RQB 2897

[boogieman]

So moving on. Any one know the torque specs on the rear axle u-bolt nuts?

[Gunslinger]

25-30 ft/lbs. applied evenly according to the shop manual.

[boogieman]

I found some specs other than the Avanti ones. I went to 45# based on several spring/u-bolt suppliers.

25# - 30# seems awfully light to me. Checking, I had them tighter than 30# with a 1/2 ratchet and socket.

Thanks gunslinger.

Now to address the brake fluid leak at the R-R wheel cylinder.

[boogieman]

Been driving the car around some. I have noticed some play in the steering wheel with some lane wandering.

Going to have the front end aligned and wondered if there is any adjustment on the steering box to take-up any

slack there. The car is in the shop at school so I cant see the box until tomorrow.

Also I bled the r-r wheel cylinder and braking is great. Fluid nice and clear.

Need to rebuild the steering cylinder too.

[boogieman]

Since I want new front springs and shocks been thinking about a set of coil-overs instead.

For little more money I think the upgrade would be nice.

Discussion is now open.

[boogieman]

Been looking for the specs on the front springs. Need to know the OD, the wire diameter, length and rate

to get coil overs that match. Anyone have this info?

Boogieman

[CaffeineRacer]

Can't help you off hand with the springs. I take it you are going to have to custom order the coilovers. Where are you planning on ordering them from?

When I redid my shocks last year I had good results using bilstein shocks made for a 81 camaro. I had to modify the mounting eyelets (just remove the bushing a replace them with the proper type. The shocks are a major improvement from the gabriels that are the oem replacement. They're nice and firm when then need to be, but take bumps quite nicely (and we have a lot of those here in Houston). You can use the same 81 camaro approach and buy koni or any other brand of your choosing too. I've got part numbers if your interested.

[boogieman]

Looking for factory spring specs in the hope that since Camaro shocks work, Camaro coil-overs

might work too. Without specs no way to check. If you have the shock #'s I would appreciate

having them. Might have to revert to new springs and shocks after all.

Checking on MOOG C665 front springs I see they are OEM for GM station wagon rears.

Is this correct? Anyone know? Makes no sense to me.

I'm looking for a smooth boulevard ride. Not many canyons to carve here around Dallas!

And the nearest curvy roads are hundreds of miles away, too.

[boogieman]

Update time on my '79. Got the car into the shop at school. Tearing into the front suspension

I find the components to be in remarkably good condition. The grease boots and seals on all the

components intact and very serviceable still. Even the control arm bushings show little, if

minimal, damage and wear. And the steering spindle bearings and caps are complete and intact.

Checking for wear and looseness by raising the front-end shows no sloppiness except in the wheel bearing area. Removing the wheels and rotors I found the spindle nuts to be only hand tight.

There are indeed metal spacers under the springs. I think I am not going to tear it all apart

just to remove the spacers.

I did find and correct the sloppiness and vagueness in the steering. There is an adjustment

nut and bolt on the steering box on the left outside of the box. There is even a hole in the

left-inner splash apron for access. Loosening the lock nut I turned the adjustment bolt/screw

a total of 3/4 turn inward. This completely eliminated the app. 4" to 6" play in the steering

wheel. I did leave about 1/2" to 3/4" play so as to not cause the steering box gears to bind.

Going to replace the original shocks with OEM type Gabriel or Monroe gas-matics. And the brake

pads too. Still plenty of material left but there is no better time than now.

Going to rebuild the power steering assist ram as every other component appears to be in very

good condition.

A thorough and complete cleaning is in progress now.

Last semester I made a center console/arm rest for the area over the emergency brake at the

rear of the floor console. Going to have it covered in matching tan leather soon. I have signed

up for an upholstery class and might try my hand at that too.

The front tires, 215-70-15 T/A radials, are too big and have been rubbing on the upper front

spindle bearing cap. Thinking of going to a smaller tire. And I have access to a set of

14" x 7" Magnum 500 wheels should I decide to use that method to lower the front a little since

I want it lower anyway. I have been using this means of front-end lowering for 25 years.

The stagger and stance are far more important to me than tire size. And I carry a 12 volt air

compressor and tire plug repair kit anyway, so not a problem for me.

The car is certainly a curiosity in the class as most have never seen one and the suspension is

old-school and unique, especially given its age and remarkable condition.

In the class/shop area there is a '71 Challenger on a rotisserie jig, a '64 VW pick-up, a '54

Ford F100, a '48 Ford F1, a '27 Ford high-boy turtle deck roadster, a '67 Mercedes 250 SL

roadster, a '47 Chevy pick-up, and my Avanti. Last semester there was also a '40 Willys

pro-street coupe complete with a blown Cadillac engine. All interesting and unique each in its

own right.

Last week another student even began building from scratch a metal bodied Dobro guitar.

