64 R2 Resurrection Assistance

[Rick64R2]

Just pulled a '64 R2 out of storage and working with my 15 year old son to bring it back to life. It was stored for 9-10 years in a warehouse in Houston, no fuel stabilizer etc. Basically not touched for years. I would assume someone has done a thread on everything that needs to be done to get it back to life..... Any advice would be appreciated.

I have a good idea of the basics. Already pulled the gas tank and having it cleaned and sealed. Cleaning the fuel lines etc and replacing the fuel pump. I have never attempted a carb rebuild - wondering if that is something I can pull off.

Not sure what all the break system will need.

Have some mold/mildew in the car. Any advice on getting rid of that? I have cleaned some of it - but it seems to come right back, is sticky...

Thanks for the help.

[Gunslinger]

First...what condition are the hog troughs (torque boxes) and frame in. If they're rusted out, you have to decide whether the car is really worth restoring or parting out. That's a big expense and while it can be done, it can make or break the project.

For the carburetor, I would send it our for rebuilding by a qualified tech. The R2 carburetor is sealed and used somewhat different procedures in rebuilding. I would suggest Jon Myer at Myer's Studebaker if you can't find a qualified rebuild shop in your area. I would also talk to Jon about inspecting, servicing and if necessary, rebuilding the supercharger as well.

For the interior you need to shampoo the entire carpeting if the carpets are salvageable. For the vinyl, you need a good auto upholstery cleaner and protectant. I like Griot's Garage products but there are many good car care products on the market.

The backing of the upholstered door panels are made of pressed paper...cardboard. They well be saturated with mold and you may have to replace them if that's the case. Reproduction backings are available in that event.

Brakes...be prepared to rebuild and/or replace everything. Safe braking is simply too important to cheap out on. I wouldn't be surprised if the calipers are frozen and the rotors rusted. If any of them can't simply be rebuilt and require replacing, give serious consideration to buying the Turner Brake Conversion kit. For roughly the same cost you get everything necessary to upgrade the brakes. If your current parts are rebuildable, great. I would still replace every rubber brake line and carefully inspect the metal lines...they may well need replacing as well.

Overall, deal with the safety and running issues first. Cleaning the interior is fine but do that when between the other things. A car with a pretty interior is nice, but not at the expense of safety.

An R2 Avanti is a great car to own and drive. All Avantis (like all makes and models) have issues particular to them. Lots of people are here to help...we've been there!

[Guest dapy]

I'm a wannabe in Houston and interested in following your experience with the stored Houston R 2. Let's continue this by private email. I'm Dave Pyle dap8@comcast.net

Where are you?

I appreciated the advice about deciding whether to restore or not. I hope to buy one soon that is ready to go. Hog troughs and all. And to clinch my interest I was from South Bend at a time when Studebaker was still making cars.

Edited February 11, 2012 by dapy