Skip Lackie
-
Posts
155 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by Skip Lackie
-
-
That hose on my 74 did me the favor of giving me early warning by starting to drip. As you can imagine, the smell in the garage was pretty strong, but it at least wasn't a flood. I drained the tank right away and fixed it a week or so later.
-
On 11/9/2022 at 2:50 PM, Mrelmtow said:
Isn't that an Indiana manufacturer plate? If so, both answers would be correct!
Both answers may be correct, but that is a regular issue Indiana passenger car plate, albeit with a low number. 71 is the county code for St. Joseph County. Indiana manufacturer's plates have the numbering format 1234M5 and are not county-coded.
-
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I have always had the impression that the model year of Avanti IIs was sort of a flexible concept. The company pretty much followed industry practice; that is, they introduced the new model year cars around September or October of each year. However, they often also made running changes during the year, and sometimes actually finished cars out of model year order. In addition, it should be noted that federal regs and laws that mandated certain features on new models almost always became effective on January 1, so a company could keep building the prior model year's car right up until December 31. Of course, such a practice would be contrary to good salesmanship. Nowadays, the federal emissions and safety reg have made changing the model year of a vehicle a federal offense -- but it was not always so. In fact, for many years, Studebaker allowed dealers to sell new, unused trucks to be titled as the next later model year.
-
Agree that the info is still useful. My comment on the age of the thread was just to alert readers that some of the original posters may no longer be active and that questions may not be answered. This seems to happen a lot on the SDC forum.
-
2013 thread.
-
I had/have an 89 Camaro that had that problem around 50 mph. Replaced the U-joints and had the driveshaft balanced and it went away.
-
It also could be BBQ, but I can't find that code either.
-
I could not find the 8BQ suffix in any Chevy engine number listing I have. Those beginning with "8" all seem to be big blocks. Are you sure about the number 8 in the serial number?
-
As noted above by Avanti83, I own RQB-2127, which was reportedly the last Altman Avanti II built with a 4-speed. There was/is some question about which one was the last one, as my claim to own the last one was disputed (anonymously) by an individual claiming to own the REAL last one. There's an old thread on this forum about that matter. The issue is complicated by the fact that Avanti IIs were sometimes assembled out of order, and were often sold out of order -- so the serial number is not necessarily an accurate record of "last". My car was ordered in early 1974, but wasn't built until October and November 1974. In any case, it is my understanding that that other last Avanti II with stick has been equipped with an automatic. Of course, a decade later Steve Blake reinstituted the 4-speed as an option.
According to Geoff Newman, the EPA's emissions regulations changed on 1 January 1975, and required manufacturers to provide one example of every drive train available for emissions testing. This would have required Avanti Motors to build two cars -- one with stick and one with automatic, just for the EPA to test. They would later be returned to the company as used cars. The company decided that since they were selling very few cars with stick, it would be easier to simply drop the 4-speed from the catalog and make the automatic trans standard equipment.
Mine was/is equipped with the Chevy 400 with a 4-barrel and Warner T-10. Interestingly, the engine number indicates that GM intended it for installation in a Malibu with automatic.
-
It is probably worth noting for the record that this system was a big change from the numbering scheme in previous use. Up until August 1963, Studebaker gave sequential numbers to its engines, usually with a prefix to indicate type. This meant that every engine had a unique serial number, and once that engine was gone, "numbers matching" the drive train to a given car was difficult, if not impossible. But beginning in August 1963, all identical engines made on each day had the same engine number. So even when an original engine is lost, finding another one with the same number is not impossible. All that said, Studebaker people don't spend a lot of time obsessing over numbers matching anyway.
-
I asked a similar question a while ago, and Leo B provided a link to an explanation -- which I found to be incomprehensible. At that point, I lost interest and did not pursue it further. These systems are designed by nerds who go to great lengths to encourage continuous participation. I come here to exchange info about Avantis, not earn some sort of valueless points.
-
Pretty sure it was Budd.
-
Body numbers were applied to Stude vehicles to keep track of running changes that might affect replacement parts identification. Bodies for most models were welded up(well, Avantis were not welded up!) in groups and set aside for use when needed. Since they were not pulled in sequential order, a later body with a new feature might be used before an earlier one with a different feature. The body number really did make a difference for 1949-53 2R-series trucks. Because of that long production run, there were a number of running changes made to body characteristics that could affect replacement parts. Studebaker Avantis were not in production long enough to have many running changes. Headlight shape is the only one that I can think of.
-
Most of us love those rocker switches, but they're not high quality. The on/off one could have failed. If you have a multimeter, you can remove the switch and check to see it it's really turning off when in the off position. A multimeter could also help you determine if you have a parasitic battery drain -- turn off/disconnect everything including the clock, disconnect one battery cable, connect the amp meter across the gap and see if there are any electrons crossing.
