Holy Grail Studebaker Barn Find | Will It Start 1963 Supercharged Avanti R2 | RESTORED

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Join in with the Restored Crew as they attempt to revive some life back into this forgotten gem. After missing out on a deal years prior, the guys get an itch for a rare 1963 Avanti Studebaker that they can't pass up. After getting this ol' girl back to the shop, the team fights against obstacles to see what it will take to see this 289 Supercharged Engine back alive again. Being that this was the world's fastest production car of its time, will this classic jewel crank after 20 years, or will the Restored Crew walk away with a loss?
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[@cressmerrill7280]

My high school math teacher had a Chevy Nomad and wanted an Avanti, I called him about 8 years ago and asked him if he ever got his Avanti. He said wait, went down to his garage and started one up!!! He told me he had 2 of them. Unfortunately he passed away not long after I spoke with him, he was in the California Avanti club and realized his dream.

[@user-lp8sx4cz1b]

7:19 que diseños adorables hizo estudebaquer cuanta nostalgia nos dejó en el corazón

[@user-lp8sx4cz1b]

❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊😂😂❤

[@goldcountryruss7035]

While working at "Lee's Auto Parts & Speed Shop" on Lincoln Blvd. in Santa Monica, myself & a guy named Lenny built all the prototype custom exhaust systems for the fleet of Studebakers destined to go to Bonneville. These parts (later duplicated by Studebaker) were ordered by Andy Granatelli & Paxton Products also from Santa Monica. I even snuck a test drive of the fastest record setting twin supercharged Avanti up Ocean Park Blvd. All I remember of that drive is the tall gear ratio, skinny tires, & lots of tire smoke. A few years later Andy Granatelli would bring us a small Mercedes bus to do an engine conversion on. They had removed the original small diesel engine and I installed a Ford 260 or 289 V-8 & 4-speed in it for him. This was destined to be the pit bus for the STP turbine Indy car. Fun stuff! Andy offered me a job with the STP race team at this point, but I had my Viet Nam era draft notice so had to decline. Great memories that still bring "what if" regrets too.

[@randbodily3058]

1964 Avanti has been my pie in the sky, if money were no object, car my whole life. Can’t wait to see more, I’m learning a lot!

[@chrislindgard9948]

My Daddy was a Studi Man! The Avanti was his dream car. I almost cried when she fired up! Thank you!

[@356rah]

Rare find. Original wheel covers and Paxton super charger and relative unmolested interior you are one lucky person.

[@danhertel165]

I was born and raised in South Bend a few miles from the Studebaker factory, both my dad and grandfather worked there. I took a tour of the Avanti factory back in the 70's when it was no longer Studebaker.

[@kennethbloom3584]

Phoenix has a restaurant called Avanti and they had an Avanti sitting out front for years. Always loved the look.

[@alanstant9356]

There's nothing better then to hear those old cars start back up after a long time of sitting.

[@5610winston]

Nothing else sounds like a Studebaker V8. It's almost an aggressive sound, almost a lope like a hoy cam, even on the most basic engines and when perfectly tuned. My overdrive '51 Commander got mid-20s highway miles per gallon on the highway in the early eighties.

[@howardkoster4026]

GLAD you have this top notch STUDE in your shop!!! I remember the '57 Studebaker Golden Hawk also being supercharged..They were ahead of their time!!

[@coyboybc]

The Golden Hawk is my dream car

[@howardkoster4026]

@@coyboybc I have one, but it's a Diecast car. The only kind I can afford.

[@williamwoolcock]

Long ago I worked with a group of people at the old Allis Chalmers plant outside Pittsburgh. I snuck into a huge factory room and found about 30 Avanti's covered in plastic. This was in about 1972.

[@dubdaze68]

I thought that the Allis-Chalmers plant was on the Northside?

[@JonHullock]

She is a real beautiful old gal. You had a great score finding such a great Studebaker in really good condition.

