Other: What is the typical top end speed for a '63 R1 Avanti

[Never Enough Studebakers]

The Avanti has the original 289 R1. The rear end is a 3.31. Automatic transmission. I can get it up to 70 MPH @3000 RPM. It seems to top out at 70 MPH. I have not found anywhere yet as to the top end factory speed of this set up.


Interested in what others with the same set up are seeing?

Thanks
Jim

[sals54]

Dang Jim, something is wrong if you're only getting 70mph. It may not be serious, but you should be able to squeak out at least 120 out of that car, even if everything is in just moderate condition.
I would start with a complete tune-up. Make sure everything is adjusted as it should be. Make sure valves are adjusted. Are you using 91 gas? Your timing will be very important given the poor quality of todays gasoline, so make sure your distributor is in good working order. If your advance is not functioning, or if the bearings are shot, you'll not be making best use of your ignition.
Plugs new and clean? Compression check? Is the trans slipping, or will it simply not go above 3000 rpms?
If not, I would check throttle FIRST. Carburetor OK? Throttle opening fully? (this is the easiest to check. Just have someone push the pedal all the way down while the engine is off, and see if there is any further movement left on the carb)
Good luck. But it does not sound like its fatal. Probably a timing/tuning issue if its not making any ugly sounds.
My son had a 350 powered 72 Jaguar which was a real dog. We found out the throttle cable had been kinked. Once we had that free, it would take off like a rocket. Fun car to drive. I think yours will be too.

[Never Enough Studebakers]

I will have more technical details later, but for now I'm just looking as to what one can expect out of these R1's. I think the transmission is junk. Its a cobbled up cluster from one of the previous owners. This one has been discussed a lot on other posts in the SDC Forum.

[PackardV8]

It seems to top out at 70 MPH.

Yes, if yours stops at 70 MPH, something is very wrong. What are the symptoms when it stops pulling?

but you should be able to squeak out at least 120 out of that car, even if everything is in just moderate condition.

Your opinions and results may vary, but none of my R1 Avanti would pull a GPS-verified 120 MPH. Can anyone cite a magazine road test of an R1 Avanti which gives top speed? All the magazines in my file are for R2 and R3.

jack vines

[Hawklover]

Back in the day when I was young foolish and living in Miami I would travel home (late at night) via I-95....... the Avanti had single leg 3:54 with 4-speed.........and was fed a steady diet of AMOCO lead free high test (1967). The car would (via the young foolish driver) reach speeds of 100 MPH with no problem.......with more "pedal"! I was however, afraid to bury the pedal to the floor.....I guess a little voice in my head said....you can get killed doing this. I doubt an R-1(with no mods running as is from the time it was made) could do this in 2017 running on standard pump gas of 91 octane......the detonation would be horrific.

[RadioRoy]

Be very wary of the tires at that speed. They might not hold together.

[StudeRich]

That is RIGHT, you could do over 100 MPH with the optional Firestone 500 Tires when New, but they were BIAS Ply, with today's soft, thin sidewall Radials, that would be really scary and maybe Deadly.

[Hawklover]

Rich back in the day the Firestone 500 was made of nylon, and it proved to be a material not suited to high speed tire use, indeed Corker tire will not re-pop these tires as they were when new for this reason, which is what I was told by Corky himself. The first radial tire I purchased was made by Firestone, it was called the F-100 radial.....complete garbage, but it took Firestone quite some time in their learning curve concerning radial tire manufacture.

That is RIGHT, you could do over 100 MPH with the optional Firestone 500 Tires when New, but they were BIAS Ply, with today's soft, thin sidewall Radials, that would be really scary and maybe Deadly.

[StudeRich]

Yep, I remember the first Radials made by American Co.'s. I bought a New '76 Plymouth Volare Premere Wagon with the 318 V8 option, I got the first year Goodyear Radials, that would follow the Southern Calif. rain-grooved Concrete freeway surfaces.

That would make it look like a Drunk was driving. After I got tired of having the Dealer fix all the Factory screw-ups and sold it, I heard they had recalled and replaced that version and Tread Design Tire.

I never knew if it was the Tires or the Transverse Torsion Bar Suspension that caused the bounce after stopping, that was weird.

I never heard that about nylon tire cords, the only thing they are known for is taking a "Set" after long standing, they should have been every bit as strong at speed as Rayon, and recommended by Studebaker for "Higher Speed" Driving.

[PackardV8]

That is RIGHT, you could do over 100 MPH with the optional Firestone 500 Tires when New, but they were BIAS Ply, with today's soft, thin sidewall Radials, that would be really scary and maybe Deadly.

Rich, we're going to agree to disagree on this one. I drive 'em like I stole 'em then and now. Today's radial tires are infinitely safer and more stable at 100+ MPH than were the OEM bias ply tires.

jack vines

[jnormanh]

Rich, we're going to agree to disagree on this one. I drive 'em like I stole 'em then and now. Today's radial tires are infinitely safer and more stable at 100+ MPH than were the OEM bias ply tires.

jack vines

Absolutely. Even cheapo tires of today are safe at the top speed of an R1 Avanti.

Top speed? Articles from the day with third wheel speedos were about 115 mph.

Yes, there are stories about much greater speeds. My dad owned a 1958 332 ci Ford wagon. It would bury the speedometer somewhere the far side of 120 mph. Truth is, it "might" have done 110.

I also owned a '60 Hawk. It would do an indicated 144 mph, speedo needle pointed straight down. Truth is, on it's best day it might have done 112.

[Never Enough Studebakers]

Yes, if yours stops at 70 MPH, something is very wrong. What are the symptoms when it stops pulling?

Your opinions and results may vary, but none of my R1 Avanti would pull a GPS-verified 120 MPH. Can anyone cite a magazine road test of an R1 Avanti which gives top speed? All the magazines in my file are for R2 and R3.

jack vines

It feels like I am pushing a billboard into a 40MPH head wind. As stated earlier, there have been many posts about this car's transmission. This girl has a throttle control lever and a vacuum modulator. The Avanti never came with this set up. Someone has cobbeled, I'm guessing a FORD internals into the Stude trans. It feels like something is fighting with each other. This girl taking off from a stand still is embarrasing. I am going to change to a better air filter and no I don't expect this to fix things, its just needed. Hoping a better breath of air will improve something.

[acolds]

I have Car life road test of 1963 R1 with air 3.31 a Powershift under performance top speed 120 @ 5000

[spokejr]

Jim,

Will the car pull past 3,000 RPM in either 1st or 2nd?

While there may well be problems with the trans as well, if the engine doesn't wind up past 3k in any gear, I would be checking timing, ignition condition, throttle linkage and carburation, in that order.

Ken Buchanan

[karterfred88]

I'm voting for carburation, sounds like the secondaries aren't opening or the air valve is stuck closed. Take off the air cleaner, see if the rear bores are opening, maybe the lockout is stuck or the base gasket hindering the plates from opening.