GoldAvantiII
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Posts posted by GoldAvantiII
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Thanks for posting this article, Lew. It's a great story and I hope that it brings more folks to South Bend for an overnight stay at one of Don's Avanti Houses.
Don was a big supporter at the 2024 AOAI Detroit Nationals in Livonia Sept 17-21. He was there with his bright yellow 2007 Avanti Convertible and also was very active there in the AOAI's annual on-site Silent Auction. .......... Harvey
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Rich, thanks so much for your kind words. We enjoyed meeting you and your sharp '04 and your doggie too!
The AOAI 2024 Detroit National Meet was a huge success with 74 Registrants and 37 Avantis on the field.The 7 Seminars were well attended and the Silent Auction - once again - featured quality items with nearly every donation sold.The McLaren Engineering/Roush Museum Tours were attended by 45+ AOAI Members in 22 vehicles (13 Avantis).The bus trip to an all day tour of The Henry Ford Museum was enjoyed by 47 Meet Attendees.With several Avantis trailered to the event, the longest driven Avanti was from Colorado, adding over 1,400 miles to his odometer.Avantis were also driven to the Meet from Wisconsin, New Jersey, Quebec Canada and, of course, from near-by states.While many of the 37 Avantis displayed were '63 & '64 Studebaker Avantis, Avanti II was well represented; a local member brought his black '90 4-Door Avanti. A rare grouping of 5 Seaton/Kelly era (2002-2007) Avantis were included.People's Choice, Hotel Employee Choice, and Best of Show awards were presented at Friday's award banquet. All awards included the owner's name and Avanti VIN - thanks to the Tom Goesch magic.True to AOAI's international membership, attendees came from Vancouver BC Canada were joined by their New Zealand family.We also had AOAI Members from Texas, Oregon, Kansas, Florida, and Washington state. The Host Hotel hosted a public car show on Saturday with a DJ and a Food Vendor serving a variety of Mediterranean dishes.Our host hotel, Embassy Suites-Livonia is located in a secure area; the 19 mile driving tour to McLaren & Roush was uneventful.Thanks to all who attended the 2024 AOAI Detroit National Meet. We hope that you had a great experience that you will share with your Avanti associates, friends, neighbors, and unsuspecting passers-by. ................ Bill Kruger & I look forward to seeing everyone again next year in Pennsylvania ...... Harvey -
I have a 2002 Avanti Convertible. Got it in April. Have had great drives with this call in dry, in hot and in rainy weather. I am very pleased with this car's performance.
This car has 235/45Z R17 Front Tires and has 245/45Z R17 Rear Tires. The speedometer, compared to GPS tracking, appears to be fairly accurate.
The Glove Box Door has a Tire Info Plate that shows 235/45Z R17 for the Front Tires and 255/45Z R17 for the Rear Tires.
Searching for info for the (donor car) 2002 Pontiac Firebird/Trans Am Conv. at local tire stores I see: 245/45 R17 Front & 315/35 R17 Rear at Discount Tire.
I see 275/40 R17 Front & Rear at Belle Tires. I see 255/45 R17 Front and 275/45 R17 at Tire Rack. The 2002 Pontiac Firebird Owners Manual sez 275/40Z R17 Front & Rear.
When I do replace the tires on this car I suppose that I will follow what it says on the Glove Box Door Tire Info Plate ...... or ...... ???????????
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There will be a 2002 Convertible, a 2006 Convertible and a 2006 Coupe at the 2024 Meet in Detroit (Livonia).
Last minute entries may add 1 or 2 more ?????
We will welcome you and your 2004 Supercharged model with open arms !
Harvey ... AOAI 2024 Detroit Co-Chair
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Aardvark, I have been looking for a 2001-2004 Avanti for about 3 years. I know of a yellow one (out East somewhere) with a red interior & 6-speed stick trans and I know of a a red one in Waco, TX. Both are available in the $40+k range. Those showing up at dealers and on Gateway's sites are in the $50+k range. I bid on a near new Supercharged 2004 yellow conv with black interior on B.A.T. last May. It sold for $32.5k, a real good deal. These cars sold for between $75k & $83k when new. Getting a 2002 at what you and I paid for them were great deals. Even paying another $10k for additional work (body/paint and/or mechanical) still place these great cars as a good purchase for us both (IMHO).
