71 Avanti.... SBCA96, and any one else interested

[WayneC]

SBCA96, I saw your latest post on the 63-64 forum. You have an Impala SS, too? (I know you said your Dad has one, but I didn't recall your saying you did)

Great progress on your Avanti, where/when is the show? Lompoc? Or do you mean Wheels & Waves?

Come on down and help me get my '71 back on the road.... I finally got it out of long-term storage and it runs and looks great (only moved it a few feet so far), but now I gotta sort out the problems it had when I put it away. It has an electrical leak that drains the battery (a lingering issue possibly stemming from a serious engine harness meltdown that I tried to repair before it got stored... I may have missed something), I need to finish the job of converting the back up lights to tail lights (started before the storage, but never completed), check out the brakes, get the tranny serviced and replace the broken dipstick (had one somewhere, can't find it), give the leather some TLC, wax the car, replace the aged tires, etc, etc.

Rant: As usual, when working on electrical circuits, I continually have problems finding the right components in the stores... everybody carries the same stuff now days, and it's a poor and scant selection of all the wrong stuff and in wrong/bright colors. I was all over town trying to find some rubber trailer-type weather connectors in a 3-wire version; no dice, only 2-wire or 4-wire, and at ridiculously high prices. I was surprised to find Radio shack doesn't carry any at all. I ended up using crimp-on bullet connectors, again outrageously-priced and not nearly as neat. Also tried to find metal "J" clips for wiring, like the ones used on the Avanti trunklid... all I could find were the huge metal clips (the "P" shaped ones with a black plastic liner that are actually tube clips, but they sell them as wire clips), and all the smaller fasteners were the cheap-looking "P"-shaped milky plastic ones... nothing with a spring action that actually grips/snugs the wires. Arrrgghh!!!

Tom, the underside of my 71 is pretty grungy... do you know of anyplace I can get it cleaned?

There used to be a fella who steam-cleaned the underside of cars in a separate stall at a car wash in Goleta, but it looks like that service went away with the remodelling of the car wash.

BTW, the engine harness meltdown was caused by the wire harness being routed too close around the hood latch on the passenger side... the metal edge eventually wore through the harness insulation in an unobtrusive spot and caused a massive short. It occurred while I was in traffic on the freeway, and by the time I got off the freeway and stopped, found that the ignition key failed to shut the engine off, then got a wrench and disconnected the battery, it had burned up most of the wiring under the hood and was working it's way into the harness bundle where it passes through the firewall. Luckily it didn't spark a fuel fire, and luckily I HAD a wrench.

The moral of the story: check the harness routing on your Avanti, add some clips to keep things tidy where needed, carry a small fire extinguisher, and add a battery cutoff switch for safety.

Edited March 6, 2006 by WayneC

[SBCA96]

SBCA96, I saw your latest post on the 63-64 forum. You have an Impala SS, too? (I know you said your Dad has one, but I didn't recall your saying you did)

Yes, I have an Impala SS (clone). I have too many cars, or is that possible? I bought it a

few years ago now. Its an exCHP Caprice 9C1, which is what the Impala was based on.

It has the Vette motor and 4 wheel disc. Over the Impala, its got extra coolers on the

trans and engine, and power steering too! I bought it from a guy who was converting it

to an "ethnic" Impala SS. He had got the entire Impala SS interior (rare and expensive),

but had funky rims and a cheesy airbag suspension on it. I had him convert it back to

springs and bought it. Over the last few years I have completed it into an Impala, with

the correct width rear axle (Impala got a special wider axle), Impala rims and other details

that he had missed. Its got 209,000 miles on it and runs like a top. Did you know that a

stock Impala SS can beat a 2002 Nissan Maxima through the slalom AND in 60 to 0? It

goes without saying it beats it in 0-60, I find it amazing that a 4200 pound car can take

on a little nimble Japanese sport sedan. So my dad has a real Impala SS and a "fake"

Avanti (a II to look like a Studebaker), and I have a real Stude Avanti and a fake Impala.

Great progress on your Avanti, where/when is the show? Lompoc? Or do you mean Wheels & Waves?

Thanks, its coming along all right. Took the fuel return line off today, so I can measure

it and replace it. Its amazing, I think it was replaced back in the mid 80's, it has a hose

on part of it, too good a shape to be original, and under the hose its NOT rusted. That

means that all that rust happened AFTER it was restored?? DANG!

The show is in Lompoc, put on by the Lompoc PD and Andy Granatelli.

http://www.ci.lompoc.ca.us/departments/police/05carshow.htm

http://www.ci.lompoc.ca.us/departments/police/05carshow2.htm

http://www.lompocrecord.com/articles/2005/...news/news06.txt

You would think that with Andy involved, I would have WON my division!!

Come on down and help me get my '71 back on the road.... I finally got it out of long-term storage and it runs and looks great (only moved it a few feet so far)

I have a lot on my plate right now, but if you have a specific issue, I can come by during

the week sometime after work.

Tom

Edited March 6, 2006 by SBCA96

[SBCA96]

It has an electrical leak that drains the battery (a lingering issue possibly stemming from a serious engine harness meltdown that I tried to repair before it got stored... I may have missed something)

I have a volt meter, I think that a test light works better.

I need to finish the job of converting the back up lights to tail lights (started before the storage, but never completed)

I was looking into the LED inserts......

check out the brakes

Man ... I have seen SO much brakes lately!

get the tranny serviced

Goleta Transmission on Aero Camino ... down from Specialty Tool.

replace the broken dipstick (had one somewhere, can't find it)

Stupid dipstick! .......... no .. the dipstick .. not you!

