psdenno

Lucky all of us if we each own at least one Avanti. Every Avanti is a pleasure to its owner whether it sits under a tarp behind the garage or cruises down the highway. As Raymond Loewy said in one of his letters to me, "I wish you many more years of pleasure with AVANTI." That was over 40 years ago and the pleasure continues. Now, back to the original topic.

If it's a '63 R2 with 4 speed and orange interior, it's one of only 59 produced....just like the one in my garage.

Fiberglass cars can be "wavy" and require a little filler in some areas to make them look as straight as panels on a metal bodied car. It's all part of the charm of owning a fiberglass car whether it's an Avanti or a Corvette.

My Avanti R2 has had a Hurst shifter for the 50 years I've owned it. I considered converting the Hurst shift lever to the Studebaker type, but stayed with the Hurst lever. Never had a shifting problem in a half century.

There's a brief discussion on the wheels on the SDC forum: https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/general-studebaker-specific-discussion/29343-halibrands-dealer-option/page2?28618-Halibrands-Dealer-Option=&highlight=halibrand

If what you refer to as the '64 Halibrand wheel is the style currently available in reproduction, I prefer it to the "Kidney Bean" Halibrand wheels shown on the Hawk.

Glad to hear it worked out for you! I wasn't sure what the SNM could pull up when I made the suggestion. Post the VIN here and maybe someone can tell you a little more about the car.

This suggestion is a long shot, but may be worth a try. The Studebaker National Museum has factory files for Studebaker Avantis. They have, and sell, copies of IBM punch cards listing original owners of each car sold. I know they can bring up the document by VIN. They may also be able to find it by original owner's name. It might be worth calling to see what they can do.

Can you track down any old car insurance policy forms which would list the VIN or contact the insurance company that wrote the policy when your parents had the car?

No photos appear.

Thanks for the reply, ronmanfredi. I have the new carpet and it has no pad preinstalled, just original style salt & pepper pattern carpet to go with the new orange upholstery. I'm aware of the DynaMat type insulation and also considering felt padding like original. I'm interested in hearing experience of other owners with either type they have actually used.

Planning to start putting the interior back together with new upholstery and carpet when the weather cools a bit. We’re coming off 22 straight days of 110º or higher. Looking for recommendations on carpet underlay that works well for heat and noise reduction as well as ease of installation.

You may want to start with this link: https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/general-studebaker-specific-discussion/1909365-avanti-owners-with-4-speed Dave Thibeault advertises in the AOAI quarterly. He used to supply the Hurst mechanism with a stock Avanti shifter to keep the stock look. I have a Hurst shifter in my '63 R2 and like it. Summit Racing is another possible source.