16,000 mile history

The car looks stand up John. I wouldn't mind having it and I have one just like it!! :)

True, but it is an automatic. I could buy this one and use it to clone the R5!!!!!!!!!!

John, what I am curious about is why are the seats black? They look odd against the light interior. Special order?

Frank Starr

It would make a great R5 clone because it is solid. When I do 220mph on the salt I want it to hold together. Ron Hall used his wifes Avanti for his car becuase he needed a solid one. Of all the Studebakers, Avanti are not that rare, so I would not feel bad making an R5 clone from this one.

I would note that a car of that serial # should have the thick seat backs (AFAIR the change was made at S/N 53nn). That one certainly appears to have the thin seat backs. The only '64 I ever serviced with an elk interior had elk seats AFAIR, so I only have that one data point. Certainly looks like black '63 seats. Could have been done by the dealer at the personal whim of the buyer I suppose. Another possibility is that the seats were changed due to damage (possibly sun damage in Tucson).

-- wf.

John Poulos wrote:

I don't know what to say about the seats but if it was sun damage would not the rest of the interior show some sign of it? I know Jim never changed them and there is no paper work from Betsy that indicate a seat change. I can't see her changing them her self. She would not even oil her locks.

Well when it comes down to the numbers.

John, As I stated in the other post, I was at the auction in 1992 when Jim bought the car. Nothing other than the paint and other things for detail has been done. Jim and Connie Feddick always did things 1st Class including the 1962 GT Hawk Raffle car that raised money for the National Museam. The car is what is it, a one of a kind never gonna happen again car that if someone has the ability to buy it should because I doubt if there is another one like it. The interior has not been changed other than a great detail job done on it. Whoever buys the car can do what they want, but know this: this car is standup and not misrepresented at all.

Bob Miles Tucson AZ

GOOD ANSWER!

The seats in this car are the same as in 1992 when it first surfaced for sale with 12,000 miles on it. Unless you were Ed Comitz who was the dealer or the original owner, this will remain a mystery. Ed passed away in 1995. There are a few other Studebaker's in town that I have been tracking that are still in the family of the original owner or still the original owner. One is a 40,000 miles original Champ truck that recently surfaced after being covered up for all the years. The paint needs a good cleaning but the interior does not have sun damage as it was protected.

If this is a problem don't by the damn thing, just throw verbal rocks at it and nit pick it to death. I am sure that whoever can buy it will not give a damn about this or that and will just enjoy the car as it is.

Bob Miles

This is one gorgeous Avanti by anyone's standards. I think John has presented it beautifully. But for a car that is expected to fetch top dollar, I don't think pointing out that the seats appear to not be the ones the car was built with, is "nitpicking". A buyer expecting an as-original car, who is willing to pay a price commensurate with that, should be aware of this type of thing. Of course, he might not care, but I think John would agree that "original" brings the most money.

According to the Oct. '87 article on Avantis by Fred Fox in Turning Wheels, thick seat backs were first installed as standard equipment on serial no. R-5361--way before this car. The two-tone interiors were gone by this point too. It certainly could be that either the dealer or original owner thought black seats would be a nice contrast and had them switched. One would think if the owner requested this, it would show up somewhere in all the paperwork that appears to be with the car. I'm curious as to what the build sheet shows for interior trim.

I think "nitpicking" is what is done to a car that isn't presented as perfect or is expected to fetch a not-huge price. Asking the questions on a car expected to bring top-dollar is just logical...the prospective owner should know, even if he doesn't care.

Bill Pressler Kent, OH

No disagreement there, to be honest, I did not notice it when I listed the car and appreciate the comments. I did reply to a question about it on ebay. Like I said, if I bought the car, I'd spend the $500 for my elk seat upholstery and repad the frames for the thicker backrest if I was sure it was not done by the factory or the dealer.The build sheet shows elk vinyl. In a way, I hope everyone passes on the car because of the seats, then look for it in my driveway in a few weeks.

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com wrote:

Actually different seat frames were used for the the 'thick back' cars. What I don't recall is whether the II's used the '63 or '64 style frames as their base.

-- wf.

John Poulos wrote: