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**sbca96** · 03-12-2006, 02:54 PM

OMG! YES! I remember reading about this Lark! I NEED to know the
EXACT way the suspension it setup. I am building an Avanti that I
would like to run in amateur tracks like this. I have been looking
for info about this Lark, and the sway bars. What brakes you running?
Maybe you want to upgrade? hehe (Cobra brake adapters for Stude) I
think that THIS Lark could benefit from those 14 inch rotors and the
8 piston calipers!!

Mr Biggs : you might want to rename this thread so it represents the
Lark better, some interested parties might not check it out with the
somewhat generic thread name![:I] Also ROADRACELARK needs to jet on
over to the Racing Studebakers forum! :

HostICan | Error 404

http://racingstudebakers.com/stl-web/bulletin/bb/index.php

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.

**ROADRACELARK** · 03-12-2006, 03:24 PM

Mr.Biggs,
Well this goes down memory lane. I'll try to keep it short. Front: Both control arms have Derlin bushings and the upper"dog bone" is flip-flopped for better handling at high speed in the corners. Gabriel Adj. shocks on x-tra firm. Cadillac Fleetwood coil springs shortened to achieve desired ride height. Dual sway bars: Used 1 from the early larks that used NO stand-offs from the frame, shortened aprox. 3-4" on each end, then welded (VERY carefully) them together where the ends of the short bar meet. Approx.a 4" weld. Swaybar uses the late model stand-offs that have been "boxed" for added strength, outer mounts are stock, but both sway bar and shocks have urethane bushings. Front brakes; Turner brake kit, all stock except Preformance Friction Pads. Split master cyl. with 1961 Pwr. booster, adj. proportioning valve and DOT5 brake fluid. Steering: Stock '64 box without P/S and short arms @ the spindles. Wheels & Tires: 8"X15 steel w/ 225/70HR15 Goodyear Eagle GT Radials,front and rear. I rolled the fender lips for safety,
nothing scrubs. Rear suspension: 6 leaf springs, sway bar from a 58 President sedan. Avanti style radius rods, Gabriel shocks as up front.
Steers like a dump truck without P/S, but handles & steers like a go-kart at speed. See pictures noted by Mr. Biggs. Note: Best lap time at Road Atlanta 1:56. Observed top speed at the end of the back stretch, 134MPH
Thanks for asking,
Dan Miller
ROADRACELARK

**DEEPNHOCK** · 03-12-2006, 03:42 PM

Dan,
I only have two questions.....
(1) Does it have a passenger seat?
(2) Can I have a ride?
Jeff[8D]

quote:Originally posted by ROADRACELARK

Mr.Biggs,
Well this goes down memory lane. I'll try to keep it short. Front: Both control arms have Derlin bushings and the upper"dog bone" is flip-flopped for better handling at high speed in the corners. Gabriel Adj. shocks on x-tra firm. Cadillac Fleetwood coil springs shortened to achieve desired ride height. Dual sway bars: Used 1 from the early larks that used NO stand-offs from the frame, shortened aprox. 3-4" on each end, then welded (VERY carefully) them together where the ends of the short bar meet. Approx.a 4" weld. Swaybar uses the late model stand-offs that have been "boxed" for added strength, outer mounts are stock, but both sway bar and shocks have urethane bushings. Front brakes; Turner brake kit, all stock except Preformance Friction Pads. Split master cyl. with 1961 Pwr. booster, adj. proportioning valve and DOT5 brake fluid. Steering: Stock '64 box without P/S and short arms @ the spindles. Wheels & Tires: 8"X15 steel w/ 225/70HR15 Goodyear Eagle GT Radials,front and rear. I rolled the fender lips for safety,
nothing scrubs. Rear suspension: 6 leaf springs, sway bar from a 58 President sedan. Avanti style radius rods, Gabriel shocks as up front.
Steers like a dump truck without P/S, but handles & steers like a go-kart at speed. See pictures noted by Mr. Biggs. Note: Best lap time at Road Atlanta 1:56. Observed top speed at the end of the back stretch, 134MPH
Thanks for asking,
Dan Miller
ROADRACELARK

DEEPNHOCK at Cox.net
Ocala, FL.
'37 Coupe Express
'37 Coupe Express Trailer
'61 Hawk

http://community.webshots.com/user/deepnhock

**Swifster** · 03-12-2006, 04:10 PM

quote:Originally posted by DEEPNHOCK

Dan,
I only have two questions.....
(1) Does it have a passenger seat?
(2) Can I have a ride?
Jeff[8D]

Ditto! I'd drive up to Road Atlanta for that!!!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom - Lakeland, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona

Michigan Speed - www.michiganspeed.com
Club Hot Rod - www.clubhotrod.com
LS1 Tech - www.ls1tech.com

**Dick Steinkamp** · 03-12-2006, 04:11 PM

quote:Originally posted by Mr.Biggs

The photos say it all![

]

They sure do! Love the picture of the Lark leading the C5 Corvette into the corner

[

] My new screensaver[^]

**ROADRACELARK** · 03-12-2006, 04:54 PM

Jeff & Tom,
That would be a blast but now it's very hard (and VERY expensive) to get track time at RA. At the Walter Mitty events as well as some of the vintage racing venues, they do allow passengers, but not during the competition laps. Yes I do have a pass. seat. This car is still street legal, just "cap up the pipes" and hang on. As a "head turner" (although NOT legal) the last couple of times, I drove the car to the track with the open exhaust,numbers,stickers...race ready. The workers at the gate and registration couldn't believe their eyes AND ears...What a Scream.
Thanks guys
Dan
RRL

**BobPalma** · 03-12-2006, 05:18 PM

Good to see this car back in the press, Dan! [8D]

For you history buffs, Dan and his car were featured in the April 22, 1985 edition of Autoweek.

