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Paul K.

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Posts posted by Paul K.

  1. Glenn, many valid points, however, " a rising tide floats all boats". There won't be a huge rush from the masses to snap up Avantis, but if the values increase due to good press and increased demand, the supercharged models will be too expensive for some admirers. These buyers move down the line to the next affordable package. Prices will rise and stay relative to one another.

    in the 80s and 90s, I restored and sold many cars including Cadillacs and Lincolns of the 60s. Back then, convertibles in those makes were the most popular and valuable. Their counterpart four door sedans were sold for a pittance or parted out compared to the convertibles. Today, sedans bring respectable money and the people that own them love them. However, when speaking to them they reveal that they really wanted to buy a convertible but could not afford it. Turns out they like the car for what it is more than a convertible. BTW, I owned three Avanti IIs over the years and all went to buyers who wanted nothing to do with a Studebaker but knew all about both manufacturers. They loved the looks of the Avanti and the Chevy motor even more.

    Today, I have a 63 R1 Automatic, no A/C and one of the 5% that was NOT equipped with power steering. Talk about being low in the pecking order. :D But I really like my car. Its Avanti Gray with red interior, my favorite color combo. Plus I like my Avanti more for its looks rather than speed or as an investment.

  2. When I did a glass-out repaint about 15 years ago on a '74 II, I ordered a rear window gasket from one of our vendors. When installed, it did not reach the body completely mainly the four corners. When I called the vendor, they mentioned there are two gaskets, theirs which is correct per the original, and another that is too wide and looks like a "truck gasket" because it extends too far onto the body. He didn't mention who sold the truck looking gasket but based on the poor fitting one I had, that sounded exactly like what I needed. I "ate" his and ordered one from another vendor. What I received was slightly wider and bridged to the body in all four corners. However, It did not look too wide or incorrect. No leaks.

    I would assume that the fiberglass bodies on our cars may slightly change shape over the years. Its possible that the rear window opening could be a few millimeters off here and there from new, so maybe a slightly wider gasket may be needed for some cars.

  3. Instead of using silicone you may want to consider using 3M Strip-Caulk aka "dum-dum". It is used by many auto manufacturers and body shops to provide a water-tight seal around openings and joints. It can also act as a light adhesive because it is sticky. With the barrel buts it will be good. Link below.

    http://3mcollision.com/3m-strip-calk-08578-black.html

    Brad's comment about your body man not liking you later is a correct one. It may seem like overkill, but I just wonder how many paint problems such as lifting and bubbling are due not to poor workmanship but rather traces of silicone leaching from crevices on the body.

    Like from behind badges maybe ?

  4. Thanks Gunny,,

    I was trained in the installation of clear bras by X-Pel over 10 years ago but only with the kits. At the time there was a company (not X-Pel) that listed a kit for an 84 Avanti. I assumed it was a one-off order they had done and added to their database but never researched it to include other years in their listing.

    Can't remember which company that was.

  5. The discussion of trailering or driving to events reminds me of what you can do to protect the front end when driving. Three years ago I had the "Invisible Bra", a 3 M product put on the front end of my 76. It saved a lot of touch up work on the front end. The car is in the shop getting painted over the winter (last paint was put on in 1989). I will again have the Invisible bra put on the car's front end as well as behind all 4 wheels on the lower part of the fenders where rocks can be thrown off the tires.

    Where did you purchase your invisible bra?

  6. I stumbled across this a year or so ago. They look like nice quality and most upholstery shops can install them. A couple of things, is I don't know if they have the map pocket on the seatback and it looks like they eliminated the pockets or "gussets" on the seat bottoms just outside the pleated area. Worth a look.

  7. Relatively speaking, the size of engine does not effect the amount emissions put out. The condition of the engine compression and ignition will affect the hydrocarbon (HC) output, the amount of fuel will affect the carbon monoxide or CO output (rich carburetor) and the heat and/or compression ratio will affect the NOx (oxides of nitrogen readings). An efficient engine in good condition will burn most of the fuel and have low emissions. This is just a general overview of emissions control.

    Your 76 does not have a computer controlled carburetor. It has a basic old fashioned Rochester Quadra-Jet unless someone changed it and I doubt they added a computer controlled carb. The car does have an air injection system which is a huge benefit to reducing HC and CO emissions. make sure it is all there and working. Your car also has an EGR valve which controls the NOx. Make sure it is functioning properly, which means the valve holds vacuum and does not stick, it has a good vacuum source and its passages to the intake and exhaust are clear. Your car also came with a 2 way oxidation catalyst that only reduces HC and CO. It may also have the EFE system on the right exhaust manifold that is Early Fuel Evaporation which prevents the fuel from becoming liquid again on a cold engine. It is also has a thermostatic air cleaner and fuel evaporative canister. If your motor was changed as you mention, then its possible some or all of these emission controls have been removed. Depending on how much was changed, the emission controls could be reinstalled without too much trouble.

    I have smogged (emission tested) three different Avantis all with 400 V8s with no problems here in CA where the rules are from what I hear stricter than Europe. I also own a 78 Bentley which has all of the emission controls I mentioned plus dual carburetors. I have to smog it every 2 years. No problem.

    These older vehicles have to have all the emission controls functioning, and the engine and carburetor tuned properly and they pass with no trouble. Last, make sure your engine is in good condition and has good compression. Check the compression BEFORE doing any expensive tuning or parts replacement. I can't count the number of times big money was wasted replacing spark plugs, wires, filters, carburetors, etc. just to still have an engine whose emissions could not be reduced because the engine was worn out.

    Please post your emission test results, what you tested and the passing limits established by your authorities. We can give you some direction on what repairs may be needed.

  8. The dash can be recovered in the car but other dismantling may be necessary such as windshield removal and also removal of the gauges and radio.

    When I had my 74 repainted in Tijuana, Mexico I had the interior done at the same time by an upholstery guy who was next to the body shop. I had planned on replacing the dash with a repro as mine was badly cracked and "explosive" looking around the speaker grille. One visit when I was checking on the car, the upholstery guy asked me about the dash. He said there was enough leather left over to cover it and he said it would be no problem. He only wanted an extra $100 labor so I figured it was worth the risk which wasn't much because I have been dealing with these guys for 25 years and they are resourceful and even "magicians" sometimes. The dash came out very nice for a driver, with the usual stitching on the facing edge of the pad which is typical of a covered dash. The car was getting a bare glass respray so all the glass was out allowing him to work from the front of the car. I replaced the faux woodgrain dash and console overlays with brushed stainless steel so the gauges were out too.

    This is how I did it, but considering the time it takes to pull the gauges with the dash in, and removing the windshield too, it may be easier to just remove the dash with the gauges installed.

    Also, if some of the original vinyl like the sail panels and smaller side pieces are still in good physical condition, you may want to consider dying them to match the new material. There were some areas in the back seat area of my car where the vinyl was perfect, just the wrong color. It was gold color and I was going to black so the few areas I dyed were a easy cover-up. Attached is a pic but I guess we can only load small files so you can't get a good look.

    Avanti 2156 Interior Front resized .bmp

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