avantey

I am detailing my '63 R-1 Avanti and need a little help. I am only doing a cosmetic detail as the car ran great. This means no head pulling, etc. I sent the valve covers and valley plate out for plate a while ago and they came back beautiful!. Now that I am ready to clean/prep the block for I need to cover those areas of the block to keep crap, cleaners, etc. out of the interior of the block. BUT I don't want to use my nice shiny new pieces!! SO... I am looking for an extra set of parts to bolt on temporarily for the block work. As long as they are not rusted thru and are very reasonable priced I would be interested. A loaner or rent set would be good too. It is a stock R-1 289 engine. Thanks in advance- Bill (Posted in Buy/Sell also)

I am detailing my '63 R-1 Avanti and need a little help. I am only doing a cosmetic detail as the car ran great. This means no head pulling, etc. I sent the valve covers and valley plate out for plate a while ago and they came back beautiful!. Now that I am ready to clean/prep the block for I need to cover those areas of the block to keep crap, cleaners, etc. out of the interior of the block. BUT I don't want to use my nice shiny new pieces!! SO I am looking for an extra set of parts to bolt on temporarily for the block work. As long as they are not rusted thru and are very reasonable priced I would be interested. A loaner or rent set would be good too. It is a stock R-1 289 engine. Thanks in advance- Bill

If anyone is in the area tomorrow the Rochester Region of HCCA is having their annual meet in the Bloomfield Town Park, Rts. 5 & 20, Bloomfield, NY. That is about ten miles west of where the recent Eastern Spring Meet was held. This is a small show, usually about 20 pre-'16 cars for display only. We have a good time and it is very casual with the local churches putting on a chicken BBQ and a strawberry sundae booth for us. About 3:30 we crank 'em all up and go for a little ride in the area then go home. Come join us for a relaxed day in the park with early cars and good friends! Better yet- bring your early car out and display it! The weather is supposed to be very good, which is great news too!!

Hi John- thanks for the good close ups of the R-1 Avanti It is nice to see the goal I shooting for on my car! I got the chrome back Saturday, came out great. I have most of the bolt-ons done now but I have to get back in my friend's shop to clean and paint the block and see what else the engine bay needs. - Bill

JOhn- Thank you for the links. With a list that Dave T sent I have lots of information to use now. My Avanti is very special to me. It is SN 2602, an R-1 with 4 speed, red with black and fawn interior. About the only options it has are an AM radio and the "Silent Exhaust" with resonators. My father bought it new in Rochester, NY in March of '63 from the dealer on West Henrietta Rd. He traded a '61 Plymouth Valiant and a '57 President in. According to my aunt it was the first Avanti delivered in Rochester and he paid a $500 premium to the dealer, although he did negotiate the price down. In fact, on the window sticker which I still have and laminated to preserve he scribbled the discount price on each line item in pencil as they talked. I thought it so great I left it there when I laminated it!! The stories of him and this car are endless it seems. I do not know the mileage on her as he commuted 100+ miles daily in it for the first six years. He disconnected the speedo to keep the miles under warranty during this time. It has also made a few trips to Florida, some towing a camper and all the family aboard. Overall she is a good running, reliable, fairly original car that is showing it's age. The engine was rebuilt stock in 1973, he had her repainted in 1974 and she was left to me when he passed in 1978. It s the car that got me in the hobby with my first Hershey in '79. As they say- the rest is history! Last winter I removed the drive train to to replace the clutch, pressure plate, throwout and U joints. I did the brakes over two years ago including SS lines and the exhaust in SS from the guy in Canada. I was going to have the engine down over the winter but my friend who is helping and has the garage where we work took very sick so I am just doing the engine work now. I am actually only doing a cosmetic resto on it. We pulled it to regasket the entire engine as it was leaking bodily fluids everywhere possible I think. As long as it is out I am detailing it and the engine bay to clean up the mess. The car runs strong- good power, smooth and no smoke so I am not pulling the heads or lower end. With the carb rebuild by Dave T-bow it should run even better! As for pics- I tried to post pics here once and had a hell of a time with it so I never tried again ( and that only my avatar of the '13 Stude!). It is an average Avanti with a '74 $300 enamel paint job so a picture is not a big deal but I may try it later. Can you tell I love my "little red go-like-hell" car? Thanks again- Bill

Thank you Stude8 for the response. Now I really know how little I know and how much info I need!! I think I read about the red block and manifold in the Resto section above about the Avanti refresh and assumed all 63's were the same. Mine is an R1 and it has great sentimental value so while an R3 is a rare bird I'll take mine with the R1/4speed. Is there a site or a list available to help me keep the car accurate? Thanks- Bill

