Skip Lackie

As noted above, the basic design is the probably the same as used on the 65-66 Lark-types with the Chevy 283. Many of the parts might still be available. Chevy used a system on many of their 60s-70s vehicles that had a Z-bar that rode in a bushing that was bolted to the side of the block. I have a 78 El Camino with the same system. Only the Z-bar itself is different, depending on application. I can take a picture of the clutch linkage illustration in the 65-66 parts book if that would help. I might be able to get a decent picture of the linkage on my 74 Avanti (with stick), but not till next weekend. Would have to jack the car up to get a clear shot.

Thanks, you're right of course. Can no longer try to keep two things straight in my mind at the same time . . . .

Pretty sure the basic design is the same as they used on the 65-66 Lark-types with the Chevy 283. Many of the parts might still be available. Chevy used that system on many of their 60s-70s vehicles. It has a Z-bar that mounts to a bushing that is bolted to the side of the block. I have a 78 El Camino with the same system. Only the Z-bar itself is different on most cars. I can take a picture of the clutch linkage illustration in the 65-66 parts book if that would help. I might be able to get a decent picture of the linkage on my 74 Avanti, but not till next weekend.

As I noted when this video was posted on Facebook, it's interesting that despite the fact that the facts surrounding Studebaker's withdrawal from the automobile industry are very well known, people keep making videos and creating histories about the company that are full of incorrect info, rumors, and wishful thinking. There have been several very well-documented books that chronicle the history of Studebaker Corporation, with particular emphasis on the post-WWII period and the Avanti gamble. The most authoritative is "Studebaker, The Life and Death of an American Corporation" by Donald Critchlow, University of Indiana Press, 1996. Critchlow had access to the minutes of the board meetings, the financial records, the car production data, and the personal recollections of those who were there at the time -- so he was able to document every decision that the company made. As Gunslinger said above, GM had nothing to do with it.

What are your intentions for the car: (1) Nice driver with some noticeable imperfections, or (2) Fully restored trailer queen? That should tell you which way to go. Also, did you purchase the car as an investment, or just cause you wanted to have an Avanti? While some rare Avantis bring big bucks, most turn out to be a bad investment compared to some of the alternatives.

The independents were doomed anyway by the economies of scale. GM could buy simple things like door handles for half of what Studebaker had to pay because GM could spread the cost over a couple of million vehicles at a time. The urge to merge hit the independents too late to help. And even if the mergers had been successful, the Japanese invasion would have killed them off anyway. Even Chrysler has been/is struggling.

You register under the vehicle serial number, not the body number. Studebaker practice had long been to make bodies up in advance and pull them from stock -- not in sequential order. They were numbered to keep track of any mid-year running changes. You can register by sending Bob Johnstone (keeper of the Stude info site) an email.

Congratulations. You should be proud.

Leo- Sorry to hear about your (learning) experience. Not sure I have the facts right (someone correct me if I'm wrong), but I believe the only new Stude V8 fuel pumps are Chinese-made Airtex brand, which are generally regarded as junk. Again, we pay the price for our obsession with seeking out the lowest possible price. The originals are Carter brand, which were high-quality and can be rebuilt. As a result, the Carter cores are now becoming valuable. I believe AC Delco also made fuel pumps for Stude V8s back in the day, and they are also rebuildable.

You would be correct if you were dealing with a GM vehicle. Black is always ground on them. Not so on Avantis.

I have never had an Avanti heater fan motor in my hands, but Delco and a couple of other companies make/made a wide variety of 12-volt electric motors. They differ in size, mounting arrangements, rotation, shaft length, etc. A GOOD auto parts store or a company that rebuilds electric motors should have a catalog that shows all the options available.

Thanks Lew.

Thanks Bob. Great story.

"What-if" exercises are always fun and thought-provoking, but Gunslinger hit the nail on the head. By the time Studebaker had straightened out the Avanti's production problems, the company was too broke (and the Avanti's reputation too sullied) to build anything except plain-Jane Lark-types -- and with store-bought Chevy engines to boot. "Studebaker -- The Life and Death of an American Corporation" by Donald Critchlow is an excellent history of the business side of Studebaker. It confirms that the banks were tired of the red ink and simply wouldn't lend the company any more money. They would not approve ANY plans for new models, and were very reluctant to even allow the company to continue production of the Larks in Hamilton. The latter move was approved only as a means to starve the existing dealers into quitting, and thereby avoid the penalty payments that would be due to some of them if the company quit providing cars. The company made some poor choices and bad decisions (like designing a V8 engine that was state-of-the-art at the time, but had no capacity to be increased in displacement), but the winds of commerce and public opinion were against the independents anyway. The Packard purchase/merger with Studebaker was a disaster ("two drunks holding each other up"), the Avanti production problems were a disaster, the company's obsolete facilities and expensive labor costs were a disaster -- the list is long. The company had been in the news for a long time for all the wrong reasons. Those of us who are old enough to have actually bought a car in 1963/64 remember that very few people were seriously looking at Studebakers. They had become a niche manufacturer. I don't remember anyone in my circle of family and friends who actually owned a Studebaker. My then-roommate was in the market for a new car car in 1964, and we actually looked at both GT Hawks and Avantis. He ended up buying a Buick Riviera. 425 cubic inches, 340 horsepower and VASTLY more refined than the Avanti.

3M makes a huge variety of adhesives designed for attaching weatherstripping, headliners, under-hood pads, etc. They come in both tubes and spray cans. For regular door and trunk lid weatherstripping, I prefer the normal black (or yellow) 3M weatherstrip adhesive in a tube. Why reinvent the wheel?