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Hello sub006.....I love the Avanti as well...just before Christmas sold my '63 R1 Auto/AC to another Stude fan in Missouri. Here is a photo of it......
Hello sub006.....I love the Avanti as well...just before Christmas sold my '63 R1 Auto/AC to another Stude fan in Missouri. Here is a photo of it......
I love the nose-down "stance" of the original ones. The Chevy-powered Avanti IIs sit level and have radiused wheel openings. Besides power potential, the SBC is a parts and service convenience upgrade in the 21st century, but IMO the later cars don't look nearly as "tough".
My favorite C2 color has always been the rare Saddle Tan metallic. I've recently seen a color Studebaker Avanti ad online that had a very similar color, do you happen to know its name?
That's me in my 73 Lemans GT Sports Coupe, I still miss that car.
I had one of those once. It was a blue factory 350/four speed with a bench seat, no air, manual brakes and power steering. The original owner had blown the Poncho motor and dropped in a 396/375 Chevy motor. Ran strong.....
I just found this Polaroid. It was badly washed-out. I used Photoshop to bring back some of the detail. It's taken in 1961, when the Vette was brand new. That's my dad's 56 Ford next to it (it was a nice upgrade I imagine!)
I believe this was taken at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi.
There is a guy who works at the Base Commissary who always chats with me about my '67 when I go there to shop. He said his mom had a '58... and sent me this picture of it.
I don't think its a 58 as there are no trunk spears.... any guesses?
There is a guy who works at the Base Commissary who always chats with me about my '67 when I go there to shop. He said his mom had a '58... and sent me this picture of it.
I don't think its a 58 as there are no trunk spears.... any guesses?
In my search for the original owners of my car, I was fortunate to have contacted Joe Morroney of Stoudt Auto Sales in Reading Pennsylvania. He knew the second owner Dennis and the car well. He provided the following photos from various car shows in 1977.
When Dennis (the second owner) first bought the car.
1977 show
At a show inside the Mall in Reading Pennsylvania
another 1977 show
Dennis did well showing the car - look at all of his awards! Wish that board had survived!
I inherited my Dad's bottom-of the line '62 Lark two-door post with the max 225 hp 4-barrel 289, three on the tree, (4th gear) overdrive, Twin Traction posi and dual glasspacks. Not quite as fast as used the 250 horse/Powerglide '64 Sting Ray I got a couple of years later, but it blew off several rumbly tri-five Chevys at stoplights. Note the standard 15" wheels in the picture.
Then Dad was asking me for the keys to the Corvette...
And a Stude Avanti remains on my bucket list. Still the best-styled postwar American car IMO (C2 is #2).
I've been more than impressed about the factory Paxton supercharged Studebaker Larks.
Here's an older Pure Stock Drag Race with Ted at the wheel of his "Stude Tomatoe". He runs 4.10:1 rear gears and if you listen closely, he's shifting real quick. Think he's in 4th gear half way down the track.
I've been more than impressed about the factory Paxton supercharged Studebaker Larks.
Here's an older Pure Stock Drag Race with Ted at the wheel of his "Stude Tomatoe". He runs 4.10:1 rear gears and if you listen closely, he's shifting real quick. Think he's in 4th gear half way down the track.
That's a '63 model, they only made a handful with the blown 289. In late '63 (and maybe for the SHORT '64 production run?) Studebaker announced two Paxton supercharged versions, the "Super Lark" and "Super Hawk" with standard front discs, HD suspension, etc. AIR a Stude ad claimed the Lark was good for 132 mph while the more aerodymanic Hawk attained 140. Four Super Larks were produced, not sure if there were any Super Hawks after the initial prototype. Andy Granatelli asssembled some 304 cubic inch supercharged engines to set dozens of Bonneville records in the fall of '63.
I occasionally fantasize about building a '63 (non-leaking) sliding-roof station wagon with supercharged 289, four-speed, buckets, Halibrand-look wheels, STP and Granatelli Racing stickers and maybe front discs.
Talk about timing, those last V8 American Studebakers were delivered around six months before the Pontiac GTO made small cars with big performance cool.
As Ken Purdy once wrote about the end of Cord production, "For want of a nail..."
01-25-2015, 11:35 AM
