mfg Posted January 26, 2023 Report Share Posted January 26, 2023 At least one of the (EX) prototype Studebaker Avantis was assembled at Studebaker as an R4, dual quad, air conditioned Avanti prototype... .......True? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1963r2 Posted January 26, 2023 Report Share Posted January 26, 2023 I say true, they would have to trial fit one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfg Posted January 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2023 2 hours ago, 1963r2 said: I say true, they would have to trial fit one. I agree....TRUE! One indeed was built that way.... Simce the R4 apparently was optional for '64, I agree Studebaker would have had to build at least one Avanti with that powerplant for 'fitment' purposes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfg Posted January 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2023 As an aside...as that particular Avanti was originally assembled with an R3 engine, it's reasonable to assume the R3 intake setup was removed and a dual quad R4 intake fitted, and the supercharger and bracket replaced with an A/C setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwight FitzSimons Posted January 26, 2023 Report Share Posted January 26, 2023 I doubt that the R4's air cleaner would fit under the hood of an Avanti. Years ago a local Studebaker enthusiast bought a '63 Avanti that had had an R4 engine installed at a Studebaker dealer. It had a hood scoop. I was told that was needed for clearance of the air cleaner. However, I never investigated that issue the few times I looked under the hood. Sure enough, one or more of the several owners of that car didn't understand (or didn't care about) the fuel octane requirement and when it was disassembled there were many rings broken and a cylinder or two that would require sleeving. That R4 was number B-77. --Dwight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfg Posted January 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2023 4 minutes ago, Dwight FitzSimons said: I doubt that the R4's air cleaner would fit under the hood of an Avanti. Years ago a local Studebaker enthusiast bought a '63 Avanti that had had an R4 engine installed at a Studebaker dealer. It had a hood scoop. I was told that was needed for clearance of the air cleaner. However, I never investigated that issue the few times I looked under the hood. Sure enough, one or more of the several owners of that car didn't understand (or didn't care about) the fuel octane requirement and when it was disassembled there were many rings broken and a cylinder or two that would require sleeving. That R4 was number B-77. --Dwight Very interesting story Dwight!.....As to the air cleaner assy,.... In production. If the Corvette style single air cleaner would not clear the Avanti's hood, the factory probably would have fit two smaller air cleaners, as was done on the #3 Bonneville Daytona convertible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfg Posted January 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2023 OR!!!!...Studebaker could have easily 'shimmed' the bodies...as they did on the nine production R3 Avantis! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunslinger Posted January 26, 2023 Report Share Posted January 26, 2023 I don’t know what air cleaner Studebaker would have used for an R4 Avanti but many years ago I saw an Avanti with R4 installed. The air cleaner was similar to…if not identical…to an early Mopar 426 Hemi air cleaner. I don’t know if it was a Studebaker sourced part or a Mopar unit that was used. Unfortunately I can’t find any photos I may have taken of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelson Posted January 26, 2023 Report Share Posted January 26, 2023 I have seen one factory photo of an R4 engine compartment but don’t know where I saw it….probably the museum archives. Anyway, I was talking with George Krem about that photo and he had also seen it and in fact may have a copy. He is looking for it and will send a copy to me when and if he finds it. I’ll publish it here if it arrives. Are you certain it was one of the EX cars that got the R4 treatment? I speculated that it may have been 1016 since it had a R4 with the R3 setup when purchased from Paxton. Though it would make sense it was a South Bend engineering car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfg Posted January 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2023 18 minutes ago, Nelson said: I have seen one factory photo of an R4 engine compartment but don’t know where I saw it….probably the museum archives. Anyway, I was talking with George Krem about that photo and he had also seen it and in fact may have a copy. He is looking for it and will send a copy to me when and if he finds it. I’ll publish it here if it arrives. Are you certain it was one of the EX cars that got the R4 treatment? I speculated that it may have been 1016 since it had a R4 with the R3 setup when purchased from Paxton. Though it would make sense it was a South Bend engineering car. Pretty sure Nelson...Not sure of its 'EX' number...however, it was eventually sold off in '64 after being re-serialed R5653. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfg Posted January 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2023 Apparently, there is existing paperwork from Stude engineering, (which I do not have), requesting the R4 two four barrel manifold be installed on this Avanti, along with removal of Paxton supercharger. ( quasi R4?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfg Posted January 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2023 I believe when R5653 was sold off by Studebaker, it had been re- configured back to R3 specs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regnalbob Posted January 26, 2023 Report Share Posted January 26, 2023 3 hours ago, mfg said: Pretty sure Nelson...Not sure of its 'EX' number...however, it was eventually sold off in '64 after being re-serialed R5653. R-5653 was prototype EX-2945. Originally built as an R-1 with engine number EX-2123. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfg Posted January 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2023 8 minutes ago, regnalbob said: R-5653 was prototype EX-2945. Originally built as an R-1 with engine number EX-2123. R5653 apparently had a few engine changes before being sold...the poor old R1 was history very early on!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelson Posted February 1, 2023 Report Share Posted February 1, 2023 On 1/26/2023 at 9:14 AM, Nelson said: I have seen one factory photo of an R4 engine compartment but don’t know where I saw it….probably the museum archives. Anyway, I was talking with George Krem about that photo and he had also seen it and in fact may have a copy. He is looking for it and will send a copy to me when and if he finds it. I’ll publish it here if it arrives. Are you certain it was one of the EX cars that got the R4 treatment? I speculated that it may have been 1016 since it had a R4 with the R3 setup when purchased from Paxton. Though it would make sense it was a South Bend engineering car. George Krem sent this picture of an R4 in an Avanti that he found possibly in the archives. I mentioned I saw one years ago but this is not that one. This one is a photo of a photo so isn’t what I’d hoped for but still it shows one existed. If you look hard you can see the Avanti surge tank in the photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfg Posted February 1, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2023 That's a hell of an interesting photo Nelson...I sure wish it was clearer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelson Posted February 1, 2023 Report Share Posted February 1, 2023 6 hours ago, mfg said: That's a hell of an interesting photo Nelson...I sure wish it was clearer! I do to. Now, if I could just find the one I remember seeing years back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regnalbob Posted February 1, 2023 Report Share Posted February 1, 2023 Here is a picture of B-22 formerly owned by Bill Burke installed in R-5481 in May, 1975. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfg Posted February 1, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2023 39 minutes ago, regnalbob said: Here is a picture of B-22 formerly owned by Bill Burke installed in R-5481 in May, 1975. Yes, I believe that's pretty much what Studebaker had in mind...a powerful engine fitted with factory air! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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