Avanti hood

[Retired]

Any one know when Studebaker changed over to the hoods on the Avanti that took the full under hood pad?

[studegary]

I THINK that this change coincided with the change in batteries (3EEE to 24C).

[R2Andrea]

The change was cataloged as starting with R4892. Same time as the switch to the "square" headlight bezels and the change in battery types, as well as a number of other running changes. Generally considered to be the 1964 model year.

[okc63avanti]

My 1963 Avanti (63R-2386) final assembly date of December 31, 1962 has a black full under hood pad. This was on the car when I bought it from JDP in Dec. 2000. Prior to JDP's possession it had been a one owner car from a lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, FL. I guess it is possible that the hood was changed at some point or added later but everything about the car was pretty much original has it had been a driver for most of those years. Here's the only photo that I could find (taken by JDP) with the original R1 engine and showing the under hood pad. I guess the under hood style change remains a mystery. The car is now undergoing a complete frame-off restoration/modification at Myer Studebaker (hoping its finished for National Meet in Springfield).

[Gunslinger]

The '63 Avanti I used town was a May '63 car, R4341. I remember it had a full underhood insulation pad. I remember specifically as one day the expansion valve for the a/c clogged and the high pressure hose exploded off of the compressor. It shredded the insulator pad and left a mess under the hood with compressor oil all over everything.

I was able to get a new insulation pad to install. The original also had a circular "hole" where the air cleaner fit without crushing the insulation. I don't know if that was normal but it did have that.

I wasn't the first or second (or even more) owner of R4341...I bought it in 1976, so I can't say it had the original hood installed, but it did not have a hood brace across the center.

[Retired]

Thanks to all, my 63 R-1 is serial # 3621 built in March of '63. no signs of any repairs for damages that may resultred in replacing the hood but, who knows. car purchased from second owner that purchased it from original owner. I telephoned the original owner years ago but faiiled to ask if the car sustained any damages while in their posession.

[WCP]

R3832 has a crossbrace-less hood and is original to the car. BTW, somewhere along the line, the crossbrace on the early hoods were modified to provide relief for the S/C to carb hose for R2 cars - no idea when that change occurred. R1236 has the full brace.