1968 Avanti II

[warren55]

I'm considering one that seems mechanically and physically sound. The underside looks to be completely redone, although I haven't had it on a lift. I've heard mention of a frame off restoration at one time. As clean as it is, I tend to believe it. The interior seems to be all original except the carpets, with white seats and black trim. Very nice for original; no rips, a couple blemishes, but they almost add character!

The steering has a lot of play on center, but I'm sure I can figure that out.

The bumpers could stand to be re chromed or replaced at some point soon. That could cost a bit.

The biggest problem (isn't it always?) is the paint. Overall, pretty good. It's been repainted, I'd say within the last 10 years. There is an issue on the hood that would require it to be repainted, and the right fender is showing some small stress cracks in front of the wheel well.

The biggest problem is the lett quarter panel starting right under the rear window where it's delaminated pretty badly. On the side below that area there are several bubbles, too. That's going to require that whole panel to be repainted and hopefully not have to include the trunk area.

So, what's it really worth in this market? I just sold my 67 Mustang GTA, and I lost money on it over 8 years, but I still got $17.5K for it. That's over book, but that car was exceptional. This is a #3 driver with some paint issues. Opinions?

[Avanti83]

If you get it spot painted for a reasonable price, it might be worth purchasing, but go into it knowing that the odds are the delamination will continue eventually requiring that the car be totally repainted. That will require that the old paint be totally stripped and repainted. Not an inexpensive process.

The second issue is the delamination starting under the window rubber. Any decent shop will want to remove the glass to be sure the problem won't start again in that spot and I'll bet they find more delamination starting there.

The 74 I purchased came at a cheap price as the delamination had gotten to the point that every panel was affected and it was on it's second paint job. I took it all off to start the repaint.

This will give you an idea of what it can progress to.

I don't want to totally discourage you but it can get messy if you don't go into the purchase understanding the consequences.

Bob

[Gunslinger]

Where the paint is bubbling may be no more serious than improper prep when the car was painted. It will likely require taking the finish off down to bare fiberglass to do it correctly.

Delaminating fiberglass is another issue depending on how bad it is. On my car the drivers door was delaminating when I first purchased it. The body shop manager said it was repairable but less expensive to replace the door entirely...another door was cheaper than all the labor time involved with fixing the original. Whether the area of the car you're talking about is repairable at a reasonable cost is up to you and the body shop.

Stress cracks in the wheel wells can be repaired but it can also be an indication of a cracked or broken body support welded on the radiator support. If that happens there's a lot of flex in the body in the front and such cracks result. A '63 Avanti I once owned had that problem and it caused cracks at the top of the wheel arch. The body support can be repaired without too much problem.

One thing to keep in mind with any fiberglass bodied car, not just Avantis...there can be stress cracks that aren't easily seen or are invisible until attached parts are removed. That doesn't mean there are some, but that there might be.

Rechroming the bumpers can depend on whether you want show chrome or driver quality. That shouldn't necessarily be a deal breaker on the car...depending on everything else that might be needed.

Steering play may not be a big deal...it could need only some adjustments to the steering box or might be an indication of wear in the front suspension. Regardless, that can be taken care of and parts are widely available from vendors.

An early Avanti II like the one you're considering can be a nice car. The early ones are closest to the Studebaker version...a higher content of original Stude parts which are generally quite available as the need arises. The early cars have a good reputation for performance as well. If the car has a good frame and hog troughs as you believe, that's a big plus...everything else is minor by comparison. It sounds like a good vehicle if the buying price is right.

[plwindish]

You might want to get the opinion of a body man experienced in fiberglass before jumping on the car. The delamination would scare me, not being experienced with fiberglass repair. Getting the body right for painting might be a money pit.

[warren55]

Does $11K sound fair, or high? I know it's hard to judge without seeing the car.

Edited October 8, 2012 by warren55

[Avanti83]

I think a II in need of paint is a bit high at 11K. Here's a 72 that didn't make $9500 ($9250 high) on Ebay. Compare this one with the one you are looking at for comparison. http://cgi.ebay.com/...=item337c33c91a

Also, look over Craigslist with Searchtempest or other list bot to see what folks want. I think you are working on the high side. JMHO.

Bob

[Gunslinger]

I agree...$11k is too high. A fully functioning car of driver quality but needing only TLC would be worth that but one as you describe it is maybe a $6-$8k car. Good frame and hog troughs aside, it needs substantial cosmetic work you know about and any number of unknown potential issues that might be invisible.

The car may well be a diamond in the rough, but there's no reason to pay the price of a finished diamond.

[warren55]

Thanks for the input. I tend to agree, it may need more paint work than I"m willing to put into it. I talked to my paint guy and showed him some pictures of the problem areas, and he said at least $3K worth of work depending on what we run into, and that's without actually seeing the car.

It's too bad, because other than that, it is a really nice car! I just did a search and I only found one in the U.S. that was an early RQA car. Mostly later 70's and 80's which I want to stay away from.

And a couple 63's I can't afford!

I will keep looking, but I'm not putting a paint job on anything unless I can get into it CHEAP!

Check this out: http://hartford.craigslist.org/cto/3321851604.html

Edited October 8, 2012 by warren55