ErnieR

I can't get to my shop manual right now but I think you want the plastic pieces with the fatter part against the horn rim sitting in those pockets and then the brass ring tightens down and the plastic pieces fit through the holes in the brass keeping it centered. The idea is that the brass remains just a hair away from the hub and when you press on the horn bar it just touches the hub, grounding the circuit and blowing the horn. The screws are insulated under the head so make sure those fibre washers are intact. If you get a click when you hit the horn button but no beep then check the relay and its wiring. It is powered all the time and the grounding at the wheel triggers it to connect and blow. The springs on the hub clip are there so you can twist and release the cap no horn relation. Test the contact that rides against the brass ring. It should be a ground, no juice. I would start testing the signals at the base of the column. That's where you can eliminate the switch or column encased wiring. The flasher is in line so you have power in and out easy enough to test with a light. If you have brake lights then you should be OK at the rear. Each lamp housing needs a ground wire and they get real crusty up front and if one isn't working the other one on that side may not. The flasher is a circuit breaker and needs the right load to heat up disconnect and connect again. Sometime one non-working bulb will shut one side down completely. I worked on my car for years in my driveway on a VERY busy street in Livingston NJ. I did everything except remove the body from the frame and hundreds of people watched the progress for years as they drove by. Then in 2005 after 10 years of work I took the car to its first official display at the annual 4th of July car show in Livingston. There were quite a few people recognizing the car as the one they watched coming together for years as I was pulling into the very crowded parking area. So I'm sandwiched between two cars with a line trailing far behind us the ground wire for the horn decided that was the proper moment to ground itself somewhere in the hub and for a torturous amount of time my horn was blaring away as I was being guided into a parking space. I was finally able to get out of the car and yank the wires off the relay but it certainly was an embarrassing grand entrance.

Upon further reflection...have you checked that all of the linkage is in place? Pedal to bracket and bracket to booster. It seems to me that if the master's piston was stuck forward and blocking the port you would have brakes that aren't releasing. You may have uncovered an existing issue with the rear brakes while trying to solve the recent disappearing pedal problem. The Avanti does most of its braking with the front and in normal driving situations you wouldn't know whether they were working or not. Again, thinking with a little clearer head, before you go through the trouble of removing the master just start cracking the lines loose starting at the master and working back. When you stop getting a drip you know where to dismantle. Looking forward to an Avantey blog on this site so I can live vicariously through two Avanti projects. All I have to play with now is a 76 Chrysler NYer Brougham that has 23,000 miles on it and everything works.

Easy enough to check the master. Take it off and inspect. I suppose the piston in the mc could be stuck in a position blocking the outlet Single master is an easy rebuild and you may be able to order a kit locally I think they are the same as some 60's mopars but without the residual pressure valve. Sounds like it is time to get dirty ErnieR

Sounds like a few things at work here. Bleed the master cylinder first and then attempt to bleed the system. They need to be bled if they have drawn any air. Even a bad master will push some fluid but no pedal is usually caused by air. A bad master will usually give you a sinking pedal while you're foot's on the brake at a full stop. If gravity won't cause a drip at an open line there's something clogged. Are the lines new or recently replaced? If not I would do them all. Sooner or later they will pop and with a single master you have no margin of safety at all. If your Avanti is a driver I would do a dual master conversion at the very least. Driving in NJ traffic I went all the way and converted to 4 wheel discs. I had a completely rebuilt, stainless sleeved original system but stopping power was far below the modern upgrade. Just converting the front was a vast improvement and highly recommend it to anyone... but I digress. If you can't bleed the master then it's really bad and needs a rebuild. ErnieR

I wasn't being facetious about the engine compartment. Everything looks routed neatly and properly and the rechromed stuff is beautiful. I have an inexpensive and easy suggestion to spruce it up further. Take a look at the stuff in this picture of my former Avanti that normally would be cadmium plated like the carb linkage, hood latches, wiper motor etc. I painted them all with Stainless Steel Paint. It is extremely tough, easy to use and unless you are going for the 100 point concours look it dresses up the stuff that would normally be unpainted. Stainless Steel Rust Protective Spray Paint - STAINLESS STEEL SPRAY 16 Oz. Can, 13 Oz. Net Wt - Amazon.com

