Avanti 63R-1025!

[SN-60]

Ever wonder what happened to the Hot Rod Magazine 1963 Studebaker Avanti R3 road test car?....Paxton's 'fastest accelerating Avanti'!....Well, it's alive and well!..........Read the story on the AVANTI FORUM........ in the 'AVANTI TRIVIA' feature!!

[64V-K7]

That's been on my list since 2004..

[nels]

I thought another member owned the test car but it was an earlier number than 1025. I wonder if there were two of them?

[SN-60]

Anyone know THREE ways to increase a 289 CI Studebaker to 299 CI?........Find out on the '63R-1025' post on the AOAI FORUM!!

[rcrall]

I recently found out that there was a post on AOAI asking questions about 63R-1025. It is in my hanger on my farm not too far from Kennebunk Maine, a long way from the San Francisco east bay where I purchased it in 69 or 70.

63R-1025 was a development vehicle. It was sold by Studebaker to Paxton products. The factory to dealer invoice was printed with a vehicle cost of $500, a bunch of other charges, and a net amount. The vehicle price was scratched out and a normal price hand written, then the bunch of other charges, then a big credit with a final net price of $500. It was used by Paxton and driven with California Manufacturer plates until eventually sold to Vince Granetelli as a 65 Studebaker. I have his bill of sale to the man that I purchased it from, so ownership was Paxton Products,Vince Granetelli, Bill Alderman, then Ronald Crall purchased it about 45 years ago. According to my conversation with Andy G a few years ago, it was his daily driver and he personally raced it at Riverside beating Hemi's in the 1/2 mile drags held at the time. He said it held the 1/2 mile record for awhile, and since 1/2 mile events ended not long after, may still have that distinction. Attempts to get records from Riverside have yielded nothing.

There are many other pieces of information that have come out, some recently. If interested in this car's unusual history take a look at th AOAI forum.

My son and I will be working on it this summer as well as a recent addition, a 71 4 speed RQB-1703

Ron Crall

[mbstude]

Ron, thanks for posting. Your brother was telling me all about your car at our last SDC chapter meeting a couple of weeks ago. What a cool Avanti!!

I recently found out that there was a post on AOAI asking questions about 63R-1025. It is in my hanger on my farm not too far from Kennebunk Maine, a long way from the San Francisco east bay where I purchased it in 69 or 70.

63R-1025 was a development vehicle. It was sold by Studebaker to Paxton products. The factory to dealer invoice was printed with a vehicle cost of $500, a bunch of other charges, and a net amount. The vehicle price was scratched out and a normal price hand written, then the bunch of other charges, then a big credit with a final net price of $500. It was used by Paxton and driven with California Manufacturer plates until eventually sold to Vince Granetelli as a 65 Studebaker. I have his bill of sale to the man that I purchased it from, so ownership was Paxton Products, Bill Alderman, then Ronald Crall purchased it about 45 years ago. According to my conversation with Andy G a few years ago, it was his daily driver and he personally raced it at Riverside beating Hemi's in the 1/2 mile drags held at the time. He said it held the 1/2 mile record for awhile, and since 1/2 mile events ended not long after, may still have that distinction. Attempts to get records from Riverside have yielded nothing.

There are many other pieces of information that have come out, some recently. If interested in this car's unusual history take a look at th AOAI forum.

My son and I will be working on it this summer as well as a recent addition, a 71 4 speed RQB-1703

Ron Crall

[SN-60]

Ron, thanks for posting. Your brother was telling me all about your car at our last SDC chapter meeting a couple of weeks ago. What a cool Avanti!!

Welcome back Matt!!!.....And feel free to browse AVANTI TRIVIA on the AOAI FORUM!

[rcrall]

Yesterday at the New England zone meet i showed a couple of people the factory to dealer invoice and zone car delivery report. One of them noted that although the car was released to Paxton Products "as is" on 7/19/62 that the invoice and delivery report are dated two years later on 7/27/64. The bottom line price to Paxton after a very large credit to account 462-56-09 was $500.00



They are for Serial # R 1025 and Engine # RS 1021



Per both Andy and Vince Granetelli, RS 1021 was the development R3, it was the only engine stroked to 299". Increasing the stroke provided a little more torque and provided a faster accelerating engine. It was provided for road test reports (Hot Rod Magazine 1st R3 Road Test was one of them) and Andy also drag raced it at Riverside 1/2 mile events where it was capable of beating 426 Hemi MoPars.