Also, this Lark was the front cover car on the July 1988 Turning Wheels, with an extensive article therein.

BP

**sbca96** · 03-12-2006, 10:26 PM

Dan,

Did you check out my post on the 13" dia 2 piston Cobra brakes?

404 Not Found

http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/sdc_forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3191

Interested in upgrading those little brakes?

Also .. that rear President sway bar .. is that the same as an Avanti,
being .625 diameter? I am considering a Thibeault .750 rear sway bar
and his 1 inch front, or a 'brand X' 1.125 front bar.

Tom

**N8N** · 03-12-2006, 11:18 PM

The President sway bar is nothing like the Avanti sway bar, it's the same as the bar used on Super Hawks and Super Larks. (well, it's more the other way around, they recycled the old bar they used on the big sedans for the later performance cars.) I have one on my '55 coupe (along with a GT Hawk front bar) and while I haven't really pushed it it does really reduce the body roll in normal driving. I don't know what the diameter of the bar is but it probably wouldn't fit on an Avanti anyway (if it would have fit, they probably would have used it instead of designing a new part.)

nate

--
55 Commander Starlight
62 Daytona hardtop

http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

**sbca96** · 03-13-2006, 01:00 AM

quote:Originally posted by N8N
I don't know what the diameter of the bar is but it probably wouldn't fit on an Avanti anyway (if it would have fit, they probably would have used it instead of designing a new part.)

Wow, I dont see why Studebaker would use a smaller different bar on
the Avanti, if they had something "better". I am also surprised that
the bar wouldnt fit Avanti, didnt all these cars use the same basic
suspension?? The 3/4 bar sounds better and better.

I did some checking tonight on the Avanti.

Front Bar = .750
Rear Bar = .625

The 4th Gen Camaro uses :

Front Bar = 1.125
Rear Bar = .750

Tom

**ROADRACELARK** · 03-13-2006, 03:50 AM

Tom,
I failed to mention previously, this car weighs aprox 3100lbs with 1/2 tank of fuel and my lard a--. Also the rear brakes are FULL metalic sintered,segmented linings. Under extreme braking from straight-away speeds for many laps, I never found the limitations of the brakes. As for the tires... I need to visit that money pit first. Just as a side note, I was at a BMW driving school and one of the instructors rode with me a few laps and really made me push the car to its limits. Interesting result...(I always mark the location of my wheel weights on the tires, if you loose one, you know where it came from) The right front tire had rotated on the wheel aprox. 1"!!. No, it was not the weight that moved.. but the tire. Rear bar, I think, is mabe 5/8" dia. It dosen't take much on a light weight rear end. Let me save up for some badly needed tires first.

Thanks,
Dan

**N8N** · 03-13-2006, 05:50 AM

Tom,

I think the issue with the Prez/Super Hawk/Super Lark bar on an Avanti is that on an Avanti the gas tank is mounted forward of the axle and I ASSume that there might be interference with the gas tank and the sway bar. In any case you can't just state that a bigger bar is better, the effective rate of the bar is determined not just by the diameter of the bar but also the length of the "legs" of the bar - shorter "legs" will make the bar stiffer. As to which provides more roll stiffness, I honestly don't know the answer to that question. But anyway the reason for the different bar is a guess on my part as I don't have an Avanti handy to compare.

Dan,

where did you get the sintered linings? Are they easily available or did you have to have the shoes custom relined?

nate

--
55 Commander Starlight
62 Daytona hardtop

http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

**ROADRACELARK** · 03-13-2006, 07:24 AM

Nate,
These were done aprox. 20yrs ago. A brake relining company here in Atlanta did them for me and insisted I bring the drums so he could arc-grind the shoes for a perfect match. That is a very important step to acheive maximum braking performance. They work VERY well. The hotter they get, the better they work. That's the reason I have a manual adjustable proportioning valve... dial 'em on when cold, back 'em off as they get hotter. The system is very well balanced for dealing with antique stuff.
Thanks,
Dan
RRL

**ROADRACELARK** · 03-13-2006, 07:34 AM

Nate,
Forgot about the sway bar. The Avanti fuel tank does not interfere with the sway bar. The tank is above the frame rails inside the body.
One time at the Mitty, a guy driving a for sure 66 Mustang GT350 racer was having trouble in the turns. After adjusting and changing several things, as an experiment, he disconnected the rear sway bar completely.
He picked up 3 sec. on the nest time out. Go figure.
Thanks,
Dan RRL

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