[silver69judge]

I bought a 63 Tempest 326 project. It has been off the road since 72. All original 326 bench seat 3 speed manual. I see plenty of post cars but haven't seen a hardtop. How rare is this. I'm really wanting to make a gasser out of it

[tom s]

They did not make a hard top.All posts or converts.They did make a diff top on the coupes.Large window and small window.Tom

[694.1]

Looks like a HT to me... That is very cool. Shockingly complete too.

[tempest1964]

I guess that makes it one of one.

[silver69judge]

It's the 159th off the Kansas City production line

[tempest1964]

Well, it’s pretty damn cool. And btw Tom S., I was just trying to be funny, not a smarta$$

[hobbygto65]

Looks like a hardtop but is not. Heres a side photo of my 63 coupe, it's not a hardtop. Pretty deceiving.

[tempest1964]

Just shows how little I know...

[silver69judge]

I'm also looking for a good pair of fenders and a left quarter panel

[tom s]

Call Dave,817 3126575.He might be able to help you.Tom

[Doug]

Originally Posted by tom s

They did not make a hard top.All posts or converts.They did make a diff top on the coupes.Large window and small window.Tom

Tom is correct. No hardtop bodies.

The large vs. small window Tom mentions refers to the rear window. The "small window" is a relatively flat window. The "large window" wraps around to the sides of roof pillar. The large window cars seem to be fairly rare and apparently were relatively low in production numbers. A picture of a "large window" car is the Seldon Ruwwe car on the top of page 158 in McCarthy's book.

I seem to recall that a 63 Lemans post car was converted into a hardtop car by a fellow in Michigan in the late 60's and a hotrod magazine article was printed about it at that time.

Several years ago I had notions of converting a post to hardtop and I went as far as to buy a set of rear quarter windows and mechanisms from a junkyard 1963 Buick Skylark hardtop car including the chrome trim from the windshield back. I'm fairly confident the doors and windows from a 63 Cutlass hardtop car could be used as I have looked closely at the exterior sheet metal above the door handles and they appear to match the body lines of the 63 Tempest. I assume a 63 Cutlass rear quarter window setup is the same as the 63 Skylark.

I would note that the Skylark interior sheetmetal side panel for mounting the Skylark rear quarter window hardware is different than a Tempest post car panel.

I have never seen a 63 Tempest post car converted to hardtop although I thought it would have been done several times over the years.

[hobbygto65]

I wonder if cutting the post out would weaken the body too much as they are a unibody.

[tom s]

I will tell you the cars have a jacking point on the unibody.I have jacked (tried)in between and could not open or close doors until the jack was let down.FWIW,Tom