Another Avanti Winter!

[mfg]

Well, tonight after work, for the 28th year in a row, I installed winter snow tires on my '83 Avanti 'everyday driver'...Many folks scratch their heads when they see an Avanti being driven  (sometimes) in blizzard conditions...but I can honestly say this car has never left me stranded!  (knock on wood!!)

I believe Avanti ll's have better traction and 'balance' than the Studebaker engined jobs.....The lighter Chevy engine really helps in that department.

 I relocated the battery to over the left rear wheel years ago, and that, with some extra weight added to the trunk, gets me through the snow quite well!

I have a good set of snow tires mounted on extra Studebaker wheels, and park the 'summer' Magnum 500's in my garage.

I also try to drive very defensively in bad weather....and carry a little sand and a small shovel 'just in case'!  

Here in the Boston area we may get 6-8" of snow on Friday...and I'll be heading to work bright and early in my good old 'Blake' Avanti!!   (Wish me luck!!)

[studegary]

With 28 years of practice you do not need the luck except for what some other driver might do.

[mfg]

On 1/5/2022 at 9:37 PM, studegary said:

With 28 years of practice you do not need the luck except for what some other driver might do.

No problems encountered on Friday, although the snow was coming down quite heavily on my way in! (around 6AM)

[mfg]

I made a change on my '83 Avanti which I believe somewhat improves winter driveability....I changed control of the deflector flaps in the dual snorkel air cleaner from the somewhat unreliable automatic thermal switch, to a small manually operated ball valve mounted next to and below the steering column.

Now on a really cold day I can allow more heated air coming off the exhaust manifolds to be directed to the carb, eliminating possible carburetor icing, lazy choke release, and fast idle cam not completely coming off.

It was 8' yesterday morning, with a wind chill making it feel like it was -2', and the new setup seemed to work well.....re-routing the vacuum hoses was easy-peasy!

[mfg]

12--18" of snow (Blizzard) predicted for this Saturday.....Avanti will be in garage, and I'll be in my ez chair with a cup of cocoa!

[mfg]

On 1/27/2022 at 5:29 PM, mfg said:

12--18" of snow (Blizzard) predicted for this Saturday.....Avanti will be in garage, and I'll be in my ez chair with a cup of cocoa!

Update....24"

[wdaly]

Remember Jan. '78?  I was in the Boston area that week!🥶

[mfg]

6 hours ago, wdaly said:

Remember Jan. '78?  I was in the Boston area that week!🥶

Yes I sure do!...We got hammered today, but nothing like the "Blizzard Of '78"!.....After the '78 storm, which dropped around four feet of snow (with drifts God knows how high)....Massachusetts was "closed" for an entire week so heavy equipment plus the National Guard could work clearing the snow.

One funny happening, (although not funny at the time),.......I was doing repairs on a 1959 Studebaker Silver Hawk, which was parked outside my home.... Several days after the storm ended, and the snow had melted down so I could finally see the Hawk again, so much heavy snow had been accumulated between those big canted rear fender fins that both rear springs main leaves had snapped.......UNREAL!!!

[mfg]

It hit 60' in the Boston area today, and it was a real pleasure going out to the shop and firing up good old 63R1379!....There's nothing quite like the sound of a healthy R2 Avanti engine reverberating off the garage walls, Paxton whistling away!

If the ground outside wasn't still so snowy & soggy I would have loved to take her for a blast down the road....Oh well, spring isn't too far away!!

[mfg]

Weather's been unusually nice, and I really dislike the snow tire 'growl' on dry roads......SO.....off came the snows tonight, and back on went the Magnum 5's !!!

(No doubt we'll get a late winter snowstorm next week!!!! )