Tom

give the leather some TLC

http://www.meguiars.com/

wax the car

http://www.meguiars.com/

replace the aged tires

Big Brand Tire, in Goleta talk to Gary, but listen closely he talks VERY fast!

http://www.bigbrand.com/

Rant: As usual, when working on ................. . Arrrgghh!!!

SAY IT LOUD ... SAY IT PROUD! I agree.

Tom, the underside of my 71 is pretty grungy... do you know of anyplace I can get it cleaned?

There used to be...

Due to environmental concerns and lot of places stopped doing that. I dont know if I can

help you there, try calling around.

the engine harness meltdown was caused by the wire harness being routed too close around the hood latch on the passenger side...

I hate doing wiring, its my second least favorite thing - after brakes.

Tom

Edited March 6, 2006 by SBCA96

[IndyJimW]

A mechanic I know that works by himself uses a 12 volt buzzer that he picked up at Radio Shack to check for battery drains, He connects it between the battery and positive cable, then pulls fuses until the buzzer stops making noise.

[SBCA96]

A mechanic I know that works by himself uses a 12 volt buzzer that he picked up at Radio Shack to check for battery drains, He connects it between the battery and positive cable, then pulls fuses until the buzzer stops making noise.

Sounds like a pretty good idea. Of course, my '60 Hawk had only one fuse I think.

Tom

[WayneC]

I have a volt meter, I think that a test light works better.

I spent a few hours checking it out, but could not find a problem, it did not have a drain with the ignition turned off; it's possible that something was turned on previously when I was having the problem (like the trunk light, for instance, the mercury switch is kinda touchy such tht parking on a slope could turn it on) ....or perhaps my fooling around with the tail light wiring fixed the problem.

[SBCA96]

I spent a few hours checking it out, perhaps my fooling around with the tail light wiring fixed the problem.

Cool .. at least its "fixed". Maybe you can make it over to In N Out with it and

there could be TWO Avantis there someday! That would be an event!

Tom

[WayneC]

Cool .. at least its "fixed". Maybe you can make it over to In N Out with it and

there could be TWO Avantis there someday! That would be an event!

Tom

Someday, but first I gotta get tires, find a tranny dipstick, etc, etc, etc, so won't be anytime soon.

Haven't made out to Big Brand in Goleta, but I did stop at the one in Santa Barbara and they were

only interested in selling me some Cooper tires.... no thanks.

[SBCA96]

I did stop at the one in Santa Barbara and they were only interested in selling me some Cooper tires.... no thanks.

I ran Cooper tires on my commuter cars for years, was very happy with them, I

tried BF Goodrich, Sumitomo, and Yokohama and they were all bad for different

reasons. The Yokohama started to come apart, the thread was separating, the

Sumitomo was OK, but wore out fast, the BF Goodrich caused the car to wander

all over the road. Nah, I would say Cooper is a good inexpensive tire, and when

you compare them to the expensive tires I tried, they did well. I drive over 500

miles a WEEK, so I get a lot of experience with them. Right now I am running

EVO-Z tires made by Goodyear and the Kelly Tire name. Thay are knockoffs of

the Goodyear Eagle F1 (a ~250 a piece tire). They have a 420 tread wear and

are rated to 168 mph! I paid 400 for a set of 4. They dont carry anything small

enough to fit a 15 inch rim though, got them at AFS (same place as Cobra wheels).

So far I REALLY like them, they got rid of the wander, feel GOOD in the rain, and

stick nicely on dry pavement. I hope the last as long as they say!

Tom

[Gunslinger]

I have Cooper tires on one of my Corvettes and they're excellent tires. Cooper is also one of the biggest makers of private label tires. My '02 Avanti has BFG G-Force tires on it and they're very good tires as well. My intent for when they eventually require replacements is to buy Michelin Pilots for the car, though they are expensive, but in line with other makes of the same specs.

Several years ago one of the big car magazines (either Road & Track or Car and Driver), did a comparison test on high performance tires. They compared one of the big name brands (which one escapes me) against a Pep Boys brand performance tire that was made by Cooper under their name. The testing was using the same car. The big name tire had slightly better performance numbers on the track for handling, braking, etc., but only very slight measureably better numbers. They concluded that money being no object, the name tire would have been their choice and for the real world, the Pep Boys tires was a far better performance bargain for the big difference in cost.

[SBCA96]

My '02 Avanti has BFG G-Force tires on it and they're very good tires as well. My intent for when they eventually require replacements is to buy Michelin Pilots for the car, though they are expensive, but in line with other makes of the same specs.

You might want to check out those EVO-Z tires, your Avanti is the same car underneath

as my wifes Camaro Z28, we got a set of the EVO-Z's for it as well, and she feels they

are some of the best the have been on there. She drives her car VERY hard, so thats not

the dizzy input of a "woman driver". Here is the link from the Impala site on the tire:

http://www.impalaclub.com/naisso/forum2005...?TOPIC_ID=34473

Those Pilots ARE good tires, but they are WAY too expensive! I have 3 of them to put

on our 78 Camaro 'G-machine' from the wrecked 94 Firebird, I priced the one tire to

make a full set and was in SHOCK. It was MORE then half what I paid for the WHOLE

set of 4 EVO-Z tires!! That was also through Tire Rack!

The tires on the Impala are 275/40 R17.

Tom