Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

suydam

Well actually no.
"Kidney disease kills over 90,000 Americans every year, which accounts for more deaths than prostate cancer and breast cancer combined. By the end of 2014, approximately 40,000 women will have died of breast cancer, while 29,480 men will have died of prostate cancer, according to the American Cancer Society

I have kidney disease and I don't begrudge the attention paid to breast cancer because I have lost too many good people to that awful disease. I've lost friends to prostate cancer too.

Can we please get back to talking about cars?

berri

Speaking of prostate cancer, make sure you have a PSA baseline with your physician. There is a tendency to think only high PSA numbers indicate cancer, but actually a rapid percentagewise increase in the score is more telling.

oldfarmer50

suydam said:

Well actually no.
"Kidney disease kills over 90,000 Americans every year, which accounts for more deaths than prostate cancer and breast cancer combined. By the end of 2014, approximately 40,000 women will have died of breast cancer, while 29,480 men will have died of prostate cancer, according to the American Cancer Society

I have kidney disease and I don't begrudge the attention paid to breast cancer because I have lost too many good people to that awful disease. I've lost friends to prostate cancer too.

Can we please get back to talking about cars?

Sorry if I upset you.

graphicguy

carnaught said:

GG, still say to take the CT6, quick deal, then trade it for something like a BMW 435 Grand Coupe.

No one has made that offer to me. I'd consider it, though.

imidazol97

carnaught said:

GG, still say to take the CT6, quick deal, then trade it for something like a BMW 435 Grand Coupe.

graphicguy said:

No one has made that offer to me. I'd consider it, though.

I trailed a CT6 on an area thruway. It looked a lot like a CTS in the way it handled the variations on the road, so it must have a much more German ride that the DTS and XTS had. It's not your father's Oldsmobile anymore. Someone said there are a lot of older Cadillac buyers who aren't going to recognize the car's driving character from the old days; it's changed.

driver100

Speaking about older cars and car geniuses a friend happened to send me this review of a Studebaker Avanti. If you have 10 minutes to kill it is extremely interesting just how advanced this car was. I really like the styling with the little rise on the hood that goes right back to the instrument cluster.
https://youtu.be/AnynfKKwE3Y

imidazol97

driver100 said:

Speaking about older cars and car geniuses a friend happened to send me this review of a Studebaker Avanti. If you have 10 minutes to kill it is extremely interesting just how advanced this car was. I really like the styling with the little rise on the hood that goes right back to the instrument cluster.

Nice car. Nice video. I've always loved Avanti's.
Notice the beautiful green seats matching the exterior color. Ain't gonna find
that today. "Do you want black, tungsten black, or sort of black for your
interior sir?"

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

Speaking about older cars and car geniuses a friend happened to send me this review of a Studebaker Avanti. If you have 10 minutes to kill it is extremely interesting just how advanced this car was. I really like the styling with the little rise on the hood that goes right back to the instrument cluster.
https://youtu.be/AnynfKKwE3Y

A friend of mine had one of those sitting in his yard for years. Never saw him driving it, don't know if it ran. I think he intended to fix it up but life got in the way.

I wonder if this car will still draw looks 50 years from now:

http://www.autonews.com/article/20170125/BLOG06/170129901/-1

sda

driver100 said:

Speaking about older cars and car geniuses a friend happened to send me this review of a Studebaker Avanti. If you have 10 minutes to kill it is extremely interesting just how advanced this car was. I really like the styling with the little rise on the hood that goes right back to the instrument cluster.
https://youtu.be/AnynfKKwE3Y

Driver100--please post on the Postwar Studebaker forum. I know uplanderguy will like to see this along with the others following this forum.

carnaught

graphicguy said:

carnaught said:

GG, still say to take the CT6, quick deal, then trade it for something like a BMW 435 Grand Coupe.

No one has made that offer to me. I'd consider it, though.

