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1964 Studebaker Avanti in Turquoise & Supercharged R2 Engine Sound - My Car Story with Lou Costabile
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ก.ย. 2019
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On "My Car Story" we're in Chicago on 8-29-19.
We're looking at a 1964 Studebaker Avanti in Turquoise Paint. The car comes with the optional R2 Supercharged 289 CI V8 engine, and manual 4 speed transmission.
The car's Owner is Scott Vermillion. Scott’s had this car since 2004. Scott shares for him this car was a “dream car” and he feels privileged to have it.
ENJOY!
I've said it before but on the AM radio dial the circles with the little triangles were for conelrad stations that you tuned into in case of a nuclear war.
Thanks for sharing and nice attention to details Bill Berry.
Avantis are the nicest, but the 57 Golden Hawk, and the early 60s Grand Turisimos are beautiful as well.
Hi Robert Roper, Glad to read you enjoy this car :-) Lou
My late friend John Phillips of San Jose, had a '63 Avanti in Avanti Turquoise with an all Beige interior and the Turquoise and Black peppered carpeting. All original, automatic, 289, non R2. In my opinion, turquoise compliments the iconic design like no other color, and the round headlight bezels add to the uniqueness of the face better than the square bezels do.
Back in the mid '90's, John and I were both members of The Freewheels Car Club in SF. He had an extensive collection of cars including a '57 Eldorado Brougham in Copenhagen Blue and a '72 Javelin w/Pierre Cardin interior.
On one occasion, he let me drive it back to SF from Russian River. A guy in a 911 played a tamed version of Pole Position with us all the way to the toll booth on the Golden Gate bridge.
Although I am partial to Corvettes of the same vintage, his car, like this one, was beautiful and boy did it turn heads and spark questions.
Thanks for posting this.
It shows Dreams really do come true.
Hi solemandd67, Happy to read you enjoy dreams do come true & nice to read this brings back memories of your Friend John too :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing, Lou
My brother once had a 1964 with round headlight bezels. I currently have a 1964 with square headlight bezels. One of the Avanti "myths" is that "square" means 1964 and it doesn't. Those started being used after the 1964 model year started. The Avanti just kept having continual changes and there was no plan to have anything identifying a model year change. They just kept coming up with various "running changes" with no relationship whatsoever to "model years". Also, even after the square bezels were standard, you could still special order round if you wanted. Many changes were cosmetic, such as interior details or changing the embedded metal "S" from gold color to silver color. Other changes were functional such as adding the wire grill over the air intake. Or strengthening the rear swing out window latches. Or adding a vent on gunsight part of the cowl to cool the transmission tunnel for automatic transmission versions (the shift handle got too hot for comfort). This car, as a 4-speed, doesn't have that vent. But some sold as 4-speeds did. As an odd data point: Palmer Plastics made a number of plastic car kit releases called "1964 Avanti" and they all had square bezels. But the first release had box art showing round bezels. All releases after that had box art showing square bezels. But all of the printed instructions continued to portray round bezels.
Hi Charles, Happy to read this car brings back memories of your Brothers car :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing. Hope you see many cars on this Channel you enjoy! Please Subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this TH-cam Channel, Lou
Correct! Glad someone online has pointed this out. Of all 4,647 Avantis made, 1963 was all round bezels, the design transition occurring sometime in spring of 63, production running from June 62-Dec 63.
Several 1964s also come with the round bezels until the last minute changes were finally applied into the 1964 model year fabrication at some point, of course as you mentioned the round bezels remaining a South Bend option.
Also another random Avanti fact, only nine R3s are known to have existed, the most rare variant of the Original Avantis.
As soon as the video began I thought "I'll bet this is in Chicago." And here you are! The car of my boyhood dreams!
Hi Ron, You're right, enjoying a Chicago perfect day :-) Happy to read this car is a dream car for you, Lou
Ron yes, we dreamed of this and the Lark R ENGINES, ETC: at our Service Station Hangout In Wolf Lake & North Webster IN,during my High School Days.. Seen a few of the Super Cars: Interestingly a Classmates Brother had a Lark R2(??, 4 SPD/Dealer hop up..1963??), or at least a Non Avant R Car.. Time dims exact memories,etc: though the 1963 1/2 427 SCAT BACK Ford Galaxie was a NEW screamer FROM THE FACTORY......
Lou, that is just a pure masterpiece and a awesome owner!
Hi Clark Griswold, High praise for this episode :-) Lou
Classic, timeless design. My favorite, all-time body style. My first car was a Studebaker Lark.
Hi Robert S, Happy to read you enjoy this design :-) Glad this one brings back memories of your Lark, Lou
God, I love Studebakers, they seemed to embody the quality and pioneering spirit of the long gone American Industry. And the Avanti is my favorite of them all. Raymond Loewy also designed the famous GG1 of the Pensylvania Railroad. Thanks for this episode Lou and I am happy to see someone attain his dreams!
