a few areas that become affected. Studebaker has VERY long tierods, and the
GM setup in the 2nd Gen Camaro has a center link. They were explaining how if
you hit a bump in the road and the angle of the tie rods to the a-arms and.... well
like I said .. its pretty complicated. If you make the swap, you are married to how
well the place you buy from did their engineering. In other words, you solve one
problem, and open the risk of new DRIVING problems, which are worse. The stock
setup in your Avanti apparently worked VERY well to rack up all those miles, just
bring all parts back to new, and enjoy another 360k miles.
Tom
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Tom- I have seen the ads and will contact him. His s
etup does not use a power booster and may help one of the problems with that alone. Thanks for your input. Bill.
The upgrade to a dual master is pretty easy, if memory serves its the same Master
as a late 60's early 70's Dodge. I made the swap already on my Avanti, shortly
after I lost brakes totally on my 1960 Hawk when a new rear wheel cylinder blew
out and was leaking. I lost the brakes coming off the freeway, I can tell you that
its a REALLY bad feeling. There are a few people that have a dual master kit for
purchase. The mod isnt really difficult to do on your own. The parts can be all
picked up at your local parts house. The booster is the same as cars around the
same time frame, I think Jeep used it and Dodge. Its also a fairly inexpensive
part to rebuild. I would suggest keeping the booster, it just makes it that much
more safe (since you have less pedal effort). Also, on a fiberglass car, there is
going to be extra strain exerted on the pedel inside the car, instead of mulitplying
it on the firewall. This means that cracking in the firewall could develop over time
since YOU have to make up the difference in assist.
Tom
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Shoot Dave an Email over at Steeltech, I have been in talks with him about his
LARGE brake setup, dealt with him in the past and he's a great guy.
http://www.steeltechsolutions.com/index.html
Tom
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At the very least read this article about how Sony has put a computer virus on CD's in order to undermind their customers computer security.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/internet/11/1...reut/index.html
Because the courts have given them free reign to sue, they now feel that they are ABOVE the law (which apparently they are) and they have started putting VIRUSES on the CD's they sell. So when their CUSTOMER puts the CD into their computer it loads a virus into their operating system that opens a "backdoor" for the RIAA to do whatever they want. It also undermines the security of the CUSTOMERS computer and leaves that "backdoor" open to any hacker that wants to use it. Think easy credit card theft! STOP BUYING MUSIC! This is the only way we as the little folk can show the big money hungery companies that they DONT have the right to do these things.
Now MY story ....
Well ... almost two years ago ... I set my wife up with a file sharing program called "Kazaa" which she apparently used to share some mp3 files ... I didnt know to what extent .. then I got a letter in the mail from my ISP telling me that the RIAA might be submitting a subpoena for my personal info .. Now almost two years later I got another letter .. telling me that my ISP got the Subpoena and that they had to release my info ... shortly there after I got a letter in the mail telling me that I had been sued, and lost as a "Doe" defendant ... then I had to call the Lawfirm. They told me they were going to sue me for over 700,000 dollars in copyright infrigment fines because there was supposedly 1014 songs in this "shared folder". I told them that the harddrive that was in the computer that the IP address was for, had died over a year before and all files were lost, then I told him that when I got the first warning almost two years ago and found out what might have been going on, I disconnected the computer. I can neighter confirm or deny it even happened. They said that the RIAA would be happy thats the case, but there is NO negotiating the extortion .. oops ... "settlement" fine. They offered me a $4250 (for over 1000 songs) or they would take my house. I decided to accept the extortion fine instead ...
How did they know you ask?
They have "moles" that sit on Kazaa and offer music for you to download from them .. then they log your IP address .. and make a "screen shot" of whats in YOUR folder to download from ... then .. they sue you ... this is just how "hurting" they are for money, they can pay people to sit at a computer to "intrap" people.