[@neil6212]

The OEM battery was a Willard HDD3EE. Still pretty commonly available. I actually owned two Avantis in the 1960s-early 70s. One was an R2 and one was an R1. The dash panels all came from the factory with a fawn color, and chrome trim. The carpet kit has a large number of sections. You could buy the car with a 3 speed Warner T-86 or a T-10 four speed. To convert it to stick, parts from a 1961-64 Studebaker Lark are a direct bolt in. Engine is internally balanced. Clutch is a 10.5 inch Borg and Beck. Hurst offers a perfect fit 4 speed shifter. I used one when I converted my R-2 from automatic to stick. Most common rear axle was a Dana 44 with a 3.31 ratio. I went to a 3.73 for better acceleration. Cam is a flat tappet with solid lifters, and is gear driven, so be aware of distributor rotation. Dual points were standard. Rocker arm ratio is 1 to 1.75. Those stainless steel covers for the plug wires are to help reduce radio interference, as the body provides no shielding. Original spark plugs were Champion H14-Y.

[@jamesw1659]

I, too, own an Avanti, a "round headlight" '64 R1 with a/c. You're spot-on except for the part about the fawn dash covers...correct for early cars, but the transition cars and later '64s had pads coordinated with the interior color. Mine is black, and all the padded parts and upholstery are black, too, and I know they are factory-original. I've got the factory T-10D four speed, with a 3.73 limited-slip rear end.

[@jamessignorelli852]

I have a question , DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT STUDABAKER ? LOL

[@JW...-oj5iw]

@@jamessignorelli852 ... Yes. It's spelled Studebaker.

[@3RTracing]

@@jamesw1659 I had one of the very last R2's with a black interior, inclusive of the dash. My Avanti also had a tilt wheel, power windows and wood grain in special places. ALL of these trim variants were the very last Avanti options . I think my build number was 5495 or there abouts. The cam was not just a flat tappet, the high performance profile was developed by the Granatelli brothers for the Jet Thrust R series engines that were offered in the Avantis' and super hawks and super larks. The disc brake system is the same of that used by the Jaguar XKE types and some Rolls Royces. .

[@jamesw1659]

@@3RTracing that would, indeed be a late car, probably December build (I’m too lazy to look it up). I have a transition car, built in August, using a leftover round-headlight ‘63 body shell with ‘64 trim. Mine has the late interior pieces, with the wood grain trim and wheel, but I have the thinner-back bucket seats, not the thick ones introduced very late in the run. Mine is an R1 with factory a/c; it used the same cam profile, indeed, the same short block as your R2, but with higher-compression heads. Very cool that you have the tilt wheel; I know it was a ‘64 option, but I’ve never actually seen one…pretty rare. You’re also right about the disk brakes. They were made by Girling and Dunlop, originally for Jaguar. People bitch about them, but in correct trim, they are quite good compared to drums. I converted mine to dual master cylinder for safety.

[@cliffordkinnear9705]

The best ever Studebaker!! AVANTI !!!!!!!!!!!!!! And to think they started out making horse drawn carriages. Sweet engine and supercharger!! Well done on getting her running again!!!

[@duncanfrere2656]

My father owned a Studebaker Avanti, 1963 white with red leather interior, normally aspirated. It was a beautiful car with a great engine note!

[@rogerhowell6230]

I remember as a teen the excitement when the Avanti debuted. I believe I was able to see one in person. This summer I saw a barn-find Avanti in city traffic here in central California. It had several colors of paint on the body . Couldn't get a picture, haven't seen or heard of it since.

[@5610winston]

