1964 Avanti R-1 might be sold

[jnfweber]

I have 9 cars for an 8 car garage, and my 1965 Cruiser is just about to come out of the paint shop. I need to prepare my 1964 Cruiser for painting, and my 1964 Avanti R-1 is the best candidate to put outside covered with a blue plastic tarp under a tan Wolf car cover from CostCo. Yes, I am another CASO. Anyway, I bought this Avanti around 1996 in Villa Park, CA, and it has around 98,000 miles. It is regularly driven and runs great, considering the age of the engine. Everything is original except the wheels, which are Crager. The paint is faded and original, as is the interior. I am thinking about selling it. It has had most of its maintenance done by Mike and Jon Meyers, including stainless steel exhaust, and the power steering hoses have been replaced. I have also replaced the right electric window motor, and the door panel has been put back in place. The only problem is up and down are reversed on the switch, and I am too lazy to remove the door panel again. I have also rebuilt the AFB carburetor and modified the intake gaskets as Jon Meyer has recommended to prevent boiling the ethanol-laced gas. I paid $7,500 for the car in 1996 and might take a reasonable offer. If I put it on e-bay I would put a $10,000 reserve on it. I am located in Anaconda, Montana, and it has been garaged with a car cover for the last eight years. Before that it was covered in the Fullerton, CA area. The link is to my Photobucket page, and I have included a photo on this forum. All my Studebakers were transported to Montana in 2005.

http://s1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa455/jnfweber/1964%20Studebaker%20Avanti%20R-1/

[WCP]

I hope you mean to put a blue plastic tarp over top of a tan Wolf car cover. To do it in reverse will surely ruin the paint! Plastic tarps on good paint, outside - bad news!

[M15 Trucker]

That was quite a move from Fullerton, CA to Anaconda, MT. I lived in Fullerton for most of my early years, not to far from Troy High School. And for several years in East Orange, next to Villa Park. What part of Fullerton did you live in? I see Anacond is near Butte, is that close to the Bitter Root Valley? A beautiful place from what I hear. I moved to OKlahoma in 2005 after moving to New Jersey in 2000 then Pennsylvania in 2002. CA was getting too growded for me and too many rules. How about you? I see you have some of the same aged Studes as me. I have a '63 Cruiser, '63 R2 Avanti, '45 M15 truck and '40 President sedan. I would like to get a late model '64 Avanti, but have other priorities right now, maybe in 6 mo. Take care.
Mike

[64V-K7]

Is that one R5213?

[SN-60]

Ther really must have been quite an extended run of 'Avanti Red' '64's with all black interiors. Once again, the factory press car had this look, and I believe Studebaker Management thought this combo 'was right'.

[jnfweber]

Is that one R5213?

"Right with Eversharp", as they used to say on "The 64 Dollar Question". I guess I am betraying my age with that quote from a time of less inflation, when I bought my one-owner Model A for $100. As listed on Bob Johnstone's Avanti, Engine RJ-304 / Body Tag RQ-4110. This car was purchased from one Sy Margolis in Villa Park, CA on June 14, 1993. He had let it sit out in the weather which explains why the front bumper is rusty. Stainless pipes by Meyer's on June 21, 193, plus a lot of other stuff. I can't find it right now, but once I totaled the work and parts from Meyer's to total around $4,500. Of course, I am just "thinking" about selling it, as it is almost as difficult a decision as putting up a retarded child up for adoption. <g>

Jack in Montana

[jnfweber]

I hope you mean to put a blue plastic tarp over top of a tan Wolf car cover. To do it in reverse will surely ruin the paint! Plastic tarps on good paint, outside - bad news!

I guess I know that, and the 64's had rain gutters. The paint is original, has a nice patina of oxidation, and it will be in a dry cold climate, although it is alternating between rain, grapple, and snow today. It will sit on the north side of our three story house and will only get early morning and late evening sun during the summer. The cheap car cover would probably be enough. Only problem, that is where I park my $300 40 year-old aluminum fishing boat and trailer (6 hp engine). Well, I won't be using that until June, and I will probably start the car several times just to get it out from in front of the boat. <g>

Jack in Montana

[jnfweber]

That was quite a move from Fullerton, CA to Anaconda, MT. I lived in Fullerton for most of my early years, not to far from Troy High School. And for several years in East Orange, next to Villa Park. What part of Fullerton did you live in? I see Anacond is near Butte, is that close to the Bitter Root Valley? A beautiful place from what I hear. I moved to OKlahoma in 2005 after moving to New Jersey in 2000 then Pennsylvania in 2002. CA was getting too growded for me and too many rules. How about you? I see you have some of the same aged Studes as me. I have a '63 Cruiser, '63 R2 Avanti, '45 M15 truck and '40 President sedan. I would like to get a late model '64 Avanti, but have other priorities right now, maybe in 6 mo. Take care.
Mike

