R1001-1015

[mfg]

Studebaker Avantis R-1001 thru R-1015 were built nearly identical except for one fairly obvious difference....What was that difference?

[Gunslinger]

I believe the major difference would be whether it was an automatic or a 4-speed. Most, if not all, were the same color and supercharged.

[warren55]

I know for a fact that the first two had 4 speeds in them, with the same color combo!

[warren55]

Curious if the answer above is correct?

[mfg]

Curious if the answer above is correct?

Your answer is accurate....but it is not the answer to this question!....Any other comments on this?

[mfg]

Answer......Different Speedometers!....... A few were 140 MPH, a few 160,...and at least one had a metric speedo installed by Studebaker.

[grobb284]

Answer......Different Speedometers!....... A few were 140 MPH, a few 160,...and at least one had a metric speedo installed by Studebaker.

Would you or someone else please list the corresponding speedometer with the serial numbers. There is a question for accuracy with one of the owners, who wishes to remain anonymous.

[mfg]

Would you or someone else please list the corresponding speedometer with the serial numbers. There is a question for accuracy with one of the owners, who wishes to remain anonymous.

Sure!.....Numbers 1001, 1002 and 1003 had 140 mph speedos. Numbers 1004 thru 1014 had 160 mph speedos. And number 1015 had a kilometer (metric) speedo.

[gwood7]

Doesn't 1007, the # 9 Bonneville Avanti at the Studebaker Museum, currently have a 140 speedo? This information would say it should have a 160 speedo.

[mfg]

Doesn't 1007, the # 9 Bonneville Avanti at the Studebaker Museum, currently have a 140 speedo? This information would say it should have a 160 speedo.

I suppose it could have been changed by the Granatellis. (Although I can't imagine why) But they certainly changed many other aspects of that Avanti after it left the factory,....so who knows?

[R2Andy]

63R1005 still has it's factory installed 140 MPH Speedo. It also differs from it's predecessors in that it is the first R1 powered car and that it is Avanti Gold with the Elk interior.

Edited January 11, 2015 by R2Andy

[mfg]

63R1005 still has it's factory installed 140 MPH Speedo. It also differs from it's predecessors in that it is the first R1 powered car and that it is Avanti Gold with the Elk interior.

Uh oh!....we have a discrepancy here! (Which is good...this brings accurate details about these cars out!)

[brad]

The 160 speedometer was not added to any Avanti until later on in production. ALL early cars got the 140 (Yes, even R2)

[mfg]

The 160 speedometer was not added to any Avanti until later on in production. ALL early cars got the 140 (Yes, even R2)

'All' is a grey area word when we're talking about Studebakers brad!!

[8E45E]

Inside rear-view mirror size & placement? Seems to me, they were still monkeying with that after production started.

Craig

[Gunslinger]

At least a few of the prototypes had the mirrors mounted in a ball-socket on the dash. Production cars had them glued low on the windshield. There was a January 29, 1964 factory service letter to dealers with directions on relocating the mirror higher...how far below the top of the glass, etc. It wasn't mandatory...the letter states "as desired".

[r5duecento]

Brad is correct in that the 160 mph speedometer was not added until later production cars. My car 631771, which I bought new, has the original speedometer which is a 140 mph unit and the car is an R2. Lew Schucart's car also has a 140 speedo and I have seen many other early R2 cars with 140 speedos and never saw an early car with a 160 speedo unless it was changed after it left the factory. All of the Bonneville Avantis were equipped with a 140mph speedometer when they were received at Paxton.

[mfg]

Brad is correct in that the 160 mph speedometer was not added until later production cars. My car 631771, which I bought new, has the original speedometer which is a 140 mph unit and the car is an R2. Lew Schucart's car also has a 140 speedo and I have seen many other early R2 cars with 140 speedos and never saw an early car with a 160 speedo unless it was changed after it left the factory. All of the Bonneville Avantis were equipped with a 140mph speedometer when they were received at Paxton.

I'd agree with this info, unless perhaps, as you say, one of the very early cars was retrofitted with a 160 speedo after it left the factory. It would be somewhat interesting to determine exactly which WAS the first Avanti to leave Studebaker fitted with a 160 speedometer?

[r5duecento]

I'd agree with this info, unless perhaps, as you say, one of the very early cars was retrofitted with a 160 speedo after it left the factory. It would be somewhat interesting to determine exactly which WAS the first Avanti to leave Studebaker fitted with a 160 speedometer?

Yes, that would be interesting to know.

[ron@crall.com]

A long conversation the I had with Andy Granetelli started when he called me regarding a message that I had left for Vince. Vince and I had talked the week prior (a year or so before Andy died) and there was a question that I had for him but could not remember it at the time. Days later I rememberd that I wanted to ask about scratch marks on the steering column that looked like they may have been created by an aftermarket tach so I sent an e-mail with the question. I was suprised when Andy called me back instead of Vince, and after considerable talk verifying what car I owned he said that the new instruments were not available when my car was being used for racing and road test reports so they had strapped an aftermarket tach to the steering column since the car only had the 140 MPH spedo and 6,000 rpm tach. He also said that the carburator pressure chamber had just arrived in time for the Hot Rod Magazine road test and photo shoot.

[ron@crall.com]

I got the build sheet for 1024 by mistake and reordered 63R-1025. The two cars looked like identical Turquois / Turquois R2 Power Shift cars.

[mfg]

A long conversation the I had with Andy Granetelli started when he called me regarding a message that I had left for Vince. Vince and I had talked the week prior (a year or so before Andy died) and there was a question that I had for him but could not remember it at the time. Days later I rememberd that I wanted to ask about scratch marks on the steering column that looked like they may have been created by an aftermarket tach so I sent an e-mail with the question. I was suprised when Andy called me back instead of Vince, and after considerable talk verifying what car I owned he said that the new instruments were not available when my car was being used for racing and road test reports so they had strapped an aftermarket tach to the steering column since the car only had the 140 MPH spedo and 6,000 rpm tach. He also said that the carburator pressure chamber had just arrived in time for the Hot Rod Magazine road test and photo shoot.

Extremely interesting story!