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Tilted Avanti!


mfg

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I doubt that as the Studebaker tilt columns were not impact absorbing as was required for all cars beginning in 1967 and which Avanti Motors received a waiver for as a low volume manufacturer until 1971. They used AMC or Mopar columns after that. I think the original tilt column Studebaker used was sourced from the same vendor as Ford used for similar tilt columns.

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The Studebaker tilt columns were Saginaw units, Close to GM products. Parts can be sourced from places like Impala bobs

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They are indeed Saginaw units. Purchased the housing from N&A back in the 70's, and used a Pontiac tilt for parts. The only difference were the number of splines for the Avanti steering wheel, which was taken from the original shaft, welding along the taper. One of the few 1963 Avanti with a factory style tilt wheel.

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I always thought they were a poorly conceived contraption...they tilted down rather than up. That large diameter steering wheel was already digging into one's thighs without the downward tilt feature making it worse.

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The MOMO wheels on the II's were a big improvement over the Studebaker wheel.

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I always thought they were a poorly conceived contraption...they tilted down rather than up. That large diameter steering wheel was already digging into one's thighs without the downward tilt feature making it worse.

When assembling the one installed in my Avanti with the Pontiac components,it had as many indexes up as it did down. Confused by what your experience was/is?

By the way,though I don't participate in many of the discussions, I appreciate reading your comments on the forum topics.

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I haven't seen many tilt-optioned Avantis, but those I have seen, plus comments from others over time, all support the steering wheel tilting down rather than up as how they came.

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My 76 tilt column tilts up and down, and will noisily go down if you grab on to it while getting out of the car.

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  • 4 months later...

What kind of aftermarket tilt steering wheel can I add to my 73 Avanti II (I've lost all the weight I can and the seat won't go back any further!) Don't worry about fat boy jokes I have both heard and told em myself. Will the Pontiac fit as previously described?

Dave RQB 1957

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What kind of aftermarket tilt steering wheel can I add to my 73 Avanti II (I've lost all the weight I can and the seat won't go back any further!) Don't worry about fat boy jokes I have both heard and told em myself. Will the Pontiac fit as previously described?

Dave RQB 1957

Realistically, the columns you are looking for are now about 40+ years old. Why not just bite the bullet, call Ididit and discuss with them your needs including the wiring harness needs, tilt provisions, etc. It may be more costly, Although a lot of those old columns are approaching $400, and get exactly what you need without the problems associated with older units.

Bob

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The one I rebuilt did tilt up as well as down.

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Brad,....The extra gauges in the console...are they Paxton?....They reminded me of the extra gauges located in about the same position on 63R-1025, Ron Crall's 'Hot Rod Magazine' Avanti R3 I looked over a few months back....Ed

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They were Stewart-Warner fuel pressure, and oil temperature gauges. Not the paxton faced ones. The scary part is the fuel pressure was plumbed direct reading,with fuel right into the cabin. I remedied that with a fuel pressure isolator hidden inside the pressure box.

I wonder if the Paxton gauges were rebadged Stewart-Warner?

Edited by brad
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Brad,.....The gauges I saw had Paxton dial faces...but they very well could have been made by SW......

One of them was a fuel pressure gauge....Ron Crall explained to me that the Granatellis worried about losing fuel pressure on this engine that could be spun to 8,000 RPM...and going 'lean' at that engine speed.

I believe fuel is piped directly into this fuel pressure gauge also. (Ron, correct me on this info if I'm wrong)

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