May want to make that proposal yourself; might be an easier faster way of resolving your situation. The price differential between the two is made up, at least in part, by the fact that your CT6 is a dealer loaner.

Mr_Shiftright

What was brilliant about the Avanti was that it wasn't advanced at all. A very cash poor company on limited resources was able to create a visually interesting car using very old technology and produced some very impressive results. In a way, it's like what Bentley did in the early 1930s in racing (before Rolls bought them). They beat the world at the race track by developing what they had, not inventing anything new. It left the Germans and Italians scratching their heads.

You might say Carroll Shelby did the same thing with the Cobra--an old British car body, a pushrod V-8 of no particular sophistication, and some good ol' boy hotrod technology.

It's really the styling that makes the Avanti unique. You really love it or you hate it--it's one of those types of cars.

Aside from being the child of a very sick parent, another thing that brought the Avanti down was the price tag. For a product from an Independent American company, it was very expensive.

graphicguy

driver100 said:

Speaking about older cars and car geniuses a friend happened to send me this review of a Studebaker Avanti. If you have 10 minutes to kill it is extremely interesting just how advanced this car was. I really like the styling with the little rise on the hood that goes right back to the instrument cluster.
https://youtu.be/AnynfKKwE3Y

I love the Avanti. Came within a "hair" of buying a Studebaker Hawk a few years ago. Loved the looks of it. But, I really don't know enough about collectible cars to make a sound investment in one.

imid....I think part of Cadillac's sales problem is the fact that they are making NO ATTEMPT to lure their old, traditional customer base into the showroom. And, if they do happen to come in to look at a car, once they drive them, they leave as quickly as they can.

The one's I've driven (ATS, CTS, CT6, XT5) are neutral handling, with none of that "marshmallow" ride/handling of the past. The only one I've driven that comes close to the former Cadillac ride and handling is the XTS, and that's on borrowed time.

berri

I always thought that even though they were really different vehicles, the styling of the 63 Corvette kind of hindered Avanti sales, as did the new 63 Buick Riviera.

abacomike

My Dad's very first car when he came back from Europe after WWII (sailed from England on the Queen Mary - the original one moored in Long Beach, CA now) was a 1941 Studebaker. He told me many times that it was way ahead of its time when it came to design and engineering.

When I was a kid growing up in New York City (Queens to be exact), one of my grandfather's neighbors (he lived about 3 blocks from where we lived) owned a new Studebaker President two-door coupe. It was pastel blue and white (two-tone) and, without doubt, one of the most gorgeous cars I had ever seen. It had real leather interior in white and was very low to the ground when compared to cars of the 50's in production. The back seat was not comfortable at all which most American-made coupes of the day were at that time (roomier in other words). It was not particularly fast in terms of what was available in the mid-to-late 50's but the styling was truly awesome.

I remember riding in the back seat of that car once and I literally dreamed of owning one when I was old enough to drive and rich enough to buy a car of my own. The front end of the Studebaker reminded me of a Flash Gordon spaceship that Buster Crabbe used to ride in when he tangled with Ming, the Merciless on Mongol, I believe the planet was called. But I do remember how low to the ground that Studebaker President was and it was quite aerodynamic for its time.

The styling was not everyone's "cup-a-tea" - it was very sleek for its time and probably was not "ready-for-prime-time" to coin one of ab's favorite phrases.

Of the late 40's and early 50's, my favorite styling of a car was the Packard. One of our neighbors in our apartment building had a black one which was so rich looking and road-commanding. The merger of Studebaker and Packard was not a great marriage for two automobile companies have financial limitations at that time as they were experiencing. The Packard Clipper was also a great looking car - the earlier ones, not the later ones.

But alas, Packard and Studebaker just couldn't keep up with the big three at the time and went the way that so many other cars have gone before them and after them.

Excuse me for being a bit nostalgic if not melancholy, but as all of you know, I've loved cars since I sat on my grandfather's lap in his Chrysler Woody Convertible and steered his car as he controlled the accelerator. Those sure were the days!!!

oldfarmer50

Random question.

