Update on new Avanti chassis

[grobb284]

We have added the crossmember that will support the front of the Dana 44 differential, as well as the rear crossmenber at the spare tire well. We will be omitting the tire well in this instance, however the frame is designed to clear it if so desired.

I don't know if many attend the Springfield Ohio Cars & Parts Swap Meet and Car Show this Memorial weekend, but we may be showing this chassis as well as a stainless '57 Chevy frame under construction.

[wcarroll@outrageous.net]

Awesome!!!

[Kdancy]

I guess the big question now is how much is it going to sell for ?
I want one!

53commander HDTP
53 Champion HDTP
61 Cursed Purple Hawk
64 Champ long bed V8
64 GT

[sbca96]

I replied on your post over at AOAI, but this forum gets a lot more action.

Pretty cool stuff. If my frame was bad enough I would certainly consider it.
Since you obviously have great skills, I have a suggestion that you might
want to consider as a sideline. Two areas of the factory chassis could be of
interest to you, to fab parts for. One would be to design a 4 link suspension
that utilizes the factory Dana solid axle, and front leaf spring mounts, and
adds upper control arm mounts to a bolt in crossmember in front of the rear
axle. Mounts on the axle could be added to a plate that attaches to the rear
cover, and goes over the axle to except tube arms, then coil over shocks
could be used to support the car. This could seriously improve the handling
of the car, and even the ride control.

The second area is the steering box, adapting a plentiful quick ration power
box from a newer car could do wonders to get a Stude around a corner.
Just some ideas to consider, I dont have the kind of money to afford a frame
and suspension like you are developing, BUT I could shell out the cash for
improvements to what I already have.

Wonderful work though! Will be interested to see how it performs! [8D]

EDIT : You might want to post here too:

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.

[rockne10]

I'm waiting to exhale on this one but must ask about tensile strength.
Stainless doesn't have the reputation for flexibility that cold steel does.

[sbca96]

quote:Originally posted by rockne10
Stainless doesn't have the reputation for flexibility that cold steel does.

Yah ... I was thinking that also, I know of people that have used
stainless steel bolts thinking they were stronger and found out that
it was not even as strong as those "bin bolts" at Home Depot. I just
figured that someone going to this much trouble, obviously knows of
differing grades of stainless. The company I worked for years ago
was designing a car for a Chinese company, & we used stainless tube
for a "space frame" with bonded fiberglass to triangulate it all. It
is the same fashion that the Mazda MPV was made back then. Maybe of
interest to those on the forum, to "sell" the concept of fiberglas to
the Chinese company, I drove my Avanti to work that day. I had about
10 Chinese executives and designers checking it all out.

Tom