Which engine. Original or a plain engine ?

[VWandSTUDEBAKER]

Just curious (and more to come), but if you had the chance to put an R2

Avanti back to its original engine, Would you do that or just put in a

plain engine. ?? Would you do all you could to get the original engine

if you knew where it was or just get any engine you could ?

Opinions ?

THanks,

David

[Gunslinger]

My preference would be to do all I could to put the car back to original. All Avanti's are special and R2's are less common than most. Rather than install a plain engine I would simply run the R2 without the supercharger drive belts (but that would defeat the purpose of having an R2).

The way I look at it, if you want to change engines or something similar, it makes more sense to get an Avanti II and do it. All II's are different anyway as they were all individually built to suit particular customers, so there is no "standard" to adhere to. Besides...there's tons of parts available for the small block Chevy engine. You can't say that about Stude engines.

In the end, it's your car and your money. Do whatever makes you happy...I don't have to like or approve it any more than you have to like or approve of what I do to my car.

[VWandSTUDEBAKER]

My preference would be to do all I could to put the car back to original. All Avanti's are special and R2's are less common than most. Rather than install a plain engine I would simply run the R2 without the supercharger drive belts (but that would defeat the purpose of having an R2).

The way I look at it, if you want to change engines or something similar, it makes more sense to get an Avanti II and do it. All II's are different anyway as they were all individually built to suit particular customers, so there is no "standard" to adhere to. Besides...there's tons of parts available for the small block Chevy engine. You can't say that about Stude engines.

In the end, it's your car and your money. Do whatever makes you happy...I don't have to like or approve it any more than you have to like or approve of what I do to my car.

I had the engine located and the guy said I could get ahold of it as soon as he did. Now he has changed his mind because he figures he could build it and make more money. Its a shame people have to be greedy.

[Gunslinger]

I understand your point. I would like to see the original engine back in the car, but whether I like his attitude or not, it's his to do with it as he likes. Personally, I think I would sell you the engine, but that's me. I was raised where once I made an agreement with someone, I stick to my word, even to my own financial detriment.

When I owned my '63 R1, and restored the car over a period of years, I pretty much kept it original with only those changes that could be put back easily. When I got married my priorities changed and rarely drove the car and began to take less meticulous care of it. I felt it was best to sell the car to someone who would give it the care it deserved rather than let it deteriorate, so I sold it with a tear in my eye as it left. Some years later I divorced so I was out both the car and the wife, who kept the car we bought with the proceeds from selling the Avanti.

Now I'm retired, remarried to the world's most wonderful woman and own an '02 Avanti and just purchased a '70 Avanti that I'm making plans on making some changes to that will suit me. As I said previously, with an Avanti II I can change whatever I like and personalize it without materially hurting its value as long as the changes are tasteful and mechanically efficient.

[SBCA96]

Here is my reply to your post in the 63-64 area:

Depends what you mean by "plain", I would NOT put a basic Studebaker

engine into an Avanti, simply because it will look "wrong". An R1 would

be an OK way to go, but if you HAVE a way to make it "correct" it will

always be worth more either "original" or with more accessories. So I

would put the R2 engine in if you can.

Tom

[IndyJimW]

I think it depends on what your starting with and where you what to go with it. I decided not to purchase an original '63 Avanti because I wanted something for a daily driver and my '87 Avanti was a better chose. It's your car so I say MAKE IT your car.

Jim