It was the most beautiful object ever shaped by human hands when I first saw one in 1963 and nothing has ever surpassed it. Let's have a moment of remembrance of Raymond Loewy's Avanti design team: Studebaker engineers Bob Andrews and John Ebstein, and fiberglass fabrication expert Tom Kellogg. Loewy rented a house in Palm Springs early in 1961and almost sequestered the team until the project was complete. It was done in less than sixty days. Somehow they judged it didn't look quite right, so the last touch after the shape was finalized was to add about 3/4 inch of rake to the stance by shimming up the rear springs. It went into production that way. Also, let's remember Sherwood Egbert, President of Studebaker-Packard, who saw the potential of the automotive operations while the board of directors was ready to pull the plug. Egbert brought in designer Brooks Stevens ("The Seer Who Made Milwaukee Famous) to freshen up the Lark and Hawk models. Half the shoestring design development budget went into an attractive facelift of the steel body models, and the rest went into the Avanti. It would be unfair to call the efforts a failure, but Egbert's worsening health (stomach cancer) caused his forced retirement and the bean-counters were determined to close the South Bend Studebaker Main Plant. There were plans to build an entire line of sedans and wagons on Avanti design themes, and Brooks Stevens built some glorious prototypes as proposals for more conventional Lark and Wagonaire models, even a proposal for a Riviera-class coupe called The Scepter. I recently heard that the Studebaker foundry in South Bend had cast a prototype block for an all-new V8 of 340 cubic inches shortly before the December 1963 shutdown but it never was readied for assembly. So sad.

[@cliffordkinnear9705]

One of the first American designed and built production cars without a conventional grille. The whole front end is so well integrated and executed. A beautiful body, interior, chassis and drivetrain.

[@opera93]

Thanks….. for comments, etc. I am old WARSAW born, Studebaker meant a lot to Us, etc… Interestingly, a Classmates One year , older brother had a Super Lark( *blue, *floor Shift ,63??)….. actually mayhave firgotten some details of his Studebaker, though sounded strong & moved quick….. !! Oddly, one of my Cousins in South Bend “ traded in a Hawk, for 1957 Ford ***Thunderbird (!! I just then barely noticing vehicles!!🧐😂)……

[@jbrobe01]

Awesome video! I am the proud owner of a 63 R2 myself. Great little cars! Hard to believe these are 60 years old when you look and drive them!

[@user-bm1jh3lg6y]

Ιικιιιίιιι ιιιιιιιιιιιιιιιι ι ιιιιιιιιιιιιιιιι ιιί κι εγώ θα ιικιιιίιιι ι ιικιιιίιιι ιιί κι κι ιικιιιίιιι ιιιιιι ιιιιιιιιιιιιιιιι ι ιιιιιιιιιιιιιιιι ι ιιιιιιιιιιιιιιιι ικιιι ιιιιιιιιιιιιιιιι ικιιι ιικιιιίιιι ιιιιιι ιιιιιι ιιιιιιιιιιιιιιιι ιιιιιιιιιιιιιιιι και οι οι ιι ι ιιιιιιιιιιιιιιιι ι ιι θα ιιιιιιιιιιιιιιιι και κι κι και κ ιι οικισμός ιιιι ιιιιιιιιιιιιιιιι κίκι ιιιιιιιιιιιιιιιι κκ κι ιιιιιιιιιιιιιιιι ιιιιιιιιιιιιιιιι ι ιιιιιιιιιιιιιιιι ιιί ι κίκι ιιιιιιιιιιιιιιιι Κικίλιας κοινό κικ κκι ι κ ιι ιι ιιιιιικ οι ιικιιιίιιι και κ ι ί κι

[@dawnnorris600]

You have a ballast resistor on the coil and your starter solenoid has a resistor bypass on it. Thats why you were hearing spark jumping when you were cranking it over.

[@geraldingram9351]

Thank you for sharing your time with us all on the Studebaker, fantastic, God bless you,Gerald from Feilding, New Zealand.

[@martinharris5017]

One of my all-time favorite muscle cars! Thanks for the upload. These cars were ahead of their time style-wise and still look great today!

[@BuzzLOLOL]

Avanti and Corvette both stock off showroom floor, hood unopened, I suspect Corvette would be much faster top speed...

