Which engine. Original or a plain engine ?

I would ALWAYS go back to a number matching car if I was doing a restoration and wanted to protect my investment. If all I wanted was a "driver", do as you want.....

I'll agree with JP, a cheap Avanti is the most expensive car to restore,.... and a butchered Avanti is the cheapest on the market.

Thats what I have been trying to do since I got the car. The guy said he knew where it was when I got the car and I have been saying for almost a year now that I wanted the engine as soon as he got it, which was supposed to be mostly just the block. Now he has decided to build it and sell to make money. I have all the emails to show the conversation, but I suppose he is not a man of his word and just being greedy. David

Service blocks were not stamped so I see no reason why you could not built a real R2 engine for a R2 car out of any full flow block.

VWandSTUDEBAKER wrote:

I would guess there is about $10,000 difference in the price of the car ,when it's done.

Oh I will redo or should I say my kids will redo the car. Its just a shame that this guy is now being an ass about not keeping his word about letting me get ahold of the engine as it was when he got it. Now he says he has built it and wants over $6,000 more than the first price. He claims he never got my emails saying I wanted the engine as it was, but he sure seems to have gotten the emails I sent when I owed him money for the car, which I paid in full in the time he requested.

Its also a shame that the car will never be back to original just because of one person. He will sell it to someone on here and that will be the end of another Avanti being put back to how it came from the factory.

This car is not for me. Its for my dauther and son-in-law who are in their early 20's and the backbone of the future of the SDC. Instead of having an original Avanti, they will have one with a bastard engine. Sure, its something to be proud of, but not nearly the same. As soon as I heard the original engine was available, I told them I would get it for them. My son-in-law had shown all his Marine buddies the car and how it would be some day. Now that dream has been shattered because of one person.

Am I upset? HELL YES I am, as most anyone would be when lied to. I have talked with the guy and gone as far as almost begging him for the engine as it was. So its not like I have not tried to work this out man to man.

David

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote:

JP/Maryland Studebaker On the Net

Damn the dude! I'd go with JP's aanswer. Get a service engine block that is blank - build it to your personal specs - then stamp whatever number you want on it. That's what the dealers did when they had an engine replacement under warranty.

I'd put a Chevy 350 in it. But that's just me.

That's just because you can stick all sort of shiny things on it.

Lee

No, that's not true. The real reason is, I'll stick anything into anything.

No, he didnt have the engine at the time. He said he knew where it was and was trying to get it. Later, he said he could get it and asked if I wanted it. I said YES many many times.

The end of the story may be coming soon though. Everyone cross their fingers for me.

David

John Poulos wrote:

I have a blank service block and am planning on not stamping it (as engine no. does not appear on my car's title) but I would need a good running R1 engine in trade.

nate

I like ya Jerry, but sometimes... :)

nate

(350 is OK, 327 is better, 302 is better yet... but Stude SOUNDS better...)

I'll take some pics this weekend :)

nate

Lee Aanderud wrote:

At last... The Truth!!!

JT

Jerry Forrester wrote:

I'm getting ready to buy some potential shiny aluminum things (water pump manifold/timing cover, water pump, billet valley cover, intake manifold) for the 331 this week.

Jamie says engine is done and ready for the dyno once I send the headers to him... not expecting big numbers since this thing should be built pretty much to stock specs.

Lee (HotHeads better give me a damn t-shirt...)