Avanti II-gasm!

[Andy R.]

Man, oh man...any of you see this highly complimentary Car and Track Road Test?! It's been on a nearly constant loop up in here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g85RbmNkKqA

Everything about this video is (curse)-ing rad - the music, the lingo* and the footage of tires drifting and smoking between every S-curve...DANG! Extra points for super slo-mo footage in the slalommmmm...



My Avanti snobbishness, with a strong preference for only the lower profile, raked '63-4 nose is officially NO MORE!
Bob Peterson politely defended the Avanti II on another thread and, after seeing this, I must concur.

BONUS: a short montage at the end featuring late 60s NASCAR (when it counted) and Indy clip of the STP LOTUS-TURBINE!

...Please excuse me, I need a cold shower.

* my faves:
"...wallop fed to the rear wheels through a Borg Warner 4-speed!"
"...at 45, we dropped the anchor and stopped in 57 feet!"

[rusty65]

As my older brother used to say in the sixties,"Coolness PLUS!!"

[mbstude]

And now I want one, too.

The car that turned me onto Avanti II's is a '70 model. Paxton blower with a 4 speed. The early Avanti II's are cool cars.

[N8N]

Matthew, are you talking about the blue one that JDP bought from a guy in WV? that was an awesome car, although the seats killed my back...

nate

[sweetolbob]

Posted by N8N

although the seats killed my back

Aw Nate, the professional in the video said the seats were very comfortable for long trips and on the firm side.

Who are you to let facts, and your experience, contradict the views in a test video?

Bob

[JBOYLE]

Speaking as an Avanti Owner/fan...I don't have any trouble with "II"s.
In fact, if I were to get one for daily driving, I'd like an early II (pre-smog) with all modern stuff...including better seats, cruise, uprated AC, stereo, etc.

The only thing I ask, is if you're going to really modify something, please use a II...as the Studebakers need preserving< IMHO.
I don't think most avanti owners have any snobbery towards the IIs...of course, your actual mileage many vary.

[mbstude]

Matthew, are you talking about the blue one that JDP bought from a guy in WV? that was an awesome car, although the seats killed my back...

nate

This one is blue, has to be the same car. Belongs to a nice guy in the Atlanta area.

[StudeRich]

Avantis HO!

That Video is good but this is BETTER! There were one of the best selections of mostly original and some modified Avantis, and Avanti II's at the '09 La Palma Meet that I have ever seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYzojofS9CM&feature=related

It may be almost 2 Years old, but this is Great!

I don't remember seeing it, but I remember some mention that Lance would be there.

It is Great that our Turning Wheels Co-operator, Automatic Transmission Advisor Jon (and Rosiland) Metzker are interviewed by Vintage Vehicle Show Host Lance Lambert at the 2009 La Palma Meet in Anaheim CA, AND the AVANTIS... Oh my gosh!

[JDP]

Matthew, are you talking about the blue one that JDP bought from a guy in WV? that was an awesome car, although the seats killed my back...

nate

It had AC and the blower, but did not need the hood bump. The blower was added to a 350 crate motor.

[Sdude]

Anybody notice the comment about the Italian design? I thought Palm Springs was in California....

[okc63avanti]

How can this early Avanti II be significantly different than an original? Same Studebaker chassis and suspension. The Chevy 327 with blower may be putting out more HP but handling and cornering shouldn't be much difference.

[Gunslinger]

The lighter weight of the Chevy engine gave the car a somewhat decreased front weight bias which should help in the handling. Contrasting that is the higher front stance of the II's which probably made for increased airflow turbulence under the front end and greater rise at higher speeds. So you may end up with a slightly better handling car but less potential safe top end.

More or less a wash.

[Andy R.]

I agree with Gunslinger's comment on weight distribution.
It seemed in many contemporary tests where the Avanti was (unfairly, IMO) compared to the Corvette, it received less than glowing criticism in the handling dept.
Though the testers in this video seemed to really relish steering with the throttle on this one.

One of my biggest "what-if" Avanti questions involves locating the engine further back in relation to the wheelbase. The engine on my GT seems nearly all behind the front "axle line". Move the firewall/cowl, seats and windshield back, lose the back seat and give the Sting Ray (two words) an apples-to-apples run for the money. One can dream that Studebaker had all the resources to develop an Avanti-specific chassis, can't he?

Yeah, Rich, that's a really nice video that shows how truly special Avantis are, whether stock or modified. But it ain't quite got the *sizzle* of the Car and Track: "When we wound this missle up and popped the clutch we had 30 mph in 2.9 seconds!"

[61Lark]

I love it! That's the great type of program that Speedvision used to show.

Nick

[candbstudebakers]

Thanks Andy for standing behind me some what, love my 300Hp 327 67 Avanti.