I grew up in a small community in Rural Virginia . The man who ran the post office had a Avanti with 400 SB Chevy . It was a nice and quick car.

These are my favorite type of videos.

This is so interesting. Brings back memories - in the mid 70s I visited Avanti Motors- operating in an old Studebaker building in South Bend. No moving assembly line- the cars were moved manually when it was time to go to the next work station.

@OsbornTramain

Жыл бұрын

The Stutz blackhawk isn't considered a "Replica". They were designed by Virgil Exner using his neo classic design motifs for Stutz and premiered in 1969. You can see some inspiration from his 1961 thru 1963 Imperial in the car, particularly the free standing headlamps. Produced up thru the late 1980's in various forms. They were beautiful cars in their own right and not a replica of anything.

When I was in my teens somebody in my town owned a Stutz Blackhawk (the replicas from the 1980's), and it was quite a sight to see it cruising around.

Osborn, thank you for this very rare and interesting footage. A mechanic friend of mine has an NOS Avanti 4-door body. He bought it around the time that Avanti was going to stop making them. It's white and sits about twenty-five feet up atop an industrial shelving unit. Sometimes I'll just stare at for a while. It's a cool piece of art just as it is. He's never done anything with it. I've often wished that someone would buy it and make a complete Avanti. Or even hang it in their home or business making for an interesting art display that others could enjoy too. It's a shame having it be so isolated with only a few people able to see it. But at least it's in a safe location and staying in nice shape for someone, someday to make it into a complete Avanti.

@OsbornTramain

Жыл бұрын

The clay molds in this film at the end of the four door are in my home for me to stare at. Yes, it's a shame others can't see them but at least they are being saved and preserved. I totally get what your friend is doing

@discerningmind

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@@OsbornTramain Wow Osborn! That's amazing that you have them. I wish all good things for your having these.

2:09 There's the radio playing My Sweet Lord - George Harrison

Avanti is the answer to the (probably never asked) question "What are the only cars ever manufactured in Cancun?"

@OsbornTramain

Жыл бұрын

Well, not really. The Avantis of Cancun were Ford Mustangs that were customized. Ford Mustangs rolled down the Assembly and were completed as automobiles. Avanti in Mexico then would take a Mustang and customize it, change the vin and create an Avanti. It's not fair to call it "Manufactured" because the work was primarily done in a body shop environment (job shop) not a production line.

Odd to see the workers welding and grinding, all the time throwing sparks at the fiberglass body and dashboard padding. But I guess this is true, old world hand crafting. By this time, wasn’t the Avanti being built on GM’s G-body chassis?

@troynov1965

Жыл бұрын

By 89 they were using the B Body the G went out of production in like 87

@bradlemmond

Жыл бұрын

They don't build 'em like that anymore!

@OsbornTramain

Жыл бұрын

It's funny you say that because I thought the exact same thing. Why was welding going on?

@troynov1965

Жыл бұрын

I watched it again , the grinding on the dash is before the dashboard was even installed ( or taken back off) and the body panels are covers with paper/plastic. Something is likely ill fitting the dash panel so he is doing some grinding to make it fit correctly. The welding looks he might be adding bumper brackets. Or could even be welding them on after bolted for added strength. I worked in body shops for over 25 years starting in 84, we did grinding and welding in our shop on cars and around other people all the time.

@DavidBugea

Жыл бұрын

@@OsbornTramain I can only guess that perhaps there was a lot of variation in the dimensions of the fiberglass body shells. Maybe it was easier (and more forgiving) to weld a certain brace to the frame in order to meet the mounting point on the body, versus shimming the body to meet a pre-welded brace on the frame?