'Hot Rod Magazine' 1963 Avanti!

[mfg]

Got to visit with Ron Crall and his son Geoff yesterday. They are the owners of the '63 Studebaker Avanti which was prepared by the Granatellis at Paxton for a 1963 Hot Rod Magazine road test.

What an interesting Avanti!....It's equipped with a prototype 299 cubic inch R3 engine coupled to a Power-Shift transmission.....3.73 TT rear.

The R3 engine was slightly lowered in this Avanti's chassis from the normal position, has special 'PAXTON' auxilliary gauges, R3 upper control arms, competition supercharger, and other unique features.

This is one very special 1963 Avanti!

The Crall's are also restoring a FOUR SPEED FACTORY MANUAL SHIFT 1971 Avanti ll!

Thanks for the tour Ron & Geoff!

[ron@crall.com]

We were glad to have you guys stop by. Hopefully by the end of summer the 63 will have the mechanical repairs finished and we will be working on the fiberglass.

[mfg]

I wonder how 63R-1025 is coming along?...It's really quite a car!

[Geoff]

It was done enough to trailer to the Warwick meet. We tried to drive it afterward to a meet at York beach, Maine, and found the front suspension to be not quite right (possibly a bent kingpin). We'll get back on the car as soon as the snow melts but we have other items on the to-do list. It'd be amazing to drive 1025 to the South Bend meet (in May? Really?) but that's early; it might get trailered.

[mfg]

Geoff, when you get a chance, will you describe the Paxton gauges that were installed into the console of your Avanti by the Granatellis....or better yet, post a pic of the console area....and also a few more engine compartment photos?....Thanks a lot!!...Ed

[Geoff]

https://youtu.be/g5rOT6ZuwMw

https://youtu.be/70mcKYrfZvA

I got out and shot a couple of videos, one of the gauges and the other of the engine bay.

[mfg]

Thanks very much Geoff, very well done!.....I just tipped off the Stude Forum crowd about these!

Say HELLO to Ron for me!....Ed

[ron@crall.com]

I see Geoff shot the back side of the fuel pressure gauge also.  That is a rubber hose connected directly to the engine fuel supply.  At RPM it would have considerable amount of pressure aimed directly inside of the car!

[ron@crall.com]

Someone replied to Geoff's u-tube pictures asking if Sherwood Egbert ever owned 1025.  Long answer is the factory "owned" 1025 until the factory sold it to Paxton 7/27/64, well after production stopped.  It came off the line 7/5/62.  Sherwood reportedly drove the car until Andy Granatelli and brother flew to South Bend to pick up 2 Avanti.  During this time Sherwood had the AM radio replaced with a AM-FM unit.  I don't believe they were options that early in production but may be incorrect.

One of the two Avanti's was dropped in Chicago to family and was repainted green.  Andy told me he hated the color that "Dad" had it painted.  That car might have been 1024.  I have the build sheet for it and it is identical to 1025.  Andy and brother (Joe i think) then continued to southern California with 1025.  Prior to sale by Studebaker to Paxton 2 years later it was used by Andy as his primary driver.  One of the magazines has a picture of it where the California Manufactures license plate is visible.  Following sale to Paxton, it was purchased by Vince Granatelli who became it's first owner.

I'll try to attach the invoice and zone delivery reports.  Note the discounts left a balance for the car of only $500!

 

[mfg]

Wondered about the present status of 63R1025?....This Avanti is perhaps the most interesting Studebaker Avanti I've ever seen!