My '63 Unibody (Integral Cab)

Welding again today. 😐
This seam in the front half of the bed is directly over a “torque box” under the bed. This box is unique to unibody trucks. The box is sealed but when the seam sealer in this pinch weld seam fails then water and dirt is allowed to go into the torque box. I’m going to have the inside of this bed hydroblasted and I don’t want any of the blast media to go into the torque box.
I’m going to lay a 1/8” mild steel rod into this gap and weld in this seam…
268F1E1B-5DF3-4CF7-BD9D-6BFC94F94760.jpeg
 
I talked to Paul today. He knows how much body work this truck needs. I don’t have his expertise for body work. It’s really an art. I’m a gear head and I can do anything except get a car ready for paint. I want to learn so Paul is going to teach me and let me try to get these panels straight…but he’s gonna be close by, I know I can’t do what he does.
 
I’ve really learned some crazy crap about my Mustang in the past month.
My dad and I owned a lot of Mustangs, mostly Fastbacks and mostly S-code 390 cars. His 67 that Paul painted in the mid-80s was a J-code car with a swapped in 351 4v Cleveland. My dad also had a 71 Mach 1, 429SCJ Drag-pack car.
The S-code car currently in my garage was a 67 GTA, deluxe interior, A/C car, Wimbledon White with red interior. My dad bought it for $900 in the mid-80s. He also had an Orange 68 390, 4-speed car. He sold the Orange car to my now brother-in-law that later married my sister. Mike got in a bind and sold the Orange car back to my dad. I was early 20s and started making payments to my dad for the 68 Fastback. Damn this is a long story.
The 68 was hit in the left rear and repaired but the unibody frame above the left rear wheel was kinked. Whoever repaired the car didn’t pull the unibody kink out, leaving the car 1” lower in the left rear corner. Looking at the car, it always bothered me.
Somewhere in the late 80s, my dad’s white 67 GTA was stolen and stripped. He was able to recover the salvage but there was nothing left but a shell. The 67 and 68 bodies are the same except for a marker reflector on the rear quarter and a marker light on the lower front fender (interior was also different.) I wanted my dad’s salvaged shell because my car was quartered and repaired and the 67 was never hit. I wound up getting the 67 shell from