Avanti Rescue

[SeventhSon]

Last night was Trap Door Night. Or Access Door Night. Take your pick. At lunch yesterday I finished stapling the vinyl, then last night I trimmed the excess vinyl from the back of the little door. Then I took some measurements from the old door to use in mounting the hardware on the new door. I laid the old door atop the new and marked where the hinges go, then measured where the mounting holes were to be. I had to hunt for some screws small enough to fit the hinges and not poke through the other side of the door. Found some and mounted the hinges. Then I marked the spot for the little clip that holds the door closed and the pull tab. I thought about making a new tab but the old one has a dark plastic edging that looks nice, so I kept it. Something old, something new.

After getting the hardware attached I cut out a piece of black felt I picked up the other day and trimmed it to fit. Not perfect, but nothing else is. So, close enough. Next it was glue time - I spread a whole tube of the glue I had on hand (Liquid Nails, Home Projects) over the plywood and along the edge of the vinyl where the felt will overlap. Then the felt went on - stuck fast. I put the door on the carpeted floor in the house and put some books on top of it. This morning I had a look at it - not too bad, I've seen worse.

[SeventhSon]

Tonight I moved on to covering the back side of the big shelf piece. First I trimmed off any excess vinyl - there wasn't too much excess in my opinion. Of course, a professional upholsterer would probably disagree, that's why I won't let any professionals look at it! After trimming a little vinyl off I started working with the black felt. After turning the felt this way and that I determined that the piece I had left over would not cover all the area I needed to cover (ain't that a kick in the head?). I kind of figured that would be the case, so I just decided to split the coverage down the middle. That way I could get the coverage I needed. So, two pieces it was. I cut the first piece out and positioned it, then turned the remaining material this way and that until I just barely got coverage. Works for me.

After cutting and trimming the second piece I had a couple of boo boo's, so I filled those in with scraps. Luckily, the little mistakes will be spending their time in the trunk and if someone wants to examine my workmanship they will have to climb in the trunk with a light. Ha! After I got everything positioned I glued the material fast, and, satisfied that it wasn't a total butcher job, I laid the unit on the carpet in the house and stacked books upon the felt covering. And that's where she is now - I'll have a look in the morning before work.

Maybe tomorrow night I can see if the whole thing will fit back in the car and actually look like it belongs there. I'll cross my fingers....

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Looks good to me, Chris. Professionals will be envious.

Ben

[SeventhSon]

Thanks Ben, things seem to be coming along OK. I checked the glue job on the big piece this morning and everything stuck pretty well - looks good. Maybe I can get that piece installed this weekend.

[SeventhSon]

Well, the rear shelf went in. I headed out to the garage tonight and got right to it, first cleaning the area along the rear edge of the shelf. Years of grime resided there - now it's a bit cleaner. Then I positioned the unit in its spot and, the fit being snug, it stayed put. Which was good, because it gave me the chance to come at it from underneath and install a couple of the mounting brackets so the shelf didn't fall into the trunk. Pretty soon I had all the brackets in place, mounted to the car body. Then it was just a matter of drilling shallow pilot holes in the underside of the shelf. Then the mounting screws went right in, tightening the unit down. The tough ones were the two clips that go on the front side of the unit, closest to the rear seat. Tough to reach, tough to get the clip to stay put while I drilled a pilot hole. I first tried to work myself into the trunk in order to get to the spot. But I quickly found out that an Avanti trunk is not a Cadillac trunk and I was trying to find a way to get out of the predicament I found myself in. I thought I was going to have to start kicking the wall to summon my wife to come pull me out of the trunk. But, before too much panic set in, I was able to spring myself from my trap.

After that I decided to tape the clip to the underside of the shelf, then drill the pilot hole. It worked OK, good enough to get the clips installed - without having to call the fire department to get me out of the trunk.

The first picture shows the old rotten shelf, then some pics of the new unit. Color doesn't match everything else - maybe I'll paint everything someday. I have to adjust the latch on the trap door, maybe the hinges too. Tomorrow. Also, time to do something with that scary speaker - this weekend.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Good job , Chris. The speaker grill will be a piece of cake after the shelf.

