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 )

 

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 !!!

 

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.

 

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?

 

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.

 

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.