As far as people saying negative words about them (just a reworked Camaro or Firebird, it's just a kit car or it's not an Avanti) I have permission from Lew Schucart to quote him from a reply of his on B.A.T.. And that is (again, quoting Lew): “Nothing competes with the work Tom Kellogg did in 1961-62 with Loewy and team in Palm Springs. But, these 2001-2004 Avantis were designed in 1997 by Tom Kellogg himself, with the AVX (AvantiExperimental), 3 prototype cars built and sold through the efforts of Jim Bunting. They used the GM F-body platform with all body panels replaced with fiberglass. These cars have the Avanti DNA, as continued by one of the four original Avanti designers”.
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Hey Aardvark, Gun & Randy are correct, these cars were fitted with Magnaflow Exhaust during the build. I've been in touch with John Hull lately about my car and have learned a bit more about these cars. The yellow Brake Calipers on your car were not factory items.
Per the Hagerty Valuation Guide our cars have a #2 Value of $34k and a #3 Value of $23.5k. I insured mine as a #2 and feel that it is no worse than a #2.5 ($28.75k?). I can't say what I paid for mine but it was a bit above the $19k you mentioned for your car. Mine needs minimal body & paint work to be near perfect. Mine had very dark sun blocker film on both side and the rear windows. I don't like driving at night looking thru that darkness so I removed the film. Now I have to get the glue off of the glass. Not a big deal on the side glass but an issue on the heated rear glass. All that I can say is, I'm working on it.
Only had it out for a drive one time since its arrival. I drove it on a 20 mile round trip to a Cars'nCoffee First Saturday Monthly Event. It was a blast to drive. Geddes Road is 2-lane blacktop mostly straight with 2 Roundabouts each way. This car is so very different to drive than my '71 Avanti II. Still have a few items to take care of before taking my Mrs out for a drive (and, have her drive it too). She was the main reason of going after a more modern Avanti. She wanted a car with Airbags and other modern safety items. So far she like what she sees. (Photo taken Apr 6th at the C'n'C).
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My Black Beauty was delivered yesterday. It's all that I had hoped for. It rumbles on start and sound fantastic. It came off of the trailer filthy so (45f degrees out) I washed it. I have hot & cold water in my garage so the wash job was ok. Got to be touchy-feely with my baby during the wash. There's a few little items that need attention but overall.... what a car! I can't believe how thick & heavy all of the fiberglass panels are. Also, the data plate does say STUDEBAKER Avanti ! Added an "artsie" levitation-like photo, just for fun.
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You guys with your talk and photos of the 2001-2007 cars got me going. The photos of Randy's sharp 2006 coupe doesn't do it justice as his car is fabulous in person. The one photo shown (next to the black 2002 Convertible) was at an EyesOn Design car show a few years ago. We had a 14 vehicle Time-Line (1963-2006) that was a big hit at that show. I had my gold '71 there at the other end of the line-up.
I just bought a 2002 Avanti Convertible. Like aardvark said in another topic, he was awaiting delivery. That's where I am right now. I just can't wait to see my new (new to me too) car. It's in Boise. Sure hope that it ships soon. Now my '71 will have a stablemate. Won't be soon enough for me. Life is too short ..... drive an Avanti !
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Lew, Our AOAI Magazine Editor is almost done with Issue #204 which will have about 5 pages about next year's AOAI Nationals in the Detroit area.
He is also working towards updating the website and adding an on-line Meet Registration Form.
Sept 17-21, 2024 ....... Host Hotel is the Embassy Suites in Livonia, MI. ....... Hope to see you all there !
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We are very glad to have been with Warren last month in Manitowoc at the SDC Int'l Meet there.
My fellow SDC BOD Member was a very cool guy who will be missed by all who knew him.
Thoughts and prayers go out to Sue and their family.
