1984 Studebaker Avanti

Touring Coupe

305 CI V8

Automatic

12AAV123XE1003874

Clear

1984 Avanti Touring Coupe GM 305 V8 Engine, Automatic, Power Steering, AC, PB, Power Windows, Heater, Radio Fun to drive, great exhaust sound, reliable In 1962 Studebaker introduced the Studebaker Avanti. It was in production 2 years prior to Studebaker shutting its doors. Various entrepreneurs have continued the Studebaker legacy and have been building Avanti's since 1965. Up until 1982 the original private owners, the Altman's were building Avanti's in the same city of South Bend were Studebakers were made. In 1982 they sold the company to entrepreneur Steve Blake, who happened to love Avanti's. He then began making changes to make the cars more modern and moved the company to Youngstown Ohio for the 1988 models. For the 1984 models he made a lot of changes the most noticeable being the molded bumpers and changes to the lighting. He continued to utilize GM drive trains but spruced up the interior of the Avanti. You have to admit, for a car model to survive for all this time, its design had to be forward thinking. In 1984 Avanti Motors produced a limited edition "Touring Coupe" edition. They made 50 touring coupes in black, red, white and blue. This is one of the 12 models that had red exteriors. This makes this car a very collectable car. Its serial is RQB-3874 and VIN is 12AAV123XE1003874. . The 84 models offered the following standard equipment: : GM 305 V8 GM 350 TH automatic transmission Quick Ration Power Steering Power Front Disc Brakes (GM) Power Front Windows Power Door Locks Power Mirrors Power Trunk Release Tilt Steering Wheel Cruise Control Air Conditioning Full Dash Instrumentation Intermittent Wipers Limited Slip Differential Premium Sound System Tinted Glass Recaro Seats Rear Window Deicer Dual exhaust Leather wrapped steering wheel This was considered a luxury car in 1984. The list price for the above base car was $32,860. There were the following options: Power Moon Roof ($1395) Full leather interior ($1495) Wood Steering Wheel ($205) Wood Veneer Dash ($325) Black Alum Dash ($165) Magumn 500 Wheels ($400) Wire Wheels ($1395) Vogue Tyres ($595) Touring Coupe ($1635) The Touring Coupe option offered Blacked Out Exterior Trim, Black Aluminum Dash & Control Panels, full power Recaro seats, and Avanti Aluminum "BBS" Wheels with High Performance TIres. This car has the Touring Coupe, Power Moon Roof and Full Leather Interior options. PICTURE 1 I bet I now have your interest! I am the second owner of this car. The first owner was actually the only Avanti Dealer in St. Louis Mo. He enjoyed showing it off to many of his clients and always kept it looking like it came off the showroom floor. It appeared in multiple ads for his dealership and various newspaper articles. Ron's dealership was called Auto Internacional. After Ron's dealership, he continued to keep it as a priced possession. I bought the Avanti out of Ron's estate last year. I am selling it only because I found a 88 convertible which I can use to transport my special needs grandson in parades with. After I bought it, I did some maintenance which was needed during the time Ron was sick. I replaced the front end bushings and replaced the power steering hoses. I was amazed how this car was so well maintained . I originally bought this to use as my touring or trip car as should any parts be needed they are readily available GM parts. Additionally I believe the Touring Coupes will continue to out pace other Avantis value wise. The body is all fiberglass which makes it light and means its fenders do not rust out!!!! It is 194.35 inches long and has a wheel base of 109 inches , is 54 inches tall and 70.4 inches wide. It currently has 98,500 well cared for miles. Lets look at some pictures of the exterior .......... PICTURE 2 PICTURE 3 PICTURE 4 PICTURE 5 PICTURE 6 PICTURE 7 PICTURE 8 PICTURE 9 PICTURE 10 The exterior was originally totally red. Ron had it repainted at some point in time as he apparently thought it needed a refresh. He thought there was too much red and added the two tone black like the later model Avanti's offered as an option. I personally like the way the two tone adds to its uniqueness. The paint finish, while not show quality, is very presentable as you can see. An Avanti restorer has indicated the paint needed to be wet sanded on the hood and in a few other places in order to improve paint quality. The camera could not capture any flaws in the paint. It was dusty when I bought it and did not observe any flaws in the paint. I personally did not consider them serious enough to address. There are some small chips in the black behind the front wheels from small rocks. It is unfortunate that Ron was not able to convey everything he did to the car. He kept a log book in the glove box but that still does not tell the complete story. I am always given complements at gas stations, car shows etc. I get thumbs up when driving down the road. Here is a shot of the optional power moon roof. It was actually made in St. Louis by a company called SKY-TOP. Ernie retired and sold the business to Midwest Sunroofs in New Haven, MO. These roofs were used in Avantis from 79 to 85. Ron removed the inner cover which hides the roof from the inside as he wanted the roof open at all times. A new owner can replace the cover which closes when the roof is closed should they such prefer (parts are available from both Nostilgic and Midwest). The roof opens and closes as desired by the driver. An open roof is very refreshing for the passengers. It has never leaked on me. PICTURE 11 Now I would like to show you how nice the interior is. I wish I knew if the carpets are original or not. They are black. I know they are very nice and have wondered if they