[@martinharris5017]

@@BuzzLOLOL The Studebaker Avanti top-of-the-line supercharged version, "factory stock, hood unopened" had the fastest maximum speed of any production car at that time, way faster than the Corvette. The fastest of the 1960s era Corvettes were the limited edition Z28 big block versions that Chevrolet had to make available in order to qualify for racing, but even then, the main focus was on acceleration and not top speed, and they were "specials" that Chevrolet discouraged the general public from buying. Then, to unleash the cars performance potential, you had to make extensive modifications, which was the whole point of such cars. Anyone, however, could walk into a Studebaker dealer and purchase a supercharged Avanti, factory stock, take it to Bonneville and verify the cars performance for themselves. It wasn't until the late 1960s that Italian manufacturers such as Maserati, Ferrari and Lamborghini produced supercars that would either match or come close to the Avanti's top speed.

[@edwatts9890]

@@martinharris5017: L-88 and ZL-1 were the ultimate Corvette big-block (427 in³) offerings in the 1960's. Z-28's main feature was a 302 in³ small-block, and it was a Camaro-only option package.

[@mrbig4514]

WTF! You call that a muscle car?? get your eyes checked dude

[@BuzzLOLOL]

@@martinharris5017 - The '63 Corvette small block 327" had 360 HP... and stock rear end ratios options for top speed... what did the stock Avanti have?

[@brycechessum4684]

That is way better than what you usually drag home, nice car and it runs fine.

[@grayhounddaddy62leake83]

Wow, that's unbelievable finding a 63 Avanti that's in pretty good shape for it's age! Can''t wait to see it when you get it all buttoned up and polished!!!

[@earli3693]

The performance of those cars was like the gorilla in a discussion. Supercharger, dual points ignition and flow through exhaust, few people on the streets knew what they were or what they could do. 170 mph is still respectful today. And it had the manners of an everyday driver. Congratulations to you sir and welcome to the club... 1971 Javelin SST.

[@leopilliod3038]

I had lark with R2 engine .The carberator is a special pressure type do not try to use regular one.Also the fuel pump is special .You must have a vaccum line hooked to top of fuel pump to keep the fuel from backing up under boost.There should be threaded hole on top of fuel pump for vaccum line.IF it is a real r2 engine top left side of will be stamped JTS and ser #

[@patrickfuchs1821]

Thanks guys! @ 1970, my dad and uncle went to Longview to buy a '63 Avanti that was in a wrecking yard. Someone had tried to drive through a telephone pole and all the fiberglass (including the hood) were inside the car. It had electric windows, and because of recent rain, there was three inches of water in the floorboard - they almost went back to Central Texas without it. Dad always wanted one, so they loaded it up and headed back. The only replacement fiberglass at that time were from the company making new Avanti's, so they had to put a "square headlight" front panel on it. It was driven off and on until 1977 and has been parked ever since - other family members own it and do not seem too interested in doing anything with it. Studebaker was still using a tapered rear axle in 1963, so you will need the proper puller to get those rear hubs/drums off. Great job and glad to see another one being put back on the road.

[@peterveltman9468]

Qqqq

[@HankNinja]

Hearing that supercharger whine on first start was really something. Pretty machine.

[@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL]

Reminded me of The Batmobile, just a little.

[@Hotrod1965]

That is a beautiful automobile, great survivor! So glad you're brining it back to life.

[@neil6212]

The fuel pump has an added port ABOVE the diaphragm, which connects to the small nipple on the blower output, to increase fuel pressure in proportion to the blower output. The electric pump addition probably accounts for the really rich mixture. The carb is a specially sealed Carter AFB. Edelbrock now owns the AFB line, and can probably source any parts you need. The factory pump IS rebuildable, and fastened together with real screws!

[@iracordem]

does the special seal improve the efficiency of the supe?

[@neil6212]

@@iracordem Yes. It increases fuel supply, as blower output (boost)would be in excess of the normal fuel pressure. I have seen boost pressure of ~11 pounds, with the optional smaller pulley. Mine was 63R1098, being the 98th one built.

[@danielventura8073]

I'm old enough to remember when a friend of our neighbors in Massachusetts had one of these, back in 1965 when I was just 4 years old. Even back then I thought it was a really cool car. We would see these around as late as 1971. I believe he also had a 2 door Lark.

[@danawilkes6174]

They come with a built in roll cage. When he took the photo of the interior. You can see it clearly. Way ahead of its time.