Ben

[unimogjohn]

Chris, great job, 100% better. Every bit refreshed really makes her sparkle. That grill should be a piece of cake now.

[SeventhSon]

Thanks Ben and John - it looks much better than it did!

I took off this morning from working on the old car, but returned to the garage tonight to do some cleaning. I wanted to do something different so I took some chrome cleaner to the exterior chrome and stainless. I just wanted to see some shine and I got it to one degree or another - I hit the side window edging and latches, the rear bumper, half of the front bumper. I cleaned the side windows - just some basic cleaning that has been neglected for many years. Things look pretty nice - like John said, every little bit refreshed really makes her sparkle. Very true - even the rear bumper, which is three quarters in the grave, looks better. Still hurting in a major way, but a little cleaner.

Then I got in the car and applied some mineral oil to the interior vinyl pieces that have curled up on the edges. I read online that mineral oil will help bring old crusty vinyl back to suppleness. I'm not sure if it's true, but I tried it. Hope it doesn't make the vinyl fall apart! We'll see....

I took some pictures while I was cleaning, but will have to post them tomorrow - I'm running late tonight!

[SeventhSon]

I continue to push the boulder up the mountain. I have been trying to post some words and pictures, but the time runs short every night. So I will try to summarize the weekend here.

As I mentioned before, on Saturday morning I took it easy, after having gotten the rear shelf installed. Then Saturday evening I switched gears and worked on some various cleaning, shining up some chrome and stainless. I cleaned the side glass as well, all this is just a distraction until I make the move toward the carpet install. At the end of the day I was able to step back and see some of what the old girl once was.

On Sunday I worked on the interior vinyl some more, hitting it some more with the cleaning supply arsenal. The mineral oil I mentioned earlier seemed to work slightly, so I attempted to fold the curled up vinyl under the headliner where it should go. I met with limited success. Very limited. As I went from piece to piece I also took a razor scraper and penknife and scraped the black mildew spots off. Tedious work. After getting a piece clean I would coat it with a bleach cleaner, let it sit for a spell, then rinse it. In the end I wiped everything down with Armor All wipes. That was how I spent my Sunday night - I was moderately pleased with the progress. I see things improve a little each time I do something. It just seems like I get one thing accomplished and see five more things that need to be accomplished. Whew!

[SeventhSon]

A few more pics of the interior cleaning, then, yesterday morning, I worked on the rear speaker cleanup. I sanded the rust on the grille and hit it with some Rust Reformer. It it ready for some paint - I just have to find the paint I want to put on there. Next I hit that crusty steering column, knocking the rust down on that. One thing led to another and next I was under the dash, cleaning and sanding some and applying some Rust Reformer under there. I also had a look at what I was going to be up against with the carpet removal and installation. Not too bad, I hope - I think the kick panels are going to be the hard part. We'll see...

[SeventhSon]

Last night the fun continued - the preparation for the carpet install. I dipped a toe in the "seat removal" water, but quickly withdrew it. One bolt started to come out, then slowed to a grinding halt - no problem, I could spray Kroil from the top side and it would come out easily soon enough. Let's see how the second bolt does - it began to turn, then turned and turned and turned. "As The Bolt Turns", a dramatic saga of a bolt that runs around and around and doesn't come out. I never really intended on removing the seats. It would be nice to have them out of the way, but due to the nature of how they are mounted and the near impossibility of getting on the back side of the mounting bolts I feel it is best to work around them.

So that's what I started to do last night. I began removing some of the carpet remains - the pieces that hadn't yet turned to dust. I was able to remove the rear seat piece and the piece under the driver's seat. Oh, the stuff that collects under a car seat (especially after 20 years of neglect). I cleaned as much as I could under and around the seat, more of that fun will be happening tonight.

Next I removed the sill plate on the driver's side, watching it crumble to dust in my hands. More rot caused by neglect. But, all in all, a productive weekend leading up to, hopefully, a wrap up of the interior refresh by the end of the month. Hope springs eternal....

[unimogjohn]

Chris, it is actually kinda fun to see all your work on the inside of the car, a little been there, done that sort of feeling. Things are really starting to look up with some of the mold and mildew removed. Each thing you accomplish makes the car look a little bit better. I did read too that the mineral oil is a good softening agent for vinyl. Maybe it will take a few more applications?

