Avanti Tilt Steering

[truetoform]

Okay...I'm a newbie to this site so forgive me if this topic has been covered in the past. I want to put a tilt column in my 64 Avanti and I want it to look positively factory correct. No Ididits or Flaming River columns. I just want to make sure of what I need to buy. Is it a 1963 Chevy Impala Floor shift column or will something else work as well? I want the clean look of the smooth transisition from steering wheel base to column body that the factory tilts had. What about the mechanical turn signal switch? Did Studebaker just splice into a GM turn signal wiring harness? Finally, if you've done this job or have an original tilt car, what does the column mounting bracket look like?
Thanks in advance! Jeff in Dallas

[Mike]

I have a '64 that came with the tilt wheel.
The Dec. '63 parts book,(black cover), shows all the parts.
There's a short, (about 1'), adaptor cable that connects the turn signal switch to the main harness. One end mates to the male, molded connector on the main harness, 6 bullets & 2 blank positions to key. The switch end of the cable has six ea. 1/4" QD, female terminals. These are the type with a barb, that snaps them into a triangular, (3,2,1), arrangement in a plastic shell. Rhode Island Wire has the terminals.
The switch itself is the same type as used on mid sixties Oldsmobiles, (and others?). It's mounted low on the outside of the steering column.
I think the switch and column are good parts, and work well. However, the adjustment range is mostly too low, to be usefull. I wouldn't install one, if it wasn't on my build sheet.
Mike M.

[JBOYLE]

Did the 63 have a tilt wheel option?
Also, are any Stude columns out there...?

[JDP]

Tilt wheel was a late option on 64's, and Dave T Bow knows how to build a new one, but the used brand X parts to do it could could a $1000 or more. They are a rare and desireable option for the brand X donor cars too.

Studebaker On The Net http://stude.com
64 GT Hawk
64 R2 4 speed Challenger
63 R2 4 speed GT Hawk
53 Street rod

[64V-K7]

I don't recommend this for an original Avanti, but I took a a 69 Camaro tilt column (w/floor shift) and adapted it to fit an early Avanti (RQA),(with the original Stude column) by doing a little voodoo on the underdash mount. The rag joint bolts right up to the Stude box.
The only deficits to doing this are that it will have a column ignition switch looking at you and the neck of the column is a bit larger than the original Avanti dash will allow, so some careful work with a Sure-Form tool was required. Wiring matchup was fairly easy.