[@robertqueberg4612]

I graduated from high school in 1966, with another guy whose family drove nothing but Studebakers. Bruce drove a ‘58 Golden Hawk that had a 289 with a disconnected supercharger. This video has brought back good memories of good cars and 35 cent high test.Thanks guys. I will come back to see what you’re up to.

[@iracordem]

your new car can emulate human behavior now, but they won’t ever again make anything near as classy or roadworthy as a stude fn baker…😪

[@5610winston]

Actually, adjusted for inflation, that 35-cent high test isn't that far off today. I filled up my Frontier yesterday at $2.729 at Sam's Club in Meridian, MS, and premium was about $3.50 (I wasn't really paying attention to the premium price, may have been lower?)

[@bifaith100]

love the old studebakers.. avanti was way ahead of its time... i got a couple of those 289s in the back..in my dads 60s larks..rusting away at the moment.. he used to go thru the paper and pick up larks when he found a deal..miss that guy.

[@garyalford9394]

From South Bend, remember when our cops had the stude Larks with the big V-8 in them !

[@steveperyer4850]

A beautiful vintage sports car, and was the Corvette of Studebaker. A real car that anyone would be proud to own, and it seems to run well. 😊😊

[@jamesw1659]

I own one. Interestingly, in light of your comment, the body shells were initially made for Studebaker by Molded Fiberglas Products (MFG) in Ashtabula, Ohio, the same company that made them for Chevrolet at that time. The early work was such a mess that Stude ended up bringing it in-house, although it wasn't MFG's fault...the development schedule was just crazy-aggressive, and there wasn't sufficient time to debug anything very well. Conspiracy-minded folks like to say that GM pressured them to drag their feet, but I don't honestly believe GM gave a second of consideration to Studebaker.

[@tacey01]

I was age nine when these Avanti cars were introduced. Think that my young eyes were dazzled?? Good video!

[@mikeferraro8917]

Happy that you found one of your dream cars. My uncle owned a 63 super charged standard shift Avanti it was silver and he found out through some research it was on an episode of the “Mr. Ed “ tv show!

[@thomasmann5144]

Really nice car. I know some of the history of the Avanti, it was so advanced for its time. Have fun with this one!

[@richardatkinson500]

My father owned the only originally imported 56 Studebaker Golden Hawk in the UK when I was a kid; around 1963, he sold the car at auction (regretted that for rest of his life), but went to look at an Avanti in the London Showroom and later in life spoke enthusiastically about the car's layout and drive. He was tempted, but instead opted for a white Pontiac LeMans with a red interior; I remember that car well, a Friday lemon if ever there was. The 'ol man got so fed up with it, he returned it to the dealership after a few months (dealership couldn't get transmission to work properly) and ordered up a brand new Plymouth Fury instead. My brother was expected, so it had to be a 4-door instead of a 2-door; remember that car as well! Here's hoping you'll enjoy ownership of the Avanti; the Avanti Owners Club is a mindful of information as is also SDC, Studebaker Drivers Club, with over 12K members. Looking forward to your next installment. Richard

[@opera93]

Thanks, Team, an oddly interesting START to a classic Car build! I do appreciates the complete, thouroughness (sic?), and Some History,& background. Us Car Fans were so excited with Studebaker in the 60’s with Avanti, Super Lark,etc..(( I,am WOLF LAKE HS 65 GRAD:, NOBLE County, IN)… PS ESP Thanks to Photographer , especially, After RAT INCIDENT!!!!!!!ps: I kind of envy working on an AVANTI…

[@richardhill4862]

These old Studebaker's had some cool features and styling. I do like the Super Hawk's body style better, but the Avanti is no joke. They sure dressed up there engines bays and inside the cab more than other car manufactures of this time period. Very nice find and good job!

[@wcasby0204]

Never surprises me that you guys can get motors running. You’re a blessed man of God. Love you guys.