are original and I tend to think they are . The seats and interior in general are very nice. There is some normal wear on the drivers seat but the well cared for leather is still smooth to the touch. The red leather dash looks very nice without any cracks. Note the sunglass or junk tray in the center of the dash. The radio system was replaced by Ron as the original one failed. He installed a nice AM/FM CD player. It even has a remote control for the passengers in the rear seat! PICTURE 12 Look how nice the glove box is and more importantly how the inside lid looks like new also and is not stained from misuse. Also the instruction book for the radio along with the owners manual are included. There is a case in the glove box for the radio faceplate. The remote antenna no longer goes down when the radio is turned off like it originally did. PICTURE 14 PICTURE 15 Here is a nice shot of the nice seats and dash. As far as I know, everything works. I just charged the AC and there is cold air coming out. Ron had it converted from R12 to R134. PICTURE 16 Here is the center console. You can see the radio, AC controls, various vent and controls and the shifter. Notice that this car has drive, 1, 2 and 3. Notice you can select the transmission gears of 1, 2 and 3 as you drive if you are so inclined. I always have used "Drive". PICTURE 17 Here is the passenger seat with the front bottom extended. and the door sill. Both door sills are in this nice of shape PICTURE 19 Look at the seat control for each of the power front seats. There is a lever to move the total seat. The power reclines the seat and raises the back. There are several knobs for adjusting them. Other than moving the drivers seat back a bit I never had to adjust anything as I was totally confortable. But there are options available if your back is bad etc. I am not sure what all the seat buttons do and they are not specified in the owners manual. PICTURE 20 Here is a shot of the drivers seat and you can see some wear but it is very minor in my opinion, PICTURE 21 Here is the dash and Zora Arkus-Duntov autographed steering wheel. He was a famous Corvette designer. PICTURE 22 Here is the tach. PICTURE 23 Here is the speedometer, please excuse the glare. PICTURE 24 Here is the power window switch for each front door. The rear windows are wing style windows and are manually opened. PICTURE 25 Look at my nice sunvisor, both are in the same great shape. PICTURE 26 Keeping with the airplace cockpit view of the Avanti, here is the upper control panel. Here is the light switch, rear window defogger, moon roof, and heat blower. PICTURE 27 Here is the rear seat PICTURE 28 Here is the drivers door panel PICTURE 29 Here is the passenger door panel PICTURE 30 You have to admit, the interior is in very nice shape for a 30 year old car. Now lets look at the trunk area. Ron apparently misplaced the original scissors style jack and replaced it with a bottle jack. The original lug wrench is in the tool pocket. PICTURE 31 Look at the original spare which has never apparently been on the ground PICTURE 32 I will now raise the hood so you can see the engine. Note the chrome valve covers. PICTURE 33 PICTURE 34 PICTURE 35 Look at the factory wheels. You have to agree, these are some nice wheels Avanti motors put on it. I had two new tires put on as two needed replacing. The tire size is 235/60R15. PICTURE 36 Anyone familar with Avanti cars knows one of the first things a potential new buyer looks at is the hogs and the frame to see if they have rust in them. Avanti owners worry about rusted torque boxes (also called “hog troughs”) and a rusted rear tubular frame cross member. Fear not. Both the hog troughs and the cross member are totally solid. The heavy X-frame is also in nice shape. PICTURE 37 PICTURE 38 PICTURE 39 So you have seen the outside and it gets pretty darn nice if I do say so myself but a picky person will fine flaws here and there. There are some small chips in the black paint right behind the front wheels. I want to point out that the glass is good and I am not aware of any cracks. I would not be afraid to be drive it across the country as it has lots of pep and get up and go. I have tried to indicate any flaws that I am aware of. According to Hagerty, average retail is between $14,000 in number 3 condition and $21,700 in number 2 condition. Average retail value is $14, 845. I feel it is in 2.5 condition according to Hagerty. Avanti owners tend to like this site for true values as the person that is responsible for it also owns multiple Avanti's. The reserve is well below the Hagerty value of approximately $17,500. . The gentleman that is in charge of the Hagerty value site actually owns Avantis himself so these tend to be the most reliable values. The current owner will gladly try to answer any and all questions. The new owner or winner of this auction is responsible for any shipment and must arrange such shipping themselves. The present owner will work with them as possible. Remember it is a rare car and its value should do nothing but go up. . You are buying this car as is. I have described it to the best of my ability. A $500 non-refundable deposit is due within 24 hours (Paypal or cash) and full payment is due within 5 days or as agreed to with the seller. Car must be picked up within 10 days unless prior arrangements are made. The existing owner must have cleared payment before he will release me. This car is for sale locally and I reserve the right to remove it from this auction at any time. Car is being sold as is, with no warranty expressed or implied. On Sep-13-14 at 15:53:49 PDT, seller added the following information: I just lowered the reserve so the next bid will meet the reserve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!