Now that I am tearing into the Avanti engine detailing more I have a question. For instance, I know the block and intake are red but what red? What other paint colors and where? What plating or paint is used on the vertical throttle linkage that goes on the back of the block? Where can I get a good comprehensive list of finishes in the engine compartment. I am not doing a show car but I like to keep things original and accurate. As long as I am in this engine now I want to detail it right while I have the chance. Thanks- Bill

Now that I have the engine for the Avanti stripped down to a short block with the heads on I want to clean and paint the block. However with the valve covers, center cover plate under the intake manifold and pan off I am concerned about how to keep the internals clean as I need to degrease and clean the outside of the block. I am thinking of a lot of taping and sealing with baggies, paper, etc. Then I might try a needle scaler for the unusual surfaces like the sides of the head pointing inward. On the outside areas I can degrease, wire brush and needle scaler as needed. Any other ideas on how to keep crap out of the head/rocker area and out of the center oil chamber would be very helpful. I wish I had left the valve covers and center plate on but I already took them to the plater with the 6-8 week lead time. Thanks- Bill

This just keeps getting better! I called the trailer place I was going to and asked about the E system and they also sell it. He was not surprised when I said the heaviest rings I saw were 6K. He said the D rings he sells and most everyone has in a trailer are 5K max load bolted to the frame of course. I guess I may be wondering too much on this..... But I still want to know why the recommended straps were 10K minimum when I got my straps. Guess the strap guy didn't want to be the weak link in a catastrophic stop situation. - Bill

Thanks for the good feedback on using the E tracks! But some of the questions are still there for me. Are you using 6K rings or heavier? Are all these systems the same and sourced from one manufacturer? Has anyone done the analysis on the instantaneous load in an emergency stop and showed the 6K rings are enough? Or what is appropriate if the track distributes the load differently from a D ring bolted thru to the frame? Thanks, interesting answers!- Bill

Even though this is about my new trailer I am starting a new thread as the subject is different. I have to change the tie downs in the trailer to four corners from the two centered D rings there now. At a friends suggestion I went to TSC and checked out the "E" track system and ave questions. The plate is OK at about 3/16" formed steel but the mounting holes are only about 5/16-3/8" dia every 2 inches or so. This implies screwing it to the wood floor and I do not think that is enough. You could catch a frame rail underneath I suppose but that is pretty light hardware to me. Also the heaviest D ring they had to snap in was a 6000 lb'er. I know my straps are at least 10K , maybe 15K- I don't remember from when I bought them. Again it seems the parts are pretty light duty. In a sudden stop the momentary force on the retainer system is probably well over 20K with even a small car. My question- Are all E systems the same or is this just TSC's version? I am going to a trailer place anyways and check out flush mount D rings for the front end of the trailer but am curious about anyones experience with the track system. Thanks- Bill

Actually I went and bought Krud Kutter last nite but realized on the way home it very similar to Simply Green, another citrus based cleaner that I love to use. So I will try the SG first, maybe scrub the whole trailer with it to see how white I can go! If no luck I will try the KK and work my way up. Anyone got any extra elbow grease they want to use up? Worst case- I'll paint the whole thing red/silver to match my F250 tow vehicle! Then put decals on for the next poor bas@*&)% !! - Bill

Just me again.... I was just wondering- what if I used acetone to get the glue off the trailer? - Bill

Thank you to David and others who suggested a hair dryer. I have a commercial heat gun used in manufacturing and I took it out this PM. With a little trial and error I had all the vinyl off in about two hours, it worked great! Now I will get into the adhesive removal and a good cleaning of the trailer. Unfortunately I feel Wayne is going to be right too. The original white under the vinyl is very bright and clean and will stand out no matter how hard I try to bring the rest back. We will see..... Thanks to all, I'll keep you posted- Bill

I just bought a new to me ride for the '13 and I have a question. The trailer was a race car trailer and has vinyl lettering on it. How do you remove it? We tried pulling it off last night with some success but it will be a long day to get it all off that way! What is the glue that holds it on? Will something like vinegar loosen it up? (I am thinking wallpaper here). Any help would be appreciated, poor little Stude has already said she doesn't drive for Vail Motorsports! Thanks- Bill

I did not mean to use a high cut compound or a heavy hand on the wheel. I have seen him do this to signs out of the early teens with rust holes through and they come out fine. I have tried it also but he gets better results- something about 25 years expereience with buffing I guess! Mine have improved color but his look brand new bright when done. It just cuts the oxidation off if you do it right, don't bear into it with all you got!

