1963 Avanti project for sale or trade

[nasty51ford]

I recently acquired a very solid "63" avanti with the intentions of repairing it, and keeping it ( I have always loved these cars, and built a model of one with my dad when I was 10, I'm 54 now, lol!) unfortunately, being laid off, and no place to really do this project, I am looking to sell it, or trade it for something that runs and drives, maybe a Hawk! Or something OLD and interesting. Now, about the car, it is an R1, with automatic, it was hit on the nose in 1983, the owner started doing , or had someone, start taking it apart, then it was put in a warehouse. Fast forward 30 years, I come across this car on Craigslist, as a non running, wrecked Avanti, I immediately contacted the seller, went out and looked at the car and fell in love, I have been a mechanic all my life, and a body man for quite a while also, there is NO structural damage on this car, all cosmetic. It came with an extra nose, but it is a "64" or newer nose, as it has the square headlight surrounds. I spent a good 3-4 hours, draining the oil, pulling the plugs, checking the wiring, cleaning and setting the points, spinning the engine with no plugs in it to build up some oil pressure, then, the moment of truth, there's just something magical about firing up a high performance engine that hasn't run in 30 years that only a gearhead would understand! I primed the old Carter AFB, after running a fuel line off the fuel pump into a can of gas, hit the starter, and she turned over about three times and RUMP !! Off and running ! She was running ragged as hell, but running, with no engine noises, no blowby, and not even as much as a puff of smoke from either Avanti chrome tipped tailpipe! WOW !! I was ecstatic!! I shut her down after about 20 seconds, took the fuel line off at the carb, and sprayed some carb cleaner in the fuel inlet, reinstalled the fuel line, put a water hose in the thermostat housing, sealed it with a rag, then ran a long hose off the water pump inlet, and set it on top of the right front tire, so the water would have to go through the engine block before running back out. I fired it back up, and it ran perfect, actually fired up on a 1/2 revolution! The Carter is working perfectly now, no leaks either! After it ran for a while, I put it in gear, and it dropped right in, I believe the tranny is fine too! The interior is in exceptional condition for a car that has been sitting for 30 years, but it has been reupholstered sometime in the past, they did a nice job too, but they have the pleats going horizontal instead of verticle, I don't believe I have ever seen an Avanti with horizontal pleats anyway, The tach works fine, the temp gauge is pegged all the way over, seems to be stuck there, the volt meter works, and the oil pressure gauge works when it wants to, I tapped on it when it was not working, and it slowly and erratically went up to 32-40 lbs idling. The taillights and turn signals work also. The frame has very little rust, actually the only rust is the very rear crossmember, under the spare tire well, and the left torque box, the right one is perfect ! The car is a light yellow, not, as I recall, a factory Avanti color, so I would have to say it has been painted at some time, what the car is missing is, the readiator, the alternator, the short threaded piece that goes from the carb to the throttle linkage, and bolts, nuts, and front end mounting hardware. the hood "top" is good, but the hood "understructure" was ripped away. I will let this go for 5900.00, or as I stated earlier, a cool "driver" tradeThis is a chance to get a good running Avanti CHEAP !! Feel free to e mail fivo2fst4u@aol.com, or text, or call 352.551.7492 if you have any questions, or want more pics Thanks Keith

[Guest dapy]

This Avanti is now at eBay. More photos. It is clearly a project car.