[@johnperun232]

There was a couple of the Avanti in my neighborhood, backing the day and they were very impressive Have a Great Day 👍Thanx for Sharing God Bless America 🇺🇸🙏🇺🇸

[@robertatha5295]

That car is awesome, love watching y’all save these time capsules, God bless your family

[@bobwilson758]

I admire how respectful this young man is with people ! Not something to overlook - Good !

[@darrellwhite302]

My Dad had a '63 R1, non-supercharged 289, when it was new. Gold exterior and tan interior. I have many pics of it. He really liked that car and he always regretted selling it. I believe he had it for about 15 years.

[@junkyyarddawg]

I too was fascinated by the gen 1 Avanti in my early teens. In my opinion, a person can't call themselves a car guy if the Avanti is not one of the cars on their car bucket list. 😆

[@BFVgnr]

There was one of these in Shreveport back in the late 80s. Walked past it every time I went to school. Had silver paint and the round head lights, so now I know it was a 63.

[@user-ku1ti1sj8r]

That's the sweetest deal to have to texts on one car and they know each other already😅😂🎉

[@johnellick7778]

That was cool hearing that old motor roar back to life. Another great video guys !

[@vernonostendorf419]

Between what you found and a 69 AMX are my all time favorites for old car lover's..... God bless you.. :)

[@garyalford9394]

Those studes were fast and sweet !! SouthBender Here !!!

[@richardchisholm2073]

A little Avanti trivia. Roger Ward, won the 1962 Indi 500 and was presented with an Avanti for winning. Studebaker claimed he was the first Avanti owner. His was the supercharged model like yours.

[@jameswinburn6843]

When I was a young married man and money poor I found a 57 Studebaker Golden Hawk that was only 800 dollars. It was fifteen years old but only had 68K miles and no rust. I couldn't get the $800 without great hardship so I missed the opportunity. Like you, I've always wanted to find one like it. I'm still looking and with prices over 60K now, it's just not going to happen. Congrats on finding yours.

[@jonsmith6982]

So Dennis Collins had his one for sale on his site for 14k i thought that was cheap for such a rare car ,that one he had was in pretty good shape for it,s age & a manual as well ,i noticed it,s gone from his site so must have sold fast .

[@AdamosDad]

Back in the 70's a friend of mine Bob Struckman, drove one as an everyday driver. He owned dozens of Studebakers, and Packard's. He had a few that were in magazines. My brother told me a while back that Bob had gone to that dealership in the sky.

[@davidmcnair1455]

I doubt that there is a single car dealership in heaven.

[@AdamosDad]

@@davidmcnair1455 Your absolutely right, I'm a Christian and felt I was wrong by saying it that way, but Bob was big in cars, and I knew him Before Christ and was not sure where he was to be honest, so that was being kind I suppose.

[@lukejaffe2533]

Don’t forget to change the fluid in the supercharger. It takes type f atf fluid. As for the front brakes. We run a turner disc brake conversion on ours. Uses mustang rotors and s10 calipers. Another thing I’d replace is the oil line that runs under the dash to the mechanical oil pressure gauge they are prone to cracking and spraying oil under the dash

[@5610winston]

If I remember correctly, the Borg Warner PowerShift automatic transmission also takes Type F atf.

[@michaelg6686]

That's a nice find. that car doesn't go out of style.

[@thomaswermager1819]

Now that is one classic find! And, it’s in pretty decent shape. Really looking forward to seeing the next chapter on this one! Thank you all for a fantastic video!

[@mikebeaty5396]

This is a killer find. I'm really proud for y'all. I was a bit concerned you didn't check the oil level or condition of the oil in the blower prior to startup. Seems it all worked out well in the end. One of our neighbors had a 63-blown 4-spd Avanti when I was a kid. I've always been a big fan of the Hawks and the Avanti. Good luck going forward with it.

[@RESTORED-HOPE]

We actually did check the oil in the blower, we just didn’t show it on the video. Thanks for watching

[@Sleeperdude]

Really cool car I always liked them

[@friguy4444]

IMHO. This is the most interesting car so far on the channel. What a great find especially in the condition it's in. Thank you for the great content!

