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Projects '61 Biscayne - Mild Custom or Drag Car?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by dukes26, Dec 30, 2018.

  1. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,625

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    Man...what a chance! Anyone on this board knows I'm tied to Ford.
    BUT: I once owned and 'upgraded' a '62 Chevy 409 4spd, to get into the 12s...
    Worked on a lot of 'em, admired the ones that ran drags on Sunday and errands all week. Best remembered are the ones that looked 'factory'...just wide wheels and tires, 'husky' looking...and factory white or black, white Chevys always had the 'racy look'...
     
  2. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 19,143

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    Damn straight Mike!
    Hmmm, do you think the OP would mind if I posted a shot of the grumps 66 Nova.
    Nevermind.
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  3. Denny, I feel your pain ;-)
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  4. fourspd2quad
    Joined: Jul 6, 2006
    Posts: 908

    fourspd2quad
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Check out the cars from member BSL409....Nuff said:cool:
     
    saltflats likes this.
  5. southcross2631
    Joined: Jan 20, 2013
    Posts: 4,413

    southcross2631
    Member

    Build it to the southeast gassers new super stock class rules and move to the south and race the hell out of it.
     
    GassermanBob and 31hotrodguy like this.
  6. USA Tires Sign Joe
    Joined: Aug 13, 2006
    Posts: 1,072

    USA Tires Sign Joe
    Member
    from Western NJ

    Put some pie crust slicks on back and you are done! Looks great as is!!
     
  7. BSL409
    Joined: Aug 28, 2011
    Posts: 623

    BSL409
    Member

    40644816_2250716191825828_6454870417462001664_o.jpg 1339.JPG

    Nice 61you have!! If do race it let me know if you need help with chassie be glad to help
     
  8. mountainman2
    Joined: Sep 16, 2013
    Posts: 336

    mountainman2
    Member

    Yep, and that was the day it rolled off the assembly line in shiny NEW paint!
     
  9. Like this but with a lot fewer stickers::cool:
    20190105_085402_HDR(1).jpg
     
    Stock Racer likes this.
  10. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,335

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    Lenny Bohler's Old Blue was bad ass, but this ain't Old Blue.
     
  11. oldiron 440
    Joined: Dec 12, 2018
    Posts: 3,299

    oldiron 440
    Member

    It could be "old blotchy";)
     
  12. Gman0046
    Joined: Jul 24, 2005
    Posts: 6,256

    Gman0046
    Member

    The OP is in a great position. That 61 will look great the way it is or painted. Its a fun car for sure. Rather have a 58-64 BelAir or Biscayne over an Impala any day.
     
    31hotrodguy, Flogknaw and Just Gary like this.
  13. RP, I don't think I'd use roundy round or dirt track cars as an example of how hot rods and street /strip machines are supposed to look. Just sayin'.
    (simply irresistible) ;-)
     
    BigDogSS and alanp561 like this.
  14. When I was kid walking to school, their was an old guy (probably a junior or senior) with a new bright red '61 Biscayne, 409, 4 speed that I passed by. Didn't know a lot about cars then; but I knew that was the hot set-up. Next fall I saw he had a fancy new '62 Ford convertible, black with a 406; asked why the change, he said girls and laughed.
     
    Surfcityrocker and alanp561 like this.
  15. mkebaird
    Joined: Jan 21, 2014
    Posts: 340

    mkebaird
    Member

    Painted steelies w/dog dishes, maybe lowered a little. Nice car!
     
  16. Tickety Boo
    Joined: Feb 2, 2015
    Posts: 1,610

    Tickety Boo
    Member
    from Wisconsin

    I would paint it factory sea foam green with a black or white stock interior.:cool:
    Detail the engine bay, change the air cleaner to the factory 409 2x4 cleaner ( if you can find one )
    Keep the 5 spokes with pie crust cheater slicks.
    Thank You for the nice day dream on one of my favorite cars.:rolleyes:
     
  17. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,291

    jnaki




    Hello,

    You have the start of a very nice car. Here is a set of stories for our friend in high school that bought his first real car in the fall of 1961. He had been driving around with us for a long time and wanted a nice car for himself. The 61 Biscaynes and hardtop Impalas were impressing him. So, by the time he was ready to buy, the new 1962 models came out. It would be hard pressed to say it is one year over the other, as the body styles remained relatively the same. He ordered a 409 4 speed in red.

    upload_2019-1-21_4-49-36.png
    Jnaki

    The sign of the 409, the rumble of the motor and the “look” of the big Biscayne is enough at any gathering to turn heads. Talk about head turning when the Biscayne rolled into the local drive-in parking lot with its standard stock "rumble." That car made everyone stop and look as it was the first in the neighborhood of Bixby Knolls. (and it was bright red with its 409 emblem)

    There is no need to copy any photo from those old days, with stickers, headers, mags or anything other than that 409 symbol on the side of the car. (certainly not raising the front end!) The power of the motor was enough to raise the front end and make it go fast.

    People will know immediately and be impressed with the car. Customs? It is your choice, but you have the base for a cool street car with a history that is impressive for young and us old guys that were there when they ruled the streets AND the drags.

    Make it look as if it rolled off of the showroom floor and presents itself as a factory 409 hot rod. That red 62 409 was a bare bones car that was just impressive sitting in the back row of the local drive-in restaurant. It certainly stood out from all of the other local hot rods and cruisers without doing anything other than just being there in its factory 409 garb.