The heads have a triple valve spring with the center one having a reverse wind, the valve retainers are very light and each one visually different, obviously hand made on a lathe, the combustion chambers are re-shaped and the intake and exhaust ports have had extensive work having a very smooth surface and flowing curves. The engine mounts on the frame have been re-worked allowing the engine to sit so low that the crank pulley will rub the steering if the rubber mounts are not replaced occasionally. In any case, the engine must be lifted to replace the belts. It has R3 exhaust manifolds, a competition Paxton blower (Verified by Paxton when sent to them for a rebuild following an impeller explosion) and the cam.



This is the engine that Studebaker and its Paxton division provided the media and raced stating that it was an "R3" It was a Studebaker owned car until July 1964 when it was sold by them with the engine that they had declared to be an "R3" I do not know how this vehicle can be considered anything other than a "Factory R3"



Per both Andy and Vince Granetelli "We built the R3's so any engine that we call and R3 is an R3"

[SN-60]

The RS 1021 engine (R3) was in the car when it was owned by Studebaker. Later on, the company ultimately sold off the car. Although there are people who will always disagree, I too see your car as a 'factory' R3 Avanti.

This would also be true for the 'Hot Rod Magazine Spl'...the 1964 R3 Daytona currently owned by another member of this forum.

[rcrall]

I suspect that there are several more of the early factory prototypes that per both Studebaker and Paxton promoted as "R3" Studebaker's. If it was sold by Studebaker to the first owner with an "R3" engine installed is should be considered a factory R3.

Chrysler, Ford, and GM sub contract assembly of low production vehicles to others. There was a series of Corvette convertibles where coupes were forwarded to a vendor for conversion to convertibles, many of the Ford limited production high performance vehicles are assembled by others, many of the NASCAR special "production" vehicles of the era were completed by 3rd parties, however; all are considered "factory" cars.

[SN-60]

I no longer have the issue of 'HOT ROD MAGAZINE' in which 63R-1025 was tested, but I recall that the 1/4 mile times on this car were either in the low 'thirteens' or the high 'twelves'.

Maybe it was because of the Granatelli 'magic touch', but those times really were excellent considering the skinny tires, etc.

[Gunslinger]

I think if those R3 cars were sold by Studebaker, they might be called "factory" R3 cars, but I wouldn't characterize them as factory "production" R3 cars. Productions cars were built to an accepted standard regarding how they were assembled, equipped, prepped, etc. Those being considered here weren't done that way. My opinion only.

The Granatellis were also known to "cheat" when prepping cars for testing by members of the press and for testing. That wasn't confined to them...others did it as well...just think of the Pontiac GTO provided to the auto press that actually had a 421 engine in place of the stock 389. No one on the street could duplicate the performance of the magazine test "389" car.

[SN-60]

I think if those R3 cars were sold by Studebaker, they might be called "factory" R3 cars, but I wouldn't characterize them as factory "production" R3 cars. Productions cars were built to an accepted standard regarding how they were assembled, equipped, prepped, etc. Those being considered here weren't done that way. My opinion only.

I'd go along with that.............These cars, (and a few others), were certainly 'Factory' Studebakers......but not 'Production Line' Studebakers.

[rcrall]

I agree with Gunslingers assessment. There were 9 R3 Avanti's produced in South Bend on the assembly line and distinguishing between "Factory Production" and "Factory" R3's is totally appropriate.

63R-1025 also qualifies under the "cheat" provision as it was purpose built for better acceleration rather than top speed. In addition to being stroked instead of bored to achieve 299 Cu Inches, the car had a "Competition" blower verses the blowers installed on the "Production" cars and the valve train was likely also unique. Andy G used 8,000 rpm as the shift point. The car was never dyno'd, however Andy stated that he could not have beat a 426 Mopar unless he had at least 500 HP

[8E45E]

I agree with Gunslingers assessment. There were 9 R3 Avanti's produced in South Bend on the assembly line and distinguishing between "Factory Production" and "Factory" R3's is totally appropriate.

Agree totally. It also applies to the lone 'factory production' R3 Commander 2 door sedan, owned by Nels, while the R3 Daytona that was in the December, 1963 Hot Rod Magazine, also owned by Nels could be considered 'Factory', or 'Factory-prepared' as it was not built on the production line.

Craig