Hot Rods My 63 impala 409 finally begins its rebirth...

Been a while since i've posted anything project wise...
Last thing i built was an old Triumph bike and it didnt fit here...but this does.

Some of you may remember when i picked this up back in '11 from a fellow HAMBer..
Here is that thread.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...e-has-funny-looking-valve-covers-pics.551516/

Well, i had a week off last month and took advantage of it.
Tore the car down to a bare shell and started cutting the damage out.
Needed full floors, inner rockers and braces and a bunch of other smaller area's repaired.
So far the pass rockers is done, along with rear wheel wells and rear box braces.
I picked up a 64 2 door hard top as a parts car, and will be dissecting that for its floors instead of buying new ones.
I prefer the stock stampings.
I'm attributing the rust damage on this thing to damp storage and mouse piss..the outside of it isnt that bad at all but the underside was pretty hammered.

The car will be 95% full original restoration, but i've decided to make it a factory 4 speed as i have all the original parts to do it, and i have the air ride i took out of my 62 when i sold it so i'll use it on this.
Some may think i'm a dumbass for modifying an all original numbers matching 409......and i may be....but, this car will be left in my will so it wont be sold, ever, and frankly i dont give a damn anyway.

Anyway...here are a couple pics.
I'll post more as time allows and progress is made.

Tony

 

A few more pics.
Sorry if a few are shitty quality...im not the best photo taker.

Tony

 

Glad you're doing it the way you want, everyone knows a better way!!

 

Hey do it your way and you'll be happy. That's all that matters. Good luck with the build.

 

Tony, if it comes out anywhere near as good as the other projects you've done, it'll be damn near perfect ! Looking forward to watching your progress.

 

I have always loved the style of the 63, maybe that is because my first new car was a 63 Impala SS

 

Thanks guys.
Tagman, much appreciated man. My goal is to out do what i did on the blue 62 i built a few years back. I think that car was the cleanest most detailed car i've ever done when it comes to restoration work.
I want this car to look as it it just rolled out of the St. Louis plant as it did soooo many years ago.
Sooooo...here i go again....spending too much time on shit no one will see. Hahaha

Thanks again fella's.

Tony

 

Nice project Tony. Luv those 63's.

 

If it comes out looking anything lile your `62 its gonna be awesome. Glad to hear a 4spd is going in,T-10?,Muncie? Looking forward to your progress.

 

Bowie, man thanks for the kind words on the 62!
That car is actually in Hemmings right now for 40k. Felt pretty good to see a parts car i put together as a 409 clone listed for that. LOL
I have an early 64 muncie m20 for it.
The rest of the stuff is original 63 parts i gathered over the years..aside from the shifter. Thats a Hurst comp plus and i'm using a reproduction stock spaghetti shifter for it.

Tony

 

I just happen to have a nice 1963 BW T-10 if'n you need it

 

Hmmmm.....Larry, i may be in touch with you.
Although it dont make much of a difference, it'd be kinda nice to have a 63 box in it seein it was a one year only trans.
I'll pm at some point and see what you want etc.
thanks!

Tony

 

I also have an original 1964 409 bellhousing

 

Knock it off Larry!! Hahahaha
I'll be in touch my friend.
Thanks!

 

Putting things back that mother nature removed....
Both rear box mounts, and the whole area they were attached to were gone...

Tony

 

you are ambitious! I also love 63's, especially when they have a 409 and a four-speed. but why the air ride?

 

I'll be watching this one, me dad has a 63 ss 409 340 h 4 spd. The engine is rebuilt with date code carb distribution etc. New inerior is in boxes. The body is a good 10 footer with some gooey red enamel, we can tell there metal work in our future.
Post as many pics as possible.

 

Ambitious to a fault. Lol
Air ride because i have it, and honestly the 62 i had it in rode and handled super nice with it so i figured why not.
Nice thing about the air ride is it can be removed with no trace of it ever being there....
When i took it out of the 62 i built, you'd never have known it was there.

Indyjps, i'll post updates when things get done .
And sounds like your dad has a great car, poor paint or not. Very cool!

