stantheman Posted February 13 Report Posted February 13 After about 60 years of wanting to get an Avanti I am in discussions to purchase a 1964 R2. At the moment this car undergoing a full body-off restoration. It is currently configured with an automatic transmission, but the restorer has all the either rebuilt or NOS parts to convert it to 4-speed. My question surrounds the "feel". Does the 4-speed shift easily or does it require some effort? I've owned many manual transmission vehicles but I will be turning 70 this year and if the shifting requires effort I may just leave it configured as an automatic. With the car fully apart at the moment it would be easier to do the conversion. I look forward to hearing your comments.
mfg Posted February 13 Report Posted February 13 13 minutes ago, stantheman said: After about 60 years of wanting to get an Avanti I am in discussions to purchase a 1964 R2. At the moment this car undergoing a full body-off restoration. It is currently configured with an automatic transmission, but the restorer has all the either rebuilt or NOS parts to convert it to 4-speed. My question surrounds the "feel". Does the 4-speed shift easily or does it require some effort? I've owned many manual transmission vehicles but I will be turning 70 this year and if the shifting requires effort I may just leave it configured as an automatic. With the car fully apart at the moment it would be easier to do the conversion. I look forward to hearing your comments. The type of shifter to be used would have a lot to do with effort and feel… A Hurst shifter is much superior to the factory Ansen type…… Certainly a for speed manual is more ‘sporty’, however, the stock Avanti Powershift is really an excellent transmission… and I hate to say this.. but I think that us Avanti owners over 70 would probably be happier without having to deal with a clutch pedal!
stantheman Posted February 13 Author Report Posted February 13 Thanks for replying... I think a Hurst shifter was discussed. My wife said the same thing about the clutch pedal!
Gunslinger Posted February 13 Report Posted February 13 Magazine writers of the period commented on the Avanti 4-speed not having a good spread of gears. One writer even wondered whether Chevrolet had an exclusive on the gears from Borg-Warner for the Corvette…thus keeping others such as Studebaker from choosing better gear ratios. The Hurst shifter has enjoyed universal praise as superior to the Studebaker supplied shifter.
mfg Posted February 16 Report Posted February 16 As an aside… When I asked one of our dependable Stude suppliers the cost of a new Hurst Competition Plus four speed shifter, set up for an Avanti, the price was approx $800…That was three years ago, and I’m not sure if new Hurst shifters are even still available.
Gunslinger Posted February 16 Report Posted February 16 Hurst discontinued the Avanti specific shifter years ago. Any still available are either NOS or used. I doubt if the numbers produced was that high to begin with. If I remember correctly if it wasn’t for Nate Altman’s influence Hurst probably had never made any at all.
mfg Posted February 16 Report Posted February 16 1 hour ago, Gunslinger said: Hurst discontinued the Avanti specific shifter years ago. Any still available are either NOS or used. I doubt if the numbers produced was that high to begin with. If I remember correctly if it wasn’t for Nate Altman’s influence Hurst probably had never made any at all. Right…. but what I’m referring to is/was a brand new Hurst shifter that one of our vendors (Dave Thibeault) would reconfigure to fit a Studebaker Avanti Additionally he could replace the rectangular Hurst factory lever with a lever very similar to the Stude original…. I’m not sure if Dave still offers this service.
Gunslinger Posted February 16 Report Posted February 16 That would awesome if he was. When the ‘70 Avanti II I had was being rebuilt I toyed with the idea of installing a Tremec 5-speed in it but the rebuild was expensive enough at the time…plus my wife won’t drive a manual…she’s knows how to but won’t. Still…I kinda still think I shoulda installed the 5-speed.
psdenno Posted February 17 Report Posted February 17 My Avanti R2 has had a Hurst shifter for the 50 years I've owned it. I considered converting the Hurst shift lever to the Studebaker type, but stayed with the Hurst lever. Never had a shifting problem in a half century.
Footer Posted Monday at 02:15 PM Report Posted Monday at 02:15 PM In 1972 I installed a Hurst in my 64 Daytona. Really made a difference. Wonder if it was the same as the Avanti shifter? Mike
mfg Posted Monday at 02:32 PM Report Posted Monday at 02:32 PM 13 minutes ago, Footer said: In 1972 I installed a Hurst in my 64 Daytona. Really made a difference. Wonder if it was the same as the Avanti shifter? Mike Same shifter…. but with longer shift rods and a completely different shift lever.. also possibly a different shifter to trans mounting bracket.
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