1963 Studebaker

R2 Coupe

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

63R3152

Clear

Gasoline

Here is one of those “once in a lifetime” chances that truly may not ever happen again, at least not anytime soon. Up for auction we have a 1963 Avanti R2 Powershift, exactly as she was the day she was built. The paint, interior, chrome, and essentially every other component of this car is completely original and unmolested. This car only has 10,700 miles on the odometer since new. The original tires have 5200 miles on them, and are still inflated with 1963 South Bend, Indiana air from ’63. The car was originally purchased by a gentleman named Wes in 1963, at Rauschnot's Studebaker Agency in St. Paul, Minnesota. Wes had a heart attack shortly after buying the car, and left him unable to drive. His wife took the car out once a month to keep things lubricated and in operational condition. In 1974 the car was given a once over, oil change, etc. and with 5200 miles, was put into dark storage. The car didn’t see the light of day again until 2002 when it was purchased by a guy named Greg in Minneapolis. Greg documented the car as it sat, and took hundreds of photos of every angle of the car, inside and out. He knew that there were only so many “brand new” ’63 Avantis extant and took the time to document this one before doing anything else. Greg did just enough to the car to get it running and reliable, and did little more than clean it. Being a northern car rust is always an issue, but it’s doubtful that this Avanti ever saw a drop of rain and there is no rust or corrosion anywhere. The paint has been buffed out to an acceptable shine and from five feet away, it looks like a fresh paint job. There are some very minor imperfections from the past 48 years but overall the car is far too nice to warrant a repaint. The paperwork is available from the Studebaker National Museum, and I have the documentation that shows where this car spent an additional 12 days at the factory having various things redone, and the entire exterior of the car was repainted with the exception of the doors. This allowed me to have enough paint on the car to work with to bring the shine back. The interior is still all original with the exception of the headliner, and again is nearly perfect. Even the salt and pepper carpet is in great shape with no fading. The dash, door panels, seat upholstery, etc. is all immaculate. The amazing this is that the interior still has that “new car smell” that only a small handful of cars of this vintage still have. It runs and drives wonderfully; just as well as you’d expect Studebaker’s performance car to perform. The R2 engine pulls like a freight train and the car handles great. Driving this car is like going back in time, as you can truly feel what everyone else did in 1963 when these cars first hit the showrooms. There are only so many Avantis out there today that can give you the experience and feel of what the boys at Studebaker initially intended. Overall this car is an amazing survivor and you’ll be hard pressed to find another low mileage example in such wonderful condition. The car recently was taken to the 2011 Avanti Owners Association International Meet where it was judged in the same class as fully restored 1963 and 1964 Avanti's. Some of these cars had big budget restorations. This car scored 389 out of 400 points and was awarded a First Place. Points were deducted for a cracked weatherstrip (original), spiderweb scratches in the front bumper (original), and some chips in the paint on the doors (original). The interior was scored perfect with the exception of some dirt on the door jamb. Remember, this is a 48 year old unrestored car competing in a restored class and 2 of only 11 points lost were my fault for not wiping out the door jamb after driving it onto the show field !! The car is available for inspection with 24 hours notice and can be seen and driven any time, any day. We can arrange to pick you up and return you to airports in Paducah, KY, St Louis, MO, Evansville, IN, and Marion, IL. Standard Equipment on the 1963 Avanti included 40 amp alternator, back-up lights, power brakes (disc front, drum rear), bucket seats, cigarette lighter, heater-defroster, electric clock,manifold pressure gauge, speedometer, tachometer, oil pressure gauge, coolant temperature gauge, ammeter, fuel gauge, console, dual exhaust, electric wipers, 21 gallon fuel tank, inline gas filter, internal trunk release, courtesy lights, trunk light, rear view mirror, positive crankcase ventilation, rear axle radius rods, padded roll bar, safety padded interior, adjustable heavy duty shock absorbers, front and rear stabilizer bars, sun visors, vanity tray, wheel disks and more. In addition, the Factory Production Order lists the following options Avanti Turquoise Lacquer Black Vinyl Interior Supercharger Automatic Powershift Transmission Tinted Front and Rear Glass with Sun Band Tinted Side Windows Power Steering Twin Traction 6.70x15 Firestone 500 Nylon Whitewalls Electric Windshield Washer AM Radio and Antenna Rear Speaker Front Seat Belts Included in this auction with the car is the vehicle on its original rolling stock; 6.70x15 Firestone 500 Nylon Whitewall tires with 5200 miles and spare Factory Jack, handle and lug wrench Documentation Owner's Manual 1963 Accessories Book Production Order Drive Away Shipper Factory Warranty Card Factory to Dealer Invoice Assembly Line and Quality Control Forms Window Sticker reproduced by Richard Quinn Complete History of the Car including all pictures taken as it was taken out of storage and all work done Service Manual Parts Manual "What the Service Manual Won't Tell You" by Stan Gundry There are other items available for the car NOT in this auction including the enclosed transport trailer with AC and heat, an Avanti neon sign, the aluminum wheels and radial tires the car was driven on after it came out of storage, many high performance parts for superchargers, R3 heads and intake, high ratio rockers, spare parts. Call for other details 618/841-2815 or email jim@rabidsnailracing.com The winner can pick the car up, have a transport pick up the car, or I can deliver the car for $1.40 per loaded mile from zip code 62959. If the car is paid for, it can be left on the premises as it is not in the way, however, you should place your own insurance on it immediately.On Jul-22-11 at 00:46:06 PDT, seller added the following information: The pictures show the only 2 oil changes the original owners ever needed. There were 87 1963 Avanti's built with the turquoise exterior and black interior. Around 2/3 of those were R1 cars and half were 4 speed cars. So in this configuration, you're not likely to park next to another like it. In addition, the turquoise and black carpet is not available NOS or reproduction, so restored cars must go to black carpeting to be correct. Drive this car 2,000 miles a year and in 12 more years it will still only have 34,000 miles. Not too bad for a 60 year old.On Jul-24-11 at 20:15:28 PDT, seller added the following information: Seller reserves the right not to sell to any bidder with 0 or negative feedback or to any bidder for any reason. Seller also reserves the right to end the auction early. On Jul-27-11 at 10:16:45 PDT, seller added the following information: Video of the car running http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFbYAfrNAcIOn Jul-27-11 at 10:25:31 PDT, seller added the following information: Slideshow with additional pics. http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x98/jlmccuan/63R3152/?albumview=slideshow