I had a look at this car yesterday. This is a very solid 63 GT. Mechanically it is exceptional. The 289 runs beautifully, it has all new exhaust, a new rad , a/c compressor and under the hood it honestly looks like a 5 year old car, not 50! I believe the claim that this car has only 36000 miles on it. There is very little play in the door hinges for instance and all of the panels fit nicely. It has the factory front discs and again mechanically looked to be outstanding! The issue for me was the body. If this is not the original paint (and I think it is) it is very old. I don't think the body has ever been touched. It is very straight, all of the trim is present and in good condition and for a Canadian car there is very little rust. The worst part of the car is the roof. It had a vinyl top and for some reason there was quite a bit of rust on the roof. The current owner took the vinyl off and has been using filler to try and fill the rust spots. I don't know if they were right through the metal or just heavy surface rust spots but that would need addressing. The other area of concern are the front fenders. There is bubbling at the typical spot on the bottom rear of the front fenders just behind and below the vent flaps. There is no sign however of rust at the top of the fenders or in the rear quarters at all. The frame looks very solid at all of the trouble spots. The floor and trunk pans have surface rust only and the trunk in particular is almost perfect with original paint and little rust. The carpet is very tired but the seats are in fair condition. The interior does need attention but again it's all there. This is a very restorable car. If I had the skill to do a complete body job or the money to have it done I would seriously consider this car. I think the only reason the car deteriorated was that previous owner left it sitting outside in one spot for 4 years. The paint on the drivers side which was facing the sun is badly faded yet the other side is nearly perfect! Previous to this I think the car lead a pretty charmed life. Anyway, if there is anyone out there who is looking for a good car to restore and can deal with the body I'd recommend this one. His price is perhaps a bit high and he didn't seem too negotiable however. For your consideration. http://wwwb.autotrader.ca/a/Studebak...o/19_7182067_/
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For that money, it's a really solid looking car. The roof issue I had to deal with on mine, too. Headliner out, I leaded the few perforations and it turned out fine. I think the GT Hawk headliner is an easier Re & Re than an earlier C/K. The front fender issues can be fixed with Classic Enterprises panels. They have the complete strips for the rear of the fender and complete vent area patches, with vents. The replacement vent shrouds are ABS and better than the original tin from the factory. That's a fine car to start with. And by the way, welcome to the club. I noticed you and Pam became members in the July issue of TW. Cool!Dave Warren (Perry Mason by day, Perry Como by night) -
Hi Dave, Thanks for the welcome. I haven't my July issue of TW so hadn't seen that yet. It's a fantastic publication! The 63 is a very solid car to be sure but she definitely needs some tlc. I just couldn't devote the time or money to it right now or I'd be all over it. I couldn't believe how well it ran and how clean under the hood, trunk and indeed the whole underside were. The car could definitely be restored to a high level without a body off resto. We're going to the Mansfield and Tottenham shows this weekend. You?Originally posted by warrlaw1 View PostComment
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Alas, I have a client who's been served with a motion on short notice. There goes Saturday. Saturday night the cruise-in has moved from Burger King to the Legion. I'll try to make that if it's not raining. Have fun!Dave Warren (Perry Mason by day, Perry Como by night)Comment
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