'Natural' R3!

[mfg]

Although Avanti R3 type carburetor air boxes are often seen painted dull black, on the nine 'production line R3 Avantis the air boxes were left a natural metal....True?

[mfg]

No opinions here?

[lschuc]

Yes, TRUE!!!

The airbox on the 9 production R3 Avantis were left in natural metal. Photo below is of R3 Avanti #9, the last production Avanti.

[mfg]

Agreed!...TRUE!....Thanks for posting photo!

[mfg]

As an aside, I realize that Studebaker R3 engines were painted red....but i'm a bit surprised to see the radiator expansion tank ALSO painted red on R-5643!!

Does anyone know if all the 'factory production' R3 Avantis originally had red painted expansion tanks?

[brad]

Yes, just about every part on an R3 was red! The oil pan breather tube, the expansion tank block, cylinder heads, pulleys, oil pan, bell housing, supercharger and brackets. Except for the manifolds,chrome, and power steering pump, fuel pump, and starter most everything was red

(of course, the pressure box was unpainted also).

Edited September 5, 2015 by brad

[ron@crall.com]

On 63R-1025, an early 299CID prototype only the extensively modified R2 heads were painted red and the top half of the airbox (one of first produced) was painted wrinkle black

[mfg]

On 63R-1025, an early 299CID prototype only the extensively modified R2 heads were painted red and the top half of the airbox (one of first produced) was painted wrinkle black

Not sure if it was 63R-1025 or not, but there's a photo in a 1963 edition of 'Cars' magazine showing Andy Granatelli tuning an R3 Avanti,...and that R3's pressure box's top half was definitely painted a black wrinkle finish.

There's also another pic of Granatelli tuning an R3 on an engine dyno, and that one, (perhaps same engine), had a black wrinkle finish carb pressure box top half.