Avanti Rescue

[John Byrd]

Chris, with what all you're doing, a steering wheel restore is NOT beyond your talent. Get you some epoxy, some sandpaper, some primer and paint, one medium dose of patience, and jump in there !! Post-following guys want to know! (and see) Ha, John

[SeventhSon]

Hey John - now that's something that had not crossed my mind. I don't know if I have the talent for that, but I guess I could find out! Thanks for the suggestion - I'll look into it.

[SeventhSon]

Last night was sort of light duty - I removed the clamping from the carpeted console pieces and checked how they did. Other than a sloppy glue job by someone on the one piece I think they'll do. Also, I gave the rear speaker a little second coat of paint around the edge, then removed all the masking. I think things turned out OK, considering the previous condition. I can't wait to finish up this phase of the fun and drive the old car some - then I'll have to think about what I want to do next. Maybe refresh the trunk? Door rubber? Maybe try out the steering wheel recondition that John mentioned? The possibilities (and work), are endless!

[SeventhSon]

I hit it again at lunchtime, hoping to meet my self-imposed deadline of getting most of the interior refresh finished by this weekend. I took the piece of firewall carpet (I don't know where that strip of carpet in the second pic goes) and cut out a piece of shiny insulating material in the approximate same size. Then I proceeded to cut that piece up in order to get it to fit in the spot it needed to go. Basically, I was trying to approximate the previous placement of insulation. Close enough - when I got the pieces where I was satisfied I glued them in place. Then it should be ready for carpet tonight, I hope. Sticking to the schedule.

And John Byrd has me thinking - after doing some research on the refreshing of steering wheels and examining mine at lunch, I feel like maybe I could get the old wheel to look better, anyway. It won't be a showpiece, but nothing else is either! After looking at the old wheel at lunch I figure I could give it a good cleaning, then glue the chrome rings back in their places. After the glue dried for 24 hours I could fill those large gaps with epoxy, then sand everything smooth. Then primer and paint - easy as pie, eh? Right.

[SeventhSon]

The carpet task drags on. Jeez, Paul was right - there's a lot of carpet in these Avantis! When these cars were new, on the showroom floor, they must have been something to see. For their time they certainly must have been forward thinking. Hence the name "Avanti" (forward!). Just working on this old interior I can see that they were really kind of luxurious, especially for a sports car. It's a shame mine was neglected for so long - really a crime to let a classic go to "pot" like that. Ah well....

So, I kept at it last night, installing the firewall piece of carpet. I had to cut out the spots for the steering column, clutch rod, and parking brake. I guess I did OK - it looks nice as long as you don't climb under there and start looking too closely. I ran out of steam so I have to put a couple of screws in tonight and also try to get the metal steering column surround in place. And whoops, looks like a little overspray from the steering column paint got on that piece and the clutch rod boot. I'll have to clean that up too.

[SeventhSon]

Surprise! I'm still here! Just took a little break after spending the whole month of January working on the interior of the old Avanti. Fighting burn-out, I guess. The only cure for that is to do something else for a while. So I've been watching a lot of Mr. Ed the past couple of weeks. After seeing a couple of episodes on TV and remembering that they used Studebakers on the show I decided to buy the DVDs and watch them. A great way to decompress, plus I get to see the old Studebakers when they were brand new. So far I have seen several good shots of the Lark VI that the Wilbur Post and his wife have on the show. I also got to see a brand new Champ pickup that delivered a load of hay for Ed. Haven't seen a Hawk or Avanti yet, but I have lots of episodes to go yet. It's a pretty funny show, too - an easy way to relax and hope to see some Studebakers.

So, not quite two weeks ago, when I took the old Avanti back to the storage unit, I raised the hood in my usual ritual to see if there was any trouble rearing its ugly head before I put the car to bed. Yes, the coolant leak trouble was rearing its ugly head - coolant was blown all over the front of the engine and on the valley cover. Looks like it's not going to go away magically. So today I headed back to the storage unit to have a look at it. Well, since I haven't been there in almost two weeks I figured I better take her out for a spell - charge the battery before I start taking pieces off the motor. Gosh, this is why I have been out of sorts lately - I can check out Studebakers on Mr. Ed but it's just not the same as driving one. It was really great to get behind the wheel again and feel that Avanti rumble again. Especially now that the interior is more like a normal car with carpeting and everything. Can't let so much time pass between taking her out for a run!

After a little ride around I returned to the storage unit and raised the hood. Hisssss. Nope, no snake under the hood, that was the leak telling me that it's not going away. I took a few pics and made plans in my mind for removing the surge tank. Yay. I've already started making the list of various items I will need to get this apart and back together....gasket, gasket sealer, new thermostat with larger opening, coolant overflow tank, etc., etc.

