1963 Tempest conv restoration virgin

[royflaherty]

just bought a 63 tempest conv with 3 speed manual and 4cyl engine. car will need alot of donor parts and a new interior. just introducing myself as i have a thousand questions and have never attempted this before. my goal is to have a fun car i can drive not a show car. the floors have some issues the car has sat outside for five years and wasnt driven. first weekend with the help of some buddys got it running and fixed the brakes. i put it in storage as i am building a garage this fall. what i really need help on now is locating a good donor car. the usual searches hasnt turned anything up. any help or directions will be appreciated. i live near chicago in indiana and just recently retired so i can make some road trips if i knew where to look. thanks in advance,

[Larry]

I am going to guess that one of our members "Super" (Jeff) will be able to help you here. He lives in Missouri (not a huge distance from Indiana) and he loves the '63 Tempest.

He has scouted a number of '63s in some of his junk yard adventures that he has shared with us. I will drop him an e-mail in case he misses your post. He is a busy guy who often works out of town during the week.

[royflaherty]

this is a great site. i did not expect a reply so quickly. i know some of the restoration veterens will help get me thru this project. thanks again.

[super]

Noticed you were looking for parts for your 1963 Tempest. A donor car is generally the best route to go for any project.

In the past several years, I have located some 1963 Tempest in salvage yards. Each of these examples has offered a number of good parts. I covered an auto salvage yard located in Union, MO a few years back. The name of the business is Huxel's. The gentlemen that owns the yard is a classic car lover. He has gathered these types of cars over the years to save them from being crushed. Mr. Huxel had a black 1963 Tempest in his yard. Not a convertible, but yet a great donor car for its drivetrain, etc.

Craig's Auto in Rosebud, MO has another 1963 Tempest. I actually purchased a rear wheel cylinder from this car for my 1963 Tempest I owned several years ago. It was a solid 4dr example.

I have heard that Gateway Auto Salvage in the Madison or Granite City area of Illinois having some 1963 Tempests. I have not investigated this yet.

What specific parts are you looking for?

You picked a beautiful car to enjoy. The '63 Tempest has been a part of my life for many reasons. My father raced a '63 with a aluminum frontend in the early 1970's. I purchased a 60, 000 original mile Tempest from California back in the late 90's and enjoyed the car very much. I currently own a '63 two door with 7,000 miles.

Let me know if I can help.

[royflaherty]

THANKS FOR THE INFO SUPER. THE CAR I BOUGHT NEEDS A HOOD BOTH FRONT FENDERS AND THE INTERIOR IS SHOT. IM NEW TO THE OLD CAR RESTORATION HOBBY. I CAN NOT AFFORD A PRO RESTORATION. MY THOUGHTS WERE FIRST TO DO NO HARM. ANYTHING I DO TO THE CAR CAN BE UNDONE IN THE FUTURE IF SOMEONE HAS THE MEANS FOR A FULL RESTORATION. I BASICALLY WANT A FUN CAR TO DRIVE AROUND IN. MY FATHER ALSO WAS A PONTIAC MAN. AND HIS MOTHER HAD A 64 TEMPEST I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE BACK. I THOUGHT WITH ALL THE PARTS I NEED IT MIGHT BE A BETTER PATH TO BUY A WHOLE CAR. BUT IF THATS NOT FEASIBLE I WILL GO THE PARTS ROUTE. I WILL KEEP YOU UP TO DATE ON WHAT HAPPENS. ALSO IF I FIND ANY OLD JUNK YARDS IN MY TRAVELS I WILL LET YOU AND THE BOARD KNOW. THANKS AGAIN.

[super]

I believe the '63 in Rosebud had a good front clip. The car at Huxel's had many good parts, but it appeared to have been rubbed on every single side before it made it to the salvage yard. With a little common sense, the hood probably would have been O.K. Not a good idea to force anything!

I know where a good hood was for a '63. I will have to check for its whereabouts.

What color interior are you looking for?

Are you planning to attend the Ame's Tri-Power event this year? Check with other owners of '63 Tempest. You would be amazed at what some people have. A lot will have parts cars too.

[royflaherty]

THANKS FOR THE INFO SUPER. AND THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP ON THE TRIPOWER SHOW. NORWALK IS ONLY FOUR HOURS FROM MY PLACE. ACTUALLY I WAS BORN IN LORAIN OHIO ONLY HALF HOUR AWAY.CAN COMBO THE SHOW WITH A VISIT TO MY RELATIVES. I PLAN ON BEING AT THE SHOW SAT AND SUNDAY. ARE YOU BRINGING YOUR TEMPEST? IF POSSIBLE I WOULD LIKE TO MEET YOU AT SOME POINT DURING THE SHOW. IF THAT SOUNDS GOOD LET ME KNOW AND I WILL PM YOU AND MAKE ARRANGEMENTS.

[super]

I actually plan on bringing my '74 Super Duty Trans-Am if my work schedule allows. Hopefully all will go well.

My friend is bringing his '62 Catalina racecar. Might get lucky and have my other buddy bring his lightweight 1963 Tempest ( equipped with the ultra rare aluminum frontend).

[super]

Hi,

I plan to attend the show this year only as a spectator. It will give me time to check out swap meet items and talk to other Pontiac enthusiast.

I checked with Steve at Indiana Pontiac salvage yard and he stated he had a mint 1963 hood for $275. Not a bad price if that is what you are needing. He stated that the fenders were not that good and he wanted $180 each for them. I will check on trying to find you some good fenders. There should be some around.

[super]

Sorry, Steve informed me the hood is actually for a full size Pontiac.

[super]

A 1963 Tempest I found on Craig's list. Maybe it would make you a good parts car. It is listed in the Houston, TX craig's list format.