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ron@crall.com

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Posts posted by ron@crall.com

  1. On 1/10/2021 at 2:38 AM, VtMike said:

    MFG -  not trying to hijack this question, but I just tried to send you a PM and it said you don't receive such messages.  I am trying to get in touch with Ron Crall, who I believe owns Avanti 1025.  I am hoping he could tell me what cylinder heads and intake manifold are on 1025's 299 engine.  If you could help me get in touch with him, I would appreciate it.  Mike Seibert

    VTMike,  Just saw this posting.  My email is ron@crall.com and phone/text is 207 502 3633.

    63R-1025 is mine.  It was a factory car driven by Andy and Joe Granatelli from the factory to Paxton in July 1962 and used for R3 development.  The engine, RS1021, was modified extensively and the car became the Hot Rod Magazine R3 road test car and was drag raced by Andy G as well as used by him as his personal Avanti.  It was eventually sold to Paxton by the factory in 65 and subsequently purchased by Vince Granatelli for personal use.  Prior to his purchase it was never registered and driven with California Manufacturers license plates.

    The heads are R2 and have had a tremendous amount of machine work done to them as well as triple valve springs with had made lightweight spring retainers.  The intake manifold is R2 with additional machine work.  The cam has 276 degree part number but might have had additional grinding.  Both Andy and Vince stated that it was not bored to 299cid but was stroked.  They were looking for a bit of additional torque to improve drag racing numbers while retaining the 299 displacement that was a legal modification to the 289 engine as 60 over pistons were stock maintenance items for that engine. 

     

  2. Someone replied to Geoff's u-tube pictures asking if Sherwood Egbert ever owned 1025.  Long answer is the factory "owned" 1025 until the factory sold it to Paxton 7/27/64, well after production stopped.  It came off the line 7/5/62.  Sherwood reportedly drove the car until Andy Granatelli and brother flew to South Bend to pick up 2 Avanti.  During this time Sherwood had the AM radio replaced with a AM-FM unit.  I don't believe they were options that early in production but may be incorrect.

    One of the two Avanti's was dropped in Chicago to family and was repainted green.  Andy told me he hated the color that "Dad" had it painted.  That car might have been 1024.  I have the build sheet for it and it is identical to 1025.  Andy and brother (Joe i think) then continued to southern California with 1025.  Prior to sale by Studebaker to Paxton 2 years later it was used by Andy as his primary driver.  One of the magazines has a picture of it where the California Manufactures license plate is visible.  Following sale to Paxton, it was purchased by Vince Granatelli who became it's first owner.

    I'll try to attach the invoice and zone delivery reports.  Note the discounts left a balance for the car of only $500!

     

    Invoice.jpg

    Zone Delivery Report.jpg

    1025 Build.jpg

    Papers 1.jpg

    Papers 2.jpg

  3. I had a member request information on how the hose was routed by the factory on R3 engines to the under bumper air filter. My car 63r-1025 is an early prototype so it may not conform to the final installation used for the 9 production line R3's, however I took some pictures that may be of some help however even after reducing their size they are each too big to upload. I have uploaded in the past, however the 18.3k limit is way to small for photo's.

  4. A guy I worked with also bought a Mustang about that same time period. It was delivered with Mercury Capri buttons on the interior door panels. It's a real commentary on American auto quality control of the time.

    I worked for a large Chevy dealer in San Jose, Ca in 75. We got in Chevy's with Pontiac interiors with some regularity, and then there was the very rare Chevy with Pontiac front sheet metal?

    No idea how those got past the factory!

  5. Bob, I fully agree with you to support the vendors dedicated to our Avantis. I have found Dan Booth (Nostalgic Motors), Ed Reynolds (Studebaker International), and Jon Myers (Myers Studebaker) to be knowledgeable, helpful, and able to provide the parts I have needed. I have not dealt with Dave Thiebault yet. I understand from reading about him from others that he is a rich resource.

    My brother and I have worked with Dave for over 20 years. Good guy and great resource.

  6. I noticed that they (the factory) also added filler pieces to the header panel where the front bumper brackets pass thru. These would have to be cut out to lower the body on the frame. At least that's how my '69 built car is.

    Mike S

    I'll be looking for this as I get there. Thanks for the heads-up

  7. Getting close to mounting the body back on the frame.

    DSC02627_zps8v3cly1n.jpg

    The body should be back from the paint shop this month, so I need help sorting everything I need to do before the two are joined together.

    I have plenty of the rectangular rubber pads for the places where the body is bolted down. I have heard that there are other pads used as well, some that are taped to the X-cross members. Does anyone have a picture of these pads or know where I can get some?