[Guest rocktown]

Thought you might be taking a break and glad to see you are still here. Fascinating stuff. There is a 2003 VW Beetle convertible available should you decide to take on something more recent. My research leads me to believe that it would be almost as difficult as your Avanti though.

You're doing a great job on the car, and the website!

[SeventhSon]

Thanks for checking in rocktown - glad you haven't given up on me. It's true, I'm just in idling mode right now, taking it easy for a bit before attacking the myriad things left to do. It has dawned on me that a person is never really "finished" with one of these cars. It's a lifelong pursuit. I think about things left to do and realize that I have just as much in front of me as I do behind me. Oh well, I hope I have the endurance to get the old car to a fair condition.

Speaking of endurance, I wouldn't have it for the VW. But the VW shop called Volkswerks in Falls Church, VA might want to take it on. They have the expertise and connections to get it done.

Next up for me is removal of the surge tank - this weekend came with a frigid snap so I decided to stay warm instead of pulling the tank. Maybe I'll get into it this week.

[SeventhSon]

Well, I finally got the get up and go to head over to the storage shed and pull the coolant tank off the Avanti. I've had a serious case of not wanting to tackle the situation; of course, it's been cold and windy, plus I work full time, plus other things are taking up my time. Jeez, I barely have any time to look for Studebakers on Mr. Ed! There haven't been any Studebakers on the last few episodes, just the usual goofy stories. Plus, Wilbur Post's wife, who is cute as a button. But I digress.

So, at lunch time yesterday, I headed over to the storage unit and got to it. I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to get the one bolt toward the intake manifold side off, as it is a tight fit in there. I had to dig around for all the 1/2" wrenches in my supply of tools. I was able to get a short wrench on the bolt, but then I had no leverage. A longer wrench would not fit on the bolt and leave any room to turn. Finally, I tried the long, offset closed end wrench and I was able to barely get the bolt to come out. Not sure how I got that bolt in before - must have put it in before I had all the other stuff on the engine. Now I get to pull together all the stuff I'll need to put this thing back on - I'm going to be mighty disappointed if it leaks again.

Last week I began researching different motor oils to find the right one for the old engine in the Avanti. One with adequate zinc content required for the cam to lifter contact. I have been using Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil but I hear that that oil does not have the additives necessary for standard street driving. In the course of the research I found Castrol 5W50 synthetic, which is specially formulated for the old flat tappet engines. So I decided to keep an eye out for that oil - I found some on Sunday at Sears and picked up 5 quarts. I'll be changing the oil soon, once I get the coolant tank back on and the weather warms up a bit.

And last night, upon arriving home from work, I found the package from Studebaker International containing the coolant recovery tank I ordered. That's one item for the cooling leak repair job I can check off the list - today I hope to get the gasket from Napa and oh, I have to order that high flow thermostat too.

[SeventhSon]

Yesterday I found a little free time in the schedule to get to work on the expansion tank for the Avanti. I've been slowly working toward getting things back together by putting the wheels in motion to gather up the various components I'll need. I already showed the coolant recovery kit I got from S.I. the other day. I also ordered a high flow thermostat (already modified with 3 small holes drilled in it to allow for coolant to fill the engine block and prevent an air pocket from keeping the thermostat from opening, like Richard mentioned on this thread recently).

The thermostat should be here any day now - I picked up a gasket from NAPA on Friday and retrieved my "High Tack" gasket sealer from the tool bag. And last night I began cleaning off the old gasket from the tank flange - I got most of it off, now comes the deep cleaning. I'm halfway considering having a machine shop mill the surface of the flange - I just don't want it to create more problems by disturbing any seams. I think I will just give it a good cleaning with a wire wheel and maybe sandpaper. Today I will pick up some new mounting bolts, since the old ones are, well, old.

Also last night I retrieved the old kick panel from the corner and gingerly separated the cardboard backing from the rest of the crusty carpet and vinyl. Then I sprayed it down with some bleach and put a piece of plywood and the heavy tool bag on it to flatten it out so I can make two new ones. I hope both sides are the same pattern because I only have the one side in my possession - the other side went missing long before I received the car. Calling John Feser - are they both the same?

