1972 Avanti Corvette Engine ignition problem

[Ted K.]

I know this is a Vette Forum and I have several Vettes but I thought this might be interesting to some of you and also get a question answered about an ignition problem . I recently purchased a 1972 Avanti. They were first produced by Studebaker, were made of fiberglass and came equipped with Corvette engines. Interestingly they were supposedly the first American car to be built with disk brakes. My car came equipped with a Chevy 400 cu in engine,stamp pad CPK which is passanger 2 brl carb, but it came from the Avanti factory with a 4 brl quadrajet.
Any way my problem is a good deal of the wiring under the dash has been messed with and sometimes the car will start right up and other times it just cranks. Thinking it might not be getting battery contact throuth the ignition switch, I went to check the points for a spark. I discovered no points but one of the pointless modules in the distributor. Not knowing how to test it I just ran a hot wire from the +battery terminal to the + coil to by pass the igniton switch /wiring. The engine started right up, but the thing that baffles me is when I disconnected the hot wire the engine continued to run. Turned the engine off and it would not start until it was hot wired again, removed the hot wire and it runs normally. Could the pointless module have anything to do with this? How does one test it and is it easy to change it back to regular points?
Thanks,
Ted

[Joe L.]

Re: 1972 Avanti Corvette Engine ignition problem

I know this is a Vette Forum and I have several Vettes but I thought this might be interesting to some of you and also get a question answered about an ignition problem . I recently purchased a 1972 Avanti. They were first produced by Studebaker, were made of fiberglass and came equipped with Corvette engines. Interestingly they were supposedly the first American car to be built with disk brakes. My car came equipped with a Chevy 400 cu in engine,stamp pad CPK which is passanger 2 brl carb, but it came from the Avanti factory with a 4 brl quadrajet.
Any way my problem is a good deal of the wiring under the dash has been messed with and sometimes the car will start right up and other times it just cranks. Thinking it might not be getting battery contact throuth the ignition switch, I went to check the points for a spark. I discovered no points but one of the pointless modules in the distributor. Not knowing how to test it I just ran a hot wire from the +battery terminal to the + coil to by pass the igniton switch /wiring. The engine started right up, but the thing that baffles me is when I disconnected the hot wire the engine continued to run. Turned the engine off and it would not start until it was hot wired again, removed the hot wire and it runs normally. Could the pointless module have anything to do with this? How does one test it and is it easy to change it back to regular points?
Thanks,
Ted

Ted-------


The very first thing I would try is to remove the electronic ignition module and convert back to points. It may be that the module is defective or it may be that it is installed incorrectly. In any event, I'd recommend just removing it and installing standard ignition points. This is VERY easy to do if this car has a stock, Delco-Remy distributor. Usually, just 2 screws retain the module, the same 2 screws that will retain the standard contact set to the breaker plate.

By the way, your Avanti was not built by Studebaker. Studebaker was long-since out of business by the time your car was built. I believe the last Avanti built by Studebaker was a 1964. Avantis built by Studebaker were equipped with Studebaker engines. After the demise of Studebaker about 1966, the tooling and rights to the Avanti were purchased by others. The cars continued to be produced as Avanti II's and were equipped with Chevrolet engines since Studebaker engines were no longer being manufactured. However, I don't think that any were originally equipped with a 400 cid small block. The only ones used as far as I recall were 327's and 350's.

[Ted K.]

Re: 1972 Avanti Corvette Engine ignition problem

Thanks. I will change to points and hopefully it will correct the problem.
Interesting about engines used in Avanti.

[Michael W.]

Re: 1972 Avanti Corvette Engine ignition problem

Not knowing how to test it I just ran a hot wire from the +battery terminal to the + coil to by pass the igniton switch /wiring. The engine started right up, but the thing that baffles me is when I disconnected the hot wire the engine continued to run. Turned the engine off and it would not start until it was hot wired again, removed the hot wire and it runs normally.

When the key is in the crank position, there is a circuit supplying 12 volts directly to the coil, bypassing the ballast resistor. Sounds like this circuit is not functioning on the car.

[Ted K.]

Re: 1972 Avanti Corvette Engine ignition problem

Now that you mention it I remember something about the resistor.
Thanks,
Ted

[Tom B.]

Re: 1972 Avanti Corvette Engine ignition problem

If you reinstall points be sure that you have a ballast resistor. Not familiar with pointless conversions but all electronic ignitions that I'm familiar with use direct battery voltage and no resistor. Points require a resistor.

Tom

[Ted K.]

Re: 1972 Avanti Corvette Engine ignition problem

Thanks for the alert

[Stuart F.]

Re: 1972 Avanti Corvette Engine ignition problem

Basic Pertronics unit still uses ballast resistor. Pertronics II does not. Perhaps this an exception.

Stu Fox

[Gene M.]

Re: 1972 Avanti Corvette Engine ignition problem

Basic Pertronics unit still uses ballast resistor. Pertronics II does not. Perhaps this an exception.

Stu Fox

Stu, good point, I could be wrong but I think the Avanti may use a resistor wire similar to the 68 and up vettes does. I guess the wire is cheaper than the ballast resistor and mounting it. But it does the same function.

[Ted K.]

Re: 1972 Avanti Corvette Engine ignition problem

OK, I looked for a ballast resistor and could not find one. What does a resistor wire look like, and where does it run from and to?
Ted

[Jim T.]

Re: 1972 Avanti Corvette Engine ignition problem

The resister wire on my 1968 and my 1970 runs from the firewall side of the fuse block to the coil. It is taped with other wires in the wiring harness

[Michael W.]

Re: 1972 Avanti Corvette Engine ignition problem

Ted-

Keep in mind that the ballast resistor/wire has no bearing on your present no-start problem.

[John H.]

Re: 1972 Avanti Corvette Engine ignition problem

Is the distributor a GM HEI (large-diameter cap with wire connections in the cap), or a regular points distributor that has been converted (Pertronix, Breakerless SE, Crane, etc.)? Got a photo?

[Ted K.]

Re: 1972 Avanti Corvette Engine ignition problem

It is a regular points distributor that has been converted to pointless.

[Mark E.]

Re: 1972 Avanti Corvette Engine ignition problem

I've always had a soft spot for Avantis. The Avanti II answers the question: "What if Chevy had responded to the four-seat T-bird in the 60s, and hired Raymond Loewy to design it?" Fiberglass body, small-block Chevy engine, cockpit inspired interior... very cool. I just wish it had the C2/C3 chassis.