In California does a private car seller have to provide some proof that the used car will pass emissions inspection? Here in NY it's all on the buyer and other than having a CEL on (which some crooked sellers disable) there is no way to know that a car might not pass when inspected. The CA model seems better if I'm understanding it correctly. Less chance of funny business.

abacomike

I guess I couldn't get the image to post. At least I tried.

oldfarmer50

abacomike said:

I guess I couldn't get the image to post. At least I tried.

Something like this:

abacomike

oldfarmer50 said:

abacomike said:

I guess I couldn't get the image to post. At least I tried.

Something like this:

Exactly like that - and if I remember correctly, the same color - a maroonish red. Great picture!!!

uplanderguy

Thanks, sda, for pointing this video out to me.

I've long-appreciated Avantis because there's not a row of them at every car show...plus, they show what a small company can do.

I only caught one error in the guy's message about the car....Avantis are vinyl inside, not leather.

There are a couple unusual things about that car that make me question the odometer reading. It has the '64 interior and front fender emblems, but it has round headlight enclosures. I'd say the chance is pretty good that car took a hit at the front at some point and a round-headlight front end piece replaced the original piece with square headlight enclosures. If I knew the serial number I could make a bigger argument one way or the other.

Not a fan of the aftermarket wire wheels or covers, nor the aftermarket fog lights, but that has always been my favorite color of an Avanti.

I think the standard disc brakes, and an automatic that could be shifted manually through three forward gears, are a couple things that can't be underestimated about the Avanti. The '63 Sting Ray had neither, and the Riviera still had only a P-N-D-L-R quadrant for '63.

Here's a short video of a very authentic turquoise '64 Avanti:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjgYCNCEGBQ

A '62 Corvette, which is my favorite 'Vette and was sold simultaneously with the Avanti for a couple months or so, also still had a 1949-era Chevy front kingpin suspension, as did the Avanti. I know I'm in the minority here, but I think the split window concept was a dumb idea. I'd rather have a '64 Corvette. The Avanti had the largest rear window in the industry at the time.

driver100

Good comments uplander, and I am with you on the split window, reminded me of the first beetles or about a 49 chev.

driver100

sda said:

driver100 said:

Speaking about older cars and car geniuses a friend happened to send me this review of a Studebaker Avanti. If you have 10 minutes to kill it is extremely interesting just how advanced this car was. I really like the styling with the little rise on the hood that goes right back to the instrument cluster.
https://youtu.be/AnynfKKwE3Y

Driver100--please post on the Postwar Studebaker forum. I know uplanderguy will like to see this along with the others following this forum.

Consider it done!
Glad you guys liked it, I didn't know if 10 minutes would be too long, but, I figured you are a pretty bright group with long attention spans.

driver100

carnaught said:

graphicguy said:

carnaught said:

GG, still say to take the CT6, quick deal, then trade it for something like a BMW 435 Grand Coupe.

No one has made that offer to me. I'd consider it, though.

May want to make that proposal yourself; might be an easier faster way of resolving your situation. The price differential between the two is made up, at least in part, by the fact that your CT6 is a dealer loaner.

GG, this is an excellent idea. Be proactive, it might never occur to the dealer guys this could solve the problem (and get rid of you sooner hopefully).

berri

I often wondered if the 63 split window went away because of complaints, or if it was always intended as a one year styling exercise to invoke interest and publicity? IIRC, the Avanti was a bit expensive which led me to the Riviera comparison besides the Sting Ray.

berri

aba, I remember that maroon was very common on postwar Mopars. Actually, I think it was not unusual to see it on many brands in the late 40's/early 50's. Sometimes wondered if it was an easy paint color to mix back in those days and hence the commonality?

graphicguy

uplanderguy said:

Thanks, sda, for pointing this video out to me.