On the Mr. Ed front, I included several screen pics from the series that show the Studebakers they used on screen. The first picture is from the very first episode, when Wilbur Post and wife show up at their new home. Other pics are the Champ pickup delivering hay for Ed, the Lark pulling Ed's trailer during a trip to Mexico. The most recent episode I watched has Ed eavesdropping on a phone call from Wilbur's wife, where she talks to the neighbor lady about hitting Wilbur up for a new car. Ed informs Wilbur of this, Wilbur pleads poverty to his wife, the wife finds out the poverty thing is a trick cooked up by Wilbur and a neighbor, so she ends up hooking Ed up to a surrey to haul her and her lady friends (including one very large lady) around. After a few days of this torture poor Ed reports Wilbur's wife to the SPCA. And in the end the wife ends up with a nice Lark wagon and Ed is relieved to not be pulling a wagon anymore. Ah, the good old days...

[SeventhSon]

The wheels of progress move slowly. Last night I inched forward toward the moment when I can fire the old Avanti up and go for a ride. In the garage last night I had a look at the crusty old kick panel backing. It was mostly flat, but torn in a couple of places. I taped it together and now I have a decent pattern to use for the kick panels. I need to put the new carpet pieces for the kick panels in the car temporarily just to see how much they cover. The original kick panels were half carpet, half vinyl - a nice look, but I have a feeling the new pieces leave out the vinyl. We'll see how they fit.

Next, I took a wire wheel to the expansion tank flange. Before long all the old gasket cement was gone and I was able to see just how pitted the flange was. Hmmm... no wonder it leaks. I've been researching gasket sealers and I found one that probably would work best on the pitted flange - Permatex Anaerobic Gasket Maker. I can use it with the gasket I have and the gasket sealer is supposed to fill in gaps and irregularities. I hope it works! I picked up some new mounting bolts for the tank and the new thermostat is in transit. Maybe I can get started on putting things back together by this weekend.

[SeventhSon]

Went home for lunch today and there was the FedEx guy dropping a box on the stoop. Ah, the thermostat has arrived! High flow unit with 3 little bypass holes. One more piece of the project to get the cooling system back online. Now, let's see, oh yeah, I need that gasket sealer and probably a couple of different hose clamps. The ones on the upper radiator hose are too big - have too much excess sticking out. Get those items and I should be ready to put things back together.

As an aside, yesterday I heard about a guy who works for a large IT company, who was talking about how 30% of the cars out here have their own IP address that can be tracked. "Ha," I said. "My Avanti doesn't have an IP address - never has!"

[SeventhSon]

Last night I wanted to take it easy so I just cut out a couple of patterns for the kick panels. I think the cardboard I am using is too flimsy so I may bolster it with something. Maybe I'll glue two pieces together or something. I need to take the carpet pieces over to the storage unit to see how they fit before proceeding. But first, I need to get the cooling system back together. I'll use any spare time today to pick up the gasket sealer and hose clamps I need. Hopefully that will be all I need to get started. When I get the time....

Also yesterday, since I have a little tax refund coming, I decided to order the trunk carpet kit. So that's in the pipeline now - I will need to construct a spare tire well cover out of plywood. I have some wood left over from the rear shelf construction that looks like it will work for that - might as well stretch the funds where I can. I'll have to wait for the carpet set to arrive so I can see what the diameter of the cover will need to be.

[SeventhSon]

I've been moving in fits and starts the last couple of days. I went by the storage unit yesterday to install the surge tank in the small amount of time I had available. Bad move - or as the saying goes these days: FAIL. I got a good start, but then ran into difficulty with the gasket sealer. It turned out to not be a good choice, as it doesn't hold the gasket in place while you struggle getting the tank on without messing everything up. So, with the tank in place I began the arduous task of getting the flange bolts in, all the while trying to keep the tank straight while the slick gasket sealer wants to let it slip 'n slide. Then I ran out of time - had to get back to work. Don't want to get in trouble with the boss. So, I thought, "&%$#@*!", I'll leave the stupid thing the way it is and come back tomorrow".

I drove away and made my way back to work. And, as I have found many times in the past, walking away is the best thing to do sometimes. It clears the mind and makes decisions easier. Such as the decision I made while driving back to the office - I'm just gonna delete that tank. And that set that ball in motion. I was waffling about doing that anyway, back and forth my mind went, but I kept wanting to keep the setup original. But reality sets in - I figure the tank is going to leak again, I'll have to pull it over and over, probably. When I got back to the office I ordered the surge tank eliminator kit from Studebaker International and was happy about it. I'll keep the tank for the next owner - I just want to eliminate a source of trouble so I can have more fun driving the old car.

Now I have that kit on the way, I have the trunk carpet set on the way, and also yesterday, I ordered the steering wheel repair kit. The Avanti portion of the tax refund is about used up. On the bright side I will have lots to do on the car now that spring is just around the corner. I still have a few things to do on the interior, like fix the dome lights and install the kick panels. Speaking of, I stopped by the storage unit today to pull the failed tank install off and clean things up. After that I did a test fit of the cardboard panels and carpet kick panels. Looks like it will be a decent fit - I'm just going to have to beef up the cardboard backing pieces and glue the vent opening edging to it. I brought home a piece of foam board, but I'm not sure if that's going to be too rigid to fit in place. I think I can make it work - hopefully I'll do a better job on the kick panels than I did on the surge tank. At least I have something to do while waiting for the latest goodies to arrive.

