Early R3 Avanti

[Nelson]

Where was the air cleaner located on the first R3 prototype Avanti

[mfg]

I figure the ahead of radiator ‘factory’ R3 location started on day one…..

Although the factory air filter location, as found in a stock Avanti R2 engine compartment, looks nice, It could not be in a worse location…. right over the exhaust manifold …. as far as performance is concerned…...

The main problem with the ‘ahead of radiator’ R3 location… in my humble opinion… is  difficult access for routine maintenance…. and also water/snow contamination if an R3 Avanti is/was actually used in everyday driving.

[mfg]

I think Avanti Corp. got it right on the ‘84-‘85 ‘performance’ versions, with twin 4” flex hoses leading from grille covered holes in the lower front valance, on each side of radiator air scoop, with the other ends of those hoses connected directly into the sides of the air cleaner assy.

[Gunslinger]

It seems to me the air cleaner location was under-engineered and was the easy way to duct colder air to the carburetor enclosure without major redesign of the engine bay.  It simply didn’t take consideration of road damage to the flexible air hose or potential water ingestion.  Maybe if there was more time and money…and Studebaker allowed the Avanti to survive…a better and more well thought out design might have been engineered.  

[Nelson]

I guess I put this question in the wrong place. I intended to put it in Avanti trivia. So far, nobody has it right.

Moved to Avanti trivia.

Edited October 13 by Nelson

[George Rohrbach]

On 10/12/2024 at 10:49 AM, mfg said:

I think Avanti Corp. got it right on the ‘84-‘85 ‘performance’ versions, with twin 4” flex hoses leading from grille covered holes in the lower front valance, on each side of radiator air scoop, with the other ends of those hoses connected directly into the sides of the air cleaner assy.

This is the carb air cleaner set up on my 1985 Avanti 305 cu in High Output, from the factory. Posted just in case someone doesn't know how they were configured.

George Rohrbach

[Geoff]

On 10/12/2024 at 10:30 AM, mfg said:

… and also water/snow contamination if an R3 Avanti is/was actually used in everyday driving.

On 10/12/2024 at 5:49 PM, Gunslinger said:

… didn’t take consideration of road damage to the flexible air hose or potential water ingestion. …

I could maybe dissuade these fears with an experience I had driving 1025. I remember it vividly. I was living in the SF east bay area. It was 12/12/95 and that was a particularly bad El Niño year. I was a junior in high school and 1025 was my daily …… when it wasn't down for repairs that is [engine fan embedded in the radiator, 4 of 5 lugs sheered off RF, a clogged fuel filter, and more I know I'm forgetting]

That day started bad, a storm cell came in the night before and by 0700 high winds had blown some tree branches into power lines, and area creeks and rivers were rising. They weren't overflowing yet, that started happening around lunchtime and only got worse as the day progressed. I got to school for a 0740 start and immediately heard the principal with a megaphone saying, "The quad is flooded. We don't have power. School is closed. Go home!"

My drive home at 0745 was during torrential rain and sustained high winds. Cars were leaving beautifully long rooster tails on the freeway and I was behind them for a handful of miles with no ill effects. I suppose it's true to say, I was behind several different cars, all the way home and didn't have an issue at any point in time. Not that rainy day, nor any other rainy day. Hydrolock was never a reason I couldn't drive ten-twenty-five.

The boxed opening for the air filters is tilted down, I'd say 30° to 40° up from straight down. If I was to theoretically drive so close to a trailer, the kind with a whole row of tires across the rear, that the Avanti's radiator inlet was all but making contact with the rear of said trailer, and if we were driving in fairly deep water, I could hypothesize spray from those tires would bathe the air filters with water.

Along a related tangent however, how much water is needed to hydrolock a 289/299/304 Studebaker V8? Was I WOT when the trailer's splash came up? Was the throttle closed? Paper Frams (that's what 1025 had) getting wet is one piece of the equation. From the filter box water would go through ducting, into and out of a Paxton supercharger, through hard piping and into the R3 pressure box where the Carter is up next. Has the splash quantity streamlined out, so as to be a thinner stream over a longer period of time? I don't see it remaining concentrated like a floating puddle after passing through the Paxton.

[Geoff]

On 10/13/2024 at 10:25 PM, George Rohrbach said:

Oly-hay it-shay George! I'm not building my '85 to be factory stock but if I was, I would definitely be bugging you for more detailed pictures this next year:
"Where does this go?" "How is that oriented?" "Please help! I've disassembled my car and I can't recall how this fits." Yours is a fantastic looking Blake, and I'm liking them more and more in white.

My build will pay tribute to the Mid-Ohio car and I dig that car's white over black livery, except I think I'm going to choose white over Old Glory Blue on the exterior and a mix of white and Old Glory Red for the interior.