You have an outer retainer that comes off after you remove the 4 bolts that hold the backing plate et al on. The outer retainer is for axle bearing grease and removing the axle exposes a standard type seal. You won't always see brake fluid from a wheel cylinder. The return springs and how the shoes are adjusted could virtually empty the cylinder on retraction but I would be concerned if you don't get a drip from the line itself though. ErnieR

My wife had the same feeling about turquoise but I liked it. When I got my car it was gold but and had a total of three colors on top of the turquoise netallic red, black and finally gold. When I stripped it it was like looking at the rings of a tree. In fact when I bought it I t was sold to me as an R1. It wasn't until I bought the original paperwork that I found out what the original car actually was. The conversion was so complete I believe it was done at the dealer. Not just a supercharger removal but a complete transformation including speedometer and heads. I will give you an opinion, entirely my own, about Avanti colors. Since the car is so modern looking and was produced in the same basic form into the '80s I believe the turquoise color helps identify the car as a 60's vintage car. In modern colors the assumption by the general public is it's a newer car and just something they weren't aware of. The turquoise creates a disconnect - it looks modern but the color is old. Except for the retro Thunderbird I can't think of any mass produced cars that offered that color since the 70's. Lastly, there's some comfort in restoring a car in its original colors. My car was heavily modified, mechanically, but whenever I showed it the most common question was if it was the car's original color. I know that what other people think doesn't matter but I think owners rarely second guess themselves when they paint the car in its original hue and rarely repaint when it's done but I think the opposite is true on cars that are restored mostly stock but are in a different color. Just my opinion again. BTW, I was able to strip my car with razor blades and even though I went down to the bare glass using POR 15 Stripper I might not have had to do that. Some of the stuff out there today will seal that old paint and give you a pretty nice finish. I've seen a couple really nice driver paint jobs done by Maaco shops when the owner did the prep with some guidance by the shop that was to do the final job. Just a thought. But I wouldnt want to give you any ideas ErnieR

One more thing...the center screw on the carb top, I think the tag is on that one, should be sealed with some fuel resistant sealer. I don't know if all the rebuilders do it but it is recommended by Studebaker. Good news is it looks like your accel pump and carb hat are sealing nicely, though. I've never gotten as much attention in any car I've ever owned as I did in the 64 Avanti and that includes the '88 Avanti. I see there is turquoise lurking under the current color on your car and I firmly believe the combination of turquoise and the Avanti shape are a traffic stopping combination. When I would drive my car in my former hometown of Livingston NJ, a very densely populated town where kids drive BMW's to school and MB's are more common than Corollas, people would stop in the middle of a right turn while I was stopped at the light on the cross street and wave at me ( really the car ) causing the people behind them to slam on the brakes along with a honk and a proper NJ finger wave. My signature picture is from a very large car show in Macungie PA and even though I was surrounded by some really interesting and magnificent vehicles I had a group of people follow me to my parking space to ogle the car. One woman came back three times to stare at it all the while telling her husband to "sell the Mustang and buy a turquoise Avanti". He wasn't as enthusiastic as she was. Mind you...if you up to any nefarious activities you will never be able to hide driving an Avanti. ErnieR

Engine looks good! Looks like the carb base gasket needs replacing. Dampness on the intake is fuel leaking under boost. The R2 carbs are designed to to move pressure away from throttle shafts via passages cut in the base. ErnieR

That was easy! Lol. The instrument lights are a labor of love because the outcome is at best disappointing. The bulbs were painted red and were small. I don't know of any off the shelf replacements but the vendors make them. Bigger, rounder bulbs are brighter but if I remember correctly don't fit in all the holes. White lights are plenty bright but without any tint the view of the gauges is not that nice and not Avanti like. Led's don't diffuse light enough. They project too straight so unless there are some new styles out there the led wont do the job. I ended up living with the dim lighting. It is safer to drive with the lights as low as possible on the dash. My speedo wasn't accurate and as long as I was willing to do a long scan every once in awhile I could watch the other gauges. It's kind of cozy in there at night with the red glow. I did the dash at least 10 years ago so the vendors may have come up with a solution If you remove the front seat and keep your chiropractor on speed dial you can get to the bulbs. ErnieR