[John Byrd]

Hey, Chris, we also had an "un-cooperative" tank on our Avanti after we had it a few years. I talked to an old fellow at the local auto parts and he ordered me a unit that wasn't much more than a hose-sized tube with a radiator cap coming off it. The piece is from Moroso and it worked GREAT !!! I'll try to include a picture that you might be able to see it. Our car never overheated or even acted like it knew any different after we removed the tank and put that piece in line.

[Landman]

John, do you store your car in the house? I see drapes and wood paneling.

[unimogjohn]

Chris, make sure you check your vent flaps to make sure they work OK and you still have the edge sealing rubber on them. They are easy to get out now that you have the kick panels off. You do not want to have to redo them after you get your new panels installed. The old girl is looking great.

[r1lark]

Hey, Chris, we also had an "un-cooperative" tank on our Avanti after we had it a few years. I talked to an old fellow at the local auto parts and he ordered me a unit that wasn't much more than a hose-sized tube with a radiator cap coming off it. The piece is from Moroso and it worked GREAT !!! I'll try to include a picture that you might be able to see it. Our car never overheated or even acted like it knew any different after we removed the tank and put that piece in line.

Our 2000 Dodge Durango with 318 uses a very similar arrangement. Not sure of the hose sizes though, and it's up in the mountains with my oldest son so I can't measure them.

[SeventhSon]

Hi John Byrd - I saw that Moroso filler piece recently on a thread I was reading (might have been on Bob's Studebaker Resource site). Still available from Summit Racing - I checked into, it but decided to go with the kit from S.I. that includes the filler tube, water neck, hoses, clamps, etc.

Thanks John from Marshall, I can't wait to get the old girl back in service - once she's running I'll have to meet you halfway somewhere and buy you coffee and a donut. Assuming you partake of donuts! About the vents, they are accessible by removing the screen? Where did you get the replacement seals? I'll certainly give them a look - I'm sure the rubber is now petrified.

Hey Paul - no worries, the S.I. kit should do the trick. Can't wait to install it - I'm bummed out not being able to drive the old rocket.

Thanks for checking in, guys!

[unimogjohn]

Chris, yes, remove the screen for direct access. Then all you do is pull up on the open/close rod to pull it off the peg on the flap. To remove the flap you just push up and the bottom will release, then you just pull it down and out. Simple. You can see what I did on page 57 of my blog. I got the little rubber sealing flaps from SI. Not much money either. I have seen them on Ebay too. I was going to make my own flaps, but Greg convinced me to buy them as you have to get the right pliable rubber to make them work correctly. I did reuse the flaps, but based on what you have seen on your car you may be making them. One of the vendors may have them also. They are just pressed wood fiber and when they get wet they turn to sawdust.

[SeventhSon]

Thanks John, I had a look at your blog - now I have an idea what I'm going to see. Ha - what will mine look like? I'll show pics right here - meanwhile I guess I'll have a look at the S.I. catalog to see about the rubber seals.

[SeventhSon]

Well, that was fast. Yesterday morning, the steering wheel repair kit was on my stoop - I just ordered on Thursday. A pleasant surprise, even if I'm not ready to pull the steering wheel yet. So, I have item #1 of the latest Avanti fun package - still waiting on the trunk carpet set and the coolant filler kit. But I have lots to do while waiting, so I got started on it - in the picture below I'm not going to rent the old car out (hey, good idea - "Rent a Classic"!). I picked up that plastic sign to use for backing for the kick panels - stronger than the flimsy cardboard I had, moisture proof, and flexible.

This morning I cut the right side template out and, after running some errands I cut the left one out. Then I scuffed up the plastic sign around the vent opening, pulled the carpet edging through the opening, and snipped some relief slits in the edging so it would lay flat. Then it was just a matter of pulling the edging tight and gluing it with some vinyl repair adhesive I had in my supplies. Seems like things stuck pretty well - I clamped everything the best I could and called it a night.

This week I will try to get to the storage unit to have a look at the vent doors that John Feser mentioned. I'm curious to see how those little doors are removed - and if they are still intact. On this car you have to wonder about the condition of such things.

[SeventhSon]

Well, I thought I would run by the storage unit today before the "Storm of The Century!" hit. Since everybody is running around like chickens with their head cut off I decided to seek a momentary respite from the hysteria and visit the old Avanti. It has a calming effect on me to putter around on an old car, even if it's only for a little while.