Hi Manikandan Venkataramanan, High praise for this pickup :-) Agreed, good to see someone acheive thier dream. Regarding this episode, you're welcome, Lou
The Avanti is rolling art. Scott's 1959 Scotsman pickup is also beautiful, but this Avanti R2 with it's supercharged V8 and 4-speed manual is on a level all it's own, nothing comes close.
Hi Marten, Happy to read you pick the Avanti too :-) Lou
What a unique car for Studebaker to build, looks like something George Jetson would own!! Great interview, with another very knowledgable, and proud owner as well, really like his shirt. Thanks for preserving the memory of these cars!!
Hi Carlos Carpinteyro, Happy to read you enjoy the design of this car :-) Hope you see many more cars on this TH-cam Channel you'll enjoy, Lou
That has to be the nicest Avanti in existence.
Hi Bill Barry, High praise :-) Lou
I know this car isn't blue enough Lou but it is magnificent.
The Avanti R2 with a 4 speed is as rare as chickens teeth. The Avanti was the last gasp of Studebaker to stay in business. Raymond Loewy was a genius and an artist. If he worked at one of the big three God only knows what he could have done in the automotive business. IMHO he was superior to Duntof, but that's just my opinion. Just look at a Corvette than the Avanti and then you decide? With Loewy in charge of design, we had the privilege of the Starliner, the Hawk, the Golden Hawk, etc, etc. You can Google his name and find so many industrial designs he was involved in. He was a genius, just a pure genius!
Thank you so much Lou for finding this car and letting your fellow gear heads enjoy it. I would have spent all day on the "table of treats", as it is I spent close to 30 minutes LOL
Hi Rich, "it is magnificent" High praise :-) Thank you for viewing, sharing your knowledge, and you're welcome, Lou
right when i think ive seen it all in the classic car world then Lou uou come out with another.Thanks Lou forever learning
Hi julius ceasar, Glad to read you enjoy this one and learned something too. I'm learning all the time, and I find that to be so much fun :-) Lou
Overhead consoles are just so dang cool! What a stunning car!!
Hi SOCOMJON, Glad to read you enjoy the looks of this car :-) Lou
The Studebaker Avanti is a classic car that looks like it came from the future. I have a 1962 Studebaker Cruiser which has the same 289 c.i. V-8, but not a supercharger.
Hi Bruce, Thank you for viewing and sharing your knowledge. Glad to read you have a cool car too. Hope you see many more cars on this TH-cam Channel you enjoy. Please subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this TH-cam Channel, Lou
Beautiful vehicle , always liked Studebakers , they were ahead of their time .
Hi disgustedvet, Happy to read you enjoy the design of this car :-) Lou
Way ahead of its time
Nice :-)
Studebakers always sounded so mean. Just a gorgeous, raw rasp. Even the more luxurious (and the entry) models had a nice rumble, and a sharp (even when subdued by a muffler) bark. One of my favorite dead makes. Of course, the "Studebaker Corvette" is always a treat. Thanks, Lou!
Hi Todd Wall, Happy to read you enjoy the sounds of this car :-) My pleasure, and you're welcome, Lou
There used to be a Studebaker museum at the old plant in South Bend/ Warsaw Indiana. I went there around 25 years ago and it was superb. Did you know that Studebaker started out by building covered wagons?
Hi Ray S, Had no idea about the covered wagons. Thank you for viewing and sharing, Lou
During the civil war Studebaker built supply wagons for the union army, they also built large commercial wagons like the ones Budweiser still use to this day.
Ray S yes, we visited Studebaker Museum, Mansion, etc a few times before relocation to Helena MT AREA IN 2016... from WARSAW IN. ***seen a few Lark/ Avanti, supercharged over the years... THE Carriages & wagons were great:: I love the Super Hawks, etc of Studebaker........some are really rare...Interestingly I believe a WolfLake HS ( Noble County)Classmates Brother, had a Super Lark 1963(?.) with a four speed, and fastest car around......if we would have known the value then::::::::::::::::
VERY nice to have the Tom Kellogg signature. He was only about two years out of the Art Center College of Design (very young) when Loewy hired him for this project. But Loewy was very good at keeping track of talent and knew of Kellogg's work as Loewy would visit the college from time to time. In later years, Kellogg did work for many car companies as well as other design work. He also became a professor at Art Center. He got in a car accident in 2003 and died a couple weeks later. His family requested people to drive their Avantis to park outside of his memorial service. I was one who drove mine there and attended the memorial. They read notes from people like the heads of styling at Ford and GM. He was well known, but supremely humble. Sort of like one of those people who perhaps don't really know how talented they are. They showed a video he had produced that I think was going to be on PBS or something at one time. Everything he did seemed to be an ageless design. And in his own words, he said that working on the Avanti was a highlight of his career. And he called the design "cosmic".