Look at it again when you're in the mood. It should be able to be switched on when the doors are shut. That was 1963 GPS...a light to read the map by. Guessing on which wire would do what but you can check with a test light to the on-car harness but I believe you want constant 12 volts to the red and switched 12 volts to the black. The switch is always on but not getting juice when the doors are closed, Not 100% on the wire color but easy enough to check with your test light. If it doesn't work you might have to dig back into the switch. ErnieR

I guess it's a little late to mention this but I got all my switches, including the door jam, working with copious amounts of WD-40 and then moving the switch on and off until it started working. I've done the same thing numerous times with other cars older and newer...something to try if there is a switch you don't want to risk breaking. ErnieR

Mine never came on with the doors either. My feeling is they were considered "reading" lights. It would seem they should come on considering a two filament bulb and the extra wiring but I wonder if because the housings and harnesses may be off the shelf stuff used in other Studes and no different than the front that it wasn't a cost cutting measure by Studebaker to avaoid stamping Avanti specific lamps and lenses. ErnieR

A good parts store should have the socket insert. One or two wires, springs and Bakelite.

In case you haven't figured it out already the white wire in an Avanti is always a ground. Since the bulb needs to ground to the base the spring tension in the socket is important. It should take a good push on the bulb to get it in. If the bulb holder is loose on the housing the ground may not be good enough to lght the bulb. And, of course, since the actual ground is at the other end of that white wire the problem, if it still exists, can be far away from the light itself. Grounding is an issue with the Avanti. I had to supplement the ground at the regulator by running a strap to the frame inside the wheel well. I added another from the engine to frame. On the automatic equipped cars the neutral safety and back up switches are, to take a quote from Wheeler Dealers, "rather fiddely". I don't know about the 4 speed cars but if it's not something simple at the rear then the swtch may be a bit loose and shifting around making contact sometimes. Because I converted my car to an GM overdrive I had to fabricate some kind of back up light switch set up. I opted to put two red LED bulbs in there and wire them into the stop light circuit instead. I had occasion to be behind my car at night and the stock lights are so tiny especially compared to modern day stuff. I didn't want to put a 3rd stoplight in so I gave up the back up lights for stop lights.

The ideal situation with the cable is to have as long a straight piece coming off the latch as possible and no sharp turns anywhere. I believe it goes up onto the wheel well hump so you may have to pull up that one piece of carpet. All that really matters is that it works. I drove the car for years without the trunk latch installed and never had the lid pop up.

Also, unless you are going for a 100% original concours restoration any antenna will work if you add a ground to it. The strap you are speaking of on the original is the ground. My 64 was modified, somewhat, 200 4r GM overdrive, 4 wheel disc brakes, R3 headers, aluminum driveshaft, Crown Victoria rims, Edelbrock carburetor with the original AFB R2 top, aluminum pulleys, HO supercharger, larger intake valves, R2.5 spec cam, center console and stuff I've probably forgotten. I don't check in that often but I've done everything but paint on that '64 even recovered my seats and installed the entire interior so please feel free to message me if you have a question on anything.

I've been watching your thread. It looks like you started with the same basic car I did back in 1995. I don't have it any longer. Regarding the trunk release cable. Do a little forensics and find a series of holes that go along the route the cable would naturally take. The original was clamped down in at least 3 maybe 4 places. I know that unless my cable was clamped properly it was very difficult to open the deck lid. In fact unless you have some extra slack somewhere it looks like yours is too short. It is completely hidden by the carpet but if I remember correctly one of the clamping spots is on the wheel well.