First off, I squeezed myself into the driver's side floor area to see how the kick panel would look. I just stuck the kick panel in there to see how it fit. Looks OK - an amateur job, of course, but it'll be all right once it's in place. After that I removed the kick panel and had a look at the vent screen. A couple of little screws - they came out with little screaming, then I had a look at the vent door. Yep, just as Mr. Feser said it would look. Just unhook the control cable and lift up the door - out she comes. Looks just like his looked in his Avanti Refresh blog on page 57 - the seals have turned to hardened goop. Looks like replacements are in order.

Next, I squeezed myself into the passenger side floor area and did the same thing - removed the screen, removed the little door. Same deal - goopy hardened seal. Looks like I'll be getting new seals asap. After putting the vent doors in my car I decided to throw the new coolant recovery tank in the car. Just in preparation for the surge tank eliminator kit that I'm expecting. The kit has a coolant recovery tank with it - I bought a tank last week to add to my system when I thought I was going to keep the surge tank. Now I will have an extra coolant recovery tank - I'll keep it as a spare.

With time running out I headed by the house, collected some lunch, and, just as I was getting ready to head back to work I heard "Ding Dong", the doorbell. I checked the door - there was the surge tank eliminator kit from S.I.! Oh boy, I'm getting a little closer to hearing the rumble again!

[SeventhSon]

Light duty last night - I had a look at the surge tank eliminator kit that I got yesterday. That water neck input sure seems small to me - hope it doesn't constrict the coolant flow. I'm glad I got the high flow thermostat in that case. Looks like the snow is going to keep me from getting to the storage unit to start on getting this thing back together. Oh well, can't do anything about the weather.

Last night I scraped the dried goop off the little vent doors - they are holding up pretty good so far for 50 year old press board. Now I need to get the seals ordered. I'm thinking of gluing the seals in place, then adding 3 little screws with nuts and washers as extra hold. I'll proceed carefully, of course. Don't want to have to make new doors.

[SeventhSon]

Finally. I got to take a few minutes and stop by the storage shed to get started on the installation of the water neck, etc. I cleaned up the thermostat housing, made sure I put the new thermostat in, then applied the gasket sealant to the flange surfaces. I proceeded with trying to bolt the water neck down, then realized that the water neck was thicker than the surge tank flange. So, the bolt on the forward side of the water neck, the one that also holds the alternator bracket, was too short. Now I know why service trucks have bins full of parts and supplies - you always need something else. So, I left everything as it was, pulled the door shut and headed out for a longer bolt. I rode around looking for the Car Quest store I could have sworn was nearby. Nope. I stopped at another auto parts store - asked for a cap screw. "I don't stock any kind of hardware, but NAPA might," said the man behind the counter.

With directions to NAPA in my head I headed that way. I walked in - asked for what I needed. "How many do you want?" Ah, saved by NAPA again! I bought two, just in case, and threw in a bag of shop towels just to make it worth printing the receipt. Back to the unit I went and installed the right length cap screw. I torqued both to 17 lbs. Then it was time to head back to the job. Not enough time in the day to do all the things I want to do. Oh well, at least I made one more step toward hearing the rumble again. Maybe this weekend is when that will happen!

Still waiting on the rubber seals for the vent doors - I did get by Home Depot after work and picked up some adhesive and little screws, washers and nuts to bolster the rubber to the door. Another step.

I just cracked open the second season of Mr. Ed and I was reading the liner notes about what was on each disc. I was pleasantly surprised to see that on Disc 4 there is a bonus section: Studebaker commercials! Compliments of the Studebaker National Museum, according to the liner notes. I might have to jump ahead in the series just to watch them!

A final note about driving: How come the people behind me want to go really fast, and the people in front of me want to go really slow?

[SeventhSon]

Saturday, March 9. We lose an hour tomorrow - I hate when that happens. Ah well, I like the extra light at the end of the day, plus the hope of nicer weather being just around the corner.

Today's mail brought the little rubber seals for the vent doors - yippee! I get to take another step forward. The seals were thinner than I had expected, and more like neoprene or foam. I immediately set about attaching them to the vent doors. The doors still had heavy staples in each corner, which I assume helped hold the old seals in place. I had thought about leaving the staples in place, but decided to take them out. Man, they're pretty heavy duty - I carefully pried each end of the staple up with a small screwdriver, then finished prying them up with needle nose pliers, all the while being very careful not to snap the old press board like a graham cracker.

After removing the staples it was just a matter of gluing the new rubber in place. Pretty straightforward - the seals are glued and waiting the next step, probably installing a few screws with washers and nuts to bolster the glue. Since I don't have an industrial staple gun to pop staples through the press board.

