Shop Manuals & Head Liners

[Mike Sal]

Was looking at the shop manual that I got with the car we just purchased ('70 model) & it is an original Studebaker manual. Is there an "official" Avanti II manual?

I was reading up on how to replace the headliner & holy cow....seems you have to dismantle half the car to do it. No wonder Art had been putting it off. Looks like I won't do it either until I get the car painted. Are there any tricks to a successful replacement that the shop manual doesn't mention (the manual isn't overly informative)?

Mike S

[Gunslinger]

No...there's no Avanti II manual. You have to use the Studebaker manual and work around any changes Avanti Motor Corporation made...such as wiring, switches, power roof, etc. The further out one gets from Studebaker and the early Avanti II years the more changes were made and not documented in any official way beyond internal memos and the assembly line. Even then, I think some things were done differently between individual assembly techs as each had his own way of doing things that may not have been documented.

There are work arounds that members have figured out over the years on some items...sometimes you can't do anything other than follow the shop manual. Ask questions here and likely someone has experienced the same issue and can give advice.

[Mike Sal]

Thanks for the reply. There was a NOS headliner set included with the parts I got with the car & I thought it would be nice to go ahead & get it replaced (the original is in poor condition & some of the "skin" already removed), but after reading how intensive it is to replace both parts, it looks like it will wait until we get the car painted, which will most likely be in the fall.

Since I've tinkered with cars my entire life I assume I can figure out about anything on this thing, but sometimes it helps to have some tribal knowledge from others who've been there & done it to save me from screwing something up.

Mike S

[Gunslinger]

Avanti's are among the more "eccentric" vehicles you'll find. Some things are very straightforward and some are more challenging. I think it's safe to say that nothing goes easy with an Avanti. You'll earn every scar, cut, bruise and burn working on them. That also makes the smiles that much more satisfying when done.

Just don't expect a financial payoff at the end...it's simply not there. We work on, rebuild and drive Avantis out of a love for the car...not the desire to profit.

[Mike Sal]

My kids will have to worry about selling the cars....I typically don't sell the cars I like. I do plan to sell the 55 president (no big profit center there for sure...) & 63 lark, but the rest will be in the estate sale....

[mfg]

Hi Mike,..What model/body style is your '55 President?

[Mike Sal]

It's a president state sedan, 2nd series. White over yellow. It has body tag #5555. Power windows, steering, brakes, tranny.

Mike S

[mfg]

It's a president state sedan, 2nd series. White over yellow. It has body tag #5555. Power windows, steering, brakes, tranny.

Mike S

That's the 'wrap around windshield' job, loaded by the sound of it....So what kind of shape is it in overall?

Is it a driver?

[Mike Sal]

It was low grade driver when I bought it. The exhaust system was shot & the front suspension sagged out. The motor runs strong & the transmission was rebuilt. I put a new exhaust system on it.

I currently have the entire front end off the car & have the new springs & A arm bushings to fix the suspension. I also have a NOS left front fender & I'm in the process of drilling out all the welds to swap it in. I have a California dry right front fender that I'm using as patch for the right front fender. I also have California rear fenders to swap onto it (although the fenders which are on it are pretty decent). Floor boards are good, but there are a couple rust holes in odd places I have to fix (like at the bottom of the B pillar on the passenger side).

The upholstery is useable, but has some water stains. Carpet isn't too bad either. I was going to replace the foam padding (the yellow foam is returning to mother nature as they all do) & use them as is. The car has a factory rear speaker too. I can't remember if it has a crank up antenna or not.

I have re-chromed end pieces for the grill, but the center section on the car had cracks. I bought another used one from Don Gay before he passed away, but it has some pitting.

Mike S

Edited June 13, 2016 by Mike Sal