Avanti interior combinations

[floydjaehnert]

I have a 1963 Avanti serial #4716 that has an all black interior, black steering wheel and column with fawn instrument panel and fawn shift consul panels.I have been advised by some that the steering wheel should be either fawn or wood grain but it does not appear that the wheel has been repainted.

[JDP]

The black wheel was used on some Avanti's II's, but not on the Studebaker's. It's either a II wheel, or a repaint.

JDP/Maryland
64 R2 GT cost to date
$58,185.77
63 GT Hawk
63 Lark 2 door
59 Scotsman
52 Starliner
51 Commander
39 Coupe express
39 Coupe express (rod)

[JBOYLE]

quote:Originally posted by JDP

The black wheel was used on some Avanti's II's, but not on the Studebaker's. It's either a II wheel, or a repaint.

After seeing what Avanti wheels go for, my guess it's a II wheel used as a replacement.
I'm guessing they were (at one time anyway) cheaper than a Stude unit.

63 Avanti R1 2788
1914 Stutz Bearcat
(George Barris replica)

Washington State

[JDP]

Here's a 67 Avanti II wheel



JDP/Maryland
64 R2 GT cost to date
$59856.52
63 GT Hawk
63 Lark 2 door
59 Scotsman
54 Starlight
52 Starliner
51 Commander
39 Coupe express
39 Coupe express (rod)

[nels]

No, the black steering wheel is original to some Studes. There was an all black interior option available in late '63 just prior to serial 4892. Dash pad, tops of doors, sail panels, roll bar cover, even the console plates and dash surround on some cars were painted black. The black steering wheel was also sold by Avanti Motors after the fawn and walnut wheels were gone. Your car quit possibly had the black wheel. A production order might give you a hint. I think it would have the 64 trim id # for the interior if it were the all black.

[JDP]

Never heard of a black wheel with the all black option, but then again, I only had one such car. Since his had fawn trim, I did not suspect the black option anyway. The one I had used the wood grained wheel and I thought they painted left over fawn wheels for Avanti II use when they ran out of woodgrain.

JDP/Maryland
64 R2 GT cost to date
$59856.52
63 GT Hawk
63 Lark 2 door
59 Scotsman
54 Starlight
52 Starliner
51 Commander
39 Coupe express
39 Coupe express (rod)

[nels]

The black wheels were solid black plastic, not painted. I think Bob Doehler's (sp)Avanti also had the black wheel. I bought a nos black steering wheel from him years ago.

[53k]

quote:Originally posted by JDP

Never heard of a black wheel with the all black option, but then again, I only had one such car. Since his had fawn trim, I did not suspect the black option anyway. The one I had used the wood grained wheel and I thought they painted left over fawn wheels for Avanti II use when they ran out of woodgrain.

They did some kind of strange things in the so-called transition models. My 4870 had the woodgrain dash and console, but was '63 otherwise (fawn and black w/salt and pepper carpet, round headlights. The funny thing was the console levers were the winged '63 type. About the same time I bought the remains of 4901 (wrecked). It was a round headlight car, but otherwise was completely '64 (solid turquoise interior, black carpets, round knobs on the console levers).
I, too, have seen original '63s with the black wheel/dash.



[img=right]http://www.frontiernet.net/~thejohnsons/Forum%20signature%20pix/R-4.JPG[/img=right][img=right]http://www.frontiernet.net/~thejohnsons/Forum%20signature%20pix/64L.JPG[/img=right][img=right]http://www.frontiernet.net/~thejohnsons/Forum%20signature%20pix/64P.jpg[/img=right][img=right]http://www.frontiernet.net/~thejohnsons/Forum%20signature%20pix/53K.jpg[/img=right]Paul Johnson
'53 Commander Starliner (since 1966)
'64 Daytona Wagonaire (original owner)
'64 Daytona Convertible (2006)
Museum R-4 engine

[nels]

I would imagine that those transition Avantis may have been styling studies before the final 64 interiors were released. Rather than discard all the incidental interior pieces and rebuild the already built models, they just sold them.