Avanti83
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Posts posted by Avanti83
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I'll say Willy's but you know I'll dispute 2263 is the first. Switched to, is probably a better term if none after were built with the under dash handle.
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16 hours ago, mfg said:
Looks to be a very sanitary install!....I understand those bushings are also available in black (show car concern)...the white will dirty soon enough in the 'real world'!
True dat! I was going to machine a set from some black Delrin round stock I have but I traded for them with another Stude guy for some parts he needed and saved me the trouble. If someone sees them on the road they should have gotten out of the way faster.😉
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Delrin bushings, if anyone is interested.
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Have we answered the question of cooling the engine with the hood unlatched at speed or are we assuming that because it cools when at idle with the hood open it cools down. At idle it's not generating the heat it was at speed.
If it cools with the hood unlatched them it is worth trying to get the air out of the engine compartment. Otherwise don't discount Gunslingers lower hose thought as well as the need for a good shroud enclosing the electric fan. Do you also have a coolant recovery system on the car to assure that the system is liquid full and not containing air.
The air dam usually helps also but I think a bit more info may help get you running cooler.
I thought about NACA ducts in the hood of my 74 hood but I've had good luck with the 83 in Michigan so it was just more work than I wanted. If you ever get interested, late model Mustangs have some nice close-able hood ducts. BTW the NACA ducts are usually just behind the radiator so they may vent into the high speed stream that goes over the car. Just a thought.
Personally, IIWM, I'd find a way to pad and fasten the hood open and drive it at speeds known to cause problems and see if it really does cool properly. Then I could work on a venting strategy.
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As of July 2020, these are the contracted positions in the SDC.
Quote: [Currently the following contractor positions serve the Club: 1. Membership Secretary 2. Forum Administrator 3. Turning Wheels Editor 4. Turning Wheels Ad Editor 5. Webmaster 6. Printer 7. What’s Happening Editor]
The webmaster/Forum Administrator may/can suggest action but it is not unilateral and is/was approved at higher levels. '(My quote.)
It's not important to this forum what has/will happen to the SDC forums membership which, I'll submit had nothing to do with the hacking, so lets put our personal opinions aside and get on with what makes this forum a positive.
Let's let those days disappear in the rear view mirror as there's plenty of dirty laundry to go around.
I pay dues on both sites and will continue to do so as I see it as well spent money to forward these unique vehicles into the future.
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You might also check out Bob Johnstone's website and see if anything jogs your memory. Scroll down and you'll see Avanti's listed R# in order.
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1 hour ago, Stacey said:
I do like the car, as I said it is a nice cruiser and is Quiet & Smooth driving, my wife likes that fact. I'm pretty sure it would not spin the tires on gravel and for sure you need to plan any accleration into traffic. It is a dog.,but looks good. I've kicked around selling it and buying something else already repowered and made quicker. Will attempt this week to investigate with the local hot rod shops to the cost and effort needed to swap in more power. As it is it runs as well as it can and has not given me a lick of problems power train wise. Have upgraded the radiator and now it runs cooler..
You are asking the right questions. If you don't do your own work then turning to the experts is the best course of action. As far as selling and buying all over, you know this car, whereas another vehicle has unknowns. Your vehicle with a professional upgrade should give you the best of both worlds. I could probably take a wild guess at pricing but getting the numbers from your local pros will top any prices we supply.They can also discuss the SBC vs LS upgrade nuances.
Avanti, Bob
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On my 74 there was a key code penned on the fiberglass door panel under the door card. Not sure it would mean anything to a locksmith today anyhow. Take a cylinder to a locksmith, they will have the keys and expertise to make new ones or mod the lock to a new key.
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Personally, I'd drop in an LS but the most cost effective option is a crate 350/383. If you plan this option, I'd use the original computer control and find someone that can burn a new performance chip for the ECM. The current 305 chip will be underwhelming in it's control of the engine and possibly make it run just crappy. There used to be a number of folks that burned chips but a Google search should get you there. Remember you have basically a Chevrolet engine control system so whatever fits them should work in yours. I uses the Camaro ARAP control code in my 91 350 I put in my 54 Stude and it runs well using the OEM harness and computer modified for the setup.
Please don't convert to a standard carb setup, if you do you will need to change the distributor and buy a controller for the transmission which is a pricey option.
It's a nice car and deserves to perform as well as it looks.
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4 hours ago, AndyM said:
I hand't known that, thanks! Is it to drain the lines or the tank?
Ed is correct, It's the low spot in the system so you'll get almost everything. But you should know that if you are replacing the hose under the tank there will be a pint to a quart of gas left in it.
