'63 SWC Barn Find - NCRS Discussion Boards

'63 SWC Barn Find

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  • Richard H.
    Expired
    • March 1, 1995
    • 45

    '63 SWC Barn Find

    A few months ago I got wind of a '63 coupe sitting in a barn since 1975. I went and looked at it with the friend who knew of it, and at that time the owner didn't have any big desire to sell. I kept in contact with him, and a few weeks later he called and said he probably would never do anything with the car, and if I still wanted to buy it, he would gather up the parts and I could come and get it. At the time, he had said that the original 327/300 HP engine that was removed because it had a crack in it couldn't be found, and probably had been thrown out somewhere along the line.
    The car is originally Black over a Saddle interior, and was a 4-speed. It has an excellent body (one minor repair where his brother backed it into a 4" pole) and about 1991 he was going to get the car back on the road, so he stripped and primered it, but that's as far as it got. The car has 67,000 original miles. His brother owned the car 1st, so it's been in their family since 1969. The downside is, he put a Chevy 12 bolt axle under it, and cut up the crossmembers to make it all work. Nothing that can't be fixed, though, along with getting all the IRS parts for it. About a month after I got the car, he called and said he had found the original motor, and I could come and get it! Now, it has been sitting outside for years and years, and it's got a crack in the block, and may be no good at all, but it's a piece of documentation anyway. I am in the middle of restoring a '57, so the car is going to sit for a while, but I did just get the rusty block all dis-assembled, and will bring it over to the machine shop this week to see if the original block and heads are salvageable. The intake manifold should clean up, but the original carb has a big crack in it. The '63 hood was replaced with a '67 BB hood, and he traded away the T-10 4-speed long ago. Other than than some misc. parts, everything else is there.
    Attached Files
  • Rick A.
    Extremely Frequent Poster
    • July 31, 2002
    • 2147

    #2
    Re: '63 SWC Barn Find

    KEWL find! Keep us posted on what you do with the "barn find"
    Rick Aleshire
    2016 Ebony C7R Z06 "ROSA"

    Comment

    • Ara G.
      Extremely Frequent Poster
      • January 31, 2008
      • 1108

      #3
      Re: '63 SWC Barn Find

      210 views and only one post. ...that means there are 210 envious guys and gals out....and I am one of them. very cool find....they're still out there. Amazing...Keep us posted on how you decide to do it...Great find...Have fun....ARA

      Comment

      • Joseph S.
        National Judging Chairman
        • March 1, 1985
        • 868

        #4
        Re: '63 SWC Barn Find

        Richard, We have a guy here close by (Worcester MA) He is a wizard at stitching cracks in cast iron engine blocks. Anything can be fixed. If your machine shop comes back to you with bad news send me a PM and I can set you up with this guy. He has saved over a dozen original blocks and heads for me personally and for my customers.

        Great find and good luck with the restoration. Joe

        Comment

        • Jim D.
          Extremely Frequent Poster
          • June 30, 1985
          • 2884

          #5
          Re: '63 SWC Barn Find

          Originally posted by Ara Gechijian (48542)
          ....they're still out there
          Yup. In the past year, I know of two 63 coupe barn finds that were local. Both were Daytona Blue, 340 HP cars and have gone to new owners.

          Comment

          • Leif A.
            Extremely Frequent Poster
            • August 31, 1997
            • 3627

            #6
            Re: '63 SWC Barn Find

            I never cease to be amazed that after all these years, with seemingly every stone un-turned looking for these cars...once in a while, one still turns up. Truly a very cool find and most definitely worth bringing back to it's original state. Best of luck with the restoration (am I assuming too much) and, please, keep us posted with pics.
            Leif
            '67 Coupe L79, M21, C60, N14, N40, J50, A31, U69, A01, QB1
            Top Flight 2017 Lone Star Regional

            Comment

            • Richard H.
              Expired
              • March 1, 1995
              • 45

              #7
              Re: '63 SWC Barn Find

              Thanks for the comments. It's ironic as I used to come within 800 feet of this car while it was already sitting in a barn back when I was dating my wife in '78 and '79. Came that close every time on the way to her house. But of course I didn't know it was there.
              I do intend to restore the car back to original, especially now that the original engine is in the picture. Joe, thanks for the info. I brought the block, crank, heads, and intake to the engine builder yesterday, and he says the crack is repairable. We won't know if everything is salvageable until it's all cleaned up and checked for more cracks, though. Hopefully, I'll be all set.

              Rich

              Comment

              • Martin M.
                Very Frequent User
                • November 1, 1979
                • 124

                #8
                Re: '63 SWC Barn Find

                Well, we will hopefully get the engine running in our Split Window next week, after it has been sitting in our garage for 26+ years. Does this qualify as a barn find??

                Marty1963 Daytona Blue FI Coupe - 1979 6.jpg1963 Daytona Blue FI Coupe - 1979 9.jpg
                Beautiful Pahrump, NV.
                No smog, no rain, no winter, no hurricanes, no tornadoes,
                no earthquakes, no forest fires, but prime rib 24/7, and an NHL hockey team in LV.

                vetteheads.com alumni, Boston MA alumni
                1963 NOM Split, 1963 Orig Split 340, 1963 Red Vert Ex NCM opening display car
                1970 Coupe, 1985 Coupe Road Warrior, 1986 Vert
                1932 Ford Highboy Roadster TPI, 1932 Chev 4 Dr Confederate Sedan
                1957 Chrysler 300 C 392 Hemi Car
                All for sale - most not cheap!!!

                Comment

                • Edward B.
                  Very Frequent User
                  • January 1, 1988
                  • 537

                  #9
                  Re: '63 SWC Barn Find

                  Obviously I'm a little dense about such things, but what would be the gain in substituting a "Chevy 12 bolt axle" for the original. Perhaps the original was destroyed early in the car's life and due to scarcity or cost of repair parts a straight axle was an economical replacement? Perhaps there was a fear that the original wouldn't stand up to some proposed strengthening of the engine for drag racing? In light of all the advertised benefits of the IRS it seems like a very questionable modification. What am I missing?

                  Comment

                  • Jim D.
                    Extremely Frequent Poster
                    • June 30, 1985
                    • 2884

                    #10
                    Re: '63 SWC Barn Find

                    Originally posted by Edward Boyd (12363)
                    Obviously I'm a little dense about such things, but what would be the gain in substituting a "Chevy 12 bolt axle" for the original.
                    A substantial increase in strength and reliability, especially in drag racing. A set of slicks and some decent HP and the stock rear would be destroyed.

                    Comment

                    • Roger W.
                      Very Frequent User
                      • January 29, 2008
                      • 567

                      #11
                      Re: '63 SWC Barn Find

                      Very nice find. The body looks in fairly good shape.

                      Comment

                      • Richard H.
                        Expired
                        • March 1, 1995
                        • 45

                        #12
                        Re: '63 SWC Barn Find

                        The previous owner said while he didn't plan on going to the drags with it, he wanted wider tires on it without cutting the rear fenders up. He liked the "look"- you should see the size of the scoop on the extra hood I got with the car (remember, this was back in '75). He also changed the trans to an automatic. He never really finished the modifications and ever drove the car that way. The body is in wonderful shape, along with all the stainless, mouldings, emblems, etc. The doors fit and close like no other coupe I've ever had. The car has 67,000 miles on it.
                        Anybody else running L60/15s without tire rub?

                        I can't seem to add more pics for some reason, or I'd show one from the rear underneath. Quite interesting.

                        Comment

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