Tony

 

No real exciting things to post....just still putting back whats missing.
Aside from the drivers front lower quarter, the outer rockers are in pretty good shape, save for the lip area...but the inners and braces were gone. As was the very front lower part of the cowl that the inner attaches to, and lower 1/2" of the drivers rear interior panel that mates to the rocker brace.....
So.....repaired all that, rebuilt the front lower cowl then got the inner brace put back in.
POR 15'd everything, and tomorrow i'll get the lip repaired, then finally the inner rocker.
Then its floor time!

I have a feeling most would not have saved this car.....but im a glutton for punishment i guess.

Tony

 

Driver rocker is complete as GM had it at one point in time.....
Rear seat pan is in now as well. Gotta get the pan brace in next, then it's off to dissasemble the parts car i have for the main floors.
Then trunk floor work (which will be replacing the shitty trunk pan in it with the parts car trunk pan) , and finally the drivers lower quarter.
Hopefully i'll have a solid 63 in a few weeks instead of a rusty pile of shit.

Tony

 

Looks good! am to late on the rear floor I have out of another 63

 

Havent posted updates cause, well, even i know rust repair is boring. Haha
But im home and bored..so....

Got the trunk floor removed and just about ready for the new one.
And started disassembling the parts car today.
Should have the floors ready for install by monday.
Only damage to them is the front brace, which i have a new one to replace it.
Trunk floor will be new. Was planning on using the 64's, but they are bad enough that it isnt worth the time and effort to use them.

And before anyone gets bent about parting the 64....the only things solid on it were the floor and outer rockers. The quarters were packed with glass, the roof skin was rotted off the structure and there was no title.
Thats about it for now.

Tony

 

The ole girl gave her all for my 63. Lol
After repairing the area's in the 64's floors, i finally got them installed.
Still have a couple small things to do but basically the main floor's are done.
Waiting on a trunk floor and left lower quarter repair panels then it sit's til i can blast it.

Tony

 

Great Project, I will have to subscribe as I have a 64 in about the same condition, Keep up the good work.

 

I'll be paying close attention. W motor and airbags, I like it. I've got a lot of love for Impalas. I've got my Ember Red 922 on red '63 from HS (currently a flat black mess) and the low miles Ermine White on Aqua my great uncle bought new in '62. Both 2dr hardtops.

That body tipping fixture is really cool.

 

Thanks guys.
Lewk, i got that tipping fixture with a 57 chevy project i bought years ago. Sold the car but kept it. Some home made deal but works like a champ though.
Your car's sound cool, especially the family owned 62!! Very cool to still have that!
The 64 i cut up was originally white with aqua interior and top too. Unique color combo.

This is my old 62 i did a few years ago it was pretty much the same condition this was in....
It too had a 409, 4 speed and the air ride i still have.

Tony

 

Tony, regarding the air ride, my 63 BelAir is my first air ride car and I couldn't be happier. Its a great highway cruiser. Keep us posted on your progress.

Gary

 

I agree Gary. Had a bunch of my friends bustin my ball's about putting air ride in this.
Fact is, i've owned a bunch of these early Impala's and the 62 with air ride rode and handled the best period.
I dont play around with it much aside from maybe laying it out when parked from time to time, the pic of the 62 is how it always looked so no one even knew it had air ride.
So seeing i have it im just going to use it.

Tony

 

Tony, that's a nice '62 you put together. Do you have a build thread on it? I'm looking forward to the '63 build. Here are my '62 and '63. The '62 is all original and has around 29k miles on it. I changed the wheels and my great uncle hung a Sears tac on it when it was new. It's just a 283 with a glide but I love it. My '63 is a 327 4spd. I've got another frame for it all powder coated and ready but I haven't pulled the trigger on the tear down. It will also get air ride and probably some Supremes.






I'd never noticed the white with an aqua top two tone before. I googled it. Looks pretty nice. What size tubing is that fixture made of? I'd be really nervous that it would fold up the first time I tipped a car. Seems like a high pucker factor until you build some trust, LOL.

 

Tony,
Nice work! your 62 made it in a 2015 calendar I seen in Bob's shop give him a call he has a used 09 pan