Bob's Resource Website
1963 R-2265
Automatic, Power Steering, Power Disk Brakes and Twin Traction.
35,000 mile car, just out of long storage.
As some of you may know, I find nice Studebakers around the country, fix them up and find new homes for them on Ebay. Actually, this car was not originally purchased to fix up and resell. You see, it's a "Cheap Avanti" and I coined the phrase "There is nothing more expensive then a cheap Avanti" a few years back. In other words, a cheap car will often cost you more in the long run then spending the 15-25K for a nice car. As with most sayings, the exception proves the rule as in this car. It was VERY cheap to buy and I had intended to part the car out since I assumed it was it much worse shape then it was when delivered and I had to reconsider.
Be sure and follow the more pictures link at page bottom.
Here's as much as I know about the history of this car:
Sometime in the late 70's a previous owner decided in his wisdom to do a "frame off" restoration of this Avanti. He got as far as taking most all of it apart and boxing up the parts and must have realized he was in over his head and left it sitting in his garage until 2002 when he sold it to the fellow I bought it from. He also did nothing to the car, didn't even get around to unloading the parts from the trunk and interior.
When I bought the car, the engine was just sitting on the frame, and all the removed parts were in dozens of boxes. I was shocked to find the car had solid hog troughs, a decent but not perfect interior, a near perfect dash pad and even the headliner and carpets were OK. My business side told me I'd be money ahead to sell all the nice parts off the car, but my Studebaker side would not allow me to shoot the car in the head. I decided to at least see if I could get it running, maybe even go for "driveway brakes". Once I had the engine installed and started, I decided the car needed a radiator and bought and installed a new aluminum unit. Gee, I thought, it runs and moves now, maybe I'll spend $500 on all new disk brake cylinders, now it runs and stops, maybe I'll replace the windshield and put it back together and.... well, you get the idea. $2500 in parts and over 100 hours of labor, it's ready for a new owner.
The car is still a bit of a project, it does start right up and goes down the road fine, but I've only driven it perhaps 10 miles or so. All the gages work, as do the lights, wipers, power steering and brakes. The only frame rust I could find was on the bottom frame plate way back by the rear bumper, but I removed the plate and welded in a new one anyway. The hog troughs are solid (I ran water through them to check for any rust perforation) The paint is shot, a million nicks and scratches from crap leaned and stacked on the car during it's 30 year nap. The carpets, headliner and seats are nice, but not show, the dash pad is near perfect.
I have not restored anything on the car, I basically just put it back together again. OK, I did clean and paint the frame before I put the engine back in, replaced some bushings in the rear suspension while I was doing the brakes and replaced some parts that needed it. i.e. new rear motor mounts, rear axle pinion seal, starter switch, plug wires, plugs/points, exhaust system, bright light switch, battery, disk brakes cylinders, rear wheel cylinders, brake hoses, radiator, good used windshield and gasket.
If you don't know how to work on a car, do not bid on this car. If you intend to pay a shop $75/hour to fix up this car, choose a nice, restored 15K-25K car and you'll be money ahead. If you are on a budget, always wanted a Avanti, and can swing a wrench, this might be the car for you. I figure a few more weekends of work and a few hundred dollars would make this car a "daily driver", but still needing paint. You'll need weather stripping and some odds and ends before driving it far. The tires were new 30 years ago, but should be replaced in my opinion. The body has no damage or cracks that I could see, and there is not a ton of cheap paint to have to strip. If you can't afford the best today, you can drive and restore this one over a few years and do it exactly as you like and can afford.
1963 Studebaker Avanti
