Uuuuuh? What is THIS?

[mtgibby]

I hope this thread can help me find some answers to some of the mysterious Studebaker/Avanti/What The? car parts that came with my dismantled 63 R2.

Being my first Studebaker, this pile-o-parts never ceases to amaze and confuse me. Taking on a restoration already in progress for my first Avanti was probably not a great idea, but I am learning a lot! I use the parts manual to help identify most, but here are some stumpers.

Why is there a 1/2" pipe coming out of the top of my water pump manifold? It seems like it was put there by design, but I have no idea why. It is threaded into the top of the manifold and heads aft. Any ideas?

Is this manifold from a non-Avanti 289?

OK, I know this did not come from the Avanti, but I just can't bring myself to throw it out. SOMEBODY out there needs one of these, whatever it is......

It has six lines and fittings coming off of a plastic center hub. Any ideas?

Last one for tonight. I refinished this large bracket and then realized I had no where it goes or if it is even a Studebaker part.

It has a long adjustment slot on the side so I thought it was an alternator or generator bracket, but it doesn't match the Avanti bracket.

I am awaiting your wise and learned responses!

Mike

[lschuc]

Mike,

The water pump manifold is indeed an R-series part. the pipe you see at the top is for the heater hose to be attached, coming from the heater core.

The third photo with the spark plug wires coming from a round plastic ring looks like it was used for an aftermarket distributor, probably from a Mallory distributor. It is not stock for a Studebaker engine, but was sold back in the day for a better performance ignition system.

The black plate you have hanging is not a Studebaker or Avanti part. It looks like a later model GM alternator bracket.

Any more questions? You know where to find me or Brad.

[RQB1820]

Not spark plug wires.. it looks like an air-injection manifold off of some late 70's AMC 6-cyl air pump.

[mtgibby]

It is good to know the water pump manifold is as it should be. My parts manual shows a nipple there, not a pipe.

The tubes are indeed too small for spark plug wires with an O/D of 3/16". The air injection sounds about right. Probably not worth saving, huh?

Anyone need a GM alternator bracket? (Freshly refinished!)

OK, here is a extra Studebaker washer fluid bag holder that came with the car. But this one has a larger plate spot welded to it. Lark?

The car came with two brake boosters. One is clearly the Avanti booster and is in need of a rebuild, and this one. It is a Studebaker or Avanti II maybe?

[PackardV8]

I'd have guessed a constant flow fuel injection piping setup.

jack vines

[RQB1820]

That brake booster looks like almost identical to the setup on a Chevrolet C-10 I had several years ago. All but the reservoir cap.

As far as the manifold I mentioned, I've not run across a fuel injection manifold setup that uses plastic for a manifold as Mike stated above. That's why I guessed air.

[plwindish]

If the booster is from an Avanti II, it would be an early one before dual master cylinders started being used.

[Gunslinger]

I think that brake booster and master cylinder is some kind of home brew setup. A number of manufacturers used master cylinders like that but it's not an Avanti master cylinder. The booster looks similar to an Avanti unit but isn't from an Avanti...the lines are slightly different and the large vacuum hose is located different. I guess it's possible it could from a post '71 Avanti with a single master cylinder mounted on it rather than the correct dual unit.

After so many years, one never knows what kind of adaptions are installed on these cars. Either repair shops go cross-eyed when an Avanti rolls into the service bay and if they can't get the parts from NAPA they're lost, or a previous owner didn't know where to get correct parts and brewed up his own by installing parts that "looked right" and fit.

[mtgibby]

I just found a picture in the book "Avanti, Studebaker and Beyond" of a 1967 Avanti II with the exact same brake booster.

[brad]

It also looks like that is a non-Avanti water pump. Be sure to replace it with the heavy duty Avanti unit. The standard ones have been known to break under the stress of the heavy pulleys, and viscous fan assy. and the side load of the supercharger belts.