Hi Charles, Thank you for viewing and sharing your knowledge. Hope you see many more cars on this TH-cam Channel you enjoy. Please subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this TH-cam Channel, Lou
@@loucostabile Yeah. I sort of deposited a partial "brain dump" of comments of what I know. I also own one of these. And I've been taking it to the Pismo Beach car show every year for about 20 years now. Since that is the highest attended car show in California estimated at over 150,000 visitors for the car show weekend, my car has probably been seen by more eyeballs than any other Avanti in history.
Boy I sure learned a lot about Avanti's. I never knew they were that well-built and more expensive than a Corvette. Trunk treats were amazing too. Did you ever ask him what that Avanti with all the treats is worth?
Hi Andy, Happy to read you learned from this video. Did not ask about the value of this car, Lou
Super rare and sporty Avanti Lou. Nice video, thanks so much.
Hi Bruce H., Happy to read you appreciate the rarity of this car :-) You're welcome, Lou
I’ve always like the Avanti . Way ahead of it time. Cool cars but one that people like or don’t at first sight ! I love them.
Hi Fabien, Happy to read you like this one :-) Hope you see many more cars on this TH-cam Channel you enjoy. Please subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this TH-cam Channel, Lou
Great car Lou, love the Avanti and with that SC, off the charts brother. :-)
Hi Ed B., I'm glad you like this one with me too :-) Lou
Lou: You knocked it out of the park on this one. One of my all time favourite cars period! Man! What an absolutely stunning car. I'd buy this in a New York minute. I wouldn't even haggle the price because it's just worth it. Timeless design by Raymond Lowey and his design team. And to think the actual design was done in forty days back in late '61 is just amazing. If Sherwood Egbert remained alive, I believe he singlehandedly could've saved Studebaker and the Avanti. Nice model name too as the name Avanti means forward in Italian. Even today it still looking gr8 after all these years. Have a great God blessed day.
Hi Paul, That's back, back, back, A HOME RUN ! :-) Blessings received, and God bless you too, Lou
Paul Kirkland ;
STP was another company Studebaker purchased.
Interesting, did not know that.
Anorak fact : Raymond Loewy, designer of the Avanti, also designed the Air Force One livery.
Good to know.
If you're wondering why you couldn't get air conditioning and a supercharger together, take a look under the hood. There isn't room for both the supercharger and the A/C compressor. A/C still was an expensive and fairly rare option in 1964, so it wasn't a deal-breaker like it would be now.
Hi dlwatid, You're right. Not enough room under there, Lou
Thanks for the info 👍
Actually, there WERE a FEW with A/C. If you relocated the battery to the trunk, they could mount the A.C compressor. I saw in Hemmings years ago Debbie Reynolds Avanti with the R-2 and A/C. Don't know who bought it, but it was done on a very few cars.
Thanks, Lou! I am a long time Studebaker fan! My first car was a '53 Commander hardtop coupe! In late '62 I ordered my first new car, a Gran Turisimo Hawk! Dealer had some connections at Studebaker and I was able to order one of the very first Hawks with the Avanti engine option! Mine happened to be a very rare R-3! There was an R-1 a 289 with 4 barrel carb, the R-2 featured here, the 289 with the Paxton Supercharger, the R-3, a 304 CID with the Paxton, and as I recall an R-4! I believe it was the 304 with 2 four barrel carbs, but not sure about that! The Avanti option engines had some internal features not found on the stock Studebaker V-8s. Different camshafts, double spring valves to prevent valve float at high RPMs and a few other goodies. My Hawk would peg the 160 MPH speedometer! Oh, one other thing concerning the speedometers! The Avantis and Hawks with the R-1 engines had a 140 MPH speedometer! R-2 and above a 160 MPH instrument! I had my Hawk for over 30 years, put over 240,000 miles on her. Sold her, still running, to a fellow who completely restored her. I will always regret selling that car.
Hi Ron Fillmore, Happy to read you're a fan of the Studebaker :-) Sounds like a great car, and regarding regretting selling the car, I believe the quote was from Dr. Seuss who said, "Don't be sad it's over. Be glad it happened". That quote helps me with people and things I've lost, and I hope it helps you too, Lou
@@loucostabile Yes, it does! If i had the money I would go to someplace like AZ and see if I could find a pretty much rust free Hawk body and have a shop like Fantom Works build a resto mod 2020 version! Although I really liked the Avanti at the time I ordered the Hawk, buying the Hawk pretty well stretched my budget, I felt I couldn't afford the Avanti at the time. Also, I told myself the Hawk would be more stable at high speeds because of the over 1 foot longer wheelbase and the fact the engine sits just behind the front wheels instead of between them like the Avanti!
