Picked this up last October for $500. Threw a battery in it and drove it home. In great condition. Having tranny rebuilt next month. Put new astro supremes and bagged it. Built the drawer knob grille. Next plans include bellflowers, cheap roof flake job, and recover seats. Next winter I will start body work and repaint the stock color, with a paneled roof. Has a 389 with a 2 barrel. Nothing crazy. Here's a few pics as of now. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Damn 500, you stole that car. Looks nice. I got a 63 two door catalina I'm building but I'm looking for a 4 door 63 star chief to use when I go out with my wife and kids. Nice car.
Wife said I needed something "family orientated". Makes a great cruiser to take kids out for ice cream Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
What size are those wheels? They look good... I love the side on pic starting to think I should bag my 64 Chief
If it's a Slim-Jim I'd pitch that for a TH400, which should be do-able on that car, the block has the ear for the starter but not all are drilled for the bolts and not all that were drilled were tapped. But even a 200R4 would be a step up. Hell a few years ago I sold a stuck '64 389/4bbl and trans for $500.
It's not the slim Jim. It's the super hydramatic. It's at the shop getting rebuilt. Sounds like $1500-$1700. Looked into swapping in a 700. And was going to be close to $1200 by the time I was done. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Those aren't a bad trans if the shop can build it right. Four speeds, will run in 3rd up to about 70 MPH if you want, it doesn't have a converter per-se and locks so you get decent highway mileage out of it. The problem is not many guys know them that well anymore. Not sure why a 700R4 would be so high, though; should be as simple as a BOP to Chevy adapter if the block will take a starter easy.
I trust the guy rebuilding it. He had some issues but says it's coming together good. It sounds like it was a good tranny, way ahead of its time. We will see i guess. I found a 700r4 that had been sitting for years. For $100, So it would need rebuilt. Starter and flywheel off 65' or newer. New tranny xmember, linkage. Then shift pattern would be different. Just lots of money and work. So the stock rebuild seemed better for me. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Sharp car. I'm debating on putting air on my '64 convertible. It has always had just a static drop, but would look cooler a bit lower, but any lower than it is now would be tough to drive. Love the Astros!
That's the same issues I ran into when trying to swap my slim jim when it started leaking from the front and rear seals. Plus no one wants to mess with them in my area which makes it even more difficult.
The Jalopy Journal