Paul- A friend of mine who is a body man by trade taught me a great trick! Buff it out with a wheel and compound just like a paint job. The dullness is due to oxidation just like paint and cutting it off has the same effect as it does on paint- the old colors underneath jump out at you! The same rules apply as with a car- don't buff too hard, keep moving, use a light cut compound, etc. Hope this helps- Bill

I posted this in the Tech forum also. I have the engine for my Avanti on the stand and going to refresh and detail it. It leaked bodily fluids in fair amounts and both kinds but runs very well so out it came! I am looking for recommendations on a carb rebuild for the original Carter AFB from the R-1 engine. Also some idea on what this should cost as I haven't sent a carb out in years. The choke mechanism is frozen and it cranks a looong time on a cold start. Otherwise it runs well, has power and idles well when warm. I hope the world of Stude here can help me with some ideas of where to send it. Is there a particular shop good at AFB's or Carter? I do not have show cars but I like accurate restoration and good work (of course). I am also thinking of rechroming the valve covers, top plate on block and the air cleaner. Any ideas for a good plating shop would also be appreciated. In the past I have seen the moderators remove info on specific businesses so a PM might be the best way to get back to me if you like. Or put it up here if that is OK. Thanks- Bill

Well I have gone and done it. The engine from the Avanti is on the stand and I am going to freshen it and detail it. It is a good running R-I with the original Carter AFB on it. Things wrong are a frozen choke mechanism and she cranks a long time on a cold start. But the car runs great with power, starts right up warm and idles fine so I am thinking just a good going thru of the carb is needed. Can anyone suggest a good carb guy familiar with the AFB? Also what would be a typical cost for a rebuild? I haven't sent a carb out in years- the last was a Stromberg for the '38 Buick, a lot simpler 2 BB. To be less provocative or to not the break the forum rules on naming businesses perhaps a PM would be the better way to respond to me. Or if the forum is OK with public disclosure put your answers here. Thanks in advance- Bill

I recently found out about a '13 Havers roadster going up for sale soon. I know nothing about them but am interested. It is the smaller car, a 33HP 122"wb model for that year. It is an incomplete roadster that looks like a speedster build with the round gas tank behind the seat. It has no hood or windshield and may have more missing. The fenders are laying on the rear tires and not bolted to the running boards with no obvious place to attach to the bare frame rails in that area. The chassis and engine appear to be restored or painted at least. How hard are parts and other owners to find? Should there be a top on it? Is this a good drivable car when done? What value could this run? I am thinking less than $10K but do not know. Thanks- Bill

OK, I'll spill the beans..... it is a 1968 VW camper bus and the owner says the tent came with it. I have never heard of or seen this so I am curious too! I told them that I think I can make room for a setup if they are in the first HPOF row by the edge of the field and I will try to park them there (if we all remember!) that morning. By the end of the day I would be raiding the cooler for a cold one....... - Bill

Thank you all for the info! I did relay a summary on to the car owner and suggested he read it here for himself. The vehicle is an HPOF candidate and the accessory is a tent! Does that change the rules in any way, especially the HPOF class? My concern is the size of tent and the room needed but are accessories judged in HPOF? Just thinking about it more....- Bill

As field marshal for the June meet I was asked a question I am not sure how to answer. What is the protocol for displaying accessories authentic to a vehicle being judged? Where would I look it up- in the Judging manual or the Procedures manual? What area under the correct manual? I have not seen a lot of acc out on the show field but I go to few national meets so I would like to know more on this. Thanks for the help- Bill

I was at an antique store today and they had a price placard that attached to a teens pump. It is the kind with the inserted cards you used to change the price. He asked me what it was worth and I replied about a hundred. He then told me no, a lot more (2X+) and this story I have never heard in 20 years of petroliana collecting. The insert showing said 12.5 cents and 5 cents tax. He said for a period of only 4 months in 1919 this was the price set nationally and then Congress mandated the price go to 12.9 cents and prices have always been xxx.9 ever since. Sounds a little suspicious to me but I couldn't refute it either. Sounded more like he was trying to justify his very high price. Any comments on this theory?

I like the ideas for getting info out without the stickies. It achieves my goal of using the forum to the guests which is all I am trying to promote here. I started with stickies as they are at the top and get noticed more easily as you come to a board. And I only meant to use them for national meets and delete them after the meet. I agree they could pile up so updated information threads would be an interesting alternative. As for doing the web work maybe show hosts should consider a 'webmaster' on the committee whose sole job is to promote/inform about the meet online wherever they feel it is possible to reach an audience that would like the show and maybe join AACA. Thanks for the input- Bill.