[@wolfgangricky]

Yeah Buddy, that is definitly one to be proud of. Be nice to see it brought back to original color. Ty for taking us along

[@donsrestorations]

I really think this Avanti would be a good candidate for a proper restoration. Being that it is very rare and reasonably good shape to begin with, a good going through would be worth it.

[@garyalford9394]

You bet it would !!!

[@5610winston]

Only thing I would change would be a proper dual-circuit brake system. A four-wheel disc ABS would be ideal. Drum brake Studebakers model years '63-'66 had dual circuit brakes, but the disc brake cars had single circuits.

[@terrydavis2586]

The battery looks just like the one in a 1954 Buick Special I had. And the chrome covers around the distributor reminds me of the set up on a 1969 Corvette LT1 I also had. But you gotta love the Studebaker company for bringing different designs and features into their vehicles making them different, if not unique, from the other US car manufacturers.

[@charlesyoung7436]

That also looks like the battery from my mother's 1961 Corvair 900 Monza.

[@greatpix]

I heard this 2nd hand 40 years ago from a member of the Studebaker Club in California so take of it what you will. He said that there were some Studebakers that had R3 engines, and there was an enthusiast member who was working on upping the specs and making an R4, complete with badge. He also told me stories of guys with R2 Avanti's going around challenging other sports car owners and making out like bandits, until word got around.

[@michaelschuenemann3505]

Avanti sparked back to Life - wow - really Good Job - but never seen a Fuel Tank behind the Back Seat - that is really Unusual indeed but easy to work on ! Can't wait until Part 2 - we love to see it driving again on the Streets ! Cheers from Australia - Job well done and like they say in Australia GOOD ONE SON !!!!

[@kathrynleaser5093]

Phenomenal automobile.! I LOVE them. Buddy of mine had one. With the turbo. I got a ride in it. FAST raw power. I'll never forget that day, that car, and the thrill it gave me. Wow!

[@patrickrooney5130]

I'm really looking forward to seeing this car finished guy's. So keep up the good work . and thanks for sharing.

[@oldmanhuppiedos]

What a beautiful vlog, just calm without shouting. I enjoy the technical treatises. Still something from my youth, the now classic cars. The Avanti Studebaker is worth a lot of money in the Netherlands, as much as 70K$.

[@ChickenWhisperer1000]

Great video! I like the format, the music, the camera work. Great job, Christian and everybody!

[@robertjean659]

Great episode, always cool cars the studebakers. Fairly rare with the supercharger fitted. 🇦🇺🇦🇺👍👍

[@johnbarnett2804]

Looks like a fun project. I miss working on the stuff from the Duel Points era.

[@Ordrock7]

Sweet ride, this car and the Jenson Interceptor are two of my favorite old 60's cars

[@greggsvintageworkshop8974]

Boy it sounds good! That ones a keeper for sure. The interior is gorgeous! Can't wait to see you driving it! Great job!

[@HappyHands.]

Avanti is the classiest US sports sedan of its time.

[@jacquejecker4435]

I also have admired the Avanti since I was a child. My dad had a Studebaker Champion, don't remember the year.

[@wesleypulkka7447]

TRR, you all really lucked out on this one! When that thing fired it settled down to rock steady running as if it ran for the last time yesterday, not 20 years ago. Wow guys what a will it run? With that Marvel oil in there you would think the garage would have buried you guys in smoke! My dad drove a string of Packards back in the day and that motor sure reminds me of his '55 Clipper Constellation that was a really fast car! Great episode. keep 'em comin'.

[@bradeastham5494]

Cool little car, love the sound of that supercharger👍🏻 can’t wait to see it moving down the road.

[@donthornton7897]

wow, I've always been a Studebaker fan, back from the 50s, i drove one one night up in the panhandle, because i was the designated driver that night. I was only 15-16, or so. i was having way more fun driving than they were drinking.

[@daleschuler1720]

What a cool project, I'm pretty stoked about this one. Another great episode.

