SeventhSon
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Posts posted by SeventhSon
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I headed over to the storage unit tonight to do a couple of things to the Avanti in preparation of taking it to the Cars and Coffee gathering tomorrow morning. Plan is all green for go - I'm hoping all goes well and I can have a good trip there, probably 30 or 40 miles.
Since unimogjohn has been working on the battery in his Avanti I've been getting kind of spooked about my battery. I've been researching batteries online, so when the time comes I will know which direction to go in. I'm going to stick with a conventional battery next time - by that I mean a regular size battery like you see in most cars. I will move away from the long narrow 3EE unit that fits right in the allotted space, but is a bit weak to turn over all the motor and supercharger in the car. So, when the time comes I will install a conventional battery tray (making sure to not alter anything that can't be undone) and fit a nice battery with approximately twice the CCA's of the 3EE.
Tonight I checked the water level in the 3EE - it was fine. I removed the terminals and cleaned them along with the posts. I checked the fluids, added a half quart of oil, then moved on to the front parking/signal lights. The last time I drove the car two weeks ago I noticed that both lights were out. Hmmm, maybe a fuse since both were out? So tonight I checked the fuses (a real trick for a, ahem, rather large guy like myself). I couldn't find any fuses out, so I moved to the parking lights (which I probably should have done first). I pulled the left lens - the bulb was out of the socket and laying on its side. Won't work like that! I pulled the right lens - the bulb was in the socket, but barely. So, I worked on both bulbs, fiddling around trying to get them to lock into place. The sockets have seen better days - looks like a new set will have to be installed soon. I was able to get the left bulb to go into place and hold, but I don't have much hope that it will stay put. The right side was the Queen of Spades, so I pulled out the WD40. Things went together after that, and the bulb burned much brighter than the left side. I think I will use the WD40 on the left side also.
I fired the old car up and pulled it out of the unit just as dusk was falling. I did a light check - all good. A man who was at one of the units down the row soon approached. "I thought that was an Avanti," he said. We talked cars for a bit - he has a '57 Chevy out west and a couple of other cars in the works. He said he acquired a 1947 Hudson pickup truck for a friend - I told him I don't think I had ever heard of one of those. I found a couple of pictures online and am posting them below (if they are sized right).
I headed out for a short ride and some gas, so I can head over to the Cars and Coffee event in the morning. Early. I'll need that coffee.
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Thanks John - I'll put in my leave slip and see if it gets approved
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Thanks for the battery info, John. I'm sure mine will be going at some point - I've had it 31 months! It still holds a charge and starts the car, but it's just so darn slowww cranking. I will definitely look at different options - the reason the inner fender cracks is because the dang battery weighs almost 50 lbs.! Really made for a forklift or other industrial unit.
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John - I know I have read that cold Cranking Amps don't make a difference as far as the power of the battery, but I'm not sure I believe that. So, a couple of questions: How many CCA's does your new battery have? And how long is the warranty?
I might have to get a stronger battery in the future - my Avanti cranks slowwww at first, gets a bit faster, then fires after ten seconds (that's after it has been sitting for a week or more). I would like a super powerful battery to put in it when this battery dies - I won't be moving it to the trunk though.
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Thanks for the info, everyone. I could tell it was a powerful machine when it showed up - sounded really good. It's possible I heard the guy wrong when I thought he said HEMI - I was a bit light headed from all the high octane fumes in the area.
Nothing like it - sort of like being at a NASCAR race. -
Ernie - it was a monster of a car, even if it wasn't a HEMI. I like that intake and the factory headers.
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Some other old cars there - lots of interest in the hobby, I'm glad to say. I guess us old guys keep it going. Just one Studebaker there - a '63 Lark that the owner has had since 1972. He had a whole book of pictures of the frame off restoration done not too long ago. The last picture in the book was a pic of him and his bride in the car leaving for their honeymoon after getting hitched in 1973. My Avanti didn't make it there for reasons of distance and other factors, but the Lark gentleman encouraged me to get it out to some Studebaker shows. I need to do that....
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Some other cars there - rat rods, all rough and tumble. There's something to be said for that segment of the hobby.
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Greetings, car enthusiasts! Long time since I have posted - work has kept me too busy and worn out to do much with the Avanti. I have been getting the old car out every ten days or so and running her up and down the highway - as the days between drives stretches out I get depressed and think, "Well, maybe I'll just sell the car." Then I get to the storage unit and fire her up and hit the road and feel the power and hear the supercharger whistling. And I think, "I'm NEVER selling this car!" So, I have to make sure I get regular drives in so I don't let the wrong thoughts get into my head.