On the carpet, you will find that most of it is either glued down or held in place by a couple of little screws for support. So have a good bit of clear glue/contact cement when you start. Mine came out well so drop on over if you want to see how it went down. I have yet to do my kick panels, but I did buy new kick plate backing on Ebay. It is just pressed cardboard with your vinyl and carpeting glued to it. While you a thinking of kick panels, remember to buy some of the vent plate rubber from SI or others. I am sure yours are non-existent like mine were. Without the rubber you vents will pass lots of cold air, all of the time.

My Avanti is still in hibernation, but am anxious to get her out of the barn and back on the road.

We are all still enjoying your adventure and pics. Keep them coming. Sure glad the car is in the garage, lots of action, but I know you are getting tired since there is so much to accomplish. But you are having fun, right?

[Landman]

Chris, there is a product called CLR that seems to work reasonably well in dissoving rust. I wunder if a rag soaked with that & wrapped around your steering column would help.

[SeventhSon]

Hey John - it's true, the more times I hit that interior with the cleaning arsenal, the better it comes out. Forty more times and she'll look like she just left the showroom floor! I am having fun, it's fun to see progress, but you are right, it gets to be a grind spending most free time working on it. That's why I am going to take my wife's advice and just drive it for a while once I get the interior stuff done.

Pat, I was able to knock most of that rust off - not sure if CLR will get rid of the rest. I know Naval Jelly will, but I don't know if paint would stick to it after that!

[SeventhSon]

Last night: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

The Good: I'm still making progress, if you can call cleaning decades of crud and flotsam out of the old car progress. Yes, that is a good thing - banish thy dirt from this vehicle.

The Bad: Well, see the above comment. I ripped and cajoled more of the rotten carpet from the car, wearing my breathing mask and gloves. But, as noted, I made progress on this front, getting more of the junk out and vacuuming the leftovers, making ready for new, clean stuff.

The Ugly: While working on cleaning the driver's side the other night my attention fell upon the accelerator pedal. I had looked at it before, but not really closely - I had too many other things to do. But now that the carpet is going to go in I realized that I needed to pay some attention to it. Just a glance told me I would be needing a new one, so I ordered one from Chuck Collins Studebaker Parts yesterday. But I wasn't sure how it mounted, so I decided to really look at the old one. I knew that some, ahem, "work" had been done to the old one, but only after really having a look at it did I see what a jury rig job had been done. Upon close inspection I realized that someone had taken the old pedal, which apparently had broken free of its mooring, and rigged a barn door hinge to it! Then they mounted that get up into place. Works well - looks like hell. So, it will go bye-bye in a few days, hopefully. I still don't know how a stock, original unit mounts, though. I looked at the parts book on the Avanti and it shows the accelerator pedal and linkage, etc., but no mounting bolts for the pedal. More research will tell the tale on this one, I'm sure.

After that I removed the side cover from the console - I didn't even realize that was a "cover" until I removed the screws and revealed a nice cubbyhole for hiding items. My hopes for a long ago forgotten stack of cash were dashed, though. Nothing but dust and some control cables. Same for under the seats - nothing but crud.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Imagine the shape of that car if it was made with steel! You would not entertain many people with your report...

[SeventhSon]

True, Roger. I'm afraid there would be no reports if that car was made of steel - it would be gone with the wind. Or water.

[SeventhSon]

The night before last, the fun continued. Just another boring night of ripping old, crusty carpet out of the car - whew! Starting to drag a$$ here. I'll be glad when the carpet and sill plates are in so I can park this beast somewhere and take a break. I'll give it another week - then I'm calling time-out. So, two nights ago, I pulled the old carpet down from the driver's side firewall area. Behind it was old insulation covered by a black substance that was probably at one time rubbery and flexible. Now it is crunchy and brittle, like it came back from a trip to space on the space shuttle exterior. I pulled all that off - I'll try to find a suitable replacement somewhere.