    If it were around today, my wife and I would be driving it all over So Cal with some feathering foot action.

    Here are some threads and posts you might like:

    https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ictures-comments.1129723/page-2#post-12847388 409 biscayne

    https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...seen-that-before.1098223/page-4#post-12472459 4 speed story

    From the last thread on the "409 vs 58 Impala” (and the advantage of a C&O Stick Hydro vs. a 4 speed)

    “You are asking if our modified, 58 Impala ever raced the 409 Biscayne on the Cherry Ave drags…? We raced several times. Each time the Impala was out in front for approximately 1/8 mile. At the first sign of the big 409 coming up on the outside lane, I shut down to let him see the brake lights. I knew the modified 348 could not last the whole ¼ mile against 100+ more horsepower.

    But, I was happy for my friend, as he also allowed me to drive his 409 many times during that summer of 62. It was his payback for me teaching him how to shift that 4 speed and be safe.”

     
    31hotrodguy and i.rant like this.
  18. Super/Stock Poncho
    Joined: May 11, 2009
    Posts: 182

    Super/Stock Poncho
    Member
    from Missouri

    Leave as is, don't paint. Slap on steelies and piecrust cheaters for the rear. BAM, you're done! Great Car!
     
    Just Gary likes this.
  19. blownhemi48
    Joined: Nov 17, 2009
    Posts: 243

    blownhemi48
    Member
    from Bergen NY

    I doubt that an old left alone example of this car would ever have had a Ford 9 inch under it. The Ford 9 inch was not the go to rear end back then, unless you happened to be building a Ford. The Olds/Pontiac 9.3 rear end would be era correct and stronger. They are not that hard to come by.

    Sent from my P00I using The H.A.M.B. mobile app[/QUOTE]
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2019
    31hotrodguy likes this.
  20. HotrodHR
    Joined: Jul 12, 2010
    Posts: 211

    HotrodHR
    Member

    It's your choice... but here would be my strategy that you can start, build on and leaves options to change back and forth:

    1. Leave paint as is for now, work on it when you can. New Torque Thrusts (gray centers) and tires, dual reservoir master cylinder, seat covers (if needed), Hurst shifter with "T" knob, and detail engine compartment. Reminiscent of late 60's to mid-70's high school kid.

    2. Fresh paint (bright white), new interior if needed (stock), painted steel wheels (use with or with out dog dish hubcaps, painted (stock) valve covers, factory style or period appropriate air cleaner, and change shifter knob to white ball. Reminiscent of a sleeper, grand dad's old car, a grocery getter, or family car. The high school kid in you can sneak off to the local drag strip for for a couple of passes, and no one would be the wiser. Don't forget to pop of the hub caps at the track, and uncork the headers that you installed when mom and dad weren't looking!

    3. Drive the heck out of this machine!

    Please don't street rod or turn this into a custom!!!!
     
    NashRodMan, Just Gary and blownhemi48 like this.
  21. OK, this is gonna sound weird but back in '61 the Oregon state Police had pursuit cars that were 61 Biscayne 2 doors. There was one in my town in '69 for sale. It was a factory 348/ 3 speed overdrive. Those cars were painted a beautiful dark blue with small white lettering on the doors with the OSP logos and dog dish hubcaps. I'd do it up like an old Oregon pursuit car without the logo and without the antennas.
     
    31hotrodguy and olscrounger like this.
  22. 6sally6
    Joined: Feb 16, 2014
    Posts: 2,459

    6sally6
    Member

    ^^^^^^^^
    THIS!
    6sally6
     
    Cosmo49 likes this.
  23. BSL409
    Joined: Aug 28, 2011
    Posts: 623

    BSL409
    Member

    Any updates?
     
  24. sunbeam
    Joined: Oct 22, 2010
    Posts: 6,214

    sunbeam
    Member

    Around here a it's hard to find a 61 with intact eyebrows don't paint it.
     
  25. sunbeam
    Joined: Oct 22, 2010
    Posts: 6,214

    sunbeam
    Member

    I keep hearing about 1961 Biscayne 409s The only good documentation I can find is 142 409 SS cars. The only true 409 I ever saw was a SS convertible. Oh and one "Factory 409 Biscayne " that didn't even have a 3/8 fuel line but did have 2-4s .
     
  26. Tickety Boo
    Joined: Feb 2, 2015
    Posts: 1,610

    Tickety Boo
    Member
    from Wisconsin

    I read some where that one way to identify a real factory 61 409 was to look for a special frame brace.
    Anyone got a picture of such a brace, and where it is on the frame?
     
  27. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,594

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    I don't think the owners of the true 61 409 cars will give out all the information for fear someone will clone one and try to pass it off as a real one.
     
    Tickety Boo likes this.
  28. Gman0046
    Joined: Jul 24, 2005
    Posts: 6,256

    Gman0046
    Member

    All "W" motors being 409's has become just like all SBC's being from a "Corvette".
     
    olscrounger likes this.
  29. TudorTony
    Joined: Jun 2, 2013
    Posts: 231

    TudorTony
    Member
    from NJ

  30. That red car is identical to one I owned in Portland in 73, right down to the 14" station wagon wheels. Only difference is mine was a factory 190 HP 283 with a 3 speed column shift. It was such a good car I never changed a thing on it.
    Looking at the photo of that red car is like looking back in time for me. Wish I'd had taken a photo or 2 of mine.
     
    31hotrodguy likes this.

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