So progress is slowly being made to preserve this remarkable low mileage, well maintained and

cared-for, piece of automotive history.

[boogieman]

Got the original shocks off my '79.

Rear part # Gabriel 1558050

Front part # Gabriel 1553786

All stamped "Gabriel Canada" and "Made in Canada",

Surprised to see they are all 3 way adjustable.

Regular, Firm, and Extra firm.

Had to use a cut-off wheel on the left rear as the bolt had seized up in the upper mount sleeve.

New Gabriel's going on, #82087 fronts and #82103 on the rear.

Searched and found nothing on the OEM part numbers.

Was surprised to see they were/are adjustable.

[boogieman]

Did some more checking and parts # cross-referencing.

The shocks are Gabriel Stryders from the era.

Apparently one of the best shocks available at that time.

Long out of production I saw several sets listed at $600.

At 50,000 miles these might still be functional but not sure how to determine that.

Think I'll hang on to them and keep them with the car.

Other than the shocks, and now suspension bushings and such, this car is absolutely

original in every respect. Might even be considered a "Benchmark" or a standard

to compare others to for originality.

After all, someone needs to maintain an original one.

[boogieman]

Not getting much response here.

Got the underside of 2897 all cleaned-up and refurbished.

Suits me just fine.

Thinking of going back to the OEM wire hubcaps on slightly wider steel wheels.

Have seen a picture of the car from years ago with the wires. Looks pretty good.

More GT-ish than anything else. And different too.

The Magnums now on the car are not originals.

[adamderosa]

Boogieman you've been quite busy with this car! When I rebuilt the suspension on my Avanti I used the Moog CC655 springs on the front and the flex-form composite leaf springs on the rear, along with KYB Gas-A-Just shocks. I also installed the larger front and rear stabilizer bars from the '84 Avanti, and used the Delrin bushings on the front suspension. The car rides and handles very well now.

[boogieman]

So, yesterday at school I fired -up the car, checked the power steering fluid, filled to the

mark and found no leaks in the rebuilt ram unit. Very pleased with that.

Now when turning the wheel from lock to lock, as the wheel approaches straight ahead, the

resistance in the wheel increases. Past center, going in either direction, the effort decreases.

There is also a "shuddering " feel in the wheel going from center to either direction of turning.

I did tighten the steering box adjustment set screw 3/4 turn inward. Have backed it off to only

1/4 turn tighter but am now getting excess play back in the steering action. The steering wheel

turns before the wheels do. This may be normal. I have no basis for comparison except what this

forum can add in response.

Any thoughts or insights welcomed.

And I removed the backup lenses and bezels for cleaning. Using some 3M Machine polishing

compound I brought the lenses back to almost new. The center convex portion is clear and not

"frosted" like the surrounding area of the lens. Who knew?

[Gunslinger]

NOS backup lenses appear on eBay fairly regularly. They may be available anytime from SI, Myer's Studebaker or Nostalgic. Don't know the current cost of them, though.

[boogieman]

Thanks for the heads-up but my car is so original it aches. Planning on keeping it that way.

I was just passing along a tip on how to restore, to some extent, the existing lenses.

In the last 2 shop class days I have began the paint restoration process.

Using 3M Machine Rubbing Compound and an 10" electric polisher and terrycloth bonnets.

While not perfect by any means I am thoroughly pleased at the shine still in the paint.

The gold metallic really pops against the chocolate brown paint.

After this process I will go back over the car using 3M Finnesse Polishing Compound.

Then several coats of Meguires hand applied wax and buff out using a lambs wool bonnet.

[boogieman]

So, after 16 hard hours of rubbing compound and power equipment wrestling, the paint is

much better on my car. The milkiness is gone leaving a uniform finish. Much deeper dark Brown

than I expected. The metallic really pops now. Now on to hand finishing the areas the buffer

could not reach. Then final polishing. Should be another 16 or so hours there but well worth

the effort.

[boogieman]

Finally decided on wheels/tires for my Avanti. Wanting to use the rare wire hubcaps that came on the car originally

I am going with 225-70-15 on 7" wheels on the rear and 195-65-15 on 6" wheels for the front.

Gets the nose down a bit, easier to steer with a slightly smaller tire, and easier on steering components too.

Not concerned about rotating the tires for wear.

The existing 215-70-15's are, in my opinion, too small for the rear and too big for the front.

The 7" Magnum 500's I can use on another car.

As the school semester winds down I have accomplished all I wanted to do on my car.

Next is a front-end alignment, getting the A/C serviced, and some windshield time.

[boogieman]

Working on the sunroof to body opening weather strip. Had a new one made. Installed it.

Now the sunroof won't close completely. Looks like the seal is too thick.

Going to "plan B" whatever that might be.

Any suggestions here?

Also, while working on this, I removed most of the aluminum track around the opening

and cleaned and lubed the drive cables and track areas.

