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Postwar Studebakers
2061 messages, Last post on May 19, 2013 at 11:06 AM
You are in the Classic Cars Forum.- Your Host is mr_shiftright
What is this discussion about? Classic Cars, Coupe, Convertible, Truck, Sedan, Wagon
#1815 of 2061 Re: Record price set for an R2 Avanti at Barrett-Jackson [bhill2] by fintail
Jan 22, 2013 (7:10 pm)
Replying to: bhill2 (Jan 22, 2013 6:27 pm)
Is your car able to be switched into second gear start? I had a 300SE that was second gear start only, as well. Euro models had a switchable unit.
- uplanderguy (Jan 22, 2013 7:18 pm)
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#1816 of 2061 Re: Record price set for an R2 Avanti at Barrett-Jackson [fintail] by uplanderguy
Jan 22, 2013 (7:18 pm)
Replying to: fintail (Jan 22, 2013 7:10 pm)
I'm relatively certain that the automatic floor-shift trans in the Avanti and optional on Larks and Hawks, could be held in whatever gear the selector was in (1 or 2) if desired. If put in "D", it started from a stop in second gear. My Lark had a bench seat and had the Flightomatic auto trans (P-N-D-L-R). It was also a three-speed automatic that started from a stop in second, although there was a way to get a 1-2-3 shift that involved shifting from L to D then back, which I was always somewhat scared to try.
Studebaker six-cylinder automatics had first-gear start in "D".
#1817 of 2061 Re: Record price set for an R2 Avanti at Barrett-Jackson [fintail] by uplanderguy
Jan 22, 2013 (7:18 pm)
Replying to: fintail (Jan 22, 2013 6:04 pm)
Did Stude ever used body color coded hubcaps? No, but the '63 Lark and Cruiser full wheelcovers had a broad band of white on them, no matter what exterior color the rest of the car was.
#1818 of 2061 Re: Record price set for an R2 Avanti at Barrett-Jackson [uplanderguy] by uplanderguy
Jan 25, 2013 (3:38 am)
Replying to: uplanderguy (Jan 22, 2013 7:18 pm)
Received via email from Hagerty Insurance yesterday--since we were discussing the Avanti at Barrett-Jackson here: http://www.hagerty.com/classic-car-articles-resources/Features/News/All-Articles- /2013/01/17/Studebaker-Avanti-Turns-50?utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_medium=email&u- tm_term=&utm_content=&utm_campaign=Hagerty%20Weekly%20News%2001-21-2013
#1819 of 2061 Re: Record price set for an R2 Avanti at Barrett-Jackson [uplanderguy] by lemko
Jan 25, 2013 (7:06 am)
Replying to: uplanderguy (Jan 22, 2013 7:18 pm)
Did Checker taxicabs use the old Studebaker wheelcovers? 
They look a lot like the ones used on the Lark.
#1820 of 2061 Re: Record price set for an R2 Avanti at Barrett-Jackson [lemko] by uplanderguy
Jan 25, 2013 (7:42 am)
Replying to: lemko (Jan 25, 2013 7:06 am)
Sharp eye, lemko! They did indeed use former Studebaker wheel covers. International also used Stude's '64 and '65 full wheelcovers (a favorite of mine) into the '70's:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1970-International-Pickup-Truck-Brochure-/350138831699
Checkers are so goofy, I enjoy them too although they are rarely seen. They were made in Kalamazoo, MI.
- fintail (Jan 25, 2013 8:01 am)
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#1821 of 2061 Re: Record price set for an R2 Avanti at Barrett-Jackson [uplanderguy] by fintail
Jan 25, 2013 (8:01 am)
Replying to: uplanderguy (Jan 25, 2013 7:42 am)
There are a few Checkers hanging around my area, even a couple wagons. One of the wagons is pretty mint looking, and has to be restored.
- uplanderguy (Jan 25, 2013 8:27 am)
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#1822 of 2061 Re: Record price set for an R2 Avanti at Barrett-Jackson [fintail] by uplanderguy
Jan 25, 2013 (8:27 am)
Replying to: fintail (Jan 25, 2013 8:01 am)
In late '80 or early '81, with my first 'real' job, I had to travel to Kalamazoo to surprise-audit some of our stores. Back then, in that town, you saw Checkers with vinyl tops, whitewalls and wire wheelcovers driving around. Sadly, I've never ridden in one. I'd like to fix that someday.
Speaking of Checker, I recall reading an article about Nate Altman, the Studebaker dealer who revived Avanti in South Bend. Before he decided to get financing himself, he approached the President of Checker, Morris Markin, about Checker building the Avanti on their line. Markin said, "How can you expect us to build a car as ugly as the Avanti?".
Altman was incensed...in the article he said, "Can you believe that? They build the Checker Marathon!".
And the rest is history, for both companies.
#1823 of 2061 Re: Record price set for an R2 Avanti at Barrett-Jackson [lemko] by jljac
Jan 25, 2013 (9:53 am)
Replying to: lemko (Jan 25, 2013 7:06 am)
I remember riding in Checker cabs when I was a little kid visiting my grandmother in Chicago. (She was the only one in the family who would call a cab because she was the only adult who did not drive.) They had small fold able "jump" seats on the floor as seen below. I liked riding in my own seat. That would probably be illegal today as so many things are. 
- uplanderguy (Jan 25, 2013 1:23 pm)
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#1824 of 2061 Re: Record price set for an R2 Avanti at Barrett-Jackson [jljac] by uplanderguy
Jan 25, 2013 (1:23 pm)
Replying to: jljac (Jan 25, 2013 9:53 am)
Cool; I've always heard they had jump seats but I've never seen one. I remember a bit of an oddball guy in our town having a big-bumper, russet-colored Checker Marathon. I spoke to him at Lloyd Lee's Arco station about it, and he said he picked it up at the factory in Kalamazoo. I saw him driving it around town a few times more, then maybe five years later saw it on the "make me an offer" used-car lot of the Pontiac dealer. I don't know what happened to it afterwards.
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