You are correct about the R-4. However, no Avanti was delivered with one. But one Lark was. Plus they had some additional engines they had assembled and sold. And, not 304.5 cubic inches to be more exact on the R-3 and R-4 displacement. We wouldn't want to cheat anybody out of that addition half of a cubic inch. Also, the R-3 run at Bonneville that broke the 29 records was 299 cubic inches which was a class limit. Production versions were 304.5 and nine Avantis were delivered with that size R-3 engine. And the R-3 and R-4 had a lot of more differences over the R-1 and R-2 like different piston design, different intake manifold, different cam, higher boost for the R-3, and such.
@@trainliker100 Good info. Thanks.
Mercy!! What a fine machine!! Never knew American's ever made machine's of this quality !! Thank U for the video!!
Hi Scotty Jones, High praise :-) Thank you for viewing, sharing, and you're welcome, Lou
@@loucostabile Thank you for ur time!! I've been to car shows for years and never seen one of these other then magazines!!
Hi Lou, Wow what a car. Scott is lucky to get it and will be a good caretaker. Thanks 😃
Hi Terri Bel Bliss, Happy to receive a "Wow" from you :-) Agreed, Scott is the right Care Taker for this car. You're welcome, Lou
What an awesome car, and awesome collection of goodies, thanks for finding it
HI Ray S, Happy to read you think this car is "awesome" :-) Lou
That's a very nice and interesting car first time seeing one. The color is nice cool interior and the glove box is pretty slick too engine sounds good. I found all the paperwork he had for the car very interesting too.
Hi Pete Medina, Happy to read you found this episode interesting :-) Lou
Excellent video of the 1964 Studebaker Avanti from you Lou and thanks for posting another of your excellent videos too!
Hi JackFlemingFan, Thank you for the kind words, and you're welcome, Lou
Avanti R2 is such an AWESOME car. WOW! it is such an Incredible and exciting automobile with its distinctive looks. Thanks again Lou and Paul for sharing the Beauty of this timeless vehicle.
Hi Vern, High praise for this car :-) You're welcome, Lou
These were great cars. I remember seeing one every now and then when I was kid. And still see one at car shows once in while. Thanks for sharing
Hi Fire9986 7834, Glad to read this one brings back memories of your one you used to see :-) You're welcome, Lou
A rolling masterpiece. That car must be kept alive.
Hi Warner Bauer, High praise :-) Lou
Great VID Lou! I have a story about a Avanti I used to pass by all the time for years that sat in a apartment complex next to Greenbrair Shopping Center on Rt. 50 in Fairfax, Va. It was about the same color and it had a supercharger emblem on the side too but it just sat there for years with tires low on air. I wrote the serial number down and kept it, then one day it was gone and I knew someone in the Fairfax County Police and had the owner tracked down and the car ended up in Fredericksburg, Va. but that's the last I heard of it. I bet it got restored at some point at least I hope so. Thanks Lou
Hi Clark Griswold, Happy to read you enjoy this episode :-) Glad to read this video / car brings back memories of the Avanti you used to see, Lou
Beautiful car. Thanks for sharing guys
Hi Big Charlie's Model Garage, Happy to read you enjoy the looks of this car :-) Thank you for viewing, sharing, and you're welcome, Lou
That’s a car worth smiling for, beautiful ...
Hi Lisa Gialucci, Happy to read you're smiling about this one :-) Lou
I was the lucky owner of #10012 one of the first few sold, I attended the east coast unveiling for my dealer friend and put in one of the first sold orders. Two cars came flying out of a cargo plane and landed on turntables, clearing the audience, R-1, Cost me $4100 with 3 speed tranney and manual steering. (They later gave me a 4 speed gratis which I installed myself). Mine was candy Apple red . and so was the zone managers R-2. Quiet mufflers were an extra cost option. We angered the police by roaring around town together. .
Hi ajaxa9, Happy to read this car / video brings back memories of your car :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing, Lou
ajaxa9...That's a great story. What happened to your Avanti? Do you still have it or know where it is?
@@scottvermillion1426 I only used it 3 years. Put it in storage when I was abroad. Engine was seized when I returned. Sold it for $1700.
Another rare find,Lou you'da man 😁, thanks so much for sharing!!
HI Greg from TX, High praise for this car :-) You're welcome, Lou
Thanks Lou. Another great car story. You never fail to impress!
Hi james david, High praise for this episode :-) Appreciate your kind words and encouragement. You're welcome, Lou
a rare gem, very special and elusive, the Studebaker Avanti. in terms of its front fascia not a design masterpiece in terms of visual appeal imho, but it did served another purpose, as I believe it had one of the if not the lowest co-efficient of drag of any production vehicle at the time and was very streamlined, it also set multiple speed records. a very advanced vehicle and somewhat of a trailblazer indeed, very nice !