[SeventhSon]

I had planned to hop out of bed this morning and head straight to the storage unit. Didn't work out that way - the darned lost hour messed with my head and I didn't feel like going. So I waited until this evening - might as well take advantage of the extended daylight. This morning I had checked out the little vent doors and was happy to see the glue was holding fast. I figured I would forget about putting little screws through each seal, but tonight, just before departing for the storage unit, I decided to try out the staple gun I used on the rear shelf. I looked at the staples and they were 5/16" long - perfect! So I carefully shot three staples in through each seal, then gave a coating of glue over each staple. The staples went in fine and the little doors didn't complain. Soon enough they were back where they belong, and working fine. Looks like they seal up nicely when shut. Before leaving them alone I sprayed some WD40 on the cable to give a little bit more smoothness to the operation.

Then I moved on to the cooling system. First I installed a new, shorter bolt into the water manifold where the expansion tank bracket previously went. Since the bracket was no longer there I needed a shorter bolt to compensate. Done. Then I worked the alternator into place and tightened that down. Then I could finally move on to installing the coolant hoses. Friday, on the way back from visiting my aged mother at the assisted living home, I picked up a few items at Autozone - some hose clamps (the ones S.I. provide with the kit are big enough for the supercharger hoses), and some radiator hose lube. I noticed this stuff a few months ago and I thought, "Man, I need some of that." I used it tonight and it makes things go together so easily. The small hose went on the water neck, then the filler section went on the small hose. Then, according to the instructions (rare to see these), you are to hold the long hose up to the filler section and radiator, then cut the hose down to fit. I'll be danged if I could see how the long hose would fit in any way or configuration. I decided to just find a hose to fit or get a flexible piece. But before I left the storage unit I had an idea - I would check the original hose that went to the expansion tank and see if that would work. I halfway think I can cut it to fit. We'll see....another couple of steps to getting the old car rumbling again.

P.S. Having trouble getting pictures to load - I'll try after this post.

[SeventhSon]

Pictures won't load - I'll try again tomorrow.

[SeventhSon]

All right - I'll try to load the pics from yesterday. Probably operator error....

[SeventhSon]

Happy days are here again....dum de dum dee dee....hmmm...hmmm...oh, excuse me, just humming happy tunes. Why? Because the Avanti is back! On the road!

Today I had an opening to sneak over to the storage unit. I stopped at the store first and picked up some distilled water, being hopeful that I would be able to get the radiator hose on. Last time I was at the storage unit I determined that the radiator hose that came with the surge tank eliminator kit was not gonna work. Not sure where it came from but it wasn't going to happen. So I had a light bulb go on and decided to see if the original hose would work. I stuck it on the radiator - hmmm, maybe with some trimming. My time was up - so I resolved to return ASAP and see if I could make it work. I had to work outside Monday, yesterday was a monsoon, so that meant today was the day.

I had a dentist appointment (that's how you get out of the office) - after that I headed to the storage unit. After picking up the distilled water I hit the unit - raised the hood and contemplated things. When I left the other day I figured I would have to trim an inch or so off each end of the original radiator hose. Today, as I studied the situation, the hose wasn't quite lining up like I wanted it to, then I had another light bulb moment! Let me turn the hose around and upside down. Wow! Looks like it was made for it! All I needed to do is trim an inch + off the filler spout end. Easy enough. Pretty soon the hose was on - however I realized that I wanted the overflow nipple on the other side. No problem - in two minutes it was removed and turned around, the hoses tightened and the overflow tube in place. Nice! I added some antifreeze and distilled water, checked the crankcase oil, added a little along with some Seafoam, checked the supercharger oil. Good to go. I turned on the cut-off switch, got in and cranked the engine. She cranked a little slow at first but after about ten seconds she fired! Man, I missed that - sounds so good.

And out we went. What a great feeling - I drove here and there, stopped for fresh gas, drove some more. Man, I did not want to take the old rocket back, but all fun must end so I headed back to the storage unit. About a mile away I was heading down a hill to a stoplight. I noticed a young guy in the car next to me checking out the old Avanti - he gave a thumbs up as he turned to the right, still looking back in his side mirror. It's fun to see someone appreciate the old car - makes it worth it. I turned left, usually I like to run up through the gears pretty strong (always observing the posted speed limit, of course) before putting the car to bed, but I noticed a dark, unmarked police unit approaching from behind. I kept things gentle and the officer continued on as I turned off to head home. All in all, a really nice day - a drive in the Avanti always makes for a nice day!