I've long-appreciated Avantis because there's not a row of them at every car show...plus, they show what a small company can do.

I only caught one error in the guy's message about the car....Avantis are vinyl inside, not leather.

There are a couple unusual things about that car that make me question the odometer reading. It has the '64 interior and front fender emblems, but it has round headlight enclosures. I'd say the chance is pretty good that car took a hit at the front at some point and a round-headlight front end piece replaced the original piece with square headlight enclosures. If I knew the serial number I could make a bigger argument one way or the other.

Not a fan of the aftermarket wire wheels or covers, nor the aftermarket fog lights, but that has always been my favorite color of an Avanti.

I think the standard disc brakes, and an automatic that could be shifted manually through three forward gears, are a couple things that can't be underestimated about the Avanti. The '63 Sting Ray had neither, and the Riviera still had only a P-N-D-L-R quadrant for '63.

Here's a short video of a very authentic turquoise '64 Avanti:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjgYCNCEGBQ

A '62 Corvette, which is my favorite 'Vette and was sold simultaneously with the Avanti for a couple months or so, also still had a 1949-era Chevy front kingpin suspension, as did the Avanti. I know I'm in the minority here, but I think the split window concept was a dumb idea. I'd rather have a '64 Corvette. The Avanti had the largest rear window in the industry at the time.

Another cool video. Thanks!

Those pop up around classic car shows here and there in Cincinnati. I know of at least 3 different ones I saw last year at different shows.

Studebaker was around a while before I was around. So, I find them interesting whenvever I see them.

There are a couple of the "bullet nose" (for lack of a better term) Studebakers I see in the summer. I see them traveling around where I live, so I'm thinking someone nearby must own them. Those are pretty interesting looking, too!

uplanderguy

I remember reading that Bill Mitchell, who grew up in my hometown, said taking the split window away "ruined the whole thing", LOL.

I think there were visibility issues with it...shocker!

graphicguy

driver100 said:

carnaught said:

graphicguy said:

carnaught said:

GG, still say to take the CT6, quick deal, then trade it for something like a BMW 435 Grand Coupe.

No one has made that offer to me. I'd consider it, though.

May want to make that proposal yourself; might be an easier faster way of resolving your situation. The price differential between the two is made up, at least in part, by the fact that your CT6 is a dealer loaner.

GG, this is an excellent idea. Be proactive, it might never occur to the dealer guys this could solve the problem (and get rid of you sooner hopefully).

Appreciate the suggestions as they're good ones. We'll see what happens when Customer Service calls me back, if they call me back. As it stands, my plan is still to take this to arbitration for full restitution.

ab348

berri said:

I often wondered if the 63 split window went away because of complaints, or if it was always intended as a one year styling exercise to invoke interest and publicity? IIRC, the Avanti was a bit expensive which led me to the Riviera comparison besides the Sting Ray.

Others would know a lot more about the '63 Corvette than me, but I understand many things, not just the split rear window, were unique to that one model year. I heard Mike Joy say at B-J last week that the exterior door handles and the shape of the door "skin" itself differed from later years. The '63 had those fake die-cast chrome vents on the hood that disappeared the next year. Apparently many other things differed too. GM always changed cars year to year back then and certainly the Corvette was no different. It would be interesting to see a list if one exists. The costs involved in doing all those changes must have been huge.

houdini1

I wonder what that Avanti would have looked like if the rear window was more vertical, giving it a more squared off roof line and a longer rear deck. It had already been done on the early 60's Mercury.

driver100

graphicguy said:

driver100 said:

carnaught said:

graphicguy said:

carnaught said:

GG, still say to take the CT6, quick deal, then trade it for something like a BMW 435 Grand Coupe.

No one has made that offer to me. I'd consider it, though.

May want to make that proposal yourself; might be an easier faster way of resolving your situation. The price differential between the two is made up, at least in part, by the fact that your CT6 is a dealer loaner.

