Brian, exactly why I'm doing it. Like I mentioned in a different forum, my plate should read--1ofnone-. It will be unique. It will not match everyones likes but if it matches mine , that's all I need. Just always wanted to build a gasser. I really wanted a '60 since I think the lines fit the look much better but I could not pass up this '63. And there was not enough about the '63 to make it special to warrent keeping it stock or near stock. Hey if someone right now offered my $7000 for it before I cut it I would stop all progress and send it on it's way. Then look again for that '60. But that will never happen so I will continue. There are many "never built" gassers out there that people have built. Some are a little left of right but many are unique and done well enough too apprciate. Anywho. And answering elefantrider (love the name, heh) about just stiffening and lifting the front end. Then it is just a lifted '63 Catalina. That to me does not capture the gasser look. Which to me is the reason for the whole build. Brian. Strength/overdrive/availability/and costs. I really wanted to go manual. But an overdrive 5 or 6 speed would have dug a hole in my finances to a point that I'd never get it on the road. I found a very good core for $100. My son works at Hughes so i can get the internals at a very good price. The clutch would always be wear consideration. Especially since probably 95% of the time it will be stop light to stop light. And just adapting the early block to a usable configuratioin would add costs well beyond the cost of this 4L80 and converter. It'll be a manual shift 4L80 to save eelctronic controls. Overall as much as I'd like a manual, just all the shifting would become a pain. And in the long run, turbos like working against a converter much more than a clutch at launch. It's just a better fit for me. Mt TA was a manual vavle body and it was not a chore at all. Still gave/gives a reason to be behind the hweel (someting to do) and gives the feeling of being in some control. As long as remember to down shift when it is required. For some reason the car just feels lazy starting out in third gear, LOL. Aron, have you felt that yet??? Anyway. The whole idea is to match my dream. And to be different. Remember just being a Pontiac foamer used to be different enough.
misterp266, coming from Wisconsin and finding this car advertised for $1500 dollars was like stepping off of cloud nine right into reality. Up north in any state, to find this condition of a car would be almost impossible. It has little scrapes and a dent or two but all it did was accumulate a little surface rust. If it had set for 5 years up there the rust would have spread much deeper around any scrape/scratch and would have required much more effort and cost to correct. The rockers are %100 solid, not a flake. Anywho, I love Arizona. Mark L
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