[SeventhSon]

P.S. Forgot to mention - the temperature stayed at 160 for the duration of the ride. Plus, no leaks! (Knock on wood)

[SeventhSon]

Saturday, March 16 - finally got an hour or two to fool around with Avanti stuff. Last couple of days have been busy at work so I have been hunkering down at the desk staying occupied. But the old Avanti is not far from my mind - I really enjoyed getting her out on the road again the other day after getting the cooling system back together. I just love how the old girl rumbles along, engine running so nice. Hopefully tomorrow the weather will cooperate and I can take her out for a decent drive.

Tonight I had a little time so I decided to take care of a couple of things that need to be done. First, I gave the vent screens a soaking and scrubbing, hopefully for their reinstall tomorrow. They cleaned up pretty nicely for 50 year old pieces. After that I had a look at the two little chrome strips that go on the kick panels. They have a curve in them that follows the body and holds the kick panel flat. Or curved, I guess I should say. The original kick panels were part carpet (the lower part) and part vinyl (the upper part) and the chrome strips fit along the seam of the carpet and vinyl. A much better look, in my opinion. However, the new kick panels are all carpet - I guess the reproduction company didn't want to add the vinyl portion. So I shined those chrome pieces up and coated the back with some Rust Reformer, since the Evil Rust Monster visited them too. I believe the E.R.M. lived in my Avanti for a few years - left his mark, for sure.

After that, feeling like I should accomplish something else, I fooled around with the new kick panels. I used carpet tape to secure the plastic backing (the "For Rent" sign I cut up) to the kick panel. So, I should be ready to install the kick panels. After that, it's time to remove the steering wheel for a fix-up. But not before I drive the car a couple of more times!

[SeventhSon]

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I headed over to the storage unit early this morning to see the Avanti. I figured I would do a little something, then reward myself with a drive. So I installed the little vent screens and shined up the engine chrome that the coolant leak had sprayed on. Not wanting to overdo it I decided that was enough work for the day - time to drive! So I got the old car ready, checking this and that and pouring the half can of Sea Foam in the gas tank. First time I've used it in the fuel - I wanted to see how it did.

I fired the old girl up and out we went. What a ride! Man, I know I've said it a million times before, but geez, what a fun car to drive! It makes it so much nicer, too, that the interior is more like a normal car - somewhat clean, new carpet, etc. Really fun to drive - not long after I started driving today an older couple pulled alongside me in a BMW and smiled and gave the thumbs up sign. It's fun to get that acknowledgement - the old girl still has some fans out there.

I drove between 40 and 50 miles - the car didn't miss a beat. And I swear the Sea Foam made her run better - maybe just my imagination, but I plan to keep on using it though. I reluctantly returned to the storage shed and before putting her to bed I walked around the car as it idled. Man, what a sound - the car has a beautiful tone whether it is at highway speed pushing 4000 RPM or just sitting there idling. All the work I've put into it? Worth it!

[SeventhSon]

Hey again! Still here, just loaded down with this and that. Mostly work related stuff - gotta keep the work going, it pays for the Avanti! Speaking of, I haven't been to visit all week, since my fun drive on Sunday. Like I said, work. But I did receive the next batch of fun on the stoop Monday (see, I've been too busy to even write about it). The box contained the trunk carpet set I ordered. I didn't even get to open the box until last night. It contained a bunch of pieces of carpet, most of which I don't know where they go. But I'll figure it out.

First though, I have to get the interior stuff done that I want to get done. Kick panels installed, dome lights working correctly, steering wheel restored. I think that is where I will leave the interior for now - I enjoy driving the car around as it is now. It's a comfortable driver - what a cool car. After the interior stuff I'll work on the trunk carpet install - while I'm doing that I think I will get another new steel rim for the spare. Probably try out the powder coated white rim - I should have gotten the other rims powder coated when I was getting them, but I was watching pennies (still am). So, let's see, interior wrap up, trunk refresh, new spare tire rim, an exterior side mirror for the right fender.

That oughta take me up til June or so. What after that? Arrrrggghh - I have to climb under the beast and start cleaning up the frame, coating it with POR 15 or similar. I have some holes to patch on the rear frame too, where the Avantis usually have trouble. Speaking of holes - I have a hog trough that is sporting some holes. Dare I attempt to replace that?? Maybe by the end of the year....hoo boy.

On a different note, talking to my brother Dennis today, he said he saw an old '58 Coupe De Ville a while back. Dennis talked to the driver of the Cadillac because he wanted to find out the paint color of the car, a beautiful green that Dennis would like to paint his own '73 Vette. In the course of talking to the fellow he learned that the Cadillac was none other than my own old '58 I sold 13 years ago. Dennis said it was immaculate, totally restored. Now I have to hunt that down and have a look at it - probably bring tears to my eyes though. But, when I sold it I didn't have the place to work on it, or the time, or the money. So I'm glad it went to a good home - I'd love to see it though.

