Maiden run of Robert F. Andrews 1971 Avanti after II 22 years of storage

[TMA62]

Here's the maiden run of my Dad's 1971 Avanti II after 22 years of storage and a year long off-frame restoration. Yours truly is the driver and Mike Baker of Avanti Restorations is filming. It still needs a little tinkering but it rides and sounds awesome!

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=plcp&v=-8z7MNhxt6c

[Gunslinger]

Congratulations! Here's to your enjoying it for years to come!

[plwindish]

Good to see the car rolling. What motor is in the car, 327, 350, or 400? Are you putting the Avanti Hubcaps back on when its finished or other wheels? Seeing the car without the hubcaps reminded me of how I drove my 64 back in the day (66-69) when I had it. It was black and I vaguely remember painting the white rims black so I could take off the hubcaps (of course with narrow white wall Firestone 500's) and run it that way.

[TMA62]

Thanks for the words of encouragement! It has a 350 in it which I think was the second year for this engine in the Avanti II (the last year for the 327 was in 1969, I think). I will be putting the classic "star" hubcap on after the car is cleaned and broken in. That was how Avanti Corp painted their wheels but I will eventually paint them Studebaker cream and put on larger tires to match the Studebaker appearance. Dad ad the car shimmed and reshaped the front wheel cowlings to give his Avanti the same rake as the Studebakers.

The car spent most of its 20 years of driving on Michigan roads and in Michigan weather. It was not sheltered in a garage during most of this time. The road salt really hit the frame and hogtroughs hard. A lot of work was needed to restore them. The back quarter of the frame ( from the rear axle to the rear bumper mounts )had to be replaced with a '62 GT Hawk frame. Still, it was worth it!

One interesting thing of note. The A-pillars were completely fine and not corroded despite not a garage car for the first 15 years of its life.