Skip Lackie
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Posts posted by Skip Lackie
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Agree with Bob. I have had H4 systems in 4 or 5 cars for 20+ years, including a 64 Stude and 74 Avanti. Given the poor quality of the OEM light switches, you absolutely need to install a relay so the draw on the switches is in the 1-2 amp range. I ended up with both Marchal and Cibie systems, and can't really tell the difference. There are some cheap systems out there, but I would stick with a name brand if possible. The optics are important.
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Yeah, those "other appointments" always come in handy in those situations.
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I wonder if the oxygenated 93-octane fuel you were previously using was really 93 octane . . . . . .?
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Since these postings are archived indefinitely, I thought I'd add a clarifying comment lest your comments be misinterpreted.
You didn't say what gas you were using before you switched, but if it was 93 octane with ethanol, then you should NOT have noticed a difference in pinging under any operating conditions. Overall performance might very well improve, as "real" gas has more energy content than fuel laced with 10% ethanol. But octane ratings and ethanol content are essentially separate issues -- the octane rating of a fuel is only a measure of the point at which detonation occurs -- it has very little to do with how much energy (power) the fuel has. There are many additives that will raise octane rating, some of which actually reduce the energy content of the fuel -- ethanol is only one of them. However, many of these other other additives are added in such small concentrations that they have essentially no effect on energy content.
That said, higher octane gas allows the use of higher compression, which in turn provides more horsepower -- so the two issues are related in that sense. The 93 octane, non-ethanol fuel you are now burning used one of the other octane additives to achieve the 93 octane rating and thus allow your supercharger to really extract the full potential of the fuel. The knocks against ethanol are: (1) In order to have a significant impact on exhaust emissions, it has to be added in such high concentrations (10%) that it significantly reduces fuel energy content and gas mileage, and (2) It can damage fuel system components in carbureted cars, .
If you were previously burning 93 octane ethanol-laced fuel, you should not have noticed any difference in a tendency to ping, but you can see better performance. If you previously were burning lower-octane fuel (whether with or without ethanol), then you should notice both better performance and less pinging.
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I assume the change to the 3-digit format described in the parts books occurred on August 20, since that is the date that Stude specified for Hawks, Larks, and trucks -- so it should be RJ309. As far as I know, the company did use the leading zero for dates under 10.
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Good data. The sources that I had available to me when I prepared the the V8 engine number table just said that Hawks, Larks, and trucks built after August 20, 1963, plus 1964 Avantis used the new numbering system. The implication was that production of 1964 Avanti engines began on that date. I will add a note to the engine number table, but it would be nice to get some more confirmatory data.
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There is a John J. Cafaro sill listed in Chevy Chase, MD. JJ owned a residence there back in the years he owned Avanti so I assume this is the same place. Whether JJ himself still lives there or possibly a son or simply still the listed owner of the property I can't say. Chevy Chase is a very exclusive area in the DC suburbs within Montgomery County, MD populated by many powerful movers and shakers of the corporate world, politics and media. Within Chevy Chase is an even more exclusive area...Chevy Chase Village...less than 300 acres and has its own very well supported police department and other services dedicated to maintaining the safety and lifestyles to which the residents are accustomed and can afford. JJ's address is within the borders of Chevy Chase Village.
Yes, the Cafaros still own the property, though I also don't know if he still lives there. About 20 years ago, I cut something about the property from the newspaper and submitted it to Avanti magazine. At the time, there was always a late-model Avanti parked in front of the garage. The property itself is more of a compound, with several buildings and a surrounding wrought iron fence. It's on the NE corner of Chevy Chase Circle, with straddles the DC-Maryland state line at Connecticut Avenue.
To add to Gunslinger's geography facts: Both Chevy Chase and Connecticut Avenue itself were developed on about 1700 acres in both DC and Maryland about 110 years ago by the Chevy Chase Land Company, which is still in business. It was/is a very nice area, and nearly all of the houses built by them survive. I believe Cornelius Chase was probably named Chevy after an old English ballad "The Ballad of Chevy Chase".