I did lots of research on the web . and other then living in Canada ... no one has won fighting the RIAA .. they have been SO successful .. that the MPAA wants in now and is sueing too!
After two years of lawsuits, file sharing has INCREASED, so sueing music lovers isnt working as they hoped. It is really a nice way to make money, this way the Music Industry doesnt have to bother making quality music, or lowering the unwarrented cost of a CD, they can just SUE people to supplement their sales. If they had fined my a couple hundred dollars, it would have sent me a message that what I "did" was illegal, but to make me pay a $4250 "settlement" fee, just makes me REALLY mad. Spread the word!!
Tom
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I found this for Ramblers .. I bet most is similar - Tom
http://clubs.hemmings.com/clubsites/amcalb...s/TechTip4.html
1963-66 Rambler Classic
Marlin and Ambassador
Hazard lights [ 4 way flashers ]
The 1963 thru 1966 Classic Marlin and Ambassador use common wire coding and components for the turn signal and brake circuits. This works to your advantage to install the hazard light [ 4 way flashers ] on to any of these cars.
The BOBKIRK Model 600 was custom wired as a dealer installed option for the 1966 cars, featuring correct colour coding to match the Rambler harnesses. The unit contains a 14amp fuse and three terminal flasher unit. Installation is a simple matter of attaching the mounting bracket under the dash [ you will notice the convenience of many pre-drilled holes, so you do not have to butcher your dash ] and attaching the corresponding coded wires.
Similar non-coded BOBKIRK units without color coding may be utilized, as the unit only feeds a pulse signal into the wires. The color coding of the Rambler wiring harness is as follows:
ORANGE rear left turn signal
WHITE rear right turn signal
YELLOW front left turn signal and left turn indicator
BROWN front right turn signal and right turn indicator
The RED wire on the unit goes to the BAT terminal of your ignition switch. The two remaining wires in the wiring harness are not affected by the modification [bLUE turn signal flasher unit, GREEN stoplight switch].
The flasher modification could also be applied to other earlier Ramblers by decoding the harness for the turn signal wires.
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The Avanti II had emergency flashers. I am replying from work, so I dont have
time to do a "yahoo" search, but give it a shot. It would be the same as any other
older car, I bet the Mustang guys have a tech article.
Tom
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They do look nice!!! I'd be very careful, though, because that is a radically different size... in an Avanti II if I hit a bump while turning (interference with the left front fender wheel opening, not good for the fiberglass or paint). I think I ended up with 195/75-15 on the front of that car.
My dads 1969 Avanti II (you might remember it
) also had trouble with the tirehitting the fender, it seems that a lot of Avanti II's had this problem. When I was
researching this on the web, I factored that in, and found this article:
http://patriot.net/~jonroq/Text/wheel_fit.txt
Which states "The fronts will tolerate a 17 x 8" wheel with a backside
dimension of 4.5" (13mm offset). The tire I used is a 235-45-17" Bridgestone"
There is NO way I could live with my Avanti having 195/75 tires!! Thats the same
size I had on my Hawk in H.S.! They are the same size as VW bug! ick! Also the
original Avanti seems to have larger wheel openings. Not just in the filler piece
that was added. The plan is to add a larger bump stop so that ride suffers and not
the fender! (just in case). My 93 Camaro is running 17 x 9 with 275/40 tires!!
Closest to original size is 205/75-15, I think. Your new tires are almost an inch and a half less in diameter, which helps clearance, but 1.6 inches wider (ie, they stick out about a half-inch further even with your current backspace, and extend inward a little over an inch further).Yup! MUCH wider, and looks sooooo sweet! I figured that I might need as much
as a 1/2 spacer at worst case. Unfortunately the narrowest bolt on spacer (much
stronger then a "bolt thru") comes in 3/4 inch - thats too much!
What sort of lugs do your new wheels use?Standard acorn nut. I just reused the ones I had with the Keystones.
