63 ss 409 convertible

R63ss

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 4
I have been working on this car for my father in law.A couple weeks ago while on the golf course I received a phone call from him.He said that he and his wife had been talking and had decided that they wanted to give me the car.I was totally blown away by this and it really hasn’t completely sunk in that I have a 63 409.That is the most generous thing anyone has ever done for me.
I have decided to put together a build thread for my benefit and anyone else who is restoring a 63 convertible.It will make it easier for me asking questions from the membership here,and it should help others with what was correct and original for parts.He bought nos parts for years and I can’t believe everything he found.
I picked up the motor last weekend.He had it rebuilt a few years ago,428 hp and 487 ft lbs of torque,10.5 compression so I was told it would run on pump gas.The first order of business was painting it due to the fact it was bare metal and I was worried about rust.I tried to get something I could use thru a gun but everyone I talked with said the activator would make it glossy,and no one locally could mix it because they didn’t have the high temp additives.I used Valspar plasticoat
In a rattle can.To me it seems a little dark but at least I don’t have to worry about rust.Cudos to Bob for his page on what parts were orange and what was left bare.03036265-D38A-416A-94FE-84523E6FDFC2.jpeg372B5C68-8232-413B-8539-4A286DB1DBEA.jpegCB86A0DE-CF3B-4E9A-A602-6346BBBEEAC0.jpeg5D2405BF-A197-4283-ACFF-97F0DCC3ACE0.jpeg
 

R63ss

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 4
She is an only child.The reason he did it,as
Phil stated,is he is a great,and very generous guy.They know how much I love the car,and that I will never sell it.I told my son,When I leave this crazy world,it is his to enjoy and pass on to his son.It is something that stays in our family to be passed from generation to generation.
 

R63ss

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 4
Who can tell me more about these????
 

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R63ss

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 4
These aren’t the ones I picked up from you.
Yours are much nicer!!!!
Figured I would wait until I was all done painting before putting them on.I have these but I think there is something funky with them
I will get those numbers tonite.2B55DE2E-5415-402D-B75F-A0EE04138919.jpeg
 

Iowa409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
wow awesome post, great father-in law for sure..........appreciate that man!!! Congrats to you, he obviously has his reasons for doing it, but whatever brought him to that choice, he will certainly see the excitement and joy on your face every-time you hit the ignition.
 

R63ss

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 4
No he was the 3rd owner.The previous owner bought it in 67 or 68 in Ca,drove it a few thousand miles a year till the mid eighties,and then put it away.He gathered quite a few of the parts to do a restoration but never got to it.The car was originally a 340 horse 409 with a 2 speed power glide.He pulled the original motor early on,put it away,and put a dual quad 409 and 4 speed into it.My father in law bought the car drove it for a thousand miles.He acquired the parts to upgrade the original motor to a 425 horse.He told me that everything was date code correct.I have the original heads,intake,carb,and air cleaner that went with the car.
 
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