psdenno

Perhaps even a forerunner of the auto hot tub!

Thanks for the photo. It's easy to forget how colorful cars used to be in the 1970s. Dennis

Interesting to see him in the forest. I usually bump into him at the 7/11 where Elvis gets his Slurpees. Dennis

I've driven two of those, so just 99 more to go. Dennis

Bruce, not sure if you're hallucinating (always be careful about where the mushrooms on your pizza came from) but the last versions of the Avanti that were built in Mexico had round headlights. See link to the Avanti Motors web site below: http://www.avantimotors.com/ The company no longer builds the cars, but the web site lives on - go figure. Like a few others have mentioned, I remember the first time I saw an Avanti at the local Studebaker dealership in northern Wisconsin when I was in high school. It left quite an impression. Years later, I toured the factory in South Bend planning to buy an Avanti II. The military, however, had different plans for me which delayed the purchase. Eventually, I bought a well used 1963 Avanti R2 - the one with the Paxton supercharger. Over the years, I had the opportunity to correspond with Raymond Loewy about the Avanti, met members of his design team, and talked to the Granatelli brothers who broke speed records with the Avanti on the Salt Flats. Too much fun! Dennis

For starts, the car in the pictures is an Avanti II, not a Studebaker Avanti. Studebaker made them in 1963 and 1964 before going out of the car business in 1966. Rights to the Avanti name and the design were sold to two South Bend Indiana car dealers and production of the Avanti II began in the late 60s. The company changed hands several times over the years and moved from South Bend to Youngstown, PA to Georgia, and finally to Cancun, Mexico where production ended just a few years ago when the owner went to jail for real estate/investment fraud. The Avanti was designed in Palm Springs by Industrial Designer Raymond Loewy who also designed the '53 Studebaker, Sky Lab, Air Force One, the Exxon logo, and a Hupmobile among other items. There are NO Datsun parts on the Avanti. However, the front disc brakes are from Jaguar and the door latches are from Mercedes. The Avanti II used GM running gear as well as other GM mechanical parts off the shelf. All lenses are unique to the Avanti and generally difficult to find, especially for the later Avanti II models. Other parts are still available and you could probably build your own Avanti from the NOS and repro pieces that still exist. I've owned my supercharged 1963 Avanti since 1976. Dennis

It was introduced just before GM pulled the plug on Pontiac. Not too many on the road. Read about it here: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/112_0803_2009_pontiac_solstice_coupe_first_look/ Dennis

Other than both having four wheels and a Datsun emblem, the Z and the 510 are quite different in purpose and design. Your point was "I respect your opinion but lets no forget the racing history of the 510(BRE) plus all the privateers in SCCA, makes it an icon just as the Z." To say that, "makes it an icon just as the Z." is where the logic of your statement gets fuzzy/faulty. While they both may be icons in their own unique ways, arguably, they are not equally iconic. Therefore, the dollar value for a 510 and a Z of equal condition is unlikely to be the same. Your original question implied that you were looking for opinions, not debate. I'm moving on. Dennis

Faulty logic does not create real world value. Dennis

Probably not. Low quantity does not always mean high value. Dennis

Which "stock" stripes are you referring to? My '71 had/has none.

Hard, but slightly flexible, can soften a bit in the sun. Dennis

Maybe, she was just warm Dennis

Let the shop Vacuum Plate it for you, unless you thrive on frustration and challenge. Fifty bucks sounds like a very good deal....and you can always blame someone else if it doesn't turn out right. Dennis

Sounds like an ambitious project! Good luck with the chrome areas. Dennis

Or third time around. Dennis

Especially if you held an inflated beach ball in your lap to serve as an airbag in case of rapid deceleration.... Dennis

A fund raiser is a good idea to stem the tide of intrusive ads. However, an auction with donations from multiple sources could become a bucket of worms if items aren't shipped or lost in transit. Not sure what a better idea might be, but I think the auction could become uncomfortable. Dennis

I'd keep them all. I like anything that shouts DATSUN. If it was a Hyundai, I'd remove them all. Dennis

My '71 Z has regular plates. Registration: 69 License Fee: 2 County Fees: 11 Total: $82 My '70 Porsche 914-6 has California Historic Vehicle plates and the rates are the same as for standard plates. Dennis

If you haven't seen a crowd of colorful Zs in one place, check this link: http://tinyurl.com/7oekb77 Dennis

I'm still wondering how they put gas in the tank since the rear filler appears to have been removed from its spot between the tail lights. Not sure what the chrome dome is on the driver's side of the fastback. Dennis

Mustang III????? There wasn't a Mustang II at the time that car was built. Forget the Delorean, it's the Back to the Future Mustang! Dennis

It's probably going to be difficult to remove your patch by sanding without messing up the original texture on the console. Have you tried using a dental pick tool to dislodge the filler? Dennis

When I filled imperfections from the top side with epoxy putty, I pressed the putty into the cracks and holes and then brushed it down, before it dried, with an old toothbrush to remove any excess outside the imperfections. Brushing made a cleaner less noticeable patch and roughed the putty so there was no sheen. Dennis