Today I was able to get to a Fall Festival, scores of which are being carried on around the nation. This particular one happened to have a car show attached, so I was in seventh heaven. After arriving at the site, I headed toward the cars, which at the early hour were kind of sparse. but I did spot one car that I was immediately drawn to. A '62 Chevrolet Biscayne - I sidled up to the car and looked at the badge on the front fender. "409" she read. Oh yeahhhh, I thought. The hood was closed, so I thought it may have been a fake out - a badge just put on to make people think it was something it was not. I checked the interior - yep, 4 speed on the floor. I looked at the exhaust - duals turned out to the side behind each rear wheel. So far, so good, I thought. I approached a man standing nearby and asked if it was his car. "Yep." "Is it really a 409?" "You bet", he answered, opening the hood and revealing the legendary motor. Oh my, I thought, how many years has it been since I saw one of these?
We talked for quite awhile - I asked him if it was fast. He said it was, but you had to be mindful of the RPM's, being a big block you gotta hit the gears when it was time. he said it had monster torque, which is understandable, what with all those cubes. Terrific car with a terrific motor. As we spoke, a rumble approached from down the street. A Plymouth Sport Fury pulled into the lot and backed into space by the Biscayne. "Looks like a race getting ready to happen", I said. Mr. Biscayne laughed and said that the Sport Fury has a 426 hemi in it. And it sounded like it - just a raw powerful sounding machine. I looked at the engine - it said 426 on the valve covers, but it didn't look like it had the hemi chambers so identifiable on Mopars. I don't know that much about Mopars, so I'm not sure. Maybe someone can tell from the pictures I will post.
I headed up the street, stopping to check out all the various old iron (and some new). I will post some pics. My favorite old car present? Has to be the Biscayne, just because of the old 409. She's so fine, that 409. My favorite new car? The blue Corvette, for reasons that do not have to be explained.
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Wow - since 1978! It's always good to see an old girl return to life, especially when she's wearing the "Avanti" badge!
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Yeah, they're retired, like you!
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Greetings from Avanti Land, where absolutely nothing is going on with the old rocket ship, other than driving around here and there. Last I posted I was talking about checking into getting the starter rebuilt, which was right before the International Studebaker meet in Dover, Delaware. No sense in trying to contact anyone that week, I figured, as they would be all off at the meet. Meanwhile, work took all my spare time, as I traveled to various sites and took care of the tasks at hand, working through quite a few days of withering heat. Soaked through and through at the end of the day (well, halfway through the day, actually)
In between taking care of business I was able to change the oil in the work truck and also fix the center armrest, which had become mangled from 16 years of my big a$$ leaning on it all the time (pictures below). So, I found a scrap of plywood and cut it to size, stopped by a fabric store and picked up some upholstery material, salvaged some foam from the mangled armrest, and threw together an armrest. Not the best armrest I've seen, but I can lean on it without my elbow being in the storage compartment underneath the armrest. Until I can rig up a latch for it I have it held closed with a wrap of surveyor's flagging.
One day, I was supposed to ride out to John Feser's and drop off some steel tubing I had left over from making a fuel return line on my Avanti so he could make one for his Avanti. The night before, I printed out directions to his house (way out there in the country), and even posted on his thread (Avanti Refresh, by unimogjohn) that I was coming over the next day. Shortly after that post went up, I started feeling "not so good". Not too long after that I felt "really not so good". Sparing the gory details, the next few hours were hell (food poisoning, I suppose), sleep finally came in the middle of the night. By morning I wasn't feeling like driving out to the country, so I just popped the steel tubing coil in a box and sent it off to John. That was the extent of my exertion for that day.
I've taken a few rides in the old Avanti since I've posted last - I've logged a couple of hundred miles and she's run fast and steady the whole time. On one trip the wildlife was out, as I cruised through a business park (quiet because it was a Sunday), I saw up ahead a doe with two fawns crossing the road ahead. I slowed to a crawl as the fawns stopped and stared at the whistling beast. They scampered into the woods, probably at some signal from Ma, whilst she jump-flipped 180 degrees to face the strange beast rumbling by. I gave the old car some gas and moved along, not wanting to upset the mama deer any more than she already was, as she might have jumped up on the hood and scratched the paint. I traveled no more than a quarter mile further, and here comes another doe crossing the road, this time with a single fawn bringing up the rear. This couple stopped in the median strip and watched intently as the whistling alien cruised by.
