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R...?...4


mfg

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Here's one for all you 'numbers' guys.........

The SNM 'real deal' R4 engine's 'B' serial number is.............1) B49......2) B52.........3) B67....or.....4) B78......?

Edited by mfg
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  • 2 weeks later...

Built and assembled by Studebaker/ Paxton during the time they were an available option from Studebaker for cars. Not assembled after production ceased, as those would be considered clones or tributes.

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Can you explain the R numbering used for the R3 and R4 Studebaker Avanti production engines? What #'s were in the only 9 Stude R3's. Also what car of Stude production had an R4 as you identify as the real deal. Do you know how many R engines the Granatelli's built over time?

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The Paxton R3 engines that were installed in the nine R3 'factory production' 1964 Avantis had two serial numbers stamped into the blocks. One number was the Paxton Products 'B' serial number, (such as 'B-61'), that was stamped in California. The second number was the number Studebaker stamped onto the engine at South Bend prior to installation in the cars.

There was only one R4 engine installed into a Studebaker passenger car at the factory. This R4 was installed into a '64 Daytona Hardtop, four speed car, that was built for a road test by 'CAR LIFE' magazine. That Daytona apparently still exists, tucked away in someone's garage.

The R4 'museum' engine, (B-78), is a bona-fide Paxton 304.5 CI R4 that was purchased by an English gent, and spent a good deal of its life in a wooden crate in Britian....It was later purchased by Paul Johnson, who has kindly loaned it to the SNM for display.

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Thanks for the info. It would be good trivia to know the B#'s of the 9 Avanti's and the 1 Daytona. Also intriguing is, how many 305.5 engines the Garanatelli's built? I think any answer to that would be an estimate though.

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About 130 "A" numbered and "B" numbered engine blocks were made. I don't know for sure but I believe there were fewer sets of cylinder heads than blocks since some of the last "B" blocks assembled had R2 heads.

Somewhere I have a list of all documented production of these engines...what are known to still exist and some which were blown up in use. I believe most are still accounted for in some fashion and some are still to be discovered (hopefully).

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Thanks for the info. It would be good trivia to know the B#'s of the 9 Avanti's and the 1 Daytona. Also intriguing is, how many 305.5 engines the Garanatelli's built? I think any answer to that would be an estimate though.

A direct answer to your question - None. Regular R3 and R4 engines were 304.5 cid.

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Studegary, sorry I made a typing error. I know the engines are 304.5cid. The R3 was supercharged with 9.5:1 compression and the R4 with dual 4 barrels was 12:1. If you could answer how many R engines were made by the Granatelli's and what numbers were in the original 9, that would be a great direct trivia answer. Some additional trivia is: Granatelli added to the April '62 speed record (29) of the Avanti increasing the total to 34 in October of '63. The last attempt to develop an R engine was the R5 with dual superchargers developing 638 hp. It did run at Bonneville reaching a speed of 196.62mph. This engine never reached production as Studebaker stopped US production in December of '63. Some production of midsize cars continued in Canada but that too ended in March of '66. If memory serves me correctly diversified Studebaker no longer existed as a company by the mid to late '70's. Lets keep the trivia going.

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  • 6 years later...
On 10/1/2015 at 10:40 PM, garyc said:

Thanks for the info. It would be good trivia to know the B#'s of the 9 Avanti's and the 1 Daytona. Also intriguing is, how many 305.5 engines the Garanatelli's built? I think any answer to that would be an estimate though.

(Interesting older post)....No idea what the "B" numbers were...but the Studebaker factory engine serial numbers on those nine 'production line' R3's were.........

R3S H320.....R3S J330.....R3S K309.....R3S H324.....R3S K301.....R3S K318.....R3S 1496.....R3S M506.....R3S M306

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2 hours ago, 64studeavanti said:

R3S M506 does not follow the engine numbering scheme. That would make it an engine assembled in November 1965. It that a typo?

I assume that R3S 1496 follows the earlier numbering scheme (before August 63).

R3S M506 is the R3 engine that was installed in Avanti R5642, the second to last Studebaker Avanti built.....A typo?...possibly, I'm not sure.

R3S 1496 is the R3 engine installed in Avanti # R5625.

This info taken from Mr. Krem's  April, 1978 TURNING WHEELS article...."NINE OF A KIND".

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17 hours ago, 64studeavanti said:

R3S M506 does not follow the engine numbering scheme. That would make it an engine assembled in November 1965. It that a typo?

I assume that R3S 1496 follows the earlier numbering scheme (before August 63).

Just a typo.

From the R3 Engine Registry.

B46    R3S M306    R-5642

B43    R3S M306    R-5643

 

 

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3 hours ago, 64studeavanti said:

Typo makes sense. With the late numbering scheme, there could be more than 1 engine with same Studebaker serial number.

That's very true...although I'd like someday to check that engine serial number by peeking under the hood of R5643 at the Crawford Museum!;)

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3 hours ago, mfg said:

That's very true...although I'd like someday to check that engine serial number by peeking under the hood of R5643 at the Crawford Museum!;)

I did more than peek under the hood of that Avanti back when Joe owned it, but I do not remember the numbers.

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