    Any other tips before the two halves are bolted together forever?

    Thanks!

    Mike

    If you haven't dropped your body yet can you post a pic of the front and cowl mounts mentioned by Reginalbob in his post today?

  8. No plans on changing the springs or suspension. Removal of the shims and re-radius of the front wheel arches should be the bulk of the change needed. Newman/Altman raised the body, added a shim under the springs, and added a filler to get the new stance, I just plan on reversing their changes.

  9. Ron, Geoff,....I can't believe it!..I was at Warwick on Thursday, and somehow missed you guys & your Avanti!!

    Was your Avanti parked on the grassy hill with the other show cars?....I didn't stay all that long, I've been ill all week. (summer cold)

    Anyway, I'm happy that you got 63R-1025 there!...Post pix if you can!

    So sorry that we missed you.

    After 18 years in the barn and hanger, we finally pulled the Avanti out on public roads Wednesday at 7:00pm. It ran well but although it ran pretty straight, it was in obvious need of an alignment and the speedometer and tachometer were both inoperative. After two miles or less the decision was made to trailer it to Warwick.

    We got there about 2:00 and parked the car with the others on display on the grassy hill. There was a red R3 Avanti in the row ahead and to the left, and a black 63 Super Lark parked left of us.

    We had a 2x3 laminated poster made that documented some of the car's history, the Hot Rod Magazine road test, published drag racing speeds and times, the build sheet with the "released as is" to Paxton notation as well as the factory to dealership invoiced dated July 1964 invoicing Paxton $500 for the car. The people that saw it were surprised to find out that this piece of Avanti history still existed.

    After putting the car back on the trailer we retired to the bar and ended up sitting down next to Jeff Grohs, a Californian that joined my old regional club the year after I left the Bay Area for Maine. I got caught up on what had happened to the members that I had known since the 70's. Good times.

    Friday morning we pulled the car off of the carrier again so some people that we ran into could take a closer look, fired it up and let Jeff and a friend circle the display area in it, and then loaded it up and headed back home.

    Sorry we missed so much of the event, and the opportunity to see more of the local members and make a few new friends, but the car runs again and will be seen at some of the regional events.

  10. Long Island is where i picked up my 71. It was an abandoned project. It was detached from the frame and had been soda blasted. Based on last inspection sticker from mid 90's car only had 17k miles on it. Bumpers and a few other parts missing and no title, so for most a parts car only, but Maine is a no-title state for cars built before 1995!

  11. We have a few things in common. My son took the Avanti for a little off road experience spinning the car and taking it through a farmers barbed wire fence. Barbed wire and fiberglass, not a great combination. When I moved form California to Maine I pulled it out of the garage and hauled it cross country and put it in the barn. In recent years my son has come out and we picked up parts at a So Bend and St. Louis meet and we have been putting it back together. While looking for parts I saw 71 parts car on ebay for about $2k. No title so not much bidding, however; Maine is a non-title state for cars built before 1995 so no problem. The car had only 17,700 miles and was a factory 4 speed. It is going to be my "fun" car.

    My first wife didn't like the turquoise so the 63 became a dark grey metallic with black interior, Other than those 2 changes the only other non-stock item is a recently installed dual master cylinder, else the car is the way it was originally sold by Studebaker. That said, this was one of the R3 prototypes used by Paxton to develop the production R3 and there are a number of modifications that were made by Paxton before Studebaker eventually invoiced the car.

    Where in New York are you?

  12. Thanks for the link, and congratulations again. Just trying to get my 63 back on the road after about 18 years. Hope to take it to Rhode Island at the end of June. I have owned it since 68 and it is a numbers matching car (63R-1025) Only thing I can think of (other than paint and upholstery color) non-stock is the dual master cylinder that we installed.

  13. Do you have the production order for this car? If delivered to Granatellis it would likely state that (hand written) on the order, and/or an appropriation number such as 9867.

    I do have the production order. Car was picked up at the factory "as is" along with a second one by Andy and Joe Granatelli. One was dropped off in Chicago to their dad and 1025 driven to Paxton in Santa Monica. The car was not transferred, it was still factory property and ran California MFG license plates. I also have the document where the car was sold by Studebaker to Paxton two years later. The invoice lists the base price, all optional equipment, then a big credit and a net invoice amount to Paxton of $500 on the dealer invoice. Paxton later sold the car to Vince Granatelli who became the first registered owner. It was registered as a 65 Studebaker sedan.

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