Hi CHUUMPASS, Happy to read you appreciate the rarity of this car :-) Lou
The car and the trunk treats are better than a 401k! Right color (inside and out), right 4 speed transmission, and the supercharged R2 - a 289 cu inch putting out 289 hp. Great documentation that has been lovingly maintained. Studebaker’s board wanted out of the car biz and hired Sherwood Egbert to take the company in a new direction. He convinced them to give cars one more chance with the Avanti. While the MFG body parts fiasco is well known, Studebaker needed a lot more than Avanti to keep manufacturing cars. Both the Lark and Hawk were long of tooth and there wasn’t money to bring out new bodies every couple of years like the Big Three. (another fallacy is Studebaker didn’t go bankrupt, they just got out of cars) So while Avanti didn’t save Studebaker, it sure left a beautiful reminder of why styling is so important and turns our heads whenever a gorgeous car goes by!
Hi Dr. Akbar, "The car and the trunk treats are better than a 401k!" That's funny & accurate :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing, Lou
Very nice, I always loved this car. Great video.
Hi Lee Swanson, Happy to read you enjoy this car and video :-) Lou
This is a stunning vehicle! The colors are so complementary!
Hi Tony, High praise :-) Lou
I was in high school in '63 when these were introduced and 2 brothers that went to my school were each given a new Avanti by their parents for Christmas. One was gold and one silver. I still remember the sound of those beautiful cars as they drove through the parking lot. I was driving my $150.00 '49 Chevrolet 4 door deluxe. I loved my Chevy, but boy, did I envy the Shaw brothers and their Avantis.
That's a great memory! The Avanti was for sure a hot car to own in 1963. An Avanti was featured on the cover of Archie comic books. Archie is say "Holy smokes! It's Reggie...in an Avanti!" And Reggie says "It's not a Stanley Steamer hot shot!"
Hi Mountaincam, Happy to read this car / video brings back the "2 Brothers from School" who received their Avanti's :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing, Lou
Simply stunning elegance, it's in a completely different league to any Corvette! 😃
Hi moochincrawdad, Happy to read you appreciate this car :-) Thank you for viewing, sharing and I believe you're going to see many more cars on this Channel you'll enjoy. Hope you Subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this TH-cam Channel, Lou
The plane used for the "Studebaker Avanti Operation Airlift" was not a jet bomber. It was a Fairchild C-82 Packet - a twin boom cargo plane with piston engines. The reason this even occurred was that, being so far behind on production, Studebaker simply didn't have enough Avantis to send to many, or hardly even any, dealerships. So they dreamed this up and took the same two cars to many cities and made a big event out of it wherever they went. They would have guys lined up in silver jump suits with white helmets looking very "space age" as the cars were rolled off the ramp at the back of the aircraft.
Thank you for sharing more of your knowledge and adding to the Channel
FanFreakinTastic vid. I built that model as a kid. I'm in awe for 25 minutes. Great back n forth with owner. Yep, while still a coupe the Avanti is far more of a sports car than the luxo-cruiser Riviera. Two of the greatest sleekest designs of the era. thumbs up #100
Hi johnmichael karma, High praise for this episode :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing, Lou
Yes, the flip up door to the trunk on the package shelf was advertised as a way to get things in and out of the trunk. The real reason was so you could access the trunk latch with a long screwdriver. Also unusual at the time, the Avanti had an interior handle connected to a cable and you pulled it to unlatch the trunk. That's why you don't see a trunk lock on the trunk lid. The problem was, that if that cable broke, the only way to get to the latch would have involved cutting a hole in the floor of the trunk. Therefore, the little access door - just in case.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and adding to the Channel
Outstanding job Lou. Great car and very knowledgeable owner. Tremendous car. Too bad Studebaker could not survive. Sherwood Egbert did what he could to save the company. Most people don't know this, but Studebaker assembly plant workers helped kill the company with very high wages and benefits. Well, the company caved to the UAW and gave it to them.
Hi George Mattar, High praise for this episode :-) Thank you for sharing your knowledge to add to the story too, Lou
The interior access panel to the trunk, while advertised with the model reaching into the trunk from the rear seat, was actually there for a more important purpose. With feature of having an internal cable release for the trunk latch, there would be no way to get the trunk open without cutting through some fiberglass if that cable broke. The panel permits reaching the latch with a long screwdriver from inside if the release cable breaks.
Hi Charles, Thank you for viewing and sharing your knowledge. Hope you see many more cars on this TH-cam Channel you enjoy. Please subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this TH-cam Channel, Lou
I have several original design drawings on this auto when working in Body Design at Studebaker.
Hi Jack, Thise original designs are very nice, Lou
Wow...that's amazing, Jack. Are you an industrial designer? I am, too. I would love to see those drawings...are you on FB or can I send you my email address?
Lou and Scott --- thanks for a documentary worthy of the unique motorcar it profiles, and while we're at it, for a look at vintage Chicago backstairs and mews-style garaging on the back alley.
