1984 Avanti II

1984 Studebaker Avanti II Description

This is a very solid 1984 Avanti coupe. It has a brand new crate motor. The transmission has been rebuilt with very few miles on it. It is a Southwest desert car and has no rust to speak of. I bought this from a shop where the owner had taken the car to complete the engine installation that was started by a family member. I'm sure the original thought was we can switch out this motor in a weekend and drive it to work Monday. The car has been sitting since 1977. The shop owner looked at what was done and what hadn't been done and actually refused to take on the job. The car had been taken apart by a novice and many things were just in piles. As most people know very little of these cars are "off the shelf" pieces. The shop owner didn't have the time or space to start looking for cross reference parts. I bought the car and sorted out most of the bits and bought what was missing. I installed everything I had and got the car running and moving. I do not want anyone to get the idea they can drive this away. The engine of course runs like new because it is. The transmission goes into forward and reverse just as it should. I bought a new power brake booster and master cylinder, but I did not bleed the system as I feel it should all be at least inspected if not replaced. I like to make sure cars stop before I make them go. This is not just patched together. I find it just as easy to install new items once rather than put the car together and then take it apart to put in upgraded parts. Belts, hoses, fuel pump, water pump, alternator rebuilt, new distributor parts, plugs, wires, filters, rebuilt carburetor, and basically anything that I thought might be necessary maintenance for the next 10 years may as well be done now. So, here I am with a running movable interesting collector car, Then I tried to get in it. I'm 6' 3" and a big guy. I can get in it, but sometimes I think it will take the "jaws of life" to get me out. Many years ago I had a '63 Avanti and had no trouble driving it. This one is tight and then the sunroof takes another 3 inches out of the headroom. I did have a chance to sit in one of these at the Goodguys show with the optional Recaro seats and it was much better, but I don't see any long distance cruising in this car in my future. Instead of changing the seats to fit me and then although I think these look great in red, I really like them in creamy white and I would lose the sunroof and modify a bunch of little things to fit my particular tastes, I think I'll offer it for sale the way it sits. The bones of the car are all solid and it is ready for the eye candy. This has the original paint on it and, of course, the clear coat has been baked off by the sun. The remainder of the paint is bonded very well and I think it would be a huge mistake to strip it off the fiberglass body. This finish is on there like epoxy and would make a fantastic base for a new paint job. The body is very straight and smooth with very few stress cracks or other significant damage. I think these battering ram bumpers blend in well with contemporary styling and although not as classic as the blade bumpers of the original design, they bring the car into a more modern era. The design of the car is both contemporary and classic. It is a extremely futuristic design for 1963, yet it maintains the integrity of scale when meeting impact standards that have destroyed the features of many other vehicles. This is one of the few vehicles displayed in the museum of modern art. It is a joy to the senses to experience the organic flow of this body. Everything works in harmony and the only change I would make is to ditch the backup lights as they are surely just "stuck on" as an after thought. All of the glass is good. All of the gauges work. I repaired and lubricated the power windows which operate well, but the switches are nasty. These are common rocker switches available anywhere, but again, it might be fun to go a bit more high tech if desired.The doors shut like a vault. The blower motor and A/C components all seem to be in order but I did not install the hoses as I'm certain they will need to be replaced as they are 32 years old. I installed two Rams horn exhaust manifolds and they fit perfectly. It needs a crossover pipe, but again, I would upgrade to dual exhaust with a couple of nice flow masters. What I guess is the factory alpine cassette is there, but the sound system is a place I usually spend a little time with as this car has the mounting surface to install incredible audio components. The original Nardi steering wheel is in great condition but would need a good varnish job to look new again. It is amazing that ALL of the interior is done in leather. The dash, Door panels, headliner, package tray, everything is in real leather. Unfortunately the leather is all dried up like beef jerky. I think the interior holds endless possibilities about how to finish it. 60's tuck and roll, leopard skin or slick molded ultra leather are just a few ideas. Just choosing which way to go would be a blast. I think the best part about this car is that there really is no common standard that needs to be conformed to. This truly is a showcase to display what your concept of a fine car should be As I said it is just down to the eye candy now. Here is a blank canvas to choose your individual style and have a modern dependable classic car that you certainly won't wind up parking next to a line of them at the next car show. I've always had a soft spot for any of the orphan cars, but here is a particular model that is so highly regarded that it has been reborn a half dozen times. The usual E-bay rules apply. No Nigerian princes. No checks drawn on Armenian check cashing stores. Ask your wife, mother, dad, therapist, astrologer, priest, doberman before bidding. I want half of the winning bid within five days and the balance within ten days. I can help arrange shipping anywhere.

On Jun-16-16 at 16:12:20 PDT, seller added the following information:

The 1977 storage date should be 2007. It was registered until then. It now has AZ registration and title.