Gloryhounds' 63

[Gloryhound]

Well here I am! My 1963 Impala SS convertible is currently in storage awaiting its turn while I do a frame off rodstoration on a 72 Nova SS as practice before going on and doing something stupid to the 63. Here are some pictures of my 63 before it went into storage and then some pictures of it as it currently sits. I had it moved to my parents in Nevada since the climate there is better for the sheet metal and my Dad has more room in his garage. Looking around I feel like a kid again at only 32 years old!

It is pretty much all origional except the top was changed, it had a repaint, and the hub caps are the wrong year. The interior isn't bad under the covers. The heads on the engine were redone to work better with unleaded fuel. When I last had it on the road I was getting 19-20 miles per gallon out of it. It went into storage due to a brake line failure that at the time I did not have time to fix.

Here is the little 283 which is backed by a powerglide!

Origional Miles on the OD!

So do ya all think I have a good starting point? Not sure if I want to keep it all origional or do some upgrades on brakes and such. I've also thought about dropping a 409 in it with a 4 speed, but that can get pricey really quick!

 

[Rusty Everitt]

Gloryhound,
What do you mean, you are a kid around here. That is a super nice ride you have, kinda looks like it doesn't need much restoring. It's your car, feel free to do as you please. Keep in mind you're around a lot of folks that like originality.
Oh, and welcome aboard !
Rusty

 

[Gloryhound]

Thanks!

A lot of the rubber and bushings are showing and feeling their age. Once the Nova is done the plan is to lift it off the frame and do a ground up rebuild. I had origionally gotten it for a driver, but depending on how the Nova turns out I may build this one as the occasional sunday and to shows only driver. If I do that it will stay as origional as possible, but I have lots of time to figure out the direction I will be going since I still have a couple years of work ahead of me on the Nova. The Nova is not going to be stock as it was stripped to a non-rolling hollow shell when I got it.

 

[roger gunter]

Gloryhound
welcome aboard
if you want any information, just ask
lots of knowledge hear and a super bunch of people

looks like you will have a nice ride, with just a little work

roger

 

[jim_ss409]

Nice car.bang Welcome to the site.

 

[Impalaguru]

Love the 63 SS Convertible!! If I were you I'd forgo that long and tedious restoration and just sell it to me!! Really though, you'll find lots of great people and information here. Welcome!!
Ross

 

[Gloryhound]

Thanks for the welcome guys! It will be a couple years before I get around to the 63. Right now this is the Nova I am working on. I'm welding up a rotissiery right now also so I can flip the body. The plan is to put a bored and stroked Pontiac 455 in it which depending on how much punching out I have to do will make it 495-501 cid. Cast Iron heads will get reworked also as I want the engine to look like a stock 455. Tranny I hope to afford is a TKO 5 speed, right now I have a 3 speed sitting in the garage as a worse case part. The rear is an 8.5" 10 bolt with 3.73 gears and a posi unit. Interior will be the standard buckets with rear bench. I might mini tub the rear, but that depends on what I see when I get it on the rotissiery. Otherwise it will stay stock looking.

Both rear quarters had been replaced before I got it, but the passenger side is misaligned and the drivers side was only a partial done with a 12" overlap. that means I'll have to cut and push the passenger side into place and then probably do a full skin or full panel on the driver side to get that fixid. The tail panel needs replaced and then a couple other small little areas will need some work. A lot of years are going to be spent on this. Hopefully I gain all the skills I need on this car before hitting the Impala.