Hi Raymond Plante, Happy to read you enjoy this episode :-) You're welcome, Lou
Thank you, Raymond! I am lucky to own a building in Chicago that has ample garages spaces!
I love Avantis and wish I had one. At 3:10 of the video I saw a silver Porsche 914. I had a 914 when I was in the Air Force; wish I had it now. Great video!
Hi Gary, Happy to read you "love Avantis" :-) Here is that 914. Enjoy. Lou th-cam.com/video/w-c6Deg3fBU/w-d-xo.html
Lou, I forgot to thank you for the 914 video. I am envious of the owner of two of my dream cars. The thing I regret was that I didn't realize the significance of the 914 when I owned one. One Raymond Loewy tidbit...he designed aircraft interiors for Howard Hughes during the 1930's.
Shout out to Chicago my kind of town...........
Nice :-)
Beautiful!
Happy to read you enjoy the looks of this car :-)
What a nice automobile ,sounds great .
Hi yz 49087, Happy to read you like this car & sounds too :-) Lou
Good job!
Thank you :-)
Hi Lou! Nice car! Nice color combination! Still looks like new! Like the brochure that went with the car!
Hi Joseph, Happy to read you enjoy the looks and brochures for this car :-) Lou
Nice car! Good branding - love the shirt Lou!
Hi Bob, Happy to read you like this one :-) Thanks for noticing the shirt, Lou
Lou now you know that dreams come true. grins Do you know that Lowi also was the designer of the original coke bottle?
He was a great designer like Luigi Colani who also followed
the botttle, no more the feet design. Just impressive
this Avanti. Avanti means in Italian hurry up.
Hi junkman, Didn't know about the Coke bottle, cool! And learned some Italian too :-) Happy for Scott that his dream came true, Lou
Awesome Lou & Scott《☆》I'm guessing the General was not sad concerning Studebakers demise :*: Nice car, exhaust note & history lesson fellas🤓☻🤠
Hi BDOG JR, Happy to read you enjoy this one :-) Lou
The Avanti was one of my first major dream cars. I still would love to own one.
Hi J Johnson, Glad to read this car is a dream car for you :-) Lou
Wow awesome Avanti! As you know Lou I have told you before my uncle and grandfather sold Studebakers new and used till their demise. I have a few of these neat things this gentleman has on his table as I recieved them after the Studebaker corporation ended from my uncle and grandfather. I sat in many avanti cars this color as a little boy. I loved his car and his presentation and I knew all those things he said about the Avanti and Studebaker. My dad used to detail these and all other Studebakers at night as a second job at the dealership. My uncle and grandfathers dealership are on the national registry with Studebaker and the Studebaker dealership registry. I do have some things of advertisement for the dealership and have them displayed in my curio cabinet. I love this car my most desired car that i would like to have and the owner was awesome I really liked that guy he had it all right on the money. I loved those Lark's too with the Paxton blower! Thanks for sharing Lou and I am so glad you took a lot more time with this car cause it is a huge piece of automotive history!!!
Hi Steve...What was the name of your uncle and grandfather's Studebaker dealership? I would love to look it up to see what it looked like.
Scott it was called Lanham Auto Sales. They were located in Massillon Ohio. My Uncle was William Lanham and my grandpa was Glenn Lanham. They were located at 702 Lincoln Way East. He also sold International Scouts too!
Hi Steve Flad, Happy to receive a "Wow awesome Avanti" from you :-) Glad this car brings back wonderful Family memories, Lou
Great video! Scott is the man! The right man to own that car. I saw this video right after I saw video of a 63 with an Air Conditioner instead of a supercharge, which is what I would want if I could own one. You take great pains to show everything, both in the cars and the treats. It is a little frustrating when you don't show something or get a little fast and brush right by. Overall though I think you try to get it all, sometimes stuff happens. I really enjoy your videos. I am a Ford Motor Company man, but I also like Plymouths and Studebakers. The later because I grew up in the South Bend area.
Hi Daniel, Happy to read you enjoy this video :-) I agree, Scott is the right Caretaker for this car, Lou
Thanks for the comment, Daniel.
Yes...there were certainly two camps with the original Studebaker Avanti...you either went with R1 with air conditioning for comfort...or the R2 with the supercharger for performance. You could not get the Avanti with the R2 supercharger and air conditioning. Today, they make smaller air conditioning condensers that would fit under the hood of an Avanti, but it wasn't possible in the early sixties.
Some of my Avanti did not get shown in this video because it needed an engine and transmission rebuild and it was not drivable. The day after filming this video I took it its repairs...engine and transmission rebuilt, new differential and a lot of other mechanical rebuilds and restoration. It took awhile (way too long for that matter), but I just got the car back a few months ago. So I am hoping to enjoy it again this summer.
