SeventhSon

Beautiful job!

Better yet, take it to a qualified local shop and have them do the above. It will be money well spent to have the car running again and enjoy driving it.

You have 5 year old ethanol gas in the car. Drain the gas and replace with fresh premium fuel. Throw in some Seafoam while you're at it (add some every time you add gas in the future, it helps fight the ethanol plague). Then spray some starting fluid in the carb and crank it. The ether (starting fluid) might just be enough to awaken the car from its 5 year slumber.

Maybe you should try this stuff to help dissolve anything the ultrasonic missed: https://products.liqui-moly.com/radiator-cleaner-7.html (Use at your own discretion). Or maybe you should run some anti-freeze in it instead of straight water. My Avanti ran hot like that when I first awakened it from its 25 year slumber, and after running anti-freeze mixture in it for some time it has gone down from the temp gauge being pegged (first drive) to hovering around 180. I believe the anti-freeze helped dissolve old deposits in the radiator. Not sure about the backfiring - is it still running rich?

I would take a wire brush to that stamping surface and get the paint and rust off. Maybe it's just my eyes but I think I can see a hint of a "zero" number. I believe you'll find the serial number under all that paint and rust.

https://delta.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/104B9A7C-1824-4FE5-8465-954437410052 Here is a similar unit in blue.

I had a Volvo P1800 that did the very same thing. A Volvo mechanic told me to remove the gas tank and thoroughly clean it, and especially clean the pickup inside the tank, I thought, "Nah, it couldn't be anything that simple". But after several more weeks of frustration I pulled the tank and cleaned it out and cleaned the pickup filter. Started and ran fine after that for the rest of the time I owned it, several years. There was a bunch of grit and rust in the tank that, after a few minutes of driving would collect around the pickup filter and cut off the fuel supply. Not sure if the Studebaker has the same type of setup in the tank or not, but I would definitely clean the tank.

Great car, and looking better every day! Great job!

I had a friend who did body work and in a situation like this he would cut out the bad metal using straight even lines, but leaving any good metal. He would then either fabricate new pieces using the old as patterns, or better yet, find a salvage yard and cut the needed pieces out. After trimming and matching up the new pieces he would braze them in, grind the areas smooth, and use a little filler. Trying to weld that metal is just going to destroy it and cause endless frustration.

Still sounds like the carb is too rich and gas in the oil points to that too. Read the shop manual on the proper way to adjust the mixture at the carb, or find an old timer mechanic who remembers what a carburetor is and how to adjust one. Good luck with that!

Looks like it's running rich from that black soot on the plugs. An oil change is always appreciated by the car! What kind of oil are you using? What brand and weight? You say the engine has been rebuilt - what was done on the rebuild?

So it's been a little over a year since I checked in. I still have the Avanti, and have even moved it closer to where I now live. So it's 5 minutes away instead of 20 or 30. I have been driving it periodically - not as much as I used to but life and work keep me too occupied the last year or so. I had the old rocket ship out a couple of weeks ago and I hadn't been out but 5 minutes when I gunned it coming off a green light. She came on up the road like the champ she is, I had my right hand resting on the passenger seat when I felt like it was raining inside the car. A quick look showed at the heater control valve finally gave out altogether and the faster the RPM's turned the faster the coolant sprayed. Luckily the unit had been dripping a little coolant before this so I had a plastic tub already under the spot to catch coolant. I was able to limp on back to the storage unit without much more coolant coming out - as long as I took it easy and didn't act like I was waiting for green on the tree at the 1/4 mile track. That night I ordered a replacement unit from one of the Avanti parts distributors. I knew it was not NOS, not even for a domestic car, but I believe a Toyota. Ha, who knew that a Toyota part would end up in a Studebaker? The description with the part in the online catalog states, "Will replace original valve with minor modification". I'm not sure what sort of minor modification is needed, as no instructions for the minor modification were included with the part. And examining the part offers no easy or clear idea about said modification. No matter, after pulling the original part today and comparing it to the "replacement" I decided that the new part would be a temporary fix until the original unit can be either rebuilt or replaced. So I stuck the new unit in and moved the hose clamps into place. I didn't even bother trying to hook up the operating cable as I saw how easy it will be to just reach over under the dash and push the lever one way or the other, depending on if I want heat or not. I didn't have time to try it out, but next week I will give it a run and see if there any leaks. BTW, the date is incorrect on the pictures - I didn't change it to today's date.

Good to hear all is well with you Greg and the Fesers too. Surprise, surprise - look at the black beauty coming back to life. Great to see it - it looks beautiful!

I love the old Caddies. Is that one missing the windshield?

Wow, I'm surprised it wasn't making all kinds of screeching noises. Looks like that crankshaft journal has actually been worn down compared to the area next to it. Harsh.