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Here is the YouTube (Audio only) clip of Geoff's presentation at the S-N Museum:
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Sadly, another chapter in the long Avanti story closes with the passing of Geoff Newman. I was fortunate to have been at the S-N Museum in July during the AOA-Indy Chapter's Avanti 60th Anniversary celebration. Geoff was a featured speaker there and shared many details about being part of the Newman-Altman years in South Bend during Avanti II production. He told a very interesting story about the manufacturing of the cars there, 1965-1983. He was quite a character and will certainly be missed. R.I.P. Geoff. You were a great man.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/geoffrey-newman-obituary?id=38417827
(attached photo taken 7-9-2022 at the S-N Museum)
.................. Harvey Snitzer ..... RQB-1659 .................
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I was there. The people, the cars & the weather was excellent. Mike Baker gathered 35 Avantis for the photo shoot on Friday.
The Avanti Time Line at the Concours d'Elegance at Copshaholm on Saturday was impressive.
I had a great time there with my Avanti friends (met some new ones too).
My car ('71 Avanti II RQB-1659) ran great down & back (453 miles driven) from Canton, Michigan.
(My gold car on arrival on Thursday at The Inn at St Mary's)
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Gents,
In June 2013 I was invited by The Henry Ford Museum's Transportation Guru, Matt Anderson thru Andy Beckman, to place my '71 Avanti II inside the display tent next to the museum's '63 Avanti. The Motor Muster (an annual car show featuring over 300 vehicles 1933-1976) is a big annual event held on the grounds of Greenfield Viallage in Dearborn, MI. The 50th anniv of the Avanti was being celebrated and they wanted the two cars together to show the transition from the original Avanti to the Avanti II. I had a great two days there. There are a lot of folks out there who actually know quite a bit about the history of the Avanti. You can just see the '63's whell lip showing just above my car in the photo. I'll send a second photo in my next posting. In that photo you can see a goo comparison of the two cars.
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Hey Guys, I have a gold '71 (RQB-1659). Last October I installed a 3rd (hi-mount) Stop Light. I got it from Daniel Stern Lighting http://www.danielsternlighting.com/ . He is a wizard of the aftermarket lighting systems for cars/trucks/jeeps. He has several models of the 3rd stop lights. They are mounted at the bottom center of the rear window and are ordered according to rear window angle. The Avanti window is 31 degrees at the bottom. So, I ordered Model 37. It cost about $75. It's made by Hella in Australia (or, New Zealand?). Take a look at the sight and check it out. It's a very bright LED unit and takes all of the worry out of being seen braking. I ran wiring forward to the brake switch (had to hid the wires under the threshold cover and behind the read side panel and side of the rear seat, then up under the rear window shelf. ............. Harv
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Wayne,
Thanks for your reply. I took your ideas and checked out the wiring attachments. I found that the 12v power wire to the fan control was attached to the lug for the fan power wire. Once I swapped these wires the system worked exactly as it should. Who ever previously swapped these must have done so in order to use the fan/blower for air flow without engaging the AC Comprsr on the low serviced system. Thanks again for all of your help on this. I now have a Cool Avanti II ..............
Regards, Harvey
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Hello. I'm new to this Forum as I recently purchased my first Avanti. RQB-1659 has been expertly maintained for the past 31 years by Randy Atkin. The car is near perfect. Now I get to have all of the fun of doing my best to keep it that way.
The only issue with the car is the AC not working. I took it to a friend to have the system checked out. He evacuated, oiled & recharged the system. But, no AC Comprsr clutch engagement. We ran 12v to the clutch and checked out the system and it produced ice cold air into the car .... good deal! But, no power to the wire to the AC Comprsr clutch.
I opened up the center stack. The On-Off Fan switch works as it should. The Temp switch (P/N 1552650) is wired correctly as I see it. Not sure where to go next. Any help on this would be much appreciated.
Thanks, Harv
Nationals in Michigan
in Avanti Pub
Posted
The stars are pointing towards a JOINT AOAI / SDC Meet in Washington, PA At the County Fairgrounds, Sept 16-20, 2025. Best to title it as "In Work!"