Compromised Avanti!

[mfg]

The nine 'production' R3 powered Studebaker Avantis are outstanding, quite valuable automobiles that any of us would love to own....However, Studebaker ended up making two major compromises (negatives) on those nine cars, (and possibly there are more), that in my humble opinion 'lessens' those Avantis when compared to all other Studebaker built Avantis.

Can anyone think of two compromises?

[brad]

They shimmed up the body to clear the pressure box....that's the only thing right now I can think of.

[mfg]

2 hours ago, brad said:

They shimmed up the body to clear the pressure box....that's the only thing right now I can think of.

Yep, that's definitely one!

Any more thoughts on this?

[Dwight FitzSimons]

I don't see shimming up the body as a major compromise, a minor one at most.  Besides, they could have simply used thinner engine insulators to lower the engine in order for the carb enclosure to clear the hood.  I don't know why they chose to shim up the body.

--Dwight

[mfg]

2 hours ago, Dwight FitzSimons said:

I don't see shimming up the body as a major compromise, a minor one at most.  Besides, they could have simply used thinner engine insulators to lower the engine in order for the carb enclosure to clear the hood.  I don't know why they chose to shim up the body.

--Dwight

I don't feel those R3 Avantis are in any way mechanically inferior to their lesser brethren.... (Just the opposite!) .....  I feel the compromise is how shimming up the body takes away from the classic 'look' of those nine cars. (the nose down 'rake' of the original Studebaker Avanti simply isn't there!)....To me, the large gap between the bottom of the front fender arch and the top of the front tire is, frankly, a bit ugly!.... (my opinion)

I'd guess Nate Altman felt the same about that gap when he added the front fender filler to his Avanti ll's.....Ed

[Dwight FitzSimons]

8 hours ago, mfg said:

I don't feel those R3 Avantis are in any way mechanically inferior to their lesser brethren.... (Just the opposite!) .....  I feel the compromise is how shimming up the body takes away from the classic 'look' of those nine cars. (the nose down 'rake' of the original Studebaker Avanti simply isn't there!)....To me, the large gap between the bottom of the front fender arch and the top of the front tire is, frankly, a bit ugly!.... (my opinion)

I'd guess Nate Altman felt the same about that gap when he added the front fender filler to his Avanti ll's.....Ed

I agree fully.  That gap between the top of the front tire and the fender is too much even in R1/R2 Avantis.  Nate Altman was correct in adding a filler, although he overdid it.  Some Avanti II's have a nose-up attitude, which is even uglier.

--Dwight

[silverstude]

On 2/12/2022 at 10:13 PM, Dwight FitzSimons said:

I don't see shimming up the body as a major compromise, a minor one at most.  Besides, they could have simply used thinner engine insulators to lower the engine in order for the carb enclosure to clear the hood.  I don't know why they chose to shim up the body.

--Dwight

I thought they DID use smaller engine mounts on the R3.   Something like 3/4" in height vs the standard large bisquit type for the masses

[brad]

Yes, they did use both. the thinner mounts, and the extra shims on the body. They also had to cut the lower scoop bumper openings so the bumper brackets didn't hit. 

Edited February 14, 2022 by brad

[Dwight FitzSimons]

2 hours ago, brad said:

Yes, they did use both. the thinner mounts, and the extra shims on the body. They also had to cut the lower scoop bumper openings so the bumper brackets didn't hit. 

Ok, news to me.  It didn't require shimming the body when I had an R3 engine (B69) installed in my Avanti (R5407).  I suppose I could use some putty to determine the clearance between the carb enclosure and the hood.  What kind of putty should I use and where can I purchase it?

--Dwight

[mfg]

I may as well mention the second compromise I had in mind concerning the nine production line R3 Studebaker Avantis....Nothing to do with the 'make up' of the cars themselves, but something that a (then) perspective purchaser might have seen as a compromise when buying one.....

That compromise is the fact that Studebaker offered no warranty whatsoever on its R3 engine....Which had to be kind of a hard pill to swallow when buying a new car.....Especially considering the R3 option came at a stiff price compared to an R1 or an R2 Avanti...with either of those coming with a 12,000 mile engine & body warranty.

Even Chrysler gave a (rather silly but better than nothing) 90 day warranty on the mighty '426 Street Hemi', an engine they knew would be beat on from day one!