Thread: Noob Question

Tweet

Sorry guys this is probably the biggest noob question I couldve asked but I tried researching it and of course didnt find anything.

Just purchased a 1963 Impala, 327/350 3 speed on the tree. Im wondering, whats my oil pressure supposed to be at cold/warm, idle/cruise, water temperature and also what the hell is the top speed on a 1963 Impala 4 door??

Another question would be whats the best way to keep my engine running cool? 2 Row Aluminum radiator with electric fans or keep the oem rad and oem fan and purchase a fan shroud. By the way everything on the impala is original and I have long ways to go. Just wanna keep her running for right now and running good at that. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Well, for openers, if it's a 327/350 horse it's NOT original. The highest HP 327 available in a 63 Impala was 300HP. That aside, if the car is original, put a fan shroud on it.

Top speed should be about 110 MPH.

Enjoy the car!!

Oh, and welcome aboard, this is a great place for car nuts of all ages

Agree a 350hp 327 is not stock, and a 4door 300hp model would have been a little rare from my memory. Stock and in good condition you would be looking at oil pressure in the 45 to 50psig range cold, and it might drop off to 35 to 40psi at idle as it warms up. Cruising it would be at the upper numbers. After it got loosened up you often see hot idle OP of 20psi or a less, even down to low teens, bumping up to 30+ with rpm. Water temp is thermostat dependent, and they generally ran 180F stats stock, unless someone changed it to a 160F (or took it out!) chasing a heat problem. Like Geezer2 said, get a shroud, and a new stock core should do you fine, IMO.

If it is stock, your 327 is a 250 hp engine, but they did run pretty well in a heavy car. There is no need for anything other than an OEM radiator with a fan shroud to keep it cool. Enjoy--from what I remember, those cars went down the road very smoothly.

Thank you guys, I meant its 327 with a 350 turbo trans hehehe sorry. I`m used to Jap cars and building them so this is all new to me but very similar. I read that the temp on the 1963 with a 327 should be between 190 and 205. I replaced the waterneck and brand new radiator hoses and the coolant, upon taking off the neck I noticed there was no thermostat so I purchased one that kicks in at 195. Am I wrong on this one? Should it be a 180 thermo?

No, not necessarily wrong to put a 195 in. The motor will like it better than a 180.

So stick with the 195?

By the way if I wanna go later on with a performance 350 or possibly a 383 wouldnt it be better to go with a 2 row alum radiator and an electric fan now then buying a shroud which we all know is about 150 dollars and then replacing it later on again???

I don't like electric fans and I don't like aluminum radiators. The factory setup with a mechanically-driven 18", 7-blade fan running a viscous fan drive, copper brass radiator and full shroud will provide the most bulletproof cooling system you could cobble up.....in my humble opinion.

Thank you guys all the info is greatly appreciated. I know these are all noob questions but I`d rather ask now then be sorry later on down the road (litteraly) hehehe.