GG, this is an excellent idea. Be proactive, it might never occur to the dealer guys this could solve the problem (and get rid of you sooner hopefully).

Appreciate the suggestions as they're good ones. We'll see what happens when Customer Service calls me back, if they call me back. As it stands, my plan is still to take this to arbitration for full restitution.

I don't blame you at all....it is just a matter of time and inconvenience, possibly money. I forget how long the process takes but I guess if you can get by with your Mustang then you might come out ahead of the game. I guess with arbitration you get your full payment back....is that for the initial car or this one?

Sometimes these things work out for the better in the long run. I am glad we dumped the A4 and got the GLK, it is a much stronger, faster, better handling car.
Then, since my E400 wasn't ready on time we flew to Florida and prefer that to driving. But, we traded in the Passat for the C250 so we would have a highway car for Florida. Though we paid $14000 difference, I think we will come out ahead for a few reasons. First, we love the C250, it is a car that is fun and so pleasant to drive. I will save about 8000 miles on my E400 by leaving it home, so it should last me an extra year or two before I will want to trade it in. The C250 will have 5000 miles a year on it but since it started with 12000 it should last about 10 years, and you don't get much extra at trade in time for a low mileage car....as we found out with the Passat.

What seemed like a big premium to move from the Passat to the C250 may actually end up saving us a few dollars, and if not I still like the way it is working out (even if I did pay $200 to much JMonroe - but, I didn't, because it is completely immaterial)

driver100

houdini1 said:

I wonder what that Avanti would have looked like if the rear window was more vertical, giving it a more squared off roof line and a longer rear deck. It had already been done on the early 60's Mercury.

The rear window is beautiful....suits the car perfectly. The car is very sleek but still has a high roofline with large windows. The large rear window makes it look brighter and more open as well as streamlined. Houdini, stick to your day job, don't become a car designer.

Uplander, enjoyed your video too. That car is 50 years+ old and still looks great today.

ab348

houdini1 said:

I wonder what that Avanti would have looked like if the rear window was more vertical, giving it a more squared off roof line and a longer rear deck. It had already been done on the early 60's Mercury.

Interesting article here about the design process of the Avanti:

https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hcc/2006/01/Designing-the-Fabulous-Avanti/1281806.html

Another one with some sketches of Avanti and other Studie ideas:

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/index.php/2007/05/20/sia-flashback-more-stude-studies/

If they had hung on a while longer, they could have introduced this as their Hawk replacement:

houdini1

Just musing out loud. I agree it is a beautiful car, and the design is way ahead of its time. I also liked the Hawks. Someone tried to revive the Avanti in the later 60's with the Avanti II, but it ran out of steam also. Now, if they had used my vertical rear window design.....

uplanderguy

The president of Studebaker, Sherwood H. Egbert, was a tall guy. I was at a seminar in 1993 where several of the styling and engineering staff involved in the Avanti project spoke. One engineer said Egbert kept conking his head on the seating buck every time he got in and out. He kept saying, "More headroom...more headroom!". As a result, the windshield was made much more vertical, and the seats were put practically down at floor level.

isellhondas

uplanderguy said:

Thanks, sda, for pointing this video out to me.

I've long-appreciated Avantis because there's not a row of them at every car show...plus, they show what a small company can do.

I only caught one error in the guy's message about the car....Avantis are vinyl inside, not leather.

There are a couple unusual things about that car that make me question the odometer reading. It has the '64 interior and front fender emblems, but it has round headlight enclosures. I'd say the chance is pretty good that car took a hit at the front at some point and a round-headlight front end piece replaced the original piece with square headlight enclosures. If I knew the serial number I could make a bigger argument one way or the other.

Not a fan of the aftermarket wire wheels or covers, nor the aftermarket fog lights, but that has always been my favorite color of an Avanti.

I think the standard disc brakes, and an automatic that could be shifted manually through three forward gears, are a couple things that can't be underestimated about the Avanti. The '63 Sting Ray had neither, and the Riviera still had only a P-N-D-L-R quadrant for '63.

