Crusty

I feel in love with my 63 F85, and then it hurt me. I failed to do my research, before making the purchase. After post purchase research I realize the task before me is overwhelming. I think I need to pull the plug on this unit, it's a shame too. It's all about a lack of parts, so I have to decide on whether to part it out, or sell as a whole. I have to sleep on it, and discuss it with my olds fanatic brother. He's got dibs, but he is knee deep in a 64 cutlass project at the moment. I'll keep everyone posted. I don't know if I'll sleep at all, it's such a great base to start with ( the 63 that is )

RetroRanger

cmon crusty, youll bounce back kid !!

find a good parts car and then youll only hunt for a few parts instaed of a ton of parts, plus you can trade stuff you dont need for stuff you need, there out there dont give up on her yet !!!

oldcutlass

I agree with RetroRanger, and I also agree with you. Think it out and don't make any rash decisions. Sometimes it is better to quit while your ahead.

joe_padavano

Yeah, unfortunately we've talked about the lack of parts support for the 61-63 cars many times before. On the other hand, to me the thrill of the hunt is part of the fun. If you were expecting to pull out a catalog and just write checks the way you can with a 69 Camaro, you're right, this isn't for you. On the other hand, parts ARE out there, you just need to know where to look. If there's a rust problem, you WON'T find any repro sheet metal, period. You'll need to find a good donor car. Suspension and brake parts are available from a limited number of sources, mainly Kanter (though NAPA does have brake hydraulic rebuild parts). Engine parts are easy. Rear axle parts are non-existent. Rebuild parts for the Roto5 trans are available. Interior parts are relatively non-available.

What exactly do you need?

Crusty

I admit I jumped the gun on this one. I already have a 64 cutlass donor car in the driveway, surprised the city hasn't jumped my *** yet. We are wrapping up the 64 project, and planned the 63 for a winter project, but part hunting and big shipping cost are not my game, I gotta be real. I already neglect my kids as is with "garage time", not fair to them.
The car needs a hood, rear bumper, donor floor pans, and overall sheet metal work. Although it is a great base to start with, I need a break.
I'll post some pics soon. Thanks for the support.

joe_padavano

I hate to say this, but a 63 with that much rust is pretty much a parts car. You'll have to buy a rust-free donor to get all that sheetmetal (much of it is one-year-only), and if you get a rust-free shell, build THAT one. The sad truth with any build is that unless the car is extremely rare (like a 63 Jetfire), it isn't economically viable to build a car with a lot of rust. Even when you can get repro panels, they are thinner Chinesium and there's a lot of labor to get them to fit correctly.