Looking around for engine for R3 setup

[Scott]

My father has a nice 1963 Avanti with the R3 setup in it. The problem is that the motor is a partial flow (oil) 1959 truck engine. The engine is OK, but the fact that it is a partial flow setup makes it obvious it doesn't belong in the car and we really don't know what components are inside of it either. He'd like to find a another engine, possible, to replace this one. Does anyone know of a good used engine that's either already ready to go for an R3, or does anyone have good recomendations for someone that can build one up? I know a couple names of guys in the club (JDP, probably for one) that could maybe build one, but are there any others that are closer to Minnesota?

The other question is about cost. What would be reasonable to pay for a rebuilt (or "newly" built) motor to R3 specs? I've heard of astronomical prices for reproduced R3 heads. Are the original ones that hard to find? We're pretty sure the motor in the car now does not have the correct heads (the car is not easy to get to in the garage it's in to check it).

By the way, this car has a 4 speed transmission.

[sbca96]

Man! Good luck! Thats not an easy task, I would figure that you can
make an R1 engine work, but you would need dished pistons, since the
supercharger will destroy a high compression motor like a 10.5:1 R1.

I would be curious to know how that partial flow ended up in that 63!
I have a 60 partial flow that I built up years ago, I was tempted at
first to install it in my 63 Avanti, but the reality of assesories &
so forth deemed that impossible.

Tom

1963 Studebaker Avanti, 102,000, custom made brake brackets to mount 1998 Mustang GT 4 wheel disc brakes (soon to get 13" Cobra front brakes, 2003 Mustang Cobra 17" wheels, GM altenator, will be getting : 97 Camaro Z28 tan leather seats, 97 Camaro Z28 T-56 6-speed trans, Ported 'R3' style Avanti heads with stainless full flow valves, 'R3' 276 duration cam w/chrysler solid lifters, shortened push rods, aluminum cam gear, Edelbrock AFB Carb, GM HEI distributor, 8.8mm plug wires, waiting in the garage.

[JDP]

I could build you a R-3 for around $8000 if you used the repro heads. I know of a used real "B" block R3 engine in SD that could be had for 12K or so. Paul Johnson has a NOS, in the crate R3 that was offered for 20K. I have to ask why you'd want to go to that expense to build a clone of a factory R3.

Studebaker On The Net http://stude.com
64 R2 4 speed Challenger
63 R2 4 speed GT Hawk
63 Daytona Convert.

[Scott]

Thanks JDP. I could imagine maybe justifying your 8K for this kind of car, but 20K? I don't think so! That would be an engine for someone with way too much money at hand, that's for sure. Aren't those repro heads something like $1500 a piece? I can see how you could get in that 8K range, with that and other goodies.

JDP, does $8,000 include the correct intake and exhaust manifolds? What else does that include?

[JDP]

The repro heads would be a bragain compared to factory R3 heads which have sold for up to double the repro price. You should be able to build a entire R3 clone engine for 8K with the repro heads and manifolds.
Best bet would be to make it look like a R3, Extra breathers, no vacuum advance and the rest and rework the stock heads to out flow even the R3's. You'd want to build it to run on pump gas rather then racing fuel too.

Studebaker On The Net http://stude.com
64 R2 4 speed Challenger
63 R2 4 speed GT Hawk
63 Daytona Convert.

[Laemmle]

Jon Myer has done this many times. I would contact him just because there is nobody with more actual knowledge and mechanical ability..his son Mike has followed in his dads steps and has turned out some real screamers!
A trip to his facility in Duncan Falls, Ohio is like walking into a Studebaker dealership with a football field sized service department![]

For the price of a simple phone call Jon will speak to any and all...never thinking will this call make me money...rather he imparts knowledge because of the beautiful human being he is![^]

I would entrust him with anything!

[sbca96]

quote:Originally posted by Laemmle

Jon Myer has done this many times. I would contact him just because there is nobody with more actual knowledge and mechanical ability..his son Mike has followed in his dads steps

Yet he and his son dont feel the T56 is a popular trans to install, so
its not worth the effort in a kit?? Hmmmmm. Talk about living under
a rock .. or maybe just Ohio.

Tom

[studegary]

quote:Originally posted by sbca96

quote:Originally posted by Laemmle

Jon Myer has done this many times. I would contact him just because there is nobody with more actual knowledge and mechanical ability..his son Mike has followed in his dads steps

Yet he and his son dont feel the T56 is a popular trans to install, so
its not worth the effort in a kit?? Hmmmmm. Talk about living under
a rock .. or maybe just Ohio.

Tom

Most of their adult lives they lived in what I believe is your neck of the woods (southern California). It is only relatively recently that they moved to Ohio.

[sbca96]

quote:Originally posted by studegary
Most of their adult lives they lived in what I believe is your neck of the woods (southern California). It is only relatively recently that they moved to Ohio.

Yes .. I know that .. SEE what happened???

Tom