1981 Specs

[Guest dapy]

Looking at a 1981 II. South Bend production? Engine choices? Tranny choices? Crossover year? Emission choices? RQB serials switched to 12AAV..........?

[CaffeineRacer]

1981 had the 305 with the emissions equipped smog system with the air pump and the E4ME quadrajet I believe. Not too exciting of an engine, but very reliable and gets excellent mileage.

[Guest dapy]

How about the other questions. Stude frame in SB? RQB serial vs later? Standard power stuff? Still a Newman Altman car?

[Avanti83]

Looking at a 1981 II. South Bend production? Engine choices? Tranny choices? Crossover year? Emission choices? RQB serials switched to 12AAV..........?

To add some more, 1981 was the first year of the 17 digit VIN for the industry so probably for the Avanti, also. The RQB numbers carried on so the one you are looking at will have one. My 83 has both the 17 digit VIN and a distinct RQB number. Vin on the dash, RQB on the door jamb.

Stude frame, std power as previously described, SB production. Yours represents essentially the configuration from 1966 to the Blake rubber bumpered cars a couple of years later. There will be additions like side lights, extra bumpers different cubic in SBC's but the power will be whatever they could purchase from Chevrolet in the some what performance line. Not much of that from 73 till the late 80's however,

Pretty hard to tell them apart without a score card. I assume that you are purchasing on condition not year.

Bob

Edited July 1, 2014 by Avanti83

[Guest dapy]

So far just appraising the merchandise. It has the ugly lower front bumper which I assume can be removed. Dealer selling it doesn't know Avantis and I get a little confused with the multiple manufacturers and changes. Thank you for your advice.

[Avanti83]

The bumper can go, you need to do some cutting on it to keep the rear portion to mount the radiator and bumper properly. Not hard, I can post a pix or two.

Secondly, it will leave a couple of larger holes that are behind the grill and the need to replace some grill bars that were cut out to add the bumper. I'm doing all that to my 74 so it will look a lot better.

However, just taking it out and not fixing anything looks much better than the added bumper. JMHO

No matter which year it is 1966-83 with chrome bumpers it will have an SBC that represents the year of Mfg as Avanti bought them from GM to meet that years emissions standard. If you don't like the SBC or trans any year up to 1998 will bolt in with no changes unless you upgrade to an overdrive automatic and that is just a modest mod at the tranny rear mount.

My 74 has a 70 383 SBC/ T56 combo and my 83 has a 98 roller cammed engine/ 200R4 combo. Worry more about condition, hog troughs, frame, interior etc. I can buy a pretty good SBC for the cost of the just the hog troughs with out installation.

Bob

Edited July 1, 2014 by Avanti83

[plwindish]

300 hp 327 Corvette motor, 350, 400, 350, 305. This is pretty much the order in which SBC motors were used from the fall of '65 to the end of the Carfolo production in '91. There is the mistaken belief that Corvette motors were always used in the Avanti, not true. AFAIK, just the first 300 hp 327's were actually the Corvette power plants.

200R4's and 700R4's are much improved and desirable replacements for the THM 350's and 400 transmissions. The 200R4 requires less mods to replace an earlier trans than does the 700R4 which is a little wider than the 200R4. The 200R4 is about the same size as the THM 350 and 400 models.

I kept the 400 motor in my '76 but had it rebuilt and livened up to 365 hp and 460 pounds torque. A rebuilt 200R4 is now moving things instead of the THM 400. There is nothing but positives for changing to an AOD trans. Most mods require the addition of the TV cable and a rear trans mount along with possible driveshaft mods(700R4). The 200R4 dropped my motor's rpm's at 70 mph by 1000 rpm's. With the old THM400 and a 3.31 rear end, it was turning 3000 rpm's at 70 mph. Now with the 200R4 and same rear end, its turning 2000 rpm's. The 200R4 does have virtually the same gearing in the first three gears as the THM trans have along with about a .8 overdrive gear. Dan Booth has the shifter rods and the console gear indicator plate as well to make the installation look factory stock.

Best mileage for me driving to Dover from Chicago area was 23.8 with driving 72-74 mph and AC on. Before the trans switch, mpg was in the 14 range.

[mfg]

dapy,.....Avantis of the early 80's era used GM's 'Computer Command Control' emissions related system. It's a good system, but complicated, and can be problematic.....as these parts really don't 'age' well. The good news is that if this '81 should develop problems with this system, parts are still available to fix it ...OR...the carb and distributor can be swapped out for readily available non computer controled earlier parts (say 1979 Chevy V8 carb and dist). I went this route on my '83 and never looked back!