[John Byrd]

It contained a bunch of pieces of carpet, most of which I don't know where they go. But I'll figure it out.

OK, Chris, I'm here to help. It's very simple, if your Avanti is like ours was, the carpet goes in the tiny space with the funny latch that is behind the back seat. You should recognize it immediately, because it will either be standing full of water, dripping, or mildew'd and should have an extremely narrow, flat, dry-rotted tire with a rusty rim that may or may not be all there, in the deepest part of the water. You're welcome.......Ha !!!

[Woodfiddler]

Hey Chris - has brother Dennis seen your Avanti Rescue project? Has he taken it for a spin around the block? If so, what were his impressions? If not - I don't blame you - I wouldn't let my brothers drive my vehicles either!! I've seen the way they "beat on" their own! Keep up the good work, you are an inspiration!

Chuck

[SeventhSon]

John - oh, THAT place! It's just as you described it!

Chuck - thanks for the nice comment. Dennis hasn't seen the old Avanti yet - maybe I would let him drive it if he let me drive his Corvette. Hmmm....nah!

[avantey]

Chis- you can't let a Vette owner drive the 'other plastic car", they would find out what they are missing and never be the same!!

If we ever get done with winter I should have my car out this spring. Did you realize it is the 50th birthday this year for Avantis? I am looking forward to displaying a 100 YO and 50 YO Stude together!

[SeventhSon]

Bill, you're right. Once he hears that supercharger whistling as he rockets down the highway the Vette just won't do it for him anymore!

Yes, big 50th anniversary for the Avanti - I'm very proud to own one, especially now. That is so cool that you have a 50 and 100 - make sure you get them out to some shows this year!

[SeventhSon]

Well, it's Sunday, so that means I like to head over to the storage shed for some quality time with the old rocket. The Mightyfast rocket. Today was a little tough getting going - I almost did the lazy thing and laid around on the couch watching TV. But I forced myself out the door and over to the storage unit - glad I did. After having a look at everything I fired her up and took her out of the unit. I raised the hood and had a look for leaks while she idled. Yep, there's one - the new radiator hose at the filler tube was drip, drip, drip. I took a screwdriver to it and the leak stopped - I put it on my mental list to give a proper tightening to. After that I headed for home to install the kick panels, along with a few other small things. Once home I set about getting the driver's side kick panel in - I used sticky carpet tape on the flat portion, some quick stick glue on the curved portion, and some clear extra sticky glue along the edge. That oughta hold it. The kick panels came from the factory with a long "tail" that I tucked under the sill plate. After gluing the driver's side in place and clamping the edge I moved to the passenger side and basically did the same thing, except I skipped the sticky tape, opting just for the quick stick and super sticky glues. I clamped the edge of that side and moved on to the firewall piece of carpet.

A while back, when I installed the carpet, I scratched my head about how the passenger side firewall piece of carpet went in. After sleeping on it for a bit I began to realize that the piece in question actually fit between the heater box and firewall. Which meant it had to install a bit higher than I had it. My conclusion was borne out when I saw John Feser's posts on his Avanti Refresh blog where he was showing how he replaced the rubber seals on his little vent doors. The bottom edge of the firewall carpet on John's Avanti reached right about the bottom of the vent opening. So today I raised my carpet up to basically match that - I wasn't about to remove the heater box to fit the carpet behind it, so I rolled the extra up and tucked it up out of the way. I put a couple of screws through the carpet to hold it tight - everything looks good to me, I'm glad to move on to the next thing.

Next, I wrestled the trunk open (it takes 2 people to open the trunk, it won't pop by itself. Something else to fix), and had a look at the spare tire well opening. I wanted to measure the diameter of the opening (30 1/4") so I can make a spare tire cover out of plywood and cover it with the carpet I just received. I immediately saw the next problem on the horizon - the spare tire I bought about a year ago is too wide. It sticks up above the top of the well by about an inch. Jeez, I thought I got a narrow enough tire - guess not. Time to search out an even narrower tire - I'm going to go ahead and spring for a new rim too. No sense having the old rust bomb rim in the trunk with new carpet and such.

After that I tightened the radiator hose more, tightened the rear view mirror stem that is new and doesn't hold the mirror steady. Flops around more than a politician - I still didn't get it tightened enough, so I'm going to have to add a little piece of something in each socket to firm things up a bit.

Next, it was back to the storage unit - didn't get near enough driving time in today, but I'll make sure I make up for it later this week.