New owner

[Ron Dame]

Hello everyone, I recently bought R1092, a barn find R2. Surface rust on hog troughs and frame, but both seem solid. I look forward to getting it roadworthy again!

[Avanti83]

Welcome aboard Ron. Best luck on the best looking of the Avanti's. 

Keep the pictures coming. I know the name from the SDC forum but the best sources for Avanti parts are Myers in Ohio and Nostalgic Motors in Wixom, Michigan.

Dan Booth at Nostalgic bought out the Avanti Motors in the end and is a great source of parts and advise. 

Forward (as they say in Italian) - Bob

[mfg]

We love 'Barn Finds!'......Is your Avanti an automatic or a four speed?

[Ron Dame]

PowerShift, PS, PDB, tinted glass. Orange interior. Runs on a bottle, and is filthy. I'm pulling to my house later this week. Here's a few more photos

[Avanti83]

I think you'll be pleased how well the seats will cleanup but the carpet, probably not so much. The dash doesn't appear to be cracked seriously so it might be salvageable. Good replacements are rare and the repos haven't been made in a while. SI made them a while back but they are gone. A good upholstery shop can cover it and make it look very nice.

Carpet is available from several sources but may not look exactly like the original. I'm curious how original you wish to keep it. Concourse or Driver quality.

Bob

[mtgibby]

Very nice find!

It's only original once!

[MARK]

congrats, all of us will be thrilled on your updates. For parts, advice and help, Dave Thibeault is amazing, he has helped me with a 73, 64R2 and 63 GT Hawk. All concourse cars now. Dave is 

978-897-3158   and studedave@aol.com

best of luck, Mark

[Ron Dame]

I use Dave a lot, this is my 8th Studebaker, but the only other one I have now is my '63 Champ, now with power steering thanks to Dave. I also have bought from John Myer, but until now, never needed Nostalgic.

As far as plans for the car, the initial phase will be to clean it up, wire brush, prime, and protect the hog troughs, put tome Eastwood internal frame coating in the hog troughs and frame, and get it drivable. How far I go with cosmetics is undecided, but it'll be only driver quality, I want to enjoy driving without worrying about stone chips and such. The existing carpet, or what is left of it, is horrible and rotten. I do know the car probably had some kind of hit on the left, the door is turquoise behind the door card ( Or it may be due to the early, weak hinge area and an available replacement door) and there is something not quite right on the left front corner. I need to look at it in better light to figure that out.

And speaking of door hinges, the lower left hinge pin is broken. I have a new one from Jon, but is this a common failure?

As far as wheels, I have 4 wheel covers in decent shape, but only two usable steel wheels. I'll eventually source new wheels ( I forgot what the modern wheel is the best replacement) so for now the wheels on it will remain.

Edited October 10, 2017 by Ron Dame

[saddletramp]

 

 

Ron, when I got new wheels, I think it was suggested then to use new 15x6" Ford, I think.  They are working fine.  My car is R1855, so yours is really an early number.  LOL, just remember the rear window had a tendency to "suck out" at speeds over  135 mph, on "early models".