Jump to content

plwindish

AOAI Forum Members
  • Posts

    657
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by plwindish

  1. I just replaced the temp switch, fan speed switch and vents on my '76 (RQB 2392) yesterday. They all were very easy to replace.  The variable speed rheostat type switch according to Dan Booth is no longer available, the 3 speed switch is its replacement. All wires clipped onto the switches and the new vents hold the position they are set at whereas my old vents were too worn to hold position.  My rheostat switch was wrapped with electrical tape and the tape was pretty brittle indicating it had gotten pretty warm operating the AC.  The temp adjusting switch was still working, but I figured do them both and be done with it. I got them the next day after ordering them.

  2. A few thoughts about the above topic:

    1.  Rear Disc brakes - I'd love them for my '76, but rebuilt the drums after the Turner rear kit did not fit (in 2011). The Turner's upfront are fine.

    2. 200R4 trans was installed in my '76 after the 400 SBC was overhauled and updated in '11. I've been very happy with it and put over 50,000 miles on it since installed, rebuilt last year.

    3. Even after overhaul, headwork, 400 still would overheat if in hot weather and stuck in traffic. Went to switch to EFI in '17 and found a cracked head with some cylinder damage necessitating another rebuild, this time with aluminum heads and re-cored radiator seems to have eliminated the problem. Car runs great now.  20-20 hindsight in effect, I might have gone with a 383 crate motor or LS when I got the car in '11 instead of 2 motor rebuilds. The 400 now is no slouch on the road, plenty of HP and Torque, getting around 22 on the road at 70.

    4. I had a ''89 convertible for 7 years the same time I had the '76, buying the '89 already resto-modded with a crate 383 SBC, 4L60E AOD trans, Ford 9" rear end, air shocks, 18" and 20" torque thrust wheels. 305 owners, I think the 383 crate is a great drop in answer to upgrade the power in your Avanti. It would go in with little or no modification that an LS likely would need. I do understand a desire to keep the original power plant in the car, a problem I wrestled with in my '76.  We also need to consider the originality tag doesn't mean much on any Avanti after Studebaker stopped production.

  3. Other than appearance, what function would they serve on an Avanti?  During the Spring of 1970, I was driving my '67 Chevelle SS396 to my student teaching assignment and had the front opening hood pop up on me and completely obscure the windshield, luckily I wasn't going fast enough to seriously damage the hood or windshield. Something like that would never happen on a rear opening hood.

  4. Dan, I just had the interior redone on my '76 and decided to also redo the belts as well. I went to seatbeltsplus.com in California.  They have a nice selection of belts. My belts  were the 3 point in front and two point lap belts in the rear. If the belt is attached on the upper part of the roll bar where the 3 point belts are attached, I'm betting you'll be able to easily adapt them.

  5. Bill,

    As I'm remembering,(I might be wrong as it was the Spring of '11), the kit I got from Jim Turner for the rears, the mounting bracket only had 3 holes and there was no way on my Dana that 2 of those holes could be lined up with the backing plate bolts. Is it possible the bracket doesn't go all the way around and mount with 5, but 4 bolts?  Did Jegs list what company made the kit and are the replacement pads available through anyone other than Jegs?

  6. Sorry you had that happen with getting new seat covers.  I'm having a local upholstery shop redo the interior in my '76.  Interior was the Acorn brown vinyl and I was able to find some good replacements for the Acorn brown.  The shop did the front seats console and redid the carpeting last Fall and I got the car back to him 3 weeks ago to finish the back seat, door and side panels and rest of interior. Good luck with getting your deposit back and getting a shop to do the work.

  7. Bob is one of Studebaker's legends. Ed George and Bob Ashton rightfully recognized Bob as a Living Legend at the MCACN show in the Chicago area in November.  My prayers are with you Bob! 

  8. Bill

    Twelve years ago I had a lot of work done on my '76, replacing the brake lines, adding Turner front disc brakes and I also got the rear disc set up from Turner as well.  The mounting plates for the rears would not line up as they had a different pattern and I ended up rebuilding the rear drums. What are the rears you're getting from Jegs, brand name?  The fronts I have work good, but I'd still like to get discs on the rear

    I had a resto-modded '89 Convertible for 7 years that had Wildwood's on all corners and they worked real well.

  9. There is an  adjustment screw on the steering box to help tighten or loosen the steering.  One shop adjusted mine.  A year or two later, the car seemed to wander in the lane while driving.  I had it checked out and the bolts mounting the steering box to the frame had loosened, once tightened up, it handled just fine.

  10. On 12/21/2021 at 3:48 PM, mfg said:

    No, it wasn't three:(....However you were correct in including Chicago & LA....New York wasn't on list!

    Any other thoughts here?:huh:

    New York wasn't on the list?  My '89 was built for the '89 New York Auto Show. It's be surprising as NY is considered one of THE shows.

  11. Renualt.  I had an '89 convertible and the left/driver's side latch would always loosen up gradually from traveling down the road.  I got into the habit of pushing the latch forward every few miles when driving distances.  I tried tightening the screw holding the latch to no avail.  The latch, even though it tightly secured the top, would work itself loose over time/distance.

×
×
  • Create New...