AOAI R3 Statement

[studegary]

The following quote is a sentence from an e-mail that I just receved from AOAI relative to Avantis at an upcoming show. "Other Avantis will include the mainstream debut of the first of only nine R3 supercharged Avantis to round out the Studebaker display."

I wonder what Ed C. (SN60), and others, would have to say about that statement.

[mbstude]

Hey Gary, what is there to say? The first of the 9 production R3 Avantis has been undergoing restoration for the last couple of years. It's almost finished and will be unveiled at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals in November. It will receive a LOT more exposure at that one show than it ever would at an SDC or AOAI meet.

Ed George has worked his butt off for the last few years to make sure that there is a nice array of very interesting Studebakers included in this show. If I didn't potentially have so much already going on later this year, I'd fly up there myself. It's a show worth going to.

[studegary]

Thanks for the input, Matt. It is always good to hear from you. I believe that you missed the intent of the post (Ed's argument of nine, or more, R3s).

EDIT: I agree that this show will be excellent exposure for Studebaker and Avanti.

[8E45E]

Ed George has worked his butt off for the last few years to make sure that there is a nice array of very interesting Studebakers included in this show. If I didn't potentially have so much already going on later this year, I'd fly up there myself. It's a show worth going to.

Matt,

It would be worth showing your support and attending. You might not ever see a gathering of R3 Avantis in one place again!!

Craig

[SN-60]

Gary, I believe that most Studebaker fans would agree that there were eleven 'production' Studebaker R3-R4 passenger cars built (nine '64 Avantis, a '64 Commander and a '64 Daytona)

However, the number of FACTORY Studebaker R3-R4 passenger cars is nearly twice that number....and these 'unsung heroes' are the vehicles that 'did the dirty work' (that is, set all the records, and made it into period magazines)

I would site John Hora's #9 Bonneville R3 Avanti, and Ron & Geoff Crall's 'Hot Rod Magazine Spl' (63R-1025) as two shining examples!

And I don't want to hear any more baloney from the 'intractable oldtimers' on this forum that Paxton, not Studebaker, installed the engines... because ...STUDEBAKER OWNED PAXTON at that time!

[rkapteyn]

Gary, I believe that most Studebaker fans would agree that there were eleven 'production' Studebaker R3-R4 passenger cars built (nine '64 Avantis, a '64 Commander and a '64 Daytona)

However, the number of FACTORY Studebaker R3-R4 passenger cars is nearly twice that number....and these 'unsung heroes' are the vehicles that 'did the dirty work' (that is, set all the records, and made it into period magazines)

I would site John Hora's #9 Bonneville R3 Avanti, and Ron & Geoff Crall's 'Hot Rod Magazine Spl' (63R-1025) as two shining examples!

And I don't want to hear any more baloney from the 'intractable oldtimers' on this forum that Paxton, not Studebaker, installed the engines... because ...STUDEBAKER OWNED PAXTON at that time!

Please not again!

Robert Kapteyn

[lschuc]

Robert Kapteyn is right... Not again, please. No need to split hairs, rehash old news and muddy the waters.

There were only 9 "regular" production Avantis built with R3 engines and related drivetrain components. The others were pre-production units built for racing at Bonneville... The numbers 8 and 9 cars were 1963 vehicles prepared by Granatelli for Bonneville, as were other cars. But there were ONLY 9 "regular production" 1964 Avantis built in South Bend.

[8E45E]

Robert Kapteyn is right... Not again, please. No need to split hairs, rehash old news and muddy the waters.

In case everyone's forgot:

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?94560-R3-For-The-Record-!&highlight=Bonneville

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?95136-If-the-horse-didn-t-die-44-years-ago&highlight=Bonneville

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?94553-Avanti-r-3s&highlight=bonneville

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?27496-R-3-engines-are-transplants-not-clones!&highlight=Bonneville

[tacweld]

are you coming to the show ?

- - - Updated - - -

Gary l. are coming to the show ?

[nels]

It will be a great show for sure. And yes, Eddie George and company have worked their butts off to get Studebaker's recognized in the performance show arena. They deserve a round of applause!

[studegary]

are you coming to the show ?

- - - Updated - - -

Gary l. are coming to the show ?

I am not planning on it even though I believe that I would enjoy it.

[SN-60]

Robert Kapteyn is right... Not again, please. No need to split hairs, rehash old news and muddy the waters.

There were only 9 "regular" production Avantis built with R3 engines and related drivetrain components. The others were pre-production units built for racing at Bonneville... The numbers 8 and 9 cars were 1963 vehicles prepared by Granatelli for Bonneville, as were other cars. But there were ONLY 9 "regular production" 1964 Avantis built in South Bend.

I'm afraid that you're missing the point Lew,.......We all know that Studebaker built nine production line 1964 Avantis, with every serial number documented.

However, and to once again put this as SIMPLY and as EASY TO UNDERSTAND as I possibly can, ....If a Studebaker passenger car had an Avanti R3 or R4 engine under its hood when the vehicle was originally SOLD BY STUDEBAKER CORP., then that vehicle is a legitimate FACTORY R3-4 vehicle....not a PRODUCTION LINE vehicle, but a bonafide R3-4 Factory Studebaker!

For far too long SDC 'experts' have put down these very special cars, and my goal is to 'once and for all' enlighten these 'experts'!

[StudeRich]

That synopsis really is TOO bad for one SDC'r I know, because his Avanti had a Paxton Built R3 Engine shipped to a Authorized Studebaker Dealer and installed in an R2 Car not once, but TWICE & the SAME Engine to boot, after the Original Selling Dealer returned it to Paxton for the Original Owner for a "perceived" issue, torn down and found perfect and returned back to the Dealer for re-install.

BUT, you say the Car "HAD TO BE" Originally Sold with the R3 to be legit. Of course documentation exists for all this, but not proving it is a Legit Factory R3.

As far as the ISSUE about 9 or 11 Studebaker Sold R3-R4 Avantis, I have NO opinion about that, and don't care.

[SN-60]

That synopsis really is TOO bad for one SDC'r I know, because his Avanti had a Paxton Built R3 Engine shipped to a Authorized Studebaker Dealer and installed in an R2 Car not once, but TWICE & the SAME Engine to boot, after the Original Selling Dealer returned it to Paxton for the Original Owner for a "perceived" issue, torn down and found perfect and returned back to the Dealer for re-install.

BUT, you say the Car "HAD TO BE" Originally Sold with the R3 to be legit. Of course documentation exists for all this, but not proving it is a Legit Factory R3.

As far as the ISSUE about 9 or 11 Studebaker Sold R3-R4 Avantis, I have NO opinion about that, and don't care.

Hello Rich,.......concerning your friend's R3 Avanti, as I understand your story, I would think that his Avanti would fall into the same category as Krem's 'Plain Brown Wrapper'.

Although the R3 was installed by an authorized Studebaker dealer, and not in someone's backyard as in the case of the 'PBW', your friend's Avanti had an R2 in it when Studebaker relinquished ownership.....not an R3....Ed

[SN-60]

Matt,

It would be worth showing your support and attending. You might not ever see a gathering of R3 Avantis in one place again!!

Craig

I think Gary means that the first of the nine production R3 Avantis will be on display....I don't believe he meant there would be other R3 Avantis there....although one never knows!