Last night I hit it again. Did I mention that I'm dragging....oh yeah, I did. Anyway, I squeezed myself in between the wall and the car to remove the sill plate. First, I tried to remove the stainless trim/hold down piece that runs along the rocker. Not easy - the screws are locked in by corrosion (no!), and are not coming out. The screws must be case hardened, because they are impervious to drilling. Dunno what's going on there, but I ended up ripping the trim piece off (good thing I have a new one) and moving on to the sill plate removal. The sill plate came off pretty well, but that's not unusual considering that it is rotten and practically falling off anyway.

After that bit of fun I remove the side cover to the console - looks like someone else has been here before. Several extra mounting holes have been drilled in the plate - I hope I have enough spots left to make my own holes. After pulling that piece off I noticed the remnants of a molted scorpion (second one I have found). I'm so glad those are not found this far north - at least not alive, anyway. All I had left in me was to pull the side kick panel off - all crusty as it is. I threw it in the trash but retrieved it this morning to try to use as a pattern. A cruelly misshapen pattern.

After having all that fun I dragged myself to the mailbox and found that the accelerator pedal had arrived! Hey, something new and clean - I'll take it. However, I'm more confused now as to how the thing mounts. It has two mounting holes, which seem to line up with the existing bolts in the floorboard. But the whole unit is rigid, so if I mount it fast with 2 bolts and try to actually use it, pivoting back and forth, something has to "give". There is no flex or hinge point to the thing. I figure something out - maybe I'll mount it to an old door hinge or something.

[SeventhSon]

A few more pics:

[Roger Zimmermann]

The joy of repro parts...It seems that this gas pedal cannot flex as it should do...I'm wondering if the company who let do the part in India never checked it?

[SeventhSon]

Yep Roger, the joy of repro parts is right. I have seen frustrations throughout this endeavor I have entered into caused by the same thing. If I could go back an re-do I would change some things. But, as the car is about where I want it for now, I will leave it be. I have become disillusioned with some of these outfits (not going to name names, other than to give initials, S.I.) which have supplied things that don't fit correctly, then don't give the courtesy of a reply when questioned about the ill fitting part.

But, like I said, I have reached the point I wanted to reach for now - any future parts will have to be NOS, good used, or reconditioned originals. I will make the gas pedal work, but choose more wisely in the future.

[Roger Zimmermann]

All the companies who initiate and sold repro parts are faced with some problems. How many parts can they sold for this or that model, what is the cost for the tooling and how good are the samples they begin with? Sometimes a repro is better than no part at all; in the case of the gas pedal, I would do like you explain, maybe with a nicer looking hinge than the one you removed!

[unimogjohn]

Chris, I went out to my Avanti and took a couple of pics. Not much help as the carpet is covering the hinge point. Will yours bend at all? As I remember mine would just flop over on its hinge if it was not in it's little pressure joint at the top of the pedal.

I also have a NOS kick plate that I can use as a template for you. They are just waterproof cardboard, so I would just use anything you have that will be sturdy enough to mount/screw back into place. Not much to them, even NOS. I can make a full size template and mail it to you. Just let me know.

Edited January 25, 2013 by unimogjohn (see edit history)

[r1lark]

Chris,

I believe that the design of that accelerator pedal is correct for the Avanti. That is the same way they are made for the '62 thru at least '64 Larks. I checked the part numbers, and while the Avanti p/n is different than the Lark p/n, the illustration in the Avanti parts manual matches that style of pedal.

It doesn't seem like it will flex, but it will once it's bolted down. Install it and let us know how it works.

Edited January 25, 2013 by r1lark
clarification (see edit history)

[SeventhSon]

Roger - true, sometimes they don't have much to work from. But I think the seller should confirm the part is correct before selling it.

John - many thanks for the pics and the offer for a kick panel pattern. I know from the one I took off they are very flimsy. Like cardboard almost. I was going to make a couple out of foam board. The heck with mailing it - I'll drive the old girl out and pick it up!

Paul - thanks for the info. The pedal does look like stock, and I thought it might give once I put my size 12 on it, but jeez, I don't want the floorboard to break apart. The gas pedal seems that rigid. I'll bolt it in and gingerly see how it works.

[r1lark]

Chris, think of it this way......to get an inch of movement at the very top of the pedal, it only has to pivot a small amount at the bottom.

[SeventhSon]

That's true - it's just when you put the pedal on the floor that you have to worry about the base of it ripping loose! Not that I would ever put the pedal to the floor.