Here's a short video of a very authentic turquoise '64 Avanti:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjgYCNCEGBQ

A '62 Corvette, which is my favorite 'Vette and was sold simultaneously with the Avanti for a couple months or so, also still had a 1949-era Chevy front kingpin suspension, as did the Avanti. I know I'm in the minority here, but I think the split window concept was a dumb idea. I'd rather have a '64 Corvette. The Avanti had the largest rear window in the industry at the time.

Great video!

It seems that Avanti has it's fans and it's detractors. I am neither but for the life of me I can't imagine why, at the time anyone would have bought an Avanti over a Buick Riviera or even a new Thunderbird.

uplanderguy

It was a departure from the typical Big Three stuff, and to me, that's its appeal. The Avanti was advertised at the time as "America's Fastest Production Car". I think it's more like a Corvette with a back seat, than a T-Bird or Riv. Fiberglass bodied too. I certainly think it has stood the test of time better than a '63 Thunderbird, and I think is a tad less "Buck Rogers"-ish than a '63 Riv, and definitely less "Buck Rogers"-ish than a '63 Corvette. I think as a collector car, values have held their own with a '63 Riv, condition-for-condition, and probably exceed a '63 T-Bird, condition-for-condition, but then, even the Gran Turismo Hawk seems to beat both of those cars, condition-for-condition. Of course, a '63 Corvette for value cleans all of their clocks.

uplanderguy

ab348, that black Sceptre coupe is at the Studebaker National Museum. It's interesting in person.

Mr_Shiftright

oldfarmer50 said:

Random question.

In California does a private car seller have to provide some proof that the used car will pass emissions inspection? Here in NY it's all on the buyer and other than having a CEL on (which some crooked sellers disable) there is no way to know that a car might not pass when inspected. The CA model seems better if I'm understanding it correctly. Less chance of funny business.

Yes the private seller is obliged to put the car through the smog test OR, if you consent to it, he can sign away his obligation to you. Many sellers try the old "she's ready for smog" but in fact it's their job to do it. If they are reluctant to do it, then I would either not buy the car or seriously discount it.

If you buy it without a smog, you'll have to get one before you can register the car. If you buy it without the smog certificate, and it fails, you'll have to fix it, or, if the repair costs are horrendous, you may be able to appeal to a state referee, which is a huge pain in the butt. And until he works something out (if he does) you still can't register the car.

And they are tough.

driver100

ab348 said:

houdini1 said:

I wonder what that Avanti would have looked like if the rear window was more vertical, giving it a more squared off roof line and a longer rear deck. It had already been done on the early 60's Mercury.

Interesting article here about the design process of the Avanti:

https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hcc/2006/01/Designing-the-Fabulous-Avanti/1281806.html

Another one with some sketches of Avanti and other Studie ideas:

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/index.php/2007/05/20/sia-flashback-more-stude-studies/

If they had hung on a while longer, they could have introduced this as their Hawk replacement:

That is my kind of design. Large windows, low rear deck, large wide hood, I even like the chrome strips along the edges of the hood. I'd take that design over 75% of the cars I see being made today.

Mr_Shiftright

Reminds me a little of what Pininfarina did to the C2 Corvette:

Mr_Shiftright

I dunno. Studebaker seems to have trouble with noses....e.g. the Avanti and your example. The regular Hawk was a kind of classic look, and perhaps, like BMW and Mercedes, they should have kept playing with that and modernizing it.

berri

IIRC, the Spectre 4dr and wagon were going to have suicide doors?

jmonroe

driver100 said:

sda said:

driver100 said:

Speaking about older cars and car geniuses a friend happened to send me this review of a Studebaker Avanti. If you have 10 minutes to kill it is extremely interesting just how advanced this car was. I really like the styling with the little rise on the hood that goes right back to the instrument cluster.
https://youtu.be/AnynfKKwE3Y

Driver100--please post on the Postwar Studebaker forum. I know uplanderguy will like to see this along with the others following this forum.