Seems to me that any substitute rotor setup that would provide the needed clearance to the steering link would be essentially the equivalent of using adapters or spacers. Either method would push the wheel/tire further out of the wheel opening and risk fender opening damage.The damage is the downside, but I feel if I limit the travel, then I will save the
fender, My Camaro has a very limited travel, sure the Avanti RIDES better, but
the Camaro will put the Avanti to shame around corners. We cant have that!
I am currently looking into SteelTech brakes, and also reusing the stock Avanti
hub with a 1994 thru 2004 Mustang rotor. The Mustang uses a "floating" rotor
so it slides over the hub, where as the Avanti rotor is pressed onto the backside
of the hub. With the rotor in between the hub and the rim, it will act like a spacer,
and with the original rotor gone, the stock studs might be the right length! Mustang
rear rotors are the same non-vented thickness as stock Avanti ... hummm. Then
again it WOULD be nice to have 12.9 inch vented Cobra front rotors.
Have you considered using a narrower wheel & tire of the same design for the fronts?I considered it, but .. it doesnt exist! The 03 Cobra rim on which this design is
based, is a stock 17 x 9. AFS offers them in a wider 17 x 10.5 and then a bit
larger 18 x 9 and 18 x 10.5. I was quite happy to find that they made a narrower
17 x 8 version ... I dont know why though! The 94-04 Mustangs can fit the stock
Cobra rims without mods ... so who knows how long these rims will be around!!
I looked for over 10 years for a rim that would "work". I have been going thru
back issues of Turning Wheels and Avanti Magazine, but nothing seemed to really
match the original hub cap like these - down to the concave center! The only
otehr rim that I really though looked good on the Avanti was the BBS style rim
they used on the 20th anniversary Avanti.
Tom
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No, I saw something about rims & tires for $800 but the link you provided did not take me directly to a set of rims, I think it went to a Chevy Caprice webpage, so I assume it was a set of Caprice rims.... 66-83 Avanti's use the Ford/Chrysler pattern; what ARE you driving these days? My fleet hasn't changed in years now.
This is what they refer too as a "thread hijacking" - sorry "timepilot" .....
It seems you have two separate threads confused ... here is the rim one with pics:
http://www.aoai.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=293
They are a "Ford" bolt pattern from an 03 Mustang Cobra. 4.5 inch bolt pattern.
The Hawk I gave away. I have the 93 Camaro Z28 and the Avanti and my 1995
Impala SS Clone. My wife has her 1995 Camaro Z28, 1986 Camaro IROC (for sale)
and a 1978 Camaro (getting a 94 LT1 engine and 4L60E trans). The Camaro and
the Impala Clone both have over 200k on them. The heads have never even been
off the Camaros LT1. I can not make the same claim for the Impala, since I dont
have a whole history.
Tom
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I think I'm he, Tom.... so, who be you? (ie, live in Lompoc?)
That would be Mr Santa Barbara! Small world. Did you check out the rims that
I bought for my Avanti?
Tom
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Can't help you directly, but here is a website with a little info:
Hey Wayne C ... I know a "Wayne C" in California, who's interests include ...
Avanti's, Corvettes, Jaguars ..... I wonder if you might be he?
Tom
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http://www.geocities.com/hardimon01/Conversion.html
The above article might be of use for you, there are three ways to go about getting
the LT1 to fit your frame, one is the easiest (and what we are doing with our 78
Camaro LT1 swap) to get the A/C delete pulley and do away with the A/C.
http://www.geocities.com/hardimon01/ACDelete.JPG
The second is to get the now discontinued Corvette assessory bracket, and the last
is to get the assessory bracket made by some aftermarket companies (not cheap).