[SeventhSon]

Well, Mr. Ed, you can have your barn door hinge back! The reason I mention Mr. Ed, the 1960's show about a talking horse (for the uninitiated), is because that show used Studebakers as the on screen cars. I've been watching on Saturday mornings to try to catch a shot of a Lark or even the white Avanti they would occasionally have on the show. Last week Wilbur Post, the main character (besides the horse) took Mr. Ed to a magic show, pulling the horse trailer behind his Lark. Kind of funny show - just one of those goofy 60's sit coms.

Anyway, Paul was right (I'm so glad there are folks on here who are smarter than me). I left work a little early due to the impending snowfall, driving straight home and hitting the garage. I took a better look at the new gas pedal, and gave it a good back and forth tug. It had some give to it, basically a stiff, but barely flexible piece. OK, maybe it will move. The thing that was throwing me was that there is no visible hinge, so it must be a piece of spring steel covered in rubber. Otherwise, after a hundred back and forth movements it would snap off. It looks like the original pedal snapped off at some point, as the picture below shows. I compared the new pedal with the old one (what is left of it) and it is an exact replica on the outside. I just hope they used spring steel on the inside.

So, realizing the unit would probably move, and taking Paul's advice, I set about removing the door hinge unit. Soon, that was off and I rummaged around for some new hardware to mount the new pedal. Pretty soon I found the right size bolts and nuts, and even washers. My lucky day! And before long the new unit was in place. Works like a charm. Hopefully it keeps working like a charm for several years more.

Satisfied with the gas pedal installation I moved on to more cleaning (yep, it's never ending). I vacuumed all the loose dirt I could find, then attacked the floorboard with Spic & Span. Scrub-a-dub-dub we went, ending up with lots of dirty water and rags. But clean floors. One step closer to the carpet install.

[r1lark]

Good deal Chris! Keep pushing forward.

[Landman]

Chris, is the circular "cover" under the brake pedal to access the master sylinder? My Hawk was like that.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Chris, is the circular "cover" under the brake pedal to access the master sylinder? My Hawk was like that.

No Pat. This is the access to the bolt attaching the lower firewall to the frame. There is the same plate on the RH side. The master cylinder is up the firewall.

All this was leaned studying the car when I was doing the scale model.

[SeventhSon]

Thanks Paul - it's great to have the knowledge you and the others here have made available to me - I'd probably screw a lot of stuff up if it wasn't for that!

Pat - Roger is correct, those circular covers are for body bolt access.

Well, this morning I was able to finally get to that carpet install. Throw all my fears aside and jump right in! I started in the back with the little skirt piece that fits below the rear seat. I glued the attaching strip down, then found a bunch of heavy stuff to put on it. Then I fiddled around getting the piece positioned correctly along the bottom and when I was satisfied it was going to look halfway decent, I installed the screws that hold down the skirt. Turned out OK, I guess.

Then I moved on to preparing the rear floorboard for carpet. I put down some reflective heat shield stuff - basic house insulator, about 1/8" thick. Not sure if it was the right thing to do but looks like I'm gonna find out! It's the same stuff I will use on the firewall area in the front. Hopefully it will keep some of the heat out. Next I laid down some of the jute that came with the carpet set - bu then it was time for a break! After going out for awhile I came back and got right to it again. Time for the carpet to go in - I carefully laid down the rear floor piece and moved it around until I was satisfied it was positioned correctly. I even fetched the new sill plates I bought and laid them in place to see if everything was going to fit. Once things looked good I moved forward, cutting the openings for the seatbelt anchors, cutting strips out for the seat sliders, etc. In the end, things fit pretty good - only a couple of little screw ups, easily hidden.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Looking GOOD, Chris.

Ben

[Landman]

Like I said, the invite to install my upholstery kit is still open. Nice work Chris.

