How’s it going it’s been awhile since I’ve posted on here. I just acquired a 1964 impala non SS from the original owner which is my neighbor. car has sat since 1985 and has been started once to be moved in 2005. The motor (283)spins over freely with the starter and builds oil pressure, the fuel pump has leaked and contaminated the oil. The carb leaks at the base gasket but I was able to free the linkage up even though it is still pretty stiff. The car doesn’t have spark even with a new coil so I was going to drop a new billet hei I’ve got laying around to get it running, the radiator has white buildup inside of it so I’m assuming it needs to be cleaned along with the tank. The brake master cylinder is gummed up but I heard you can put denatured alcohol in it with the bleeders opens and let gravity drain it out then replace the soft lines and wheel cylinders. Now we get to the fun stuff upon removing the carpet I found a few places with rust which I’ll include in pics I have zero welding experience but am willing to learn and I bought a cheap 100 dollar mig welder from harbor freight to try and replace a small hole in my nova trunk pan. Are these holes bad enough to warrant full pans and also is the car worth enough to get it running and driving I’ve not got much in it as it sits. The car has had power steering power brakes an underdash a/c unit and power windows SS door panels and center console with floor shifter added in the 70s by the original owner so with all that said is the car worth saving and what is a ballpark on the floor pans and overall Resto if it’s done on the conservative side and with me doing the mechanical work? Thanks for all the help guys Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Some of the pics are from a few months ago before I was able to get him to sell it. I’ve only had it about 4 days All the quarters feel solid minus an outer skin about the size of a quarter on each lower front
dang skippy nothing scary about that all those floor pieces are available and not difficult to install that AC set up is the bees knees
looks like it will need a lot of the floor replaced, even though the holes aren't that big right now. It's a swell car, put a new fuel pump on it, redo the brakes (not very expensive on those to replace the master and wheel cylinders and the rubber hoses, and maybe the metal lines if they're questionable). Drive it around, have fun, then take your time getting ready to fix the floors. You can cover the holes up temporarily, you don't need to tear the car apart right away.
I'd get in there with a wire wheel and clean those floor pans to see just how solid they are. If they're no worse than what you're showing, I'd just patch them. But if you start finding thin spots or very many pinholes, full replacement will be a better choice. And you're going to want inert gas with that wirefeed welder; flux-core tends to burn holes in sheetmetal, besides leaving a crappy-looking weld. Excellent start though! Good score!
I guess my reservations come from a 1963 Pontiac Catalina I have that I got about 5 years ago and while I was in college a friend of my fathers decided he would talk my dad into letting him work on it while I was away after 6 months he charged us 6500 dollars to rebuild the drum brakes and get the car running again I tried to stop it when I found out but it was too late. After that I drove my car home and we haven’t spoken to him since that’s when I decided to learn how to work on these things myself. That basically ruined me from being able to fix the car up with interior and paint and new rubber for the seals because I’ll have double what it’s worth in it. I’ve also got a nova that I’m doing as a race car just waiting for my motor to be finished so that’s why I’m not wanting to have another money pit that I can’t recoup from if I have to Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Is that something I can use with my welder? I have mode number 63583 125 amp flux wire welder Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
No, that model isn't set up for gas. You can use it, but be aware it'll be harder to use and you'll end up doing a lot of grinding/dressing of your welds. Body sheetmetal is a bit thin to use flux-core on, you'll have issues with burn-through. Flux core is useful if you're welding outside where wind will blow away the shield gas, or on rusty or galvanized metal. Really does leave a crappy-looking weld though....