Consider it done!
Glad you guys liked it, I didn't know if 10 minutes would be too long, but, I figured you are a pretty bright group with long attention spans.

Not me. I check out after 2 minutes of reading a post or watching an attached flic.

jmonroe

abacomike

berri said:

aba, I remember that maroon was very common on postwar Mopars. Actually, I think it was not unusual to see it on many brands in the late 40's/early 50's. Sometimes wondered if it was an easy paint color to mix back in those days and hence the commonality?

I remember most cars back then were black

abacomike

Just got a text from my brother. He finally arrived at Miami from Costa Rica and now has a 3-1/2 hour layover until his Jacksonville connection. He said he did not pack a jacket, jeans or a sweater or sweatshirt- all he has to wear are shorts and short-sleeve shirts. It's 49 degrees right now and will be in the low 40's and upper 30's when he gets into Jacksonville. I suggested that he go into one of the shops at MIA and buy a hoodie. I realize it was in the 90's in Costa Rica, but he should have realized that it would be cold in Jacksonville. He has almost an hour drive to get home. But thank goodness he is back in the USA safely - the weather has been awful down here today.

ab348

Watched the "Wheeler Dealers: Trading Up" episodes on the weekend. I think they did more than one set of these - this one had Mike starting in India, then segments in the UK, Sweden, Japan, Mexico/Western USA, and finally Dubai, flipping cars in each place to build up a bankroll to buy a "supercar" at the end. These have just Mike, no Edd.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed them. It gave a nice snapshot of what car culture was like in places like India, Sweden, Japan, Mexico and Dubai, which I had little knowledge of. It wasn't all roses for him reither, as he sold a car in Sweden that he unknowingly misrepresented as to the engine size and had to refund some of the money, and lost money on a dud Celica he bought in Japan. In the end he accumulated enough in profit to buy his "supercar", which was a bit of a stretch, but it was an early 2000s 911 Carrera in what I thought was a not particularly attractive color combo, but whatever, he seemed to get a good deal on it. Fun to watch.

uplanderguy

driver100, the C-pillar in the Sceptre hardtop is polarized glass, and the front light is a Sylvania light bar set up. Pretty cool. I'm thinking the left side is trimmed differently, for comparison purchases.

There is a black four-door version with 'suicide' doors, and also a white Wagonaire version, at the museum.

uplanderguy

An interesting Avanti tidbit I think, is that Egbert wanted the loudest mufflers that were legal. When you look at Avanti production orders, you'll sometimes see an option called "Silent Mufflers". That was an option! LOL

I think it was a no-cost option but not sure, but it was an option.

jmonroe

@driver100 said:

What seemed like a big premium to move from the Passat to the C250 may actually end up saving us a few dollars, and if not I still like the way it is working out (even if I did pay $200 to much JMonroe - but, I didn't, because it is completely immaterial)

Since it is "immaterial", where's MY 200 bucks?

jmonroe

jmonroe

driver100 said:

ab348 said:

houdini1 said:

I wonder what that Avanti would have looked like if the rear window was more vertical, giving it a more squared off roof line and a longer rear deck. It had already been done on the early 60's Mercury.

Interesting article here about the design process of the Avanti:

https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hcc/2006/01/Designing-the-Fabulous-Avanti/1281806.html

Another one with some sketches of Avanti and other Studie ideas:

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/index.php/2007/05/20/sia-flashback-more-stude-studies/

If they had hung on a while longer, they could have introduced this as their Hawk replacement:

That is my kind of design. Large windows, low rear deck, large wide hood, I even like the chrome strips along the edges of the hood. I'd take that design over 75% of the cars I see being made today.

If you say so, but before I'd buy the one pictured, they'd have to rub out a few of those dull spots on that hood.

jmonroe