81 Avanti II on E Bay (Closed Listing) - Your Input Please

[CHIEF BLAZE]

I would appreciate input from the members on this listing.
Pleae Go to Closed E bay listing by following this link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...06869130#v4-41

Stude Dave and others warned me when I bought the 55 President Coupe that there would be more Studebakers coming. At a May 2012 Karel Staple Chapter picnic, my wife Kerry got a demo ride in Lou Van Anne's Avanti. So now, there is strong consideration for an Avanti. I have a phone call in to Lou's answering service.

I talked with the dealer (Jim) that has this 81. I asked about "Hog Troughs". He told me it had another type of frame/suspension. Reports it to be rust free. What I know about Avantis isn't much.

Any member's help or evaluation or comment on this Avanti II would be much appreciated. Does anyone on the forum recognize the car???

Extra Info: The dealer (Jim) is in Enid, OK. He's had a 55 Speedster for 10 years. He wants to restore it. I gave him the link for our Studebaker Driver's Club as well as the link for the member who is tracking 55 speedsters.

[SN-60]

To: CHIEF BLAZE,------Just a quick thought: I've seen that even if a gal is indifferent to other Studebakers, she always seems to like the looks of an Avanti!..... And thank You very much for giving that dealer (Jim)
the info about the 1955 PRESIDENT SPEEDSTER ROSTER........This WILL happen!

[(S)]

I never looked really close at Avanti II's but I thought they did the engines in black. ? The car looks like a decent start, but always look at something like this in person.

Take a fellow club member or knowledgeable mechanic with you. Add up the cost of 'missing' or broken parts, use them in the final price negotiations. The seller usually does not realize the costs it takes to finish. A cheap Avanti can cost plenty to make right....... and it still may not be quite 'done'

Personally, I like the car. good luck!

[StudeRich]

/Cut/I talked with the dealer (Jim) that has this 81. I asked about "Hog Troughs". He told me it had another type of frame/suspension. Reports it to be rust free. What I know about Avantis isn't much./Cut/

The 1971 Avanti II was the last year for the Stude. brakes, 1985 was the last year for the Stude. frame so it is possible that the '86 and on GM frame cars do not have a Torque Box Frame/Body reinforcement, but a '81 should have.

Someone who owns one here will have to verify that.

[billmdonn]

I might be wrong but it has always been my impression that all Avantis have "Hog Troughs" up to the time (1987 i think) where they were actually using the Monte Carlo frames. Let me repeat, I could be wrong.

[sweetolbob]

I would appreciate input from the members on this listing.
Pleae Go to Closed E bay listing by following this link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...06869130#v4-41

Stude Dave and others warned me when I bought the 55 President Coupe that there would be more Studebakers coming. At a May 2012 Karel Staple Chapter picnic, my wife Kerry got a demo ride in Lou Van Anne's Avanti. So now, there is strong consideration for an Avanti. I have a phone call in to Lou's answering service.

I talked with the dealer (Jim) that has this 81. I asked about "Hog Troughs". He told me it had another type of frame/suspension. Reports it to be rust free. What I know about Avantis isn't much.

Any member's help or evaluation or comment on this Avanti II would be much appreciated. Does anyone on the forum recognize the car???

Extra Info: The dealer (Jim) is in Enid, OK. He's had a 55 Speedster for 10 years. He wants to restore it. I gave him the link for our Studebaker Driver's Club as well as the link for the member who is tracking 55 speedsters.

When I saw this listing I saw the R&P had been replaced. Considering that the 81 did not have a rack and pinion steering I wondered if he meant the steering gear or it had been modified in some way. If as you say it has a different frame and suspension, I'd want a pile of pictures and a visit by a local forum member before I'd consider it. Even then, if I purchased it I'd want to drive it before I made payment.

If done properly it could be a great car but if it is a marriage than a lot of caution is in order.

