LETTERS
Avanti Magazine
Dear Lew,
Great job on the magazine. The
layout and flow of info is great. The
essays were a nice touch and the
layout for the Board nominees was
well packaged.
Looking forward to the next one.
Keith Philidius
Hi Lew,
The fall cover of the magazine
(Issue 119, Summer/fall) looks great.
I am really honored to have my Avanti
featured. I also appreciate the extra
copy and covers you sent. It is already
framed and hanging on my wall. The
entire issue is excellent by the way.
The feature on the touring coupes is
a great idea - great stories all of them.
The magazine gets better all the
time. Thanks for your good work.
Tom Pinnel, New Jersey AOAI
❏
Extreme Motivation
Malcolm let me test drive his
Avanti! WOW! His Avanti accelerates
swiftly with easy shifting. Steering is
agile. I drove it up and down Indiana
State Route 9. Man, that was an
experience. I was going 80 mph and
there was still plenty of room under
the pedal. I need to hurry up and get
my Avanti on the road!
Looks like the Indiana Chapter is
going to have a meet in the Spring
time frame in Brownsburg at Dave's
house.
Mike Baker, Indiana AOAI
❏
We’ll miss you, Ms. Robinson
Hello Mark, Thank you for the
renewal notice, however, my Avanti
will be on its way to Roger Penn very
soon. I’ve enjoyed my membership in
AOAI and I am very impressed with
improvements to the magazine.
If you know anyone who is looking
for a nice car, 1977 II RQB2565-350,
Roger will have it!
4
A VA N T I Magazine
Sincerely, Sylvia Robinson
(Editor note: We’ll miss having you
among our members.)
❏
Cooling Superchargers
Editor Avanti:
In response to the story by Paul
Johnson and Tom Platt Jr. in Issue
117, my car’s VIN is R 5365B. It was
intended to be an R1 but was pulled
off the line, sent to engineering, who
did a supercharger and air
conditioning install, putting the AC
compressor where the power steering
pump would go and reversing the
equipment under the dash.
The air conditioning mounting
bracket was a real home made looking
affair with rough welding and cutting.
The car was delivered to Filmways
in Los Angeles and was not licensed
for the street until late 1964.
It still has its original plates. I have
no idea what Filmways did with it
unless they had something to do with
Studebaker TV commercials or the
Mr. Ed show.
Steve Montgomery, California AOAI.
❏
Toy Club News
Dear Lewis,
I just finished reading the latest
Issue 119 of Avanti and it is just great.
As a new editor for the Studebaker
Toy Collector’s Club, I well appreciate
all the work you put into the magazine
and its again just great!
I really enjoyed South Bend and
meeting the Avanti owners and all the
evening sessions. I just can’t get
enough Avantis at a show like that.
One editor’s note, I propose that you
give me a column in the Avanti
magazine each issue and I promise to
give you a really good Avanti related
toy story.
I know I can support many issues
and give the Avanti non toy club
members some interesting features.
I wrote a column for the recent
October Cars & Parts on the Stude
150th Anniversary Meet and the
c o n n e c t i o n t o S t u d e b a k e r To y
Collectors. They liked the idea of
Stude toys and only could force it in
the Readers Forum column.
They are doing a follow-up on South
Bend 150th Anniversary Meet.
Examples of stories I could send to
you :
A hand carved 43rd Scale wooden
Avanti as nice as the Franklin Mint
Two only ceramic Avantis 63s hand
made character look
A hand made 1/24th scale Avanti
now being made in Brazil in a 63 and
64 version.
These are just ideas and would be
glad to help you anyway I can.
I always appreciate a plug for our
Studebaker Toy Collector’s Club.
Keep up your great job on the Avanti
Magazine
Regards, Joe Parsons
( E d i t o r : Yo u ’ l l f i n d t h e f i r s t
installment of Joe’s model column
inside this issue! Thanks, Joe!!)
❏
Molded Fiber Glass founder dies
A connection to the Avanti history
has past away.
Robert S. Morrison, a
manufacturing icon in Ashtabula
County, Ohio, and a pioneer in the
plastics industry, was a man who could
converse with Congress, but worried
about the welfare of stray animals,
friends said.
Morrison, 92, founder of Molded
Fiber Glass in Ashtabula, died in
October at his home in Ashtabula after
a lengthy illness.
Mitch & Renee Jacobs, Ohio AOAI
❏
More reasons to show your car
I took my daily driver Avanti (well,
bi-weekly anyway) to another local car
show. Even if you don’t have a “show”
car, give it a try. I even got an award
Fall/Winter 2002
Issue 120