If you drive the car infrequently, you might want to invest in a Battery Tender or some other trickle charger, plus one of those cheap disconnect switches with a green knob. In the long run, it's a lot cheaper and more convenient than dealing with dead batteries.
-
Too much information! Thanks for the link, Leo, but I've lost interest.
-
So a while ago I noticed new markings emblems next to our names on posts. I discovered that I am a Rookie, which I assume is related to my count of about 110 posts. There appear to be 14 ranks, and not even MFG appears to be anywhere close to achieving the top rank, whatever it may be called. Should I/we care? Is this just an automatic feature of our forum software?
-
California plate number IIN-629 was issued in 1963, so that's good news -- you now know that the car lived in Calif from 1963 to 1974. The early Calif stickers had a tendency to peel up around the edges, and many owners peeled them off before they put on a new sticker. That would explain why there are no earlier stickers on those plates. It still does not provide any info on where the car was living during 1974-89 (which was your original question!). Someone with some old AOAI membership rosters may be able to find the car listed under another owner's name. Good luck with your car.
-
Our current concern with ID-ing the exact model year started when the first emissions and safety regs were issued in the mid-60s. Although we usually think of them starting in a certain model year, the federal regs actually become effective on January 1 each year. The car manufacturers don't want to change equipment every 1 January, so they adopt the standards early during model-year change-over. I have a 74 Avanti that was built late in the year, and several more were built after that right into December -- all under the older 1974 emissions standards.
-
Agree with Gary. The problem you have is that it could be either a 259 or a 289, and could also be a standard engine or an R1. The factory assumed that the buyer would know what he ordered, and did not include any stampings on replacement engines to indicate what was inside. The only way to know for sure would be to measure the stroke and/or look at the piston tops.
-
It is certainly possible that the car has been in storage somewhere (I've done that myself, though not with an Avanti). It's also possible that the car was licensed in some other (rust-prone) state for those 15 years, and the seller decided to throw that paperwork away and emphasize the Calif black-plate history by including only the Calif plates and registrations with the car. California yellow/black plates have a mystique here in the US, because cars that have those plates (and a plate number that is correct, chronologically) have been in California ever since the 1960s, and are, therefore, not likely to have serious rust. It supposedly adds value to the car, but for the unwary, it can be a trap.
Do the California registration cards match your car? If so, then at least you know that the car was registered there in 1973 and 74. What are the first three letters of the license plate number? The yellow and black plate numbers started at AAA-001 in 1963, and reached ZZZ-999 in 1969, so those plates could not have been first issued in 1973. The three-letter prefix will ID about when they were first issued.
-
Thanks for the correction, Bob. I looked in vain for 3MT and fixated on the MT only. Chevy parts books used to include a complete listing of those engine codes, but seem to have stopped around 1981. The Camaro Z-28 site does a good job, but it warns that it is not complete.
-
Idler pulley? Maybe we have a semantics problem and/or I'm not keeping up with developments, but I associate idler pulleys with serpentine belts, not V belts. My 74 with original engine is arranged this way: Crank pulley has three grooves; Front one for water pump/fan and alternator, middle one for power steering, and rear one for air conditioning. No idler pulley or tensioner.
-
On 8/19/2021 at 11:11 PM, RTeker said:
Thanks for the info, much appreciated. I went to the link you supplied and could verify my engine code "V05183MT" no other numbers stamped on the block.
If I am reading your post correctly, it sounds like you made out. The MT prefix indicates a 1967, 295-hp, 350. Unless you're concerned about originality, I'd call that a win.
Not to hijack your thread, but I find it interesting that most (all?) Avantis I have seen with Chevy engines seem to have engine numbers that indicate that they were intended to installed in a Chevy, as opposed to sale to an outside company. My 1974 has a Chevy 400 that has a CSX suffix, which indicates it was supposed to be installed in a Malibu with automatic (my Avanti has standard shift). By contrast, the 283 V8s used by Studebaker in 1965-66 had engine numbers that clearly indicated that they were intended for outside sale.
-
Could not see the ad (dead link) for the 81 shop manual that you posted. But the one you want is almost certainly called "1981 Passenger Car Service Manual". The one that won't do you any good will be called Fisher body service manual. I have a 1980 Chevy manual you can have for $20 plus postage. It's even possible that your engine is really a 1980 model. You can ID your Chevy small block engine here:
1982 Rear End
in 1965-83 Avanti
Posted
I believe the 82s still used the Dana 44. Very common rear end, also used in many Jeeps and GM trucks. Any 4WD shop can swap the gear ratio for you.