Thread: another newb to the site..

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Hey guys.. My name is David and Im from Illlinois.. I recently bought a project thats a little over my head but oh well..


Its a 64 chevy impala. inline six 3 on the tree.. I have all the trim and its in pretty decent shape.. I have the rear qtr glass and back and all the interior minus door panels. I also have the complete dog house..

My intentions are to use this car as the ultimate learning canvas. Ive had plenty of fast cars but they have been all newer cars. Im the kind of person thats got to do everything myself paint and so on. Althought I have never actually built a motor completely but just assembled rotating blocks its about to change..I would like to paint this black with a nice sb air ride and billet wheels..

Welcome to the "Club". I like your project choice. Good luck with it!

I wish you lots of luck,and hope you determination hangs in there, that looks like quite a project. Hank

Welcome to CHR, looks like a fairly solid old chebbie. Then of course there are the two rules of a rebuild you need to remember:
1. It's going to take longer then you thought
2. It's going to cost more then you thought
Plan the project and have a ball!!! I doubt there's any aspect of the project that someone here on CHR hasn't encountered before, so ask all the questions you want!!!

Sweet thanks fellas.. Everyone that see's the car says its gonna be alot of work but I realize stuff doenst happen over night .. Im commited to this one for the long haul.. Then off to the next.. The gentleman I bought it off of started it and had it all down to bare metal and gave i[ and pushed it outside.. So now I have a war with all this surface rust.. Its pretty much solid minus the middle body mounts.

Welcome to the forum, and to the busted knuckles club. Love them '64 hardtop Impalas. One of the prettier Chevies in my opinion. They look customized even when stock.

Nice thing is that you can get almost every part (if not every part) from people like Year One, and others. With that 6 cylinder stick you also probably got a 3:70 rear end, which is pretty good, and the hanging pedals are already there for a four speed setup.

Keep us posted with lots of pictures.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Welcome to the forum, and to the busted knuckles club. Love them '64 hardtop Impalas. One of the prettier Chevies in my opinion. They look customized even when stock.

Nice thing is that you can get almost every part (if not every part) from people like Year One, and others. With that 6 cylinder stick you also probably got a 3:70 rear end, which is pretty good, and the hanging pedals are already there for a four speed setup.

Keep us posted with lots of pictures.

Don

I thought about kepping it a stick but I think Im gonna try and pick up a power glide and a lokar floor shift..

What is your logic on the powerglide? Something like a TH350 is so much better with that extra gear, and one of the newer OD trannys is much more highway friendly.

I had a powerglide in my '64 convertible, and those two speeds really drop between gears, and they also break real easy (I went through 2 before I put a four speed in it)

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

What is your logic on the powerglide? Something like a TH350 is so much better with that extra gear, and one of the newer OD trannys is much more highway friendly.

I had a powerglide in my '64 convertible, and those two speeds really drop between gears, and they also break real easy (I went through 2 before I put a four speed in it)

Don

No performance in mind with the powerglide.. I just figured since its a 64 that it should have atleast one thing from the era..
So if I was to go with a 350 combo meaing engine and turbo 350 tranny would I need to fab up a crossmember? Or are there any aftermarket ones out there I could pick up?

I'll let one of the experts comment on the crossmember, but if I remember correctly, the TH350 goes to the same one. Don't hold me to that.

The other thing is that PG's are getting a little harder to find, especially in usable condition, but TH350's are all over the place and consequently, cheaper.

Don

I found a pg locally that was pulled from a old nova I was told. They said that it worked when pulled and they parted it out because it was to rusted out. They want $150 for it.The junk yard around here wants around $350 for a th350

I wouldn't pay $350 for a used 350, way too much. Pick and pull yards around here get $ 150 or so. I only paid $ 450 for the built one in my T, including shipping.

But if that PG is in good condition, it might be a means to an end, at least to get the car on the road.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

I wouldn't pay $350 for a used 350, way too much. Pick and pull yards around here get $ 150 or so. I only paid $ 450 for the built one in my T, including shipping.

But if that PG is in good condition, it might be a means to an end, at least to get the car on the road.

Don

I dont know of any pick and pulls here in central illinois but I might just have to find one or keep my eye open for a good buy... Thanks for the input.