Check the ground wires to the horns. ErnieR

Those nuts will cut their own thread. They will work fine just remember they don't need any 'muscle' tightening them down. In place of the sealer a dab of 3M calking will do the same job under the nut. ErnieR

You can buy the PAL nuts without the rubber insert. I might have improperly called the PAL nut a speednut but that is what I meant. Just get them plain. Worked fine on all my reproduction script. No need to torque them down either. Just enough to pull the script to the body ErnieR

I used speednuts. Barrel clips would work also but then you have to pry the script off if you want to remove it. You should be able to find speed nuts at Lowes or a good auto parts store. ErnieR

No black inserts. I suppose one guy sees it and likes it so he does it to his car and the cycle continues but it wasn't an option.

I put an air dam on but didn't see any results, however, it lends credence to my theory about air flow. The dam creates a low pressure area behind the radiator causing a larger flow through the front. I often wondered why my 88 never ran hot at all. All loaded up with emission add-ons and a working a/c unit using the same size radiator as a Stude Avanti it should have exhibited the same tendencies. And, in general, the Avanti II's of any year don't seem to have as many issues as the Studes. But there is a major difference between the II's and the Studes and it isn't just the Chevy engine...it's the height of the front end. All non Studes have a nose high stance as opposed to the Loewy rake. My car with new springs in the rear and thinner insulators on the front coils had even a little more rake than other Studes. The attidude of the nose must have some effect on air flow just as the tilt of a wing or spoiler would. Factor in the aerodynamic shape of the car and the placement of the air intake and I'm beginning to think that's why some Avantis cool better than others. It would be an interesting experiment to see how the height of the nose affected cooling. ErnieR

If you haven't joined the Studebaker Driver's Club you should. Even without a membership browsing the SDC forum will yield hours of reading on hot running Avantis and possible solutions. Having had a hot running R2 and a cool running '88 I never did come up with a solution. As much as I would have liked to believe my gage was inaccurate I have a feeling it wasn't. While I too never heard any gurgling that would indicate boiling coolant performance suffered and a slight ping could be heard when the Gage read in the upper ranges. I had a 3 core rad, multiple new fan clutches, full shroud, cut shroud, HP pulleys that turned the water pump at a faster rpm, surge tank, no surge tank etc. You name it I've tried it including a 7 Balde fan that was so noisy I didn't leave it on long enough to complete the experiment and I now believe that HO fan might have solved the problem. Here's why.... I recently completed a crate motor swap in my 1984 El Camino. I decided to run a mechanical temp gage instead of the light. The rad is a brass 3 core HD unit. at idle the car sits at 190 with the 180 thermostat. Drive over 65 MPH and the temp climbs to 230-240 with ambient temps in the low 80's. Not remembering that I had a HD rad in there already ( I 've had this car for 6 years before the engine upgrade ) I purchased an aluminum 3 core because I felt I just didn't have enough cooling capacity. As I began to disassemble I removed the top shroud and rad cap and saw that the rad was a beefy 3 core. And I also noticed that there was very little Resistance in the fan clutch. Most would suggest at 75 MPH air flow through the radiator would be enough to cool even without a fan. Maybe so if you have a Kenworth style grille and rad setup. My car, however has a custom nose with very little open grille area but a huge opening for intake below the valence. So, now considering that the radiator that's in there should be up to the task I took an HD fan clutch I had laying around coupled it with a 7 blade fan I had bolted it up and hit the highway. The car never rose above 205 with the a/c on, engine taching 3300 rpm and speeds ranging from 70-80 MPH. Since that HD fan was nosier ( not nearly as bad as the one in the Avanti though ) I swapped in the standard fan and went out for the same ride. This time temps were 10 degrees higher but well within normal operating specs. Point is the fan had an effect at both low and high speeds. I had purchased an electric fan that I was going to install on the Avanti as a pusher to supplement the mechanical one but sold the car before I installed it so I can't report on results. The fan will probably end up in the El Camino. Moral to the story is that I believe the Avanti front end design doesn't draw enough air in with the factory fan. I think it would with an HD unit but it was so loud people were turning around to see if a jet plane was about to hit them. I would be willing to bet that a pusher helper fan would eliminate the problem as long as everything else is up to snuff which as I've read in your posts I believe it is.