bsoder Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Well I was looking at James's Avanti so I thought I'd post one I did awhile back. Iv'e always thought these were really interesting cars and showed some "out of the box" thinking although I believe they wanted to compete with the Corvette Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Laski Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 I've always loved Avanti's. That's a nice one. Good work! -Art Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Lombardo Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Nice job on a kit that I think leaves much to be desired (age of tooling and scale sizing). The car was always compared to the Corvette because it was the second car to be mass produced (more than a handful) that had a fiberglass body, Corvette being the first. Actually the car had a decent amount of power, it was just that it was aimed more at the "personal luxury coupe market" that the Thunderbird and soon to be presented, Buick Riviera had established. As a kid I remember running to the Studebaker showroom in late 1962 to actually see the car in person. The style and sophistication of the fluid European lines impressed me more than I could say at the time. Most all written reviews of the car loved the style and the "Coke Bottle" look, they were just not impressed with the Studebaker quality control. This was, in my mind, one of the first cars that actually made me think that a cars design could be more than just transportation. The "Sting Ray" Corvette, the aforementioned Riviera, the Mercedes Gullwing coupe, the Jaguar E Type (even the C and D Type too) and now the Avanti were examples of art, more than auto transportation to me. I have always wondered at why so many auto manufacturers would produce "Bricks on wheels" when they could have designed a beautiful piece of art. A rolling sculpture, a vehicle that thrilled the viewer and exhilarated the driver. I always wonder about that today....it does not cost any more to make the car beautiful. I will give you one more example of what I mean.....think for a minute about the Mercedes CLS, or the Volkswagen CC, or even the Hyundia Sonata.....all similar and all beautiful, sleek and sexy. Now think about the Ford 500 or the Ford Flex or even the Dodge Charger. All cars that bore me with their "brickism" design. Cars that have no soul, no excitement, no "get in me and drive me hard and fast" feeling to them. No, Raymond Loewry understood design and how the proper design could take that object to a much higher level. A Brick with wheels will get you from point "A" to point "B", but a car designed properly will move your soul, along with your body. The Avanti did that for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 That is sweet! Nice touch with the windows, how did you do it? I gotta get mine finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlzrocks Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Very cool looking build! I love the half rolled up window....I would have never thought of that! Great detail as well!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Lombardo Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Looking at your Avanti build and thinking about the car, reminded me that I did one too, only I converted it to a convertible because, as I mentioned before, I was not crazy about the scale and tooling of the kit. I later years the company that bought the rights to the Avanti design produced it as a coupe, sedan and convertible. I took the Avanti body, widened it and added the chassis, engine and interior of a Camaro to but a little twist on the Avanti Coupe kit. Anyway, I didn’t mean to jump on your post, I just got to thinking about the Avanti and thought I would throw up a shot of my. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Brian, that's a fine lookin' Avanti! The gold paint really makes that stand out! Yours is nice as well Peter--------------I think yours is the first one I've ever seen done as a convertible, even though they exist in 1:1. Your point about styling is right on point Peter! I've been a critic of certain car makers styling for a bunch of years now. As you said, it doesn't cost anymore to make a car look beautiful than to make it ugly. One the problems that has afflicted the American car manufacturers for years now is the "design by committee" look quite a few cars still have. You can tell this when the rear styling doesn't quite flow, or look as good as the front. Throw in the manufacturers bowing to the altar of Front Wheel Drive and there's your recipe for sameness. But folks today are so complacent when it comes to cars............as long as it starts up and gets 'em from point A to point B with no drama, they'll take it------thus the too many lookalike appliances uglying up the roads these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Cole Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 I agree with you both on the bland nature of some cars. Some people just want an appliance... a machine to go from here to there. Put it on 'Spin Cycle' and go. That is why there are cars like the Camrey, which Jalopnik has dubbed "beige", as in "bland". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brizio Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Nice unusual car! Good job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimaxion Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 If the Avanti was trying to imitate the Corvette , that idea just isn't so . Studebaker made the best car they or anyone could in that class of car . It is always true for a Halo Car . It is mentioned about Studebaker's quality . You take an assembly line and entire plant if worker using steel for generations . Give them Fiberglass . The rules are different . You can't align up body panels with a Hammer . The fiberglass shatters . GM always had quality issus . Let's let that go from there . Corvair anyone ? Avanti sought and secured (I am not sure if the number) many LSR for a closed Sport Fiberglass Peroduction Vehicle . I bekieve some still stand today . The Avganti was built to compete in the Grand Turismo arena of world class cars . Corvette wasn't . Corvette didn't get there until the '80's . Please don't forget the Kaiser Darrin . Auctully , Corvette did hasten the demise of the Avanti . it increased the orders for new bodies a large amount . The one anmd only fiberglass body parts producer in Astubula , Oh . was overwelmed . Studebaker got what they got . Unsold and prepaid orders not fullfilled tend to make customers go elsewhere . BTw , the Avanti stayed in production from 1962 until 1987 . It was owned by many trying to give the Avanti a Market . All failed not meeting demand and Quality issues . MY 2 cents . Nice Stud . Thanx .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruz Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Very clean and cool work man!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheaterSlick Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 very nice work man!!!! i always have liked the avanti's Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalper Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Nice Clean Build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Incredible job on a gorgeous car. It's hard to believe the other Studebakers being made during the original Avanti's life span were such stuffy looking things! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsoder Posted July 2, 2010 Author Share Posted July 2, 2010 Thanks much guys...Peter that is one way cool Avanti! thanks for showing it and I wholeheartedly agree with your thoughts Lee I just cut some clear evergreen sheet ..Peter your also quite right about the tooling!..although if I recall it was a fairly fun build, and I've seen WORSE!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie8575 Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 I like Avantis, Brian, and yours is very nice. I saw one on the road a couple of weeks ago in turquoise, and boy did that look good. There's another one around here in a medium metallic brown with an interior about your colors, maybe a hair darker. Charlie Larkin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nails3825 Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 Hey Brian, looks great! I'm happy to have given you the inspiration to post this one Mine doesn't have an engine (yet) but now that I see yours, maybe I can do something more with mine... and I didn't realize the hood opened that way, interesting! Thanks for posting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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