I drove the old car again today - about 50 miles, and she was perfect. Strong and steady the whole time. I know there's a ton of stuff I should be doing to the car - work takes most of the time, and the little time I have left I just wanna drive! So that's what I'm doing for now - hopefully I'll be able to bring the car home sometime and do some under hood stuff that needs addressing. Whenever that happens I'll be posting it here - heck, I'll try to post anyway!
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Wow, what a museum, John! I enjoyed trying to guess those WWII era planes and then checking to see if I was right. I think I see a P-51, a P-40, a P-38, and the big bomber, the B-17. Cool planes. Did you take a ride on the water slide?
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Ok John - I'll head over that way in the morning. Not Hawaii, but Marshall, VA
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John - maybe I'll run that steel line out to you on Saturday morning in my Avanti, before you go to your car party. Provided the starter has a few more cranks in it and you will be around in the AM.
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John - when I replaced my return line I bought a 25 foot long roll of the metal line, I think I used half of it. You are welcome to the rest of the roll if you want it. It is the correct size.
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Looks like you have some work ahead of you John. And of course Sept. 21 will be here before you know it! BTW, did you get the fuel pump back from Mr. Thibeault?
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Hi John Byrd! Thanks for mentioning the reduction gear starter. I know Dave Tbow advertises rebuilt starters that will wind quicker and I plan on contacting him this week. I believe he was in Dover, DE at the international Stude meet all last week.
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The seat repair looks good John! I have some stuff to do to mine, but every time I go to see the car I end up hopping in for a drive. Happened just this morning - another terrific drive, she ran great! But I've gotta get to that starter repair - when she's hot she'll barely turn over. I just made a list of the fun stuff I'm going to have to get to and fix or maintain. An even dozen items, and more if I think hard. Gonna have to bring the old car home and get to it.
P.S. I have some tubing you can use for the return line if you want to replace the whole thing.
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Wow, that was some project, Pat! Unbelievable what you started with and what you ended up with - congrats on a job well done. As far as saving the thread, maybe you could save it to your own dedicated space on the "cloud". :confused:
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I believe that's the first catty corner toilet I've ever seen.
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Hi Doug - thanks for the post. That's a nice Avanti, 4 speed too. But no supercharger, it looks like. Also, it must be a transitional model, when they were going from '63 to '64 model year, since it has the square headlights. It's always nice to see one of these special cars fixed up and out and about.
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Very nice work - you are lucky parents to have such a talented son. Of course, you both raised him so it stands to reason he is a great kid!
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That's right Paul - there is a man in the same business development where I work who owns a plumbing business. He said the thieves came and relieved a couple of his trucks of all the new copper piping he had in them. Gotta nail it down and lock it up - they'll still try to steal it if they think they can.
John - your son does nice work. Is he the same one who did your other bathroom a few months ago?
Nothing like it - sort of like being at a NASCAR race.
Avanti Rescue
in Our Cars & Restoration Projects
Posted
Hi John Byrd! I did romp on it a couple of times in the last 24 hours, but gotta keep the romping to a minimum. Johnny Law and all, ya know! Now that you mention the tail lights I have something else to add to the list - getting the LED replacement set and getting some brighter lights in the back! And a third light might not be a bad idea either.
Bill, it's weird, some folks have great luck with the 3EE, some folks not so much. I guess I fall in the middle - my battery still starts the old girl and as long it does I'll keep it in there. But when she goes I'm gonna get at least an 800 CCA unit (see below for the reason). And my condolences on having to put your toys away so early - my gosh, it's not even Thanksgiving yet! (Or Halloween even!) I hope to take my Avanti out for a Christmas drive
Today, I got up before the crack of dawn and fetched the Avanti and took a ride out to the country to be a part of the first Cars and Coffee in the local town where unimogjohn lives, along with his cars buddies, Wayne and Steve (among others). Probably a dozen cars were there, not bad for a first time event - I got to see Wayne's '64 Corvette Stingray up close for the first time, along with Steve's '67 Camaro. And a '41 Plymouth woodie, which definitely looked like a surfboard belonged on top. A couple of newer Vettes, a Mustang or two, and a '32 Ford (?) hotrod that was nice and simple and clean, but very wicked sounding. Oh, and 2 Avantis, mine and unimogjohn's. Which John demonstrated the new, powerful battery setup he has now - one crank and she fires. That's 800 CCA's for ya! Speaking of John, I hope he got some pics to put on his thread, because I plumb forgot to (told ya it was an early morning)