[SeventhSon]

Thanks, Ben and Pat - it's encouraging to know you guys and others are following along. And Pat, I control the camera, so you're only seeing the good angles, hehe :cool:

Well, Sunday saw more carpeting action. I removed all the bricks and hammers holding down the attachment strip on the rear skirt piece of carpet and everything stayed put. So, success there. Then I moved to the front passenger side and laid down the jute and worked the carpet into place. Once satisfied with the position of the piece I installed some screws in various places to hold things fast. I was kind of confused with an extra piece of carpet that was included with the set. I believe it attaches just under the heater unit, then hangs down covering the first piece of carpet that covers the passenger floor. I think I got it right - seems redundant, covers the piece of carpet already there. But if it is wrong I can always remove it an re-position it. Next I installed the console side piece and fixed it in place with carpet tape and screws. Looks pretty fair for an amateur job.

Tonight I moved to the driver's side, cleaning some more of the old insulation from the firewall. Then I removed the clutch rod from the clutch pedal and installed the new rubber boot on the clutch rod. Getting ready to install the upper carpet piece - gonna have fun with that, since there is a lot of stuff in the way. After the clutch rod was back in place I moved on to laying down the jute and installing the floor carpet section. I had to make a couple of cuts, one for the new accelerator pedal, one for the dimmer switch. I'm always nervous when cutting holes in new carpet, and this time was no different. But, after "measuring twice and cutting once" I think I got it right - in any case, the screw-ups are my secrets. After placing a few screws to hold things fast I called it a night - a little more progress....

[SeventhSon]

Last night was the same as the night before - more carpet installation. I started by nailing down the side piece that runs along the console from the front to the rear of the console. I used an adhesive, basically construction adhesive type. I don't want to use contact cement or carpet glue, as I don't want the odors filtering into the living space of the house. So, I use low VOC stuff - holds just as well with hardly any smell.

Next I moved on to the two fiberglass side covers that attach to the forward part of the console. After positioning the carpet pieces this way and that and making sure things were going to fit, I spread the glue on one fiberglass piece, then tightly fit the carpet onto it, stretching the attachment strips over the edge to the other side. Then I glued and clamped everything tight - I hope tight enough. I used a different glue for the attachment strips, actually a different glue on each panel's attachment strips. I had just enough glue leftover from the rear shelf access door for one panel, so I used that up. Then I broke into yet another type of glue for the other panel's attachment strips. Lots of adhesive choices out there these days - hopefully my choices will do the trick.

[r1lark]

Looking good Chris. I know this is a lot of work, especially on an Avanti with so many different pieces of carpet.

I really agonized over doing my '54 Stude sedan a couple of months ago, and that was basically only two (big) pieces. You mentioned in a previous post about cutting the holes for the dimmer and accel pedal etc. On the '54, I had those plus the brake and clutch pedals and the starter switch under the clutch! I ended up taking the brake and clutch and accel pedals off the car, and dropping the dimmer & starter switch down. Once the carpet was right everywhere else, these holes were marked and the carpet removed for cutting. I know, way too anal but I get like that sometimes!

You will be amazed at how new carpet improves the look of just about any old car. Only thing is, now you will have to be careful about keeping your feet clean...........:eek:

[SeventhSon]

Thanks Paul - it's coming along OK for amateur work. I've been studying one of the last pieces of carpet to go in. That is the piece that fits on the driver's side firewall - with the steering column going through it and the clutch rod and parking brake stem, etc. The steering column and other items have been marked on the carpet piece from the factory - it's just that I will have to remove the steering column to get the carpet in! Too much work for what I want the end product to be (just a fun car to drive occasionally), so I will try to finagle the piece in without messing it up too bad. I don't blame you, though, for pulling the pieces off to make a good finished product out of your carpet install.

Today at lunch I got extra energy or something. Or maybe it was the warmer weather. In any case I decided to paint the steering column and rear speaker grille. A few pictures of the steering column are below - like I said to Pat, I control the camera, so you can't see my screw ups!

[r1lark]

Oh-Oh, Chris -- that's a slippery slope! Once you paint the column, then the steering wheel will look drab in comparison and you will have to paint that too. Then the dash panel will look drab, and that will have to get painted. Then, the............well, you get the idea!

[SeventhSon]

Yep Paul, I'm already seeing that. Get the carpet in - dang, the seats look terrible! When I get the sill plates on - jeez, the paint looks like hell! And yes, the steering wheel looks worse now than it did. Hoo boy - stop the madness!

(I have been looking for a better steering wheel, if anybody knows of one that doesn't cost $700 )