Hi Mike,

I actually lived in La Habra Heights, which is just north of Fullerton. There is a T-shirt that says "Where the Hell is La Habra?" This car was also serviced by Frend (Studebaker) Auto Service, just north of the famous ""La Palma" Park on Anaheim Blvd. To answer your other question, the Bitterroot Valley is about 80 miles west of Anaconda. Missoula (University of Montana) sits at the confluence of the Bitterroot River and the Clark Fork, usually referred to by locals and the Montana Highway Department as the "Clark Fork" without the word "river". Why "Bitterroot" is one word is beyond me, but it is the state flower. Also we have the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, which contains two Montana contractions, although the town of Deer Lodge, the seat of Granite County, is just north of Anaconda, the seat of Deer Lodge County. Go figure! Anaconda is about 22 miles north of Butte on I-90 and Deer Lodge is about 22 miles north of Anaconda. I still have all the cars pictured on the car hauler, plus a Malibu Blue 65 Cruiser whose trunk and engine compartment were re-painted today. I also belong to O.E.C. chapter of S.D.C. and still own a home in L.H.H. I prefer living in Montana, "where men are men and sheep run scared." <g>

Jack

[Milaca]

Jack, could this car be trusted to drive from Montana to Minnesota or would it need some work? Use much or any oil? Aside from paint, chrome plating and some upholstery, what other things may be needed to make it a good driver quality car?
I like the color combination and knowing that it came from a dry climate but I think $10,000 may be a bit high. Any of you knowledgable Avanti guys care to share what this car may be worth in today's market??

[SN-60]

This Avanti has much potential, and some good things have already been done to it. If the frame and boxes are solid, and You can do some repairs Yourself, it's well worth the $10,000.00. People have
spent a lot more for a lot less. (Some folks would feel that just because it's an unaltered '64 square light, with MOST of the running changes that were implemented, it would have a higher value.)

[jnfweber]

Jack, could this car be trusted to drive from Montana to Minnesota or would it need some work? Use much or any oil? Aside from paint, chrome plating and some upholstery, what other things may be needed to make it a good driver quality car? I like the color combination and knowing that it came from a dry climate but I think $10,000 may be a bit high. Any of you knowledgable Avanti guys care to share what this car may be worth in today's market??

I bought this car from the third owner in 1993, with 97,730 miles on the odometer. It currently has 101,227 miles, so I have put on 3,497 miles on the car. The water pump was replaced and the radiator was re-cored in 1989. Power steering rebuilt in 1993, along with SS pipes, The starter was rebuilt in 1995 and I replaced the alternator with a new one containing the voltage regulator in 2011. The tires are the same ones on the car in 1993, and probably for some time before that. For that reason, I would not drive this car to Minnesota. I have added a couple photos of the engine compartment to the Photobucket album, and it needs to be detailed, including rechroming the air filter enclosure. The car is a "driver" now, and as you can see, the front seat backs need work on the corners, but the cushions are good and original with pockets, as are the rear seats. For a car that is 48 years old, it is pretty good. I have uploaded 21 more photos of the car to Photobucket, so now there are 42 to view as a slide show. Feel free to look at my other cars as well. http://s1198.photobucket.com/albums/...0Avanti%20R-1/

I have just removed the bumpers, grill, and side trim from my 1964 Cruiser, and it will go to the paint shop when I get the door panels off and the trunk cleaned up. It also needs a good washing for grime accumulated under the trim. After coffee, I will check with the paint shop as I expect the '65 Cruiser will have a fresh coat of single stage DuPont Malibu Blue. Oh, since I am resting from clearing 250 feet of sidewalk and driveway of 2 inches of fresh snow, I checked my records, and as a guess, since 1989, approximately $5,500 has been spent on "running changes" (repair and replace) to the Avanti. I also have a '63 R-2 with similar expenditures, although the initial cost was $12,000 in 1991. No one can expect to make money owning an Avanti.



Jack in Montana

[Milaca]

Hello Jack, thanks for adding more photos as one can never have too many. I've been hoping for more response as to the value of this car but I can see that a lot of money could be spent in making it look as nice as your 1963 Avanti appears to be. With the amount of sidewalk and driveway that you shovel, perhaps I could trade you a 1965 International 4x4 with snowplow?