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It's my understanding that engine selection changed as the ever increasing pollution regulations changed.
65-68 - 327's
69-71 - 350's
72-76 - 400's- some early 400's were 2 bbl carbs and later ones were 4 bbl.
77-80 - 350's again
81 - on - 305's
Wasn't 74 the last year for 4 speeds?
305's on the Silver Anniversary models were also supercharged.
In answer to the question, yes, the 1974 model year was the last for 4-speeds until the Blake years. My understanding is that effective for cars built on or after 1 January 1975, the EPA required the loan of one car with each available engine/trans combination for emissions testing. (Detroit model years may begin in the fall, but most emissions and safety regs become effective on January 1.) Avanti Motors didn't want to provide the EPA with more than one car, so they dropped the 4-speed from the catalog. They did build several 4-speed cars late in 1974, either for orders or stock. I own one of them, apparently the next-to-last built.
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I would not say that I "know" him, but I know that about 25 years ago the SDC board banned him from advertising in TW or vending at SDC meets. I was the SDC advertising complaint adjudicator at the time, and had to handle a number of fairly serious complaints against Mr Weaver for failure to deliver promised parts. I do not know if his advertising privileges were ever reinstated.
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That bozo is probably unaware that any cars were built before 1962. And since when were sales related to quality? Every Duesenberg belongs on the list. They only built 529 model Js. And how about the Bugatti Royale? Seven were built.
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Not sure my 74 uses the same rear brakes as your 72, but take a look at EIS H1521-2. As I recall, most of the rear brake parts were interchangeable with Jeep of the same year.
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I believe several different people reprinted many of the Stude parts books and shop manuals back in the 1970s, though I don't remember if they did the Avanti books or not. The photo reproduction was muddy at best, and several of the pix were just black rectangles. The photos in the originals were pretty good. You might want to watch ebay. Used originals (often a bit dirty, but legible) come up from time to time. Perfect for the garage.
Studebaker sold all their parts and literature to Avanti Motors and Newman & Altman around 1971. They chose not to pay the fees to continue the registration of their trademarks and copyrights, so just about anyone can reprint whatever they want. Avanti Motors/Michael Kelly might still own the rights to the Avanti name, but I don't believe he's devoting a lot of time to fighting copyright infringements.
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GM began switching from US SAE to metric in the 70s, but the engines and its associated accessories were the last items to be converted. I have encountered the same problem when dealing with engine and electrical parts from the 1980s -- one needs to confirm whether a given fastener is US or metric.
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No joy. The ones I have are smaller. ID is 4 5/16" and OD is 5 1/16". Thickness is a little less, too -- about 3/32". I think these are gaskets for the pre-65 GM cannister oil filters. You're welcome to one, but they appear to be too small.
I'm surprised that SI does not list 1553298 as being available. However, given that these same P/S pumps were used for years on Ford products, a good FLAPS like NAPA might have them. Or a Ford restoration parts supplier.
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Will not be able to check until Thurs. Will get back to you.
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Agree with both of Gunslinger's points. A modern catalytic converter has to be pretty well plugged before you would notice much change in performance. We had one fail on a 350-equipped Chevy Tahoe on the Jersey Turnpike. It first manifested itself as poor acceleration, but within 50 miles, it was so constricted that the truck was unable to get over 50 mph on the flat. I note, however, that the Tahoe had 160K on it at the time -- well beyond the warranty on emissions equipment.
I think the early cats were much more prone to both failure and a reduction in horsepower, and this reputation has become an urban legend. Several years ago, I bought a used 78 El Camino from which the previous owner had removed the cat. In order to pass inspection, I bought a low backpressure rebuilt cat. No change in performance, but a definite reduction in emissions.
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I think your exhaust guru may be partially correct. The catalysts in the converter serve to convert unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide into water and carbon dioxide. That's why modern cars have an oxygen sensor(s) to keep track of the amount of free O2 in the exhaust, as plenty of that is needed to combine with the HCs and CO. CO is odorless, so you're not smelling that -- but most HCs do smell, as do some of the unburned additives that the oil companies add to improve performance. So I suspect that installing a modern catalytic converter will reduce some of the stink.
