Pics of my '63.....
 

didn't get it completed this year...........hopefully I can get it buttoned up over the winter and out early next spring.

Pictures are from a couple of weeks ago after cleaning it up and putting it on the trailer to take it to storage.

Let me know what you think.

1963 LeMans
455/.060
4.25/6.8in.
255/263 UD Solid/110 installed at 106
SD Perf. Edelbrock heads - 315cfm at .600@28in.
4.56 gear
Jerico DR4 4speed tranny

Should be lots of fun.....I hope!

looks great!Ditch the scoop grill,never a pontiac part!Tom

I hear ya Tom - I'll have to make the adjustment in the spring:)

More pics...........

Kool... Looks like a nice clean sweet body to work with.
Good luck.
JK

Your car is really looking great. I like the stance and tire fitment. What size tires and wheel back spacing are you running on the front and rear? Bob

Looks great!

What do you expect it to run in the 1/4 when finished?

JKrull66 - I paid more than I wanted to but I figure I will be happier in the long run by not having to take time and additional funds to chase down questionable body parts - the car has only 57,000 original miles and is in great shape as it spent most of its life in storage (I was told).

Absolutely no rust on the car - the trunk is pristine as are the floorboards, fenders, doors & qtr panels. And everything is there. The original wiring is in great shape too.

6T5 Cat - the car was fabbed and fitted with a Strange Dana 60 (wouldn't be my first choice - I like Ford 9" rears).

The fronts are fitted with Weld Pro Stars on Wilwood disks.
They are 15X4 w/ 2.25" backspacing
Goodyear Eagle Frontrunners 26x4.5 - 15

The rears are fitted with Weld Pro Stars on Wilwood disks.
They are 15x10 w/5.5" backspacing
MT ET Streets (not the radial) 28x12.5 - 15

Shooting for 11.00 dial for general racing and Nostalgia S/S

I figure with a race weight of 3400 I will need about 525HP at the flywheel to accomplish this goal. I think I have it covered and then some additional tuning will get me there. Of course anything better would be a bonus;)

My primary goal was to build this set up for reliability. I've spent 11 yrs on the sidelines after getting married and having 3 kids. I want to have fun racing and enjoy the Pontiac/NSCA events to their fullest. The less fixing and watching I have to do the happier I'll be.

I am most happy with being able to run a 4speed. I spent a little more to get a good trans - a Jerico. And have that mated to a Mark Williams CroMoly driveshaft and a decent rear (Dana 60 w/spool and 35 spline axles).

I hope it all holds up under the stress of a manual tranny!

It will pay, Mine wasn't to bad till the sandblasters etched the windows and the Chrome polisher said he could fix the pin holes in my trim. He ground almost through it. What an &**. Everyone was out to get me that year...LOL
I just tell people thats how I wanted it.... Custom....
JK

headers
 

Warrior, what headers are you going to use with the edelbrock heads?

Thanks for the info. No doubt your car will be awesome when it's finished. BTW, really like the avitar.
Bob

Tom, I am using Hooker Super Comp 2" headers for 68-72 A Body cars.

A little massaging but they fit pretty nicely.......they are a pain to work around however.

Installing the engine the first go around was painful....I learned I should NOT have used header studs, the oil filter housing MUST to go on after the engine is installed and the headers are on, and it's MUCH easier to put the bellhousing on last after everthing else is installed. And then the fun part - I get to install the clutch linkage - VERY tight set up but was nicely fabbed by Kal Schultz.

I don't have any pictures of the headers on with the engine installed. I will get a few of those between the holidays and post them here for everyone to see.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

Thanks 6T5 Cat - that car was my uncle's from 1964-1969. It was raced regularly at Lake Geneva WI and sometimes at Union Grove WI during this period.

My uncle sold it to a kid from Glenview IL who ended up getting drafted into the Vietnam war.

The last time he saw it was in '69 until Mecum's auction came to Pheasant Run this summer. My uncle had heard of a rare '62 (bench seat manual with 413 cross ram) that was up for auction. He went to the auction with his old paperwork on the car (VIN and other items including pictures) and low and behold it was his car. My uncle said he was literally shaking as he realized the VIN no.'s matched up.....