Cleaned and repainted the trough area and blew out the drain openings.

Works easier but still won't close completely.

Another day, another project.

[Gunslinger]

Just a suggestion as I can't say for sure this will help. Original moldings are often hollow and reproduction rubber is often solid. The hollow rubber is more pliable and makes it easy for the factory to install and fit up easily. The solid core rubber doesn't give as much and makes exact fitting tough. I had a '78 Corvette that needed new rubber for the window and T-Tops and the replacement rubber caused the exact same issue when the original was hollow. What worked for me was to wait for a very hot and humid day, close everything up as tight as I could and let the car sit out in the heat for a day or so. The rubber softened and set in the correct orientation for the windows to work properly and seal. I did have to coat the rubber with a vinyl dressing for a while as the glass dragged for a bit. It did work fine with use. This may or may not help you...just a suggestion.

[boogieman]

Thanks Gunslinger. The original seal was a thin metal strip wrapped in a felt-like cloth with a 1/8"

hollow neoprene tube around the top perimeter edge. The replacement is a convertible top material with the

neoprene tubing sewn into a pocket around the outer edge. Apparently the new material is just enough thicker

than the original to keep the roof panel from sliding into place.

I have the leading edge, thinned it as much as possible, applied a silicone lubricant, re-lubed the

tracks and mechanisms, cleaned everything up as much as I can, yet the last 1/2" to 3/4" wont slip into

place. Up to the point of the trailing (rear) edge popping up into place everything works great.

Thinking now I might need to pull the new seal and check the gap around the edge opening. Then possibly find a

soft rubber seal of some sort that will fit into the space allowed. Or maybe leave it off completely.

It is not a true weather seal per se. It is designed to eliminate wind noise, to help control the interior environment, and keep larger bits of debris out of the channel, according to the ASR tech I spoke with.

The car is now garaged at all times so sitting out isn't an issue. I might get caught out in a shower but

the drain tubes are open so water accumulation isn't an issue except for the occasional monsoon.

I do know that removing the new seal will cause me to have to re-sand and repaint the trough and opening again,

which I can do easily. Concern is for the correct look and wind noise. Always something else to do.

Appreciate the heads-up Gunslinger. I will figure this out eventually.

[boogieman]

Pulled the errant weather seal. It was keeping the sunroof from closing properly.

Due to cleaning all the tracks, lubing the mechanisms, and repainting the trough area the unit works

extremely quickly, quietly, and efficiently. If I can find a thin flexible seal for the perimeter

I will add that. Otherwise I'll just leave it off. Its not like the car will sit out for any length of time

during my ownership. The occasional shower is not a problem as the drain tubes are intact and carry the water

down and out through the drain holes in the hog troughs. I might spray some rust inhibitor through them too.

Got the area in question re-sanded, primed and painted last night.

All is well with #2897. Getting ready for spring and driving and enjoying the car.

[Gunslinger]

While not an optimal solution by any means, you might think about adding a moon roof wind deflector. They're not expensive, not permanent and come in various lengths. They're not part of the mechanism either...just add to the roof. Amazon.com has many available to consider.

It's not something I would care to do, but if it was the only viable option to solve a problem I would consider it until a better solution presented itself. To me the worst part is that it hurts the lines of the car and the lines of an Avanti is what sets it apart from the rest of the "me, too" stylings of other cars. Less is more...simple is better...whatever one wants to call it...the Avanti design is so pure most any additions detract from it.

[boogieman]

Thanks Gunslinger. I did consider one briefly but dismissed it for exactly the reasons you cited.

Since the leading edge of the unit butts up against the front edge of the roof opening I am looking for

a piece of adhesive backed rubber or foam gasket material to cushion the contact area.

Needs to be 1/8" thick and app. 1/2" wide by about 3' in length just to cushion the contact area.

No need for the potential rubbing while driving from body flex.

The weather here is very hot the majority of the year so it won't be opened all that much anyway.

Decided to not be concerned with the sides.

The glass panel is very straight on the sides. The opening in the roof is not. The gap varies from a hair

under 1/8" to almost 3/16" on both sides.

So much for QC in the installation. Doesn't really bother me that much.

The unit works great which is more than most others.

So on to other matters. When the weather improves I need to get the A/C checked and the front-end aligned.

And my console/arm rest covered. I'll try to post some pics if I can figure out how.

[GlennW]

I use these guys http://www.cleanseal.com/products.html for a motorcycle fairing application, they're an OEM supplier to automakers, RV mfrs. and other fields, so they have a lot of unusual shapes as off the shelf products. Good folks to work with, maybe they'll have something you can use, even if you need to take a razor blade to adapt something. At the least, if you have a short piece of the old stuff to send them and how many feet you need, they might be able to find something.

Edited January 13, 2015 by GlennW