I would go with the LT1, its a VERY good engine. Even deleting the A/C to do it,
the TPI is OK, but still leaves a lot to be desired, and the MAF system they had on
the earlier cars is total crap. The later Speed Density setup is MUCH better for
reliability, you would regret going with the MAF. I have 200k on TWO LT1's one
in my 1995 Impala SS clone, and one in my 93 Camaro Z28. Both cars are still
quite fast, and smoke the tires just fine. If you need a source for ANY GM part,
then go with Dal at :
http://www.9c1.com/parts/dal.htm
What tire diameter are you looking for? I will measure these and tell you what
they are. The responses on the Impala site have been VERY favorful of these
rims, the total cost of $813 bucks can not be beat for 4 rims and tires, granted
you would be paying shipping on top of that.
Tom
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Hello, Tom, et al,
You guys are getting WAY out of my league on this discussion, I really liked the Grant steering wheel conversion idea for my '70 Avanti II. Bottom line, will it work for me?
Sorry Paulie ... with time it will all become easy (or your head will explode!
)I dont see why it wouldnt work for you. From what I understand, the Avanti II
used the same steering column until the late 70's, when it got an adjustable one.
My dads 1969 still used the "Studebaker" column, though if memory serves the
1978 he had was an adjustable column. Looked like a Chrysler.
Tom
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What you are suggesting would mean that Studebaker just didnt care that AM radio
could not be heard in the Avanti? That makes no sense. I have read that the hood
material is the reason that the antenna is on the rear fender. Supposedly the use
of a non metal material causes interferance with reception.
From what I remember the AM works fine in my 63 Avanti, I dont listen to the
radio much in that car though, it "gets out" maybe twice a year, at present.
Tom
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Having not been able to drive the car due to the clearance issues and the lack of
long enough studs on the front hubs, I can not say that handling is changed. From
my experince in the past of bubble tires (70-75 series) to performance tires (60 or
lower) the difference in handling can be amazing!! I expect the car to feel as its
going around turns on rails. As far as LOOK, yes these rims did wonders for the
look of the car, and I feel have brought it out of "old school" into the more current
trend. Also I have read quite a few articles on rims sizes, and the optinum sizes
seem to be 17 and 18 inch for a car of this size and weight.
I am interested to read what others think as well.
Tom
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Avanti Motor Corporation
106 Temple Street, PO Box 158
Villa Rica, GA 30180
770/456-0900 Phone
770/456-0989 Fax
Dear Avanti Motors,
Please, for the love of God, drop this new SUV that you are making under the name
of Studebaker. Studebaker was ALWAYS a leader in ideas, not DEAD LAST. This
concept is over. The SUV is dead. If you want a winner, then use the rights that
Newman and Altman bought with the Avanti back in 1965 and bring back the Lark
Wagonaire as a new model. Base it on a GM chassis, or create your own that can
also be used on the new Avanti. Wagons are the NEW big thing. Take the styling
of the original Lark, and update it. Keep the sliding roof, thats a concept that WILL
sell in the right platform and a wagon is it. Witness the sales of the "Magnum".
Whatever you do, stay away from Ford power. GM has the best powerplant with
the LSx based engines. The Ford modular V8 is filled with potential problems like
inadaquate spark plug thread contact, and lack of bearings for the cams. These are
the kinds of things that will come back and haunt you later. Ford also has issues
with cracking intake manifolds - not good. I like the over all styling of the new Avanti,
but those concept rims have got to go. I just bought a set of 03 Mustang Cobra rims
for my 1963 Avanti, and it closely resembles the original Avanti hubcap.
You have a good concept with the new Avanti, keep the style, change the wheels to
AFS Cobra knockoffs, and put in an LS1 or LS7 GM engine. That will bring the new
Avanti the kind of attention it deserves, and the performance it hasnt had since the
60's supercharged Studebaker versions!
If you used a chassis that was "modern", but kept the same mounting points and also
dimensions as the original Studebaker Avanti, you could also pick up "rolling chassis"
sales to owners of 1963 thru 1983 Avantis that have rotted frames and good bodies.
I hope this note gets to a desk that makes decisions.