The cars of today don't even come close to this Avanti . The styling and features, fuget about it . Great feature Lou . What's gonna top that ?
Hi Michael Pacini, High praise for the design of this one :-) What's going to top that? Hmmm, I've got some interesting cars & stories coming, so stay tuned, Lou
Amazing 😀
Hi Michael Coffey, High praise :-) Lou
@@loucostabile 😀
Wow, this is the equal and opposite of that pickup. BTW, the whole car is a trunk treat ;)
A tie :-) Nice.
For the record.....the Studebaker Plant in Hamilton Ontario was making cars until mid March 1966 .
Yes...at one time I owned a 1966 Commander as my daily driver.
Hi Gary wood, Thank you for viewing and sharing your knowledge, Lou
Yes, but those cars used a chevy 283 engine!
@@Valor_73737
????
Who said they didn't have a 283 .
@@garywood9525 No one! Just passed it on for anyone that wanted to know!
Another great car Lou! I loved it when it first came out. If I remember correctly the price on used ones dropped considerably when they first quit making them and they could be bought for around $2500 used. Thanks.
Hi BartRicky, High praise for this car :-) You're welcome, Lou
Raymond Loewy
designed so much cool stuff including my favorite, the Pennsylvania RR GG1!!
Hi Beast 1624, Enjoy reading that you appreciated Raymond Loewy's designs :-) Lou
I like it just as much as the pick up, great 2 videos. Whats so ironic is that originally the Avanti bodies were made by the same company that made the Corvette bodies and then after 65 the Avanti 2 was manufactured using Corvette mechanicals and other parts and this went on until 1988 I believe. I would love to a 70 Avanti 2 with the Corvette LS6 454 in it.
HI Elizabeth Cherry. A tie :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing, Lou
I didn't think I'd like this better than the truck but , I don't know . This looks like something James Bond would drive . Even though it's a high peformance car , there is still simplicity throughout . My wife would have that vanity mirror/drawer so full of crap it would break off . I'm going evens on this and the truck . Thanks for posting .
My wife would stuff it with junk, too. Tissues, wipes, gloves, eye-glasses, fuggedabouditt. That unique opening would turn into a jack-in-the- box. Boi-yoi-YOING!
Hi Bud Lee, The comment on your wife made me smile :-) Happy to read the car & truck ended in a tie for you. Regarding the posting, you're welcome, Lou
Idle sounds great...
:-)
To be more precise about the instrument lighting. It was not so much red instead of white. But red in addition to white. There were red AND white bulbs. Two sets. The two center rocker switches above the windshield are "On/OFF" for instrument lights, and "High/Low" for white or red.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and adding to the Channel
Ahead of its times...very nice car.
Hi Jerry Smith, Happy to read you enjoy this "very nice car" :-) Lou
There were many references to the 1963 and 1964 "model years". And even a reference to the "changeover" from making 63's to 64's. There really were no physical model years and no "changeover" in production. The change from the 1963 to 1964 was merely an arbitrary date sometime in August 1963. All of the changes made occurred whenever they happened to occur and are part of a number of "running changes" they had throughout production. In fact, it was intended that there would not be the usual model year changeover for the Avanti like most other cars and it would just be continually improved. So, there are some things that were changed well before that date and would be seen only on "63" registered models. And some things well after that date that would only be seen on "64" models. The most notable being the square headlight bezels which appeared some time after the model year registering year changed. Certain other changes occurred approximate at that time, but not specifically and not as part of a "model year changeover".
Hi Charles, Thank you for viewing and sharing your knowledge. Lou
Sorry if this is pedantic. They didn't quite make 4800 of these. They made 4643. (3834 considered the 1963 model year and 809 considered the 1964 model year.)
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and adding to the Channel
WOW!!
Glad to read you enjoy this one :-)
One of the longest cars ever made, 1962-1992!
Thank you for viewing and sharing.
One of the more unusual things about the car that I don't think was mentioned was the gas tank location. You can see a round removable panel on the trunk floor and that is where the spare tire is located. No gas tank there. Instead, it is directly behind the rear seat as a big horizontal box. Also, it is 21 gallons which might seem pretty large for a small car. But these things get really low gas mileage so you'll need it. The fuel tank arrangement was considered a safety feature. If you get hit in the back, you don't have a fuel tank as the first thing crushed.
Thank you for sharing more of your knowledge and adding to the Channel.
The 64's with the square headlights surrounds is nicer looking but rare
Hi Midnight Gambler, Thank you for viewing and sharing your thoughts, Lou
@@loucostabile those are wonderful cars, the 64 is on my bucket list, R2 and a 4 spd
I'd convert it to 5 speed with OD and drive the wheels off of it
I believe 809 were made with square bezels.