[@jjryansea]

A neighbor owned one, not supercharged. But still cool to see it driven around the neighborhood. Eager to see yours get driven. Congrats on finding a runner

[@robertvance1873]

I give Christian a lot of credit for doing such a good job on camera work, cause I bet she wondering where that Rat 🐁 was 🤣

[@marcelogregory3268]

🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🪤🧹🛠😂😂😂

[@bebo5558]

I give her props for not throwing the camera at the rat! So, can we call that a "rat motor" now?

[@paulsmodels]

Love the look of the Avanti! Will be following your progress on this restore job.

[@jerrygalli539]

I got a 63 r2. I just sit and look at it. Beautiful

[@ramonclements9879]

This looks like one of the cleanest projects to date! I hope it doesn't have any hidden surprises to knock it off track. It is great to have ya'll back up and running, too!

[@flynnstone3580]

I've bought many used cars that have been sitting, and always turn the engine over, and for this price I'd do a compression test before I made an offer to tell if there's anything broken internally.

[@MikeJBlues]

Awsome save guys !

[@after5auto133]

Those cars are so cool. I know where a couple of them are in a sports car salvage yard

[@michaelmartinez1345]

Nice car!!! One of the first things that would make this car really reliable, is to get a Pertronix points eliminator kit along with a 3ohm Pertronix 'Flamethrower' ignition coil... The ignition would look stock, as the OEM distributor can still be used, and the car's ignition would run with reliability. The electric pump might be putting out more pressure than what the carburetor was designed for. If so, a pressure regulator might be a necessary step, to get that fuel system to work properly again...

[@ronjones1077]

I did a complete body restoration on a 63 R2 4 speed many years ago. It is still up here in Alaska.

[@belltolls1984]

I always loved these cars, so fascinating and beautifully designed

[@j.c.aguiar2126]

I've missed new episodes! Welcome back!

[@josephmonarko4514]

That car is ageless

[@spaceghost8995]

My Dad worked at Studebaker in South Bend, IN. His first car was a 1950 Champion and it cost $999 with an employee discount. Car long gone but I still have the original license plate from it!

[@Goomer]

Always loved those, so unique.

[@randall1959]

You got a classy one this time. I'd love to own one. One of my favorite muscle car oddities ever since I saw the first one.

[@roypowell3450]

Absolutely brilliant episode! Can't wait to see the next one, what a great project, well done. Excellent camera work Christian....Cheers guys from the UK.

[@4Truth4All]

OMG... Great stuff! I first saw one of these when I was 16 and did not know what was sitting in the driveway. A friend brought one by, he was a collector. Wow, just wow.

[@Ford363Stroker]

Just bought a 63 R2. Love that you are doing this with your father!

[@rdbrnr86gt]

I'd like to see a part 2 to this one. See you getting it back on the road properly and seeing what it'll do! Such an interesting car and how much you like it makes it better. The rat footage toward the beginning was a great bonus too! Oh and watching your Bespoke ad there with the hot sauce, I'd like to challenge the three of you to do a live stream doing a hot sauce challenge together as a family! All while answering questions from us as the three of you dig in!

[@jerryfallin1753]

In my younger days I would watch a TV show, Mr Edd the talking horse. Their commercial was always one of these cars !

[@philnichols5611]

My Dad was a sales manager for the Studebaker dealer in Lubbock, Texas for a few years in the early 1940's. We went from Lubbock to Rapid City, SD in 1949 where he was a sales manager for the Lincoln / Mercury dealer there. He told me that Studebaker, a company that he said used to make covered wagons, was "ahead of it's time".

[@DWilliams-ce8nb]

I was in high school in '63. This is the car we all talked about (170-plus at Bonneville), but never saw in person. According to ''Bob's Studebaker Resource Website'', 2418 of the 1963 Avanti's were built.

[@ajaxa9]

I was the lucky owner of number 12. I attended the East Coast showing for the unveiling for our local Studebaker dealer And they gave out order forms; I ordered immediately. candy apple red with a black interior four-speed R1 I was one of the very first customer orders And the factory rep Visited every weekend to make sure all was okay.