Thanks for listening,
Thomas
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WOW ... were did my posts go?? I posted here last night about the website and
my letter to the Avanti Motor Company and they are BOTH gone!
Tom
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Can you post a picture? I am having trouble visualizing this.
Tom
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Not bad, steering wheel looks similar to the wheel that came stock on my '87. I've been modifying my Avanti's suspension, brakes, exhaust, wheels and drop spindles for that original rake look.
If I had an Avanti II, I would be putting an LT1/6 speed or an LS1/6 speed into the
car. The LT1 version would be quite nice, but the LS1 with more power, and a bit
lighter, could help with handling. Did the Monte framed Avanti IIs use the spacers
under the body (in between body and frame) to lift the body up like the Stude framed Avanti II's? If so, I would remove those and drop the car down that way,
then you wouldnt be compramizing the ride and suspension geometry as with a
set of lowering springs and drop spindles. Did you have a tech article in a recent
issue of Avanti Mag?? If you went with an LT1, that would eliminate the carb zone
on top of the engine and give more hood clearance.
My dad has a 1969 Avanti II, we cut the springs to drop it down, and have regreted
the fact since. It bottoms the suspension WAY too easy now. We also made a
template to cut the front fenders to the same wheel opening as the early Avanti.
Tom
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Hello, Tom,
I understand your frustration and feeling of aloneness (is that a word?) I don't know anything about tires, wheels, rims, etc, so I can't help you with your specific topic.
Well .. I ended up getting the rims, and I put them on the car, and posted pics of
the rims on the car. So even opinions were appreciated! Sometimes even a
simple "I dont know, but those look cool!" is better then not getting any reply at
all. LOL!
As for the steering wheel question, I used the adapter I bought for my 1960 Hawk
to put a Grant wheel on the Avanti. Here is a link to the model I chose :
http://www.grantproducts.com/grant.fm$...tml=grantdetail
Part Number: 1760
Formula GT Wheel. Black stitched vinyl hand grip with silver anodized 3 spoke design. 15" diameter, 3-1/2" dish including styling sleeve.
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price: $144.87
Tom
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I posted a thread about my new rims and even though over 100 people read the
post ... NO ONE replied. Thats pretty sad. If the members of this forum DO NOT
reply to thread or post, the forum WILL die. The point of "our" area of the Net is
to SHARE with each other. I belong to the Impala SS forum too, and those guys
KNOW how to be social. A "newbie" posts and he gets 5 to 10 replies welcoming
him to the forum. This is a NICE forum people, step up to the plate, share your
views and lets make this Forum WORTH reading!!!
Tom
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All Avanti II's have the possibility of cracking the front fenders just above the
centerline of the tire. The reason for this is that the Avanti II was raised in the
front to "level" the rake by Newman and Altman, the pair that bought the rights
to the Avanti from Studebaker. When they raised the body, it left an even larger
front wheel house opening, so they added a "filler" piece of fiberglass. You will
notice that the Avanti II fender above the tire is "thicker" then the original Stude
Avanti. This added filler, tends to hit the top of the tire on a turn/dip, due to
the exaggerated suspension travel on the Studebaker framed Avanti. I find it
quite odd that an 87 GM framed Avanti would do this too, but its very possible
that the track is wider on the GM frame then the Stude frame. This would put
the rim/tire package out closer to the fender and allow it to contact. This can
be solved by using skinny tires (ick) or by modding the suspension with taller
rebound bumpers so that the suspension "bottoms" instead of cracking a fender.
Personally I would rather be punished from the mistake of hitting a dip too hard
by being jarred in my seat, then visiting the body shop for fiberglass work!
Tom
My letter to Avanti Motor Company ...
in 2001-2007 Avanti models
Posted
Well .. look at the sales of the Dodge Magnum, Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Matrix.
They just dont call them "station wagons" now, they call them "crossover vehicles".
The name change doesnt change what they are.
Those "SUV" vehicles are just jacked up station wagons.
Tom