Avanti serial number/ engine number?

[sals54]

How do I find out the correct engine number that belongs to my 64 Avanti. Serial number R4900
Thanks

[R3 challenger]

Sal, the original engine number for your '64 Avanti, R-4900, is R-3346, according to the PO. The Final Assembly date was August 9, 1963.

Best,

George

[studegary]

Sal, the original engine number for your '64 Avanti, R-4900, is R-3346, according to the PO. The Final Assembly date was August 9, 1963.

Best,

George

Does this Avanti (R4900) have a 1963 model style of engine number rather than a 1964 model style of engine number because it was built in August 1963? I am thinking that the change in type of engine number (date code) came in September 1963. Am I thinking correctly on this?

[Skip Lackie]

According to the sources I used in preparing the V8 engine ID table, the changeover to the 1964 engine numbering system occurred on
August 20, 1963.

[R3 challenger]

Good question, Gary. When Studebaker made a change in Avanti production, the change was usually not "clean"; the engine number situation reflects that. For example, even though R-4835 was considered the first 1964 Avanti, the engine number on that car used the previous engine numbering system. In the case of 4835, the engine number was R-3294. Out of curiosity, I looked through the next few dozen Avanti serial numbers, and the first engine I found that used the 1964 engine numbering system was in Avanti R-4907, so quite a few 1964 Avantis were made before Studebaker began using the new system. They likely had many completed engines ready to install at the time 4835 was built, so they just used them up.

The very next car after 4907 had engine number RS-2580, followed by seemingly random changing back and forth between the two systems for quite a few cars. The last car I noticed that used the old engine numbering system was R-4972, with engine R-3315. 4972 was built on August 16, 1963. There may be a few more after that, but every engine number I looked at after 4907 used the new system (I just checked about another 20 and didn't find any with the old system). But strange things happened in Studebaker production, and there may be one or two with the old system lurking in the next few hundred cars.


George

[sals54]

Sal, the original engine number for your '64 Avanti, R-4900, is R-3346, according to the PO. The Final Assembly date was August 9, 1963.

Best,

George

WOW... that was quick. Thank you very much.
Now for a double WOW...and a WOW ! ! I just happen to have R3318 sitting in my garage. That was pretty close. When I saw the number you pulled up, I had to run out there and double check. I thought for a moment that I had accidentally matched the two together. And they're separated by 25 years from coming into my possession. I think that would have been a remarkable feat to have the correct number engine just by happenstance. But, tis not to be.
Again, thank you for the response.

[R3 challenger]

Sal, do you mean you have Avanti serial number R-3318 or just the engine from an Avanti (engine # R-3318)? It would be interesting to know the highest engine number (using the old system) for both R1 and R2 engines. Engine R-3346 in your Avanti (R-4900) may be one of the highest numbers that Studebaker assigned to an R1 in an Avanti. I'll do more checking, although it may take me awhile to get to it.

Does anyone have an Avanti with a higher R1 engine number than R-3346?

George

[sals54]

Sal, do you mean you have Avanti serial number R-3318 or just the engine from an Avanti (engine # R-3318)? It would be interesting to know the highest engine number (using the old system) for both R1 and R2 engines. Engine R-3346 in your Avanti (R-4900) may be one of the highest numbers that Studebaker assigned to an R1 in an Avanti. I'll do more checking, although it may take me awhile to get to it.

Does anyone have an Avanti with a higher R1 engine number than R-3346?

George

Hi George,
Just to clarify... I have R3318, engine only, sitting in my garage. I don't know the whereabouts of the car it belongs to. It came to me already separated from its engine bay.
Now, as to the R-4900 Avanti. I have the car, but not the original engine which belongs to R-4900.
But that is why I was curious to know the correct engine number for the car. To find that the engine number for my car was close to to the one I had in my possession was surprising.

[R3 challenger]

OK, got it, Sal. Thanks.

George

[swvalcon]

Sal take a grinder to the number on engine R 3318 and take a metal stamp set and pound in R 3346 and there you go.

[sals54]

Sal take a grinder to the number on engine R 3318 and take a metal stamp set and pound in R 3346 and there you go.

Yeah, but its not really that important to me anyway. I suppose I could do that to any late 289 at some point. I would certainly disclose that to any future buyer, but it might be fun to have matching numbers just for fun. But I've already sold the R engine anyway, so that's a moot point.
My Avanti is a running, driving car with a 350 in it now, so I don't think I'll disassemble it just to go back to original yet. The interior is in pretty good, usable shape except for the dash, which is toasted. I'm shopping for a dash now.
I'd like to have two cars ready for La Palma. The Avanti and my chopped 56 Wagon. The engine and trans are back in the wagon. Getting ready for cooling system. I'm going to use EZ wiring for the wagon.