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Remember that the tank sets high behind the rear seat and the vent line enters the top of the tank but goes quite low to be under the fuel level so it can also siphon back. My personal favorite method is to drain the tank down until there is no problem. Recall there is a drain plug in a tee under the passengers door. If you have an old piece of hose on the bottom of the tank, this is a good time to change it. If you think you have a leak now, imagine what it would be like if the hose under the tank let go.
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The spiral blue/??? colored wire pair in the pictures are usually the speed sensor wires to an aftermarket (Dana/Rostra) cruise control. They appear to be cut off in one picture above but IAC my opinion is that the box in the speedo cable assembly is a wave generator for the cruise control and not part of the engine control system.
The way to check is to remove it, reconnect the speedo cable and see if it creates issues. My money is on no issues.
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Make sure you have the engine, frame and dash well grounded directly to the battery. Missing/poor grounds make voltage go strange places in fiberglass bodied cars. Check to see if you left off or disconnected some during the battery change. Hot wires can also indicate bad/poor grounds.
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Agree with Ed on the Edelbrock. Buy one 600 CFM or less and put a good gas filter in the gas line before the carb to catch the crap that will be coming from the tank and lines eventhough you should blow them clean before you install the new carb.
BTW there is a Tee in the gas line under the passengers door to drain the tank but it can be hard to open sometimes. And now that you have the tank drained, replace the short gas line under the fuel tank with FI rated hose. A failure of this line will put a full tank of gas on the floor under the car because the old lines don't like new gas.
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Nothing wrong with old school. Why not just find the lowest 2X4 manifold you can locate, calculate the max height with carbs and use the old modeling clay method to see if you have clearance. Although something tells me you know that already.
Then there's always a cowl air intake for clearance speaking of old school.
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Probably GM for several reasons but you should be able to get close through the aftermarket. Google will help. Juliano's is a go to here in the US. https://www.julianos.com/Seat-Belts-s/96.htm but there a lot of sources including Ebay.
I'm pretty sure the original manufacture OEM is probably not supplying anymore and I don't trust NOS from that era due to age.
Not sure about your side of the ocean.
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Personally, I'd find a local 4X4 off-road shop and ask them. Dana 44's even of this age should have parts available particularly when you have the numbers.
Another alternative is Rock Auto on-line. Type in the part numbers and see what they have. I found bearings for 50's Chevy truck there a couple years back.
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Interesting as yours is a year older than my 83 and, I believe, you have the TH 350/400 3-speed auto. The 700R4 from my 83 only has a mechanical speedo cable connector in the tail shaft so if your part exists NOS it must be real rare part. Mine must pickup speed from the timing/tach setup.
IAC, when I bought mine it ran kinda OK but was a dog and had acceleration issues. I just replaced the ECM setup with a carb and eventually a performance engine with EFI.
I'm surprised any part you would need is not available as Avanti used SBC's as they were already smog legal so I would think they would use basically GM electronics also to keep the smog certs.
Post a picture of what you have if possible and IIWM, I'd Google for a lot of info on the GM setups for 81/82 for reference.
One last comment. The computer harness and controls in your car are essentially a stand alone harness as I found out when I eliminated my stock ECM setup so I just pulled the whole set up out. Yielded a lot of good wiring for other projects. I don't recommend this approach if you don't like to do auto wiring, however.
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I'll guess false as you would need to drop the exhaust crossover from the 82. IIRC.
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12 hours ago, studegary said:
The Serial Number can't be "63R 599". It is probably 63R 1599, assembled in October 1962.
Appears so, if you click on the picture several times it keeps getting larger and there appears to be just the top of a capital I in front of the five.
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Power steering ram work fine. Is this what you 80 looks like under there? This is my 74 with a 383. BTW, 1/2" of clearance is pretty good.
The Ram should be available at our vendors including, Nostalgic - Myers - Studebaker Int among others.
https://www.studebakervendors.com/
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Why a steering damper, my 74 and 83 steer and track quite well? On passenger cars they are usually a bandaid for some other issue.
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Be careful trying to start the car, there is a whole lot of expensive things that can go wrong including the supercharger. The car has a lot of value if the hog troughs are decent as it is a 4-speed R2. The cost of starting it may well outweigh any increase is price. I'd personally advertise what it is with a value in mind. If it's reasonable and nobody offers enough then it may be time to re-access if you want to add the cost of restarting it cautiously.
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If there's a good fabricator nearby that's an excellent suggestion but if not, Don Simmons of Silvertone Exhaust in Canada builds stainless steel systems in 2" and 2 1/4" that fit beautifully on those cars, have his 2 1/4" setup on my 83. No cheap but well worth the price.
Avanti Rigidity!
in Avanti Trivia
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I'll go 57% as there a lot of frame to move around without the X-member. It really strengthens the center section..