A 'fun' Avanti!

[jnormanh]

Boo-hoo!...tonight was the last 'Saturday night cruise-in' for this season.....but on the bright side, my good friend Wayne showed up with his 1980 Avanti ll which he purchased from a gent from Wisconsin last year.

It's a REALLY nice Avanti with 46K (original), red leather interior & red carpet, real wire wheels & factory exterior luggage rack....The only thing Wayne's done to it is remove that ugly front 'cow catcher' bumper assy!

Here's my good old '63 & Wayne's '80...........

I like your 63 better. Is it an R2?

[SN-60]

I like your 63 better. Is it an R2?

Thank you!...It is an R2 with automatic trans & power steering...It drives well, but I've always wished it was a four speed. Twelve or so years ago I passed on a COMPLETE four speed setup for a Stude Avanti which I could have purchased at that time for $600!!

Dumb, dumb, dumb!!!

[jnormanh]

Thank you!...It is an R2 with automatic trans & power steering...It drives well, but I've always wished it was a four speed. Twelve or so years ago I passed on a COMPLETE four speed setup for a Stude Avanti which I could have purchased at that time for $600!!

Dumb, dumb, dumb!!!

Ummmm. I have a four speed Sprite. I could trade you even. I might even give you a hundred bucks boot.

[SN-60]

Ummmm. I have a four speed Sprite. I could trade you even. I might even give you a hundred bucks boot.

Thanks, but it would be like selling one of the kids!......................................On second thought!!!!!!

[SN-60]

(From '15, summer)......hey, second place is better than no place at all!!

[SN-60]

The R2 "dual quad' setup.......

[DEEPNHOCK]

Please don't go there, Paul. It's just plain old not worth it.
Sort of like waiting for the latest Avanti in the snow pictures.
(BTW... "The Black Car' is running now..)

Neat setup Ed! But I'm going to poke you a little bit -- you mentioned this dual carb setup in the very first post of this thread, slightly over three years ago, and they are not on yet?? I wouldn't have pointed this out, except I seem to remember you poking Jeff Rice for taking so long to get his '53 drag car done!

[SN-60]

Please don't go there, Paul. It's just plain old not worth it.
Sort of like waiting for the latest Avanti in the snow pictures.
(BTW... "The Black Car' is running now..)

"But at least my Avanti occasionally leaves the garage"! ...........Seriously Paul, the problem I ran into installing the dual carbs concerns hood clearance.....Unless I 'shim' the body up off the frame some, (Nate Altman style), or install some sort of hideous hood scoop, the hood simply wont clear this setup!

Yes, the dual quads are still 'on the shelf', but I sure enjoy driving my 'fun' Avanti, even without them! .... NO GARAGE QUEEN HERE!!!!!

[r1lark]

Seriously Paul, the problem I ran into installing the dual carbs concerns hood clearance.....Unless I 'shim' the body up off the frame some, (Nate Altman style), or install some sort of hideous hood scoop, the hood simply wont clear this setup!

Is that a R4 intake? How much taller are the R2 bonnets versus the R4 air cleaners? Nice looking setup, plus I see another blower in the background. Were you planning a dual blower setup too?

[SN-60]

These cast iron manifolds are about 3/4" higher in overall heightcompared to the later aluminum Avanti R4 manifolds, which were designed to fit under an Avanti's hood.

If I decide to 'lift' the body, my intentions are to use the one blower, with a "Y" ahead of the carbs to split the boost.

[hawk58man]

Beautiful Avanti !, with all that Studebaker and the Granitelli Bros.had,giving had it "there all"! As an "Old Timer told me once, "Ain't nothin sounds better, than the sound a Studebaker V8 running thru a pair of Smittys".. I agree,and thanks for sharing!..

[orecrush]

VERY NICE COLOR I just purchased a 63 R2 WITH 4 speed trans. I LIKE THE LOOKS WITH ROUND HEADLIGHTS I'm not sure why my Avant runs at high rpm in fourth gear When at 60 mph the tach. reads over 3000 rpm

[r1lark]

These cast iron manifolds are about 3/4" higher in overall heightcompared to the later aluminum Avanti R4 manifolds, which were designed to fit under an Avanti's hood.

So Ed, I'm confused (which isn't uncommon ). Is your manifold a cast iron Studebaker dual 4-barrel?

[SN-60]

So Ed, I'm confused (which isn't uncommon ). Is your manifold a cast iron Studebaker dual 4-barrel?

It is indeed a cast iron Stude manifold..... complete with exhaust crossover passage....An 'old timer' welder made up two of these several years ago for someone in the club....LOT's of brazing over a 'gutted' late Avanti type four barrel manifold.

One of them was tried out on a stock 259 with a single four barrel mounted at the rear, and the front four barrel mount blocked off by a flat steel plate......the engine reportedly idled and accelerated normally!

If nothing else, IT'S INTERESTING!!

[bezhawk]

I have SEEN FACTORY experimental CAST IRON R4 intakes. Ed, use the Offenhauser air horns available from Speedway. They are lower.