Factory fuel injected Avanti?

[Studebaker Wheel]

Somewhere in my archives I have a credible reference to a factory built (experimental) fuel injected Avanti. Has this topic been previously covered? If not I will try to find the reference.

[Jessie J.]

Likely recalling the one-off Bonneville experimental R-5 'Due Cento' Avanti (EX2942) constructed by Granatelli under contract to Studebaker, which employed a large single Bendix fuel injector adapted from aircraft engine usage.
Just enter a search under 'Due Cento' for the details.

[Studebaker Wheel]

Likely recalling the one-off Bonneville experimental R-5 'Due Cento' Avanti (EX2942) constructed by Granatelli under contract to Studebaker, which employed a large single Bendix fuel injector adapted from aircraft engine usage.
Just enter a search under 'Due Cento' for the details.

Don't believe this was the same car. My recollection was that it was built in So. Bend (Studebaker engineering) and driven extensively on the street for testing.

[Jessie J.]

In 1963, Granatelli achieved a USAC-certified top speed of 196.62 mph (316.6 km/h) with the R-5 Avanti.
To put this accomplishment into perspective, consider the Hot Rod magazine car featured on pages 42-49, Jan 2017 issue.

53 years latter, and countless millions spent on engine and technology development, a vehicle with much less frontal area, and it's still a tough row to hoe for a modern 5 liter to outdo that crude antique Granatelli breathed on Studebaker mill.

[Jessie J.]

50+ years of perusing historical Avanti materials. And never heard of this one before.
Have a serial #? Color? photograph? Anything at all to go on?

[Studebaker Wheel]

50+ years of perusing historical Avanti materials. And never heard of this one before.
Have a serial #? Color? photograph? Anything at all to go on?

I am sure I am correct re this. Just have to find my source. In fact a long time SDC member in So. Bend has a partial FI system from the engineering dept. I will look tomorrow as I believe I know the general area that I might be able to find the documentation. Will post later.

[Jessie J.]

Sorry that my post sounded skeptical, Really wouldn't much surprise me (I know that I don't know everything) and Studebaker's Engineering Dept. engaged in a lot of hush hush secret experimental projects.
Sad that much of the experimental engineering drawings and documentation was ordered destroyed or went 'missing' upon cessation of S.B. production. Here's hoping that you can find what you are looking for.

[Warren Webb]

I seem to remember Chrysler & AMC having an electronic fuel injection system around 58 (?) but cars were taken back & changed back to carburation. They may have been a Bendix system & if so Studebaker would have been involved in their development also. It wasn't until 75 when the 76 Seville came out that the computer systems needed were mature enough to make it reliable.

[Stunt]

I seem to remember Chrysler & AMC having an electronic fuel injection system around 58 (?) but cars were taken back & changed back to carburation. They may have been a Bendix system & if so Studebaker would have been involved in their development also. It wasn't until 75 when the 76 Seville came out that the computer systems needed were mature enough to make it reliable.

The 57 AMC Rebel - which I've heard said was the only US production car that could compete with the Golden Hawk for performance - was supposed to be available with Bendix fuel injection, but ended up being problematic enough, particularly in cold weather, that only pre-production cars had it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramble...jection_option

[M15 Trucker]

Somewhere in my archives I have a credible reference to a factory built (experimental) fuel injected Avanti. Has this topic been previously covered? If not I will try to find the reference.

Could Studebaker Engineering have used the Bendix "Electrojector" multi-port fuel injection system used on the mid 50s Desoto and Chrysler V8 engines, on an R3 type engine?

[8E45E]

Don't believe this was the same car. My recollection was that it was built in So. Bend (Studebaker engineering) and driven extensively on the street for testing.

Are you sure it was an Avanti, and not a 1958 Golden Hawk?

I believe in TW a few years ago, Ed Reynolds mentioned his father drove one around South Bend a brief period of time for evaluation. I also recall in the same article, either it, or a different car had a pushbutton lubrication system installed similar to what Ford offered on Lincolns, Mercurys, and Edsels at the time.

Craig

[53k]

I seem to remember Chrysler & AMC having an electronic fuel injection system around 58 (?) but cars were taken back & changed back to carburation. They may have been a Bendix system & if so Studebaker would have been involved in their development also. It wasn't until 75 when the 76 Seville came out that the computer systems needed were mature enough to make it reliable.

1957 Chevrolet 283s were available with fuel injection.

[6hk71400]

I seem to remember Chrysler & AMC having an electronic fuel injection system around 58 (?) but cars were taken back & changed back to carburation. They may have been a Bendix system & if so Studebaker would have been involved in their development also. It wasn't until 75 when the 76 Seville came out that the computer systems needed were mature enough to make it reliable.

There was an article years ago in Cars and Parts (the old good one not the new one that took the good name and put on it on a marginal magazine) that featured a 1958 Desoto with the fuel injection system. One of a kind detailing what was necessary to restore correctly the car. Problem was most of those cars including the 57 Chevrolet was reliability.

Bob Miles
Tucson AZ

[8E45E]

1957 Chevrolet 283s were available with fuel injection.

I believe Warren is referring to electronically controlled fuel injection systems.

He is forgetting Bosch introduced their 'Jetronic' in the late 1960's first used on Volkswagens, which was based on the Bendix Electrojector system, but with much greater success. By the time the Seville came out, Bosch fuel injection was already being used on VW, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Volvo, and others.

From BP's favorite automotive paper: http://www.autonews.com/article/2004...history-lesson

Craig

[clonelark]

Beat me to the VW fuel injection, I bought a new 70 VW fastback with fi, never had a problem with it,
Also the 57 Pontiac had a fuel injection option.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u63btvXbEg