🔧 BUILD Taws697's 1963 Biscayne Build! the anti-swap. Engine updates on page 5

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After reading the thread on user participation, I decided to start a build thread. I got the car back in 2018 but never made a thread because 1, it’s not a turbo LS or blown coyote and 2, because I move so slowly on it. I may fail miserably, but here we go.......

1963 Chevy Biscayne 2dr post. Laurel green with a fawn interior. Straight 6 with a 3 on the tree. 40,000 mile car completely untouched with plastic covers on the seats. This thing is bare bones. It has 1 option which is a push button radio, nothing else. No side mirrors, single speed wipers, no reverse lights, manual steering and brakes. The original owner down in Kentucky passed and his buddy sold it to me out of the estate. I got the original owners manual, accessory book, dealer ice scraper and even the statement of origin. These are pictures of when I picked it up.

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Mr_Roboto

Doing the jobs nobody wants to
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Feb 4, 2012
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Nashotah, Wisconsin (AKA not Illinois)
I have a 71 Lemans 4 door post, it's got a 350 Pontiac that has a knock in it. I have a MS1 hooked into it with CC dizzy. I was going to blow through it at a point, actually offered to give it away. The body is probably like a 4/10 the interior is oddly about an 8/10. You want it come get it. I've got a spare 350P short block and hell I even have a set of std bore TRW forged slugs for it too. A few Tomahawk rods+, a Holley and a fuel system and you'd be good to have fun. Hell I even have a quarter of a turbo manifold I started and never finished that needs cut up and rewelded.
 

taws697

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Sep 11, 2015
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Wes
I have a 71 Lemans 4 door post, it's got a 350 Pontiac that has a knock in it. I have a MS1 hooked into it with CC dizzy. I was going to blow through it at a point, actually offered to give it away. The body is probably like a 4/10 the interior is oddly about an 8/10. You want it come get it. I've got a spare 350P short block and hell I even have a set of std bore TRW forged slugs for it too. A few Tomahawk rods+, a Holley and a fuel system and you'd be good to have fun. Hell I even have a quarter of a turbo manifold I started and never finished that needs cut up and rewelded.
I was hoping to hear that you decided to start cranking on it.
 

taws697

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Sep 11, 2015
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Wes
On Sunday I decided to roll the car out and give it a bath. It had months of overspray dust on it.
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After that I started working on the grill. It’s made up of quite a few brackets. I had them all sandblasted and powdercoated a while back so I began by riveting it all back together. I also installed new adjusters, springs, hardware, etc. in the headlight buckets. It kind of amazes me how they did things back then.
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Here’s some photos after installing the grill assembly, hood latch, eyebrow moldings and lower front valence.
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I sat down and opened the new bolt kit for the front bumper. It’s 122pcs and almost none of it matches the original hardware of course. I’ll have to run to the hardware store and then start in on the front bumper.
 

taws697

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Sep 11, 2015
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I took a little break on the car because my wife decided it was time to pop out our midget after 41 weeks. Now I’m doing my wrenching while watching a baby monitor ?.
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Anyways, I’ve been working on wiring harnesses and electrical components. I ordered an engine harness, front clip harness, and a tachometer harness from Lectric Limited. I’m super happy with the quality and the look identical to the originals. I felt bad because I had to modify them slightly for my application. Originally, a resistor wire was used to power the coil. I guess they did this to drop voltage and keep the points in the distributor from burning up. I needed a full 12 volts to my Pertronix setup so I ran a designated wire and taped back the resistor wire. I also had to modify the Tach harness to work with my Sun Tach.
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I went ahead and restored the voltage regulator and horn relay and then installed the front clip harness. Got all of the lights hooked up.
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This car had temperature switch that triggered a HOT and COLD dummy light in the dash. It also had an oil pressure switch that triggered a light. I’d like to purchase some senders instead and install some gauges. I hope to do it using the factory wiring that went to the switches. So I’m still in the process of researching all of that.

My aluminum radiator finally showed up. I had to modify the mounting brackets on it and then painted it. This radiator is thicker than the original, so the shroud had to be trimmed for clearance.
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Im really hoping to be able to fire the thing soon.
Some little stuff left like battery cables, some hoses, etc. Then I’ll move onto the rear. My center section made an appearance so I’m pumped to start putting the 9” together.
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