Avanti returns to Hope Ranch, CA - 10 years later.

[SBCA96]

After getting the rechromed bumpers on the Avanti, and with the Cobra

brakes replacing the leaking old stockers .. I thought I would return

to Hope Ranch for some new shots. After getting the car, & polishing

out the laquer paint, I drove to Hope Ranch, and took a few shots with

the Pacific Ocean in the background. Interestingly enough, a similar

event happened. 10 years ago a woman came up & asked me what it was,

last Friday, I had a woman do the same thing. No, not the same woman.

10 years ago ...

Driving around on Friday I got quite a few looks, and with the updated

wheels, mirrors, and wheels - people had a hard time believing it was

a 43 year old car, and a Studebaker!! At my house, I had to kids on

bikes come up and tell me just how incredibly cool it was, & my buddy

Mike's son (freshman in H.S.) who showed up to check out the car, said

it was a coolest looking car he had ever seen. Quite the compliment

from a car nut kid!

Last Friday ....

Hope you enjoy seeing these, as much as I did taking them. Once I get

the exhaust leaks fixed, I will be able to drive the car without the

feeling of passing out. It is a relaxing drive right now!

Tom

[jmenacker]

Tom:

I really, really like what you did with the wheels and tires. The Avanti does look absolutely modern now -- doesn't look like the road is in any better condition though

We are seriously thinking about a set of Cragars. Do you mind providing (or repeating) info on rim size and backspacing on those Cobra wheels?

BTW, I had a panick attact with the hood release on our car too. I actually pulled the poor handle off the realease cable trying at one point. Fortunately a pair of vice grips worked for to get it open again. After the cable clamps were reset the handle was reinstalled with a set screw.

Thanks,

Joe M in WV

[SBCA96]

The rims I got are made by AFS Wheels in Canoga Park, Ca. They are knockoffs of

the 2003 Cobra wheel. The factory wheel has a 6 inch back spacing, and its 9 inches

wide. The knock off wheel is a special made 8 inch wide version, which they took

the inch off the backspacing to keep the outside the same face. The result is 5.02.

I read that the Avanti can fit up too a riim with a 4.5 backspacing, & then saw some

clues that a 4.75 might fit. My disc setup puts the rotor in between the hub and the

wheel, acting like a .27 spacer, which makes a 4.75 backspacing. So it fits. I would

recommend on a factory car using the Steeltech disc setup, which I was told by Dave

would out the wheel out further, requiring more backspacing to keep the wheel away

from the fender. You have to be MORE careful on Avanti IIs with the clearance at

the front of the tire at full lock - on a bump! The tires tend to hit the fender! On a

steel car this is just noisy, on a fiberglass car it causes cracks.

Be careful of getting trendy wheel designs, I went for a design that complimented

the original hubcap. So far some that didnt like it at first have recently admitted it

has grown on them.

More helpful info here:

http://patriot.net/~jonroq/rjtechx.html#Wheels

Tom

[jmenacker]

Link RJohnston's site and your offest numbers are most helpful, thanks.

BTDT hitting a curb with the wheel turned full and having fiberglass lose the ensuing conflict. This is what we fear most about increasing rubber in the front. It was a freak combination of events that added up to fender damage but all the same it was an expensive experience -- one which we hope not to repeat.

Cragar SS wheels would be very difficult to place into a category called trendy. They have been around for 40 years or so.

Not my car, BTW. I liked 'em when I first saw them in the '60s and never got tired of them.

Joe M in WV

[SBCA96]

Certain rims look good on certain cars, I dont know how those Cragars will

look on an Avanti. Go through some old Turning Wheels, and look at some

of the Meet pictures. Cragars, to me, look too "Muscle Car", which an Avanti

is not. The Avanti looks very European. I think that one of the best stock

Avanti designs were the Anniversary Edition wheels. They were "BBS" with

a black face, and polished rim. They should compliment a white car too.

Though rim choice is a personal opinion thing, so what I think is different

from what you or someone else will think. Just my two cents.

Tom

[tsheard]

Tom: You did a be-autiful job on the Studebaker Avanti. The chrome is gorgeous. Congratulations.

Tim Sheard, Brooklyn (1969 Avanti II), dreaming of restorations to come...

[MauiAvanti]

Gorgeous! Thanks for the inspiration as I restore my 63 R1...anybody know of a great restoration shop in Northern California?

-Ward.

[jeffgrohs]

Ward, I'm in the east bay and prez of the local aoai chapter - I've sent a few emails to you but you must not have received them. contact me at jeffgrohs@pacbell.net or (925) 548-2889

Jeff

Gorgeous! Thanks for the inspiration as I restore my 63 R1...anybody know of a great restoration shop in Northern California?

-Ward.

[SBCA96]

Thanks Ward, its an uphill battle keeping the car on the road, so many things tend

to break when a car sits for so many years. Since these pictrues were taken I've

gone through the entire power steering system. I posted the process on the SDC

forum, but quite frankly I need to get with Lew and get him to add them as some

"stickies" here. I also might get Sonny over at Racing Studebakers to do the same.

I hate to see people asking the same questions over and over and not being able

to find the info that has already been provided.

Tom