Oh okay, I bought as a cheap way to self learn how to weld. I don’t have anyone to show me that kind of stuff or how to work on motors so I’ve just been researching and learning as I go. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Nice score. 1. Yes it's worth fixing. 2. Every old car is a money pit. 3. If you're thinking of doing this one for any kind of profit...the profit will probably come from the money you save doing it yourself, if you dont have that kind of time sell it now Just my 2 cents Chappy
Thanks I’ve found out about the money pit thing the hard way haha now I’m just trying to learn what is worth fixing and what’s worth moving on to the next. There’s a running a driving white 64 with trashed interior and decent paint with some rust for 9500 about 2 hours from me on Craigslist.I’m not sure if one would bring that kind of money without great interior and good running shape but I also don’t see many for sale around me until the Rod Runs in gatlinburg/pigeon forge comes around then 63/64s are everywhere Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
1. Get a good shop manual. The Chiltons big book (all models) is good with a lot of basic tips but the factory shop manual is more detailed. A book helps tremendously. ...It's a must have. 2. Get it to roll and stop. 3. Count on fuel pump, gas tank , all the fuel lines and the carburetor being history in need of rebuild and replacement. 4. Points are simple to fix and are easier to troubleshoot. Adding HEI does nothing. If it does not have spark to the points, it will not have spark to the HEI. Get it running on points, (You might actually like it) then upgrade if you wish. 5. You have 100s of little tasks to do to get it driving. Tackle each individually. It's like eating an elephant....one bite at a time. We can be more help with these smaller steps rather than bouncing around. Example.... Fuel system inspection and repair is a big topic. Ignition system is another big topic. Brakes....Again, another big topic. Advice on the whole project all at once is hard to give. It's best to do one system at a time. To answer your basic question, Yes this is a good car worth the the work but it will take a lot of it. Fortunately for you it's fairly simple but it is quite a lot of simple tasks.
The reason I said I was going to switch to the hei is to save the money of a new coil because I think the one I’ve got is bad because I have power to it and ground but it’s not sparking and it doesn’t appear the points are opening and closing and I have that other dizzy new in box. I will look for a chiltons book thanks for the info. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I am going to be a bit of a contrarian. Sounds like you have very little experience working on cars. Do you know someone who can teach you or oversee your work? If you are in no hurry to get the car on the road, I think this could be a good car to learn on. The costs with this car will be determined by how nice you want it to be. Be prepared to find rust in other locations. Only you can answer how dedicated you will be to learn skills, absorb financial demands and sticking with it.
Those floors are scaly rust like we have in the Northeast. You will go crazy trying to put small patches on those now-thin floors with a flux welder. You won't learn anything except wishing you had gas mig. then, there is rot going on with lower door, rear of front fender, so you should look at the frame and also body mounts...from sitting all covered up to trap moisture If you are so concerned about resale value, you must do most of the work yourself.
Put a chome chain link steering wheel in it and you can sell it for big bucks. At least that's what a buddy of mine did with his no body mounts rusty frame 64 SS.
No I don’t that’s why I’ve been learning how to do stuff on my own. I worked at a buddies dads machine shop dissembling sbc and bbc motors two years ago and have done all the work on my 63 Catalina since I got it back from the guy who ripped us off on doing the work for it and also have a 73 nova that is a street strip car I’ve replaced the master cylinder all the brake lines the drum brakes and front disks calipers and required the whole car I’ve just never worked on metal and haven’t ever had a car that was complete like the impala. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I've got to agree with Jim "Squirrel" in that on that one I'd take care of the safety items including going though all of the brake system and making sure it is all in perfect shape, get it running right, clean it up and just drive and enjoy it for a while until you decide exactly what you want to do with it. I'm not a big fan of the patina leave it looking like I found it concept but this time around I think just having it to where you can drive it and have fun with it rather than have it torn down in a million pieces for who knows how long has a lot of merit. Some things that need immediate attention can be done in stages without keeping the car tied up for a long time too.
I'm going to ask the SOB question. Is this a car you're going to keep or flip? Because that will make a shitload of difference in what things are going to cost versus what you're going to recoup on a fake SS. If you're going to keep it, consider everything you do on it as education. So, learn as much as you can. Do as much as you can for yourself and continue to ask questions and for guidance. If you're going to flip it, get it running and driveable and move it on. Save your motivation for the drag car in that case.
I would rather have the impala over my 63 Catalina so I would probably sell it but my Catalina doesn’t have any rust because I had everything cut out and replaced. I just wasn’t sure if the floor boards being like that if it was worth trying to fix it Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I never said I couldn’t fix it I asked if it was worth fixing and I’m a lot farther along mechanically now than I was when I got my Catalina Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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