41 years difference - new toy/old toy - lost hero

[sbca96]

UPDATED per new picture location - 2/25/09

Picked up my new toy (2004 Pontiac GTO) about 2 and a half weeks ago.
I had to move the Avanti into storage to get room in the garage to do
work on the '86 IROC to sell it. Once out of the garage, I thought it
was worth taking a picture of the two together. There are a lot of
similarities between the two cars, wheelbase, gas tank location, rear
seat room, etc. I absolutely love this car, and being a manual it will
help me improve my shifting in the Avanti (driving a manual only twice
a month doesnt make a pro). Its dang fast, and I have been getting a
combined mpg of 22-23 mpg, thats with bumper to bumper SB traffic each
morning and evening to pick up my wife.[^]





Unfortunately, I can not drive the car right now, since I am sore from
an accident that my wife and I were involved in on Tuesday. Recently,
we had JUST put a couple grand into my wife's '95 Camaro Z28 to keep it
in premo condition until she gets her '09 Camaro. An SUV cut her off
and slammed on his brakes in front of us, my wife swerved to avoid the
rear of his SUV, and the back end came around, sending the car into the
center divider. I broke the side glass with my head. The low life left
the scene of the accident. Big surprise there.

The build quality of this car saved our lives, not too mention it also
stayed right side up even after getting airborne when we hit the wall.







Tom

'63 Avanti, zinc plated drilled & slotted 03 Mustang Cobra 13" front disc/98 GT rear brakes, 03 Cobra 17" wheels, GM alt, 97 Z28 leather seats, soon: TKO 5-spd, Ported heads w/SST full flow valves, 'R3' 276 cam, Edelbrock AFB Carb, GM HEI distributor, 8.8mm plug wires

[avantilover]

I'm glad you like the GTO Tom, they were made 30 minutes from me, the Aussie Holden Monaro version was popular too.

John Clements
Avantilover, your South Australian Studebaker lover!!!
Lockleys South Australia

[jnewkirk77]

Glad you both made it through the wreck and lived to tell the tale. You're right about the way the later Camaros were built; that space-frame construction really helps them hold up quite well in collisions. Especially compared to the Fox ('79-93) Mustangs. I've seen those break apart like a dropped dish in wrecks not nearly so severe as the one you and your wife were in.

The most recent GTO reminds me more of the mid-'70s Grand Am. It's a nice-sized, comfortable car, well sorted out, with LOTS of power. A friend of mine had a '74 Grand Am sedan when we were in high school, and he used to get the biggest kick out of blowing the doors off much newer and supposedly faster iron with that big four-barrel 455 under the hood. Of course, his Dad removed the A/C, all the smog stuff and built that motor for just that sort of driving ...

I noted you mentioned selling your IROC. Dad and I briefly had an early IROC that my grandparents inherited and gave to us when Dad's older brother passed away. Neither one of us could bring ourselves to drive it much, as we missed Uncle Tim quite a bit and it just brought up painful memories, so we sold it. I don't know where it ended up, but I have a feeling someone may still be enjoying it. I hope so, because it was one heckuva ride!

Jacob Newkirk - Owensboro, KY

KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL! Drive a Studebaker!

[Swifster]

Tom, I'm glad you and your wife are OK. Imagine if that accident had happened in the Avanti or in a Lark [:0] . With the crazy drivers here in FL, I could never use one as a daily driver.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom - Mulberry, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona - 289 4V, 4-Speed (Cost To Date: $1826.83)

[Mark57]

Tom, Glad to hear that you and your wife are going to be OK - that's the most imporatnt part as others have mentioned. I wish I could explain why folks drive like maniacs and why that behaviour seems to be much more widespread all across the continent... Even in the relatvely small community where I live (~30,000 people), crazy driving habits are becoming the norm instead of the exception. Definitely requires much more vigilance on my part when I've got my Stude out on the road.

<h5>Mark
'57 Transtar
3E-6/7-122 </h5>

[garyash]

Now all you need is the fiberglass body parts used on the recent Avantis (just before they switched to Mustang chassis) so you can convert that bent Camaro into an Avanti. I wonder if there are some of those body shells left down in Mexico.