I'm surprised a dealer would not have put a few shots of the changes and been more specific about them.

I must admit that I'm still confused by the listing.My 83 still has the same lark frame that went under every Avanti before it.

Bob

[CHIEF BLAZE]

Thanks all. And, to billmdonn, that name "Monte Carlo" is the name the dealer gave me when talking about the frame. Couldn't remember what he had said until your post. I infer that this refers to the Monte Carlo Chevy frame? (S) Your suggestion to visit the car is a good one. However, it is about an 1825 mile walk for me. Still hope that someone in the Oklahoma area may recognize the car so I will get more input. Some additional information...it has Oklahoma title and was last registered in 2003.

[bezhawk]

They (Avantis) used Studebaker frames through 85. The seller has answered questions on ebay untruthfully IMHO, and if it were me, I'd steer clear of this car.

[Gunslinger]

I never looked really close at Avanti II's but I thought they did the engines in black.

The engines Avanti Motors used were whatever color Chevrolet was supplying at the time of purchase. The Chevy engines were all orange until GM changed all engines to "Corporate Blue" in late '77 or early 1978. At a later date some may have been black. It all depends on which engine and when it was made. Their crate engines have been painted black for some time now but I don't know when that practice began.

GM made the color change due to people finding out that GM was installing different division engines in various cars and they were ticked that their Chevy, Pontiac, etc., had an Olds or other division engine. GM simply changed all to one color with the decal and advertising saying engines were supplied by various GM divisions. Even Pontiac Trans Ams were coming equipped with Olds engines depending on which options were checked off. Not to disparage Olds engines but people expected a Pontiac engine in their new Pontiac, Chevy engine in their new Chevy and so forth.

[Corvanti]

They (Avantis) used Studebaker frames through 85. The seller has answered questions on ebay untruthfully IMHO, and if it were me, I'd steer clear of this car.

totally agree with Brad. walk away, quickly!!!

[rockinhawk]

I have an 81. It has the same front suspension as my grandson's 60 Lark. With power steering activated by a control valve on the pitman arm. It does have Hog troughs. It has the same Jag front disc brakes as my 63 GT Hawk. It has the original 305 ci HO engine. a 350 thm transmission. It has a Ford master cylinder, and Chevy Truck rear shoes. Not sure but I think it has Dodge truck rear drums.

If the one you are looking at has a moon roof... it will leak!

From what I have read, there were 195 Avantis built in 81.

[(S)]

I did a google search and found the car listed in a $3900 catagory the price was also listed for $7100, I have no way to tell if it sold and then went to ebay. I may have found 2 ads but for sure it is the same car.

The one post said the car was in Enid, OK. The other post was an ebay link, the same as yours.

This may be a 'flipper' that did very little homework, or is that where the car is now?

[rockinhawk]

when we bought our car in 1995, It had real wire wheels but they didn't look like these. Theses appear to be solid disc wheels with wire over them. We had a lot of trouble keeping air inside of ours so it now has Chrysler Wheels with Avanti covers. We gave the wire wheels to a friend. He later tried to give them back.

I notice the 5 mph crash bumper is not on this car. But many folks removed those early on.

[CHIEF BLAZE]

(S): I didn't run the vin on Google until I read your reply. The car is still in Enid. Dealer told me that he bought it, and a Pontiac Convertible from another dealer. I am sure you are right about the quick flip thing. Obviously the guy doesn't know too much about the car or the Avantis in general. He seems like a nice guy and all....but.....

In any event, he may be coming over as a member (or forum surfer) because he has a 55 speedster project of his own.

Thanks All. Numbers, frames, condition are just not adding up. Think we are gonna PASS ON THIS ONE!

[53k]

An '82 or '83 is a much better bet- has the four-speed overdrive automatic (26 mpg highway) and still look like Studebaker Avantis (chrome bumpers). The '84s and '85s also were nice, but they had paint problems and they have plastic painted bumpers.