corvette in 68 avanti II?

[wwwyko]

i have always wanted an avanti R2. currently i own a 64 champ, but my knowledge of avantis is sparse. nearby a 1968 avanti II is being offered stocked with a "Corvette" 327 and automatic. did newman and altman use these engines, or is it more likely this was stuffed in later? anyone knowledgeable about this and caring to reply can also e-mail me at wyko@research.ge.com. thanx, wayne w.

[SBCA96]

Yes, N&A used Corvette motors in the Avanti II, the 327 would have been used in 1968.

The Studebaker engine was no longer available due to the closure of Studebaker in 1964,

Canadian Studebaker engineered the installation of a GM based engine into the Larks in

1965 to stay afloat, so N&A used their mounts to install the Corvette engine. Its quite a

peppy car, my dad has a 1969 Avanti II. The only "downside" is that the "rake" that was

so loved on the Studebaker Avanti was "leveled off" on the Avanti II. This raised the

front of the Avanti II about 1.5 - 2 inches. THey added a filler into the front fender to

make up the difference. The change was made with more spacers between the body &

the frame - to clear the taller GM engine. You could install an LS1 or LT1 engine which

has a much lower intake, and drop the body back down - cut the fenders.

Tom

[wwwyko]

Yes, N&A used Corvette motors in the Avanti II, the 327 would have been used in 1968.

The Studebaker engine was no longer available due to the closure of Studebaker in 1964,

Canadian Studebaker engineered the installation of a GM based engine into the Larks in

1965 to stay afloat, so N&A used their mounts to install the Corvette engine. Its quite a

peppy car, my dad has a 1969 Avanti II. The only "downside" is that the "rake" that was

so loved on the Studebaker Avanti was "leveled off" on the Avanti II. This raised the

front of the Avanti II about 1.5 - 2 inches. THey added a filler into the front fender to

make up the difference. The change was made with more spacers between the body &

the frame - to clear the taller GM engine. You could install an LS1 or LT1 engine which

has a much lower intake, and drop the body back down - cut the fenders.

Tom

thanx muchly for the rapid reply; that is great to know about the engine.

have always wondered how to remedy the 'rake' issue; that answer would certainly be fun alternative. and, with a paxton on that (would there be room?).... wayne

[SBCA96]

Paxton on an LT1 has been done in the 4th Gen F-body (Camaro/Firebird) which

has less hood clearance then the Avanti. They get around this by mounting the

Paxton UNDER, which may or may not clear the Stude frame. As with any swap

there will be issues to sort out. That 327 Corvette motor will get you enough $$

to buy an LT1. The LT1 would be a simplier swap then an LS1, though the LS1

being all aluminum shaves weight off the front of an Avanti - which is a good thing.

There is a guy on the Racing Studebakers forum (and I believe he is on here as

well) that will be doing an LS1 into an Avanti II. If you decided to go that route,

you two could share costs on some of the fab work, as with most things, making

one is expensive, making two is cheaper for both .. and so on.

If you wanted to get REALLY nuts, you could drop in a 500 hp 7.0 LS7 crate motor,

shave the weight, AND not need a supercharger. Considering what the cost of an

LT1, and then a Paxton would be .. the LS2 or LS7 starts to make sense.

Tom

[wwwyko]

Paxton on an LT1 has been done in the 4th Gen F-body (Camaro/Firebird) which

has less hood clearance then the Avanti. They get around this by mounting the

Paxton UNDER, which may or may not clear the Stude frame. As with any swap

there will be issues to sort out. That 327 Corvette motor will get you enough $$

to buy an LT1. The LT1 would be a simplier swap then an LS1, though the LS1

being all aluminum shaves weight off the front of an Avanti - which is a good thing.

There is a guy on the Racing Studebakers forum (and I believe he is on here as

well) that will be doing an LS1 into an Avanti II. If you decided to go that route,

you two could share costs on some of the fab work, as with most things, making

one is expensive, making two is cheaper for both .. and so on.

If you wanted to get REALLY nuts, you could drop in a 500 hp 7.0 LS7 crate motor,

shave the weight, AND not need a supercharger. Considering what the cost of an

LT1, and then a Paxton would be .. the LS2 or LS7 starts to make sense.

Tom

[wwwyko]

wow, great info.

i saw the avanti tonight, very sad. front end cracked, interior trashed, needs hog troughs, just about everything is neglected and shot. the problem is, i can picture this car in my driveway. but, 7K is too much for a car with no VIN. it will probably be somebody's race car.

i now see that an avanti II could be a really great car to own. i could install a low profile LT1 w/fuel injection, have a blower (with some work), and fix the rake issue which has always bothered me. i wouldn't be modifying an R1 or R2, which to me is precious.

god, avanti's are beautiful...

wayne

[SBCA96]

If you have your heart set, I found one that needs less work then what you describe,

its an 1982 Avanti, here is a link to the post I made on the SDC site. Its in Southern

California, and is currently listed as non-op. The owner has NO idea what he has,

but the price is right.

http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/sdc_f...p?TOPIC_ID=5864

The pictures are dead, so the post on Craigslist might be dead, but the phone number

is there, so you can call and see if its sold or not. I might be able to dig up the three

pictures in an old email if the car is still available and the owner cant send them.

Let me know.

Tom

[avanti82]

if that is the one on ebay it is a 64 with a chevy moter the vin is rq4585 == 1964 studebaker not newman altman cars

[SBCA96]

No, its from "Craigslist" posting, not an auction site. I am not a big fan of

Ebay. Its listed by the owner as built on a Camaro frame, which is wrong.

It has square heads INSIDE the square headlights also.

Tom

[wwwyko]

No, its from "Craigslist" posting, not an auction site. I am not a big fan of

Ebay. Its listed by the owner as built on a Camaro frame, which is wrong.

It has square heads INSIDE the square headlights also.

Tom

thanx everyone for the info, but i'm sticking to pre -75 avanti II's despite my affection for a stude; for some reason N&A speaks to me.

is there a listing of VIN's for the Avanti II's? thanx,

wayne

[SBCA96]

That Avanti I listed info for, is a chrome bumpered Avanti. So it would look just

like a Studebaker one, and N&A had the company until 1983 when the plastic

bumpers came onto the scene. See below :

1965 – 1982 Avanti Motor Corporation – Avanti II

1965 Avanti Motors press release issued Monday August 2, '65

1965 45 new Avanti II's are produced as 66 models

1968 100 cars built for Avanti II's third model year

1973 10th anniversary generates national publicity

1976 Nate Altman dies leaving his brother Arnold in charge of the company

1982 Stephen Blake purchases Avanti Motors on October 1, '82

1982 – 1985 Avanti Motor Corporation – Stephen Blake

1983 Contoured, body-colored bumpers replace chrome ones

1983 Limited Edition 20th Anniversary car introduced

1984 Limited Edition Touring Coupe introduced

1984 First prototype convertibles produced

1985 Blake files bankruptcy in October

Not sure of a listing of VINs, I would guess you have to contact Avanti Motors in

Mexico and find out.

Tom

[Gunslinger]

I believe all records prior to the late 1980's are owned by Nostalgic Motors. I have seen a breakdown of Avanti II VIN's by year online, but don't know the website. Maybe a Google search might come up with it.

[wwwyko]

I believe all records prior to the late 1980's are owned by Nostalgic Motors. I have seen a breakdown of Avanti II VIN's by year online, but don't know the website. Maybe a Google search might come up with it.

again, thanx everyone for the massive amount of info; if i find the VIN list i'll reply about it. you've all been great,

wayne