[img=left]http://www.studegarage.com/images/gary_ash_m5_sm.jpg[/img=left] Gary Ash
Dartmouth, Mass.
'48 M5
'65 Wagonaire Commander
'63 Wagonaire Standard
web site at http://www.studegarage.com

[sbca96]

Nah Gary, its a total loss. The center console is bent and the seats
are facing off in different directions. The whole floor pan has been
distorted. We were going probably 50-60 mph when we hit the wall.

Thanks all for your kind words, we are truely lucky to be alive.

Tom

[bams50]

Sorry to hear about your accident, Tom. Glad to hear you're both okay.

Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"With your Lark you're on your own, free as a bird, alive as a Lark. You've suddenly discovered that parking is a pleasure, traffic is a breeze, turning's no trick at all, and happiness is a thing called Larking!"

[showbizkid]

Tom, sorry to hear about the accident. You'll be sore for a while...had the same thing happen to me a while back. I have two words of advice: Tiger Balm.


[img=left]http://members.cox.net/clarknovak/lark.gif[/img=left]

Clark in San Diego
'63 F2/Lark Standard

http://studeblogger.blogspot.com

https://www.studebakersandiego.com

[Thomas63R2]

I dig the late model GTO. Recently I attended a show at http://www.haddadmotorsports.com/ - there were 64 of the Holden GTO's in attendence.

Thomas

Long time hot rodder
Packrat junk collector
'63 Avanti R2 4 speed

[loc8tor]

Glad everyone is ok, sorry to see your "trade" getting totaled before the new Camaro has even hit the showroom. Looked like a pretty clean car too!
I wasnt to keen on the new goat until I sat in one! Oh my gosh! I was afraid to drive it, didnt want to have to open the check book every month which is what would have happened, fur sure!
The 2004 is the slower of the new gen of GTO, but its still packs a pretty powerful punch compared to most 04 and up cars. And upgrades are all avaialble from the aftermarket.
And I wanted to say I like the Avanti too!

hmmm, my girlfriend has 2 GT Hawks....and I feel left out, wheres my "R" model Daytona????

[sbca96]

Yes, she took care of that car like a baby, it was her release at the
end of a long day, & the reason she busted her butt each day at work.
When she left work, she would walk out to her bright white Camaro and
instantly feel better ... shes cried every day since Tuesday. Leather
was mint, the body had no door dings, she would park out in the end of
the lot and walk, or grab an end spot and hug the line. The list of
aftermarket parts on the car is quite long, and ALL quality parts. The
list I came up with for the last 3 years is over $7000 dollars. As I
mentioned we JUST had the roof and mirrors fixed due to the clear coat
starting to flake. She had the ram air hood on for two weeks.

Those that second guess the GTO should remember the old saying not to
judge a book by its cover. Once you get inside its a whole different
ballgame, and your opinion starts to change. A friend of mine that is
a GTO hater I let drive it last week, he was amazed, impressed and now
sees the car in a different light.

Thanks, the Avanti gets a lot of attention, I get SO many compliments
from the younger crowd. Usually high school aged kids yell out "COOL
Car!!" to me as I drive down the road or at a gas station.

Tom

[Lark289]

Sorry to hear about your accident. That was a pretty car. Great picture of the GTO and Avanti. What is your wife going to get to replace the Camaro?

Ready for a trip to the beach!

[Lenny R2]

Tom glad to hear you & your wife were not hurt.I am sure she
loved that car but its more important that you are both okay.

Lenny
Atlanta Ga.

[Thomas63R2]

Although the 2004 GTO may seem to be the "lesser" version, it has some advantages with a much easier to rework computer etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZkIHi2FKR0&feature=related

Ken's GTO has Cartek heads, turbo cam, dished forged pistons, stock CID, tuning, STS kit with the 67 turbo running on pump gas and methanol injection. It's running about 10 psi. The trans is slipping and is hitting the rev limiter on the 10.68 e.t. @ 129 mph run.

Thomas




Long time hot rodder
Packrat junk collector
'63 Avanti R2 4 speed