The earliest cats really only worked on the unburned HCs, but the modern ones also complete the oxidation of CO and do some magic with the oxides of nitrogen as well. And the modern fuels contain less phosphorous, which results in a reduction in the rotten-egg SO2 smell.
Just so you know: you are technically in violation of the Clean Air Act and EPA regs, which require a functioning catalytic converter on the vehicles as described by Gunslinger. Not suggesting that you are likely to get caught (or that you even care), but cars built with cats are required to remain equipped with them. In many states, cars with antique/historic plates are exempt from inspection, but they still are supposed to maintain all original emissions equipment in operating condition. (Lecture is now over.)
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I'm no expert on Stude production orders, but I doubt that the SB(1) meant Freeman-Spicer. The production orders that I have seen for cars that were ordered by a specific dealer usually listed the name of the dealer, as well as the method of delivery. I think it's more likely that SB(1) was code for some particular storage lot or maybe the inspection line for special preparaton. And yes, VIPs could buy a car directly from the corporation. And anyone could order one through a dealer and pick it up themselves at the factory.
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The reservoir is not pressurized, but when the vehicle is in motion with the engine running, the fluid swirls around and certainly gets high enough to leak out of a bad lid gasket. I might have a spare lid gasket. Can you remind me of the diameter of the rubber gasket?
lackie at erols dot com
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To add to Gunslinger's post, Stude V8 engine numbers can be identified here:
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Certainly the biggest dealer in South Bend (maybe the only one in SB itself) was Newman & Altman. But that could also refer to a Stude Corporation storage lot where the buyer would pick the car up. However, in this latter case, the production order usuallywould also say "prepare for retail delivery"; in other words, the factory would do the prep work that a dealer would ordinarily do.
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You SHOULD be able to see the dashboard-mounted serial number plate through the windshield on the driver's side. But as GAWen said, sometimes it's mounted too low to be visible
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It's also true that both headlights and driving lights with separate halogen bulbs were illegal in the US for a long time, while the OEM fog lights installed by the American car companies tended to be sealed beams that were legal. So in a sense, the Feds were trying to prevent the installation of driving lights (which admittedly, can be really distracting to oncoming drivers if they're not aimed properly). Kinda naive in a way, as every auto parts store had displays of halogen bulb-equipped driving light kits marked "For off-road use only".
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Some historical trivia: At one time, the Feds required auxiliary lights that were controlled by a separate switch (which they all were) to also energize the parking and tail lights. The idea was to make sure that someone (mistakenly) driving on the driving lights alone would also have all the running lights illuminated. In the early 70s, I added some driving lights to a 70 Camaro, and the inspection station flunked me because I didn't have them wired that way. I passed once I changed the wiring around to match kboyd's car.
But in the mid-80s, a lot of car manufacturers started adding fog/driving lights as factory equipment, and the Feds wanted to prevent them from being used when the high beams were on (shame on you, Gunslinger!). So the regs were changed to require driving lights to be fed by the low beam circuit. When you switch to high beams, the fog lights go out.
Radio Removal from '69 build w/ Airconditioning
in 1965-83 Avanti
Posted · Edited by Skip Lackie
You might find what you're looking for on ebay or even Craig's List. Back in the 70s and 80s, most of the Japanese electronics companies offered aftermarket radios that had adjustable knob shaft spacing so they would fit a variety of models. I picked up a couple of Sanyo AM/FM/cassette radios, new in the box, and they fit both my 74 Avanti and 78 El Camino. The only important requirement was that the dash panel where the radio mounts be vertical -- which it is on all Avanits and a lot of late Studes, too. It's been a lot of years since I installed it, but I think I was able to get it in through the original speaker opening -- which is not used for a speaker on my car. The Sanyo model FTV 100 radio performance is acceptable -- about equal to the OEM radios. Better ones were available from Kenwood and Panasonic
It looks like the control shafts are adjustable between about 5.25" to 6.5", which allows installation in a lot of different vehicles..