Gentleman's muscle car 👍
Hi US UK Florida retiree 1962, Well said :-) Hope you see many more cars on this TH-cam Channel you'll enjoy, Lou
The Avanti II didn't continue production in 1964. There is really no way they could "get it together" that fast. The first cars Avanti Motors produced were in 1965 as 1966 models.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and adding to the Channel
3 pedals....my kind of car!
Hi Fleck Smugbrother, Nice :-) Lou
Imagine being a 7 year old kid in '64 and reading The super charged Avanti hitting 160 mph/ Holy Grail like. Actually saw an Avanti about 30 years ago. looked like a daily driver.
Hi g mat, Nice written description :-) I can see what you see, nice :-) Lou
If i was alive in 1964, i seriously would of went in big time debt to buy this car.
High praise :-)
Pop had a “63”. Copper colored paint.
Hi tleav61, Happy to read this car brings back memories of your Pops car :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing. Hope you see many cars on this Channel you enjoy! Please Subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this TH-cam Channel, Lou
Another nice review. Did you ever think to ask how much people paid for their cars? Obviously they wouldn't have to answer.
Hi Jeff Neubert, Not really to interested in purchase price, or current market value. That would be an auction site, or a "Blue Book" thing. I enjoy the cars for design and stories :-) Lou
A drivers machine 🇺🇸
:-)
Avant 1 & Avanti 2 were Studebakers last hurrah!!
Hi Sam Spelvin, Thank you for viewing and sharing your knowledge, Lou
It was Sherwood Egbert, President of Studebaker, not Loewy, who abhorred the big floppy sun visors. Egbert was a pilot and the resulting sun visors, as well as other details of the interior, were mainly influenced by him and not Loewy so much. Those sun visors flip down and help a little, but don't swing to the side.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and adding to the Channel
What was the chrome housing at the back of the engine?
I'm not sure, however maybe a static guard for the radio? Maybe a Viewer can share knowledge.
Wow in the trunk treats on another note it's sad how Studebaker went put like they did
This is a "trunk & treat" to top them all :-)
“No for the love of god can people stop thinking it’s a Ford engine”
Got it, not a Ford engine.
I have a Studebaker Avanti and hear the "Ford engine" myth all the time. Extremely different engines. The Studebaker engine is absolutely a brute weighing 650 lbs. The Ford is 460 lbs. The Studebaker cylinder banks are 90 degrees. For is 60 degrees.
How many HP was one of those with the supercharger I'm guessing around 300.
It was never officially rated, but it's around 290hp.
See Scott Vermillion's answer.
Horsepower listing:
R-1 240 hp 289 4 bbl carb normally aspirated
R-2 289 hp 289 4 bbl carb supercharged (the magic "one horsepower per cubic inch")
R-3 335 hp 304.5 4 bbl carb supercharged with higher boost (and many other changes beyond the R-2)
R-4 280 hp 304.5 similar to R-3 but no supercharger and two 4 bbl carbs. No Avanti sold with one, but I think one Lark was.
R-5 638 hp 304.5 with twin superchargers - Factory car only. Best Bonneville two-way run average was 196.62 mph (driven by Andy Granatelli)
The R-5 horsepower is shown at some sources as 575, but Studebaker submitted a paper to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) stating 638 hp.
The R-3 used at Bonneville that broke the 29 records was actually 299 cid which was the limit for the class they wanted to run in. Factory delivered cars were 304.5 cid and there were nine cars delivered with that engine options. Some clones have also been made since.
Being pedantic again. Yes, the tray was made by the company that made the Avanti bodies, but only SOME of the bodies. It was the Molded Fiberglass Company of Ashtabula, Ohio who was also making bodies for the Corvette. They were doing a bad job making the Avanti bodies so Studebaker brought that in-house for the rest of the production. This was one of the production delays. Of course, Studebaker had no experience making Fiberglas bodies and had a certain amount of their own problems.
Thank you for sharing more of your knowledge and adding to the Channel
That's what they said in the video.
@@0cer0 You're right. They did mention it and I missed that. However, they didn't mention the company name. One of the "Avanti Myths" is that GM got Molde Fiberglass Company to deliberately do a bad job, but this seems to be a myth.
What if there had been no problems with the body making company and therefore no delay?
It was still more expensive than a Corvette. One profitable low volume car wasn't going to offset the losses from their high volume Larks. The best I could see is that Studebaker would have continued to build these with GM engines for their last two years, which is what the Avanti II was anyway.
They would have sold a LOT more. I saw a video of the old time workers who didn't have the experience with fiberglass. They complained that with "regular" cars, you beat the sheet metal into submission but with fiberglass they had to sand and re sand and re re sand to get things to line up properly. I also have copies of "QC" sheets on a car showing how they were prepped and checked on the line. VERY labor intensive. They just didn't have the expertise (Chevrolet had since 1953 to work the bugs out). And it is true, the board of directors wanted OUT of the car business.
There would be no bottle neck in the manufacturing process.