Supposedly the car was last owned by a fella from Downers Grove IL who ended up selling it to whoever owns it now and put it up for auction.

Car looks Great!!!
I have heard that 68-72 heads work but I could never even get close to fitting. Could you please post a pic of you modified header? I can't count how many headers I have tried. What I have found is that 64-67 GTO stuff fits the best. No sway bar
JR 2700 1.75 round port bolt right on.
Headman 35260 1.75 "D" port bolt right on.
I am using a set of 1-7/8 round ports now off a 65 but dont know brand.
Thanks

Luv It
 

Hey Pat.

Car looks killer! Stance looks perfect -- what springs in front?

Great work... can hardly wait to see it leap. I hope to join you next year.

Tim

Thanks Tim!

I'll keep you in the loop with the Friday dates we set aside in '07 for reserving the Grove.

Hopefully you can join us! With the wagon of course

Sorry 1.75 "D" port headers Heddman 35010 not 35260

Can you post some more info on the brake system? I have the same set up (Wilwoods all around) but haven't installed them yet.

What master cylinder did you use? Porportioning valve? What size brake lines?

As soon as my chassis guy fixes my cage (door bars are too narrow & touch the front seats) I'm going to start on the front suspension and brakes.

Did you buy your car from a board member? It looks very familiar.

More pictures........
 

of my '63 Lemans

You Know what #, I may have to go to 2" with my 535. Is it #4201#
John

So has anyone else had any luck with these 4201 SC headers?

I am pretty sure that is what is on my car. You have to "massage" the passenger side frame rail and grind one little spot on the back of the engine crossmember, other than that they actually fit pretty well.

I will check and see if those are the ones I used.

Kip

Did Apache Warrior ever get the car to the track?

is the car tubbed? i dont want to tub mine, if not tubbed, what size is the rear? drum to drum, what size tires wheel back spacing.

Here is what I did...

I put the car up on jack stands and dropped the rear transaxle out of the car. the first thing I bought was the rims and tires that I wanted to use. I set them under the car in position and then measured the distance between the rims. I gave that dimension to the guys building my rear-end and the rest is history.

Everything lined up great when everything came together during assembly.

Kip

A '57 Pontiac big car rear is just about the perfect width. I think it's 58" - 59" IIRC. Tom S. has one under his '63 Tempest.

If you want a 9" the Ford 77-81 Granada/Versailles is 58" and from what I've heard here it's pretty close to perfect. Again, it all depends on the wheel width and offset used too.

I have a 28"x12.50" Mickey Thompson ET Street on a 15"x8" Mickey Thompson ET Drag wheel under mine and it's pretty close, but it fits.

This is the way to do it :thumbup:

Agreed! It is so simple and effective, it's almost like cheating!

This might be a very old thread, but a good one!

I did like spartazoo. Got 275/50/15s under the 63. Put the tires and wheels under the car with your ride height and do the measuring. Don't forget the thickness of the brake drums also. Ford 9 inch aren't on center so if getting axles made there's two different lenghts. I didn't relize when having axles made you can specify wheel hole pattern. I got tempest front ford back and one spare which only fits the front. Didn't make this mistake when doing the 61 wagon.

I had my axles made with 4.5 x 5 bolt pattern to match the front. I also have an extra pair of 15x8 plain steel wheels that the company I ordered from made by mistake. They are just begging for installation on a 63 Catalina SD clone...Born Too Late II? Hummm:)

Spartazoo:
My '63 Tempest has 4.5 X 5 up front and 5 X 5 big Pontiac in the rear. However, the 9.5 inch dog dish caps I want to use won't fit on any 5 X 5 wheels. Only 10 1/8 caps fit. Where can I get my axles converted to 4.5 or buy new axles with 4.5 wheel bolt pattern?

BTW, the wheels you had made. They are 4.5 X 5 on 15 X 8? What is the backspace? I may be interested.

Gary - if you ever get a flat just call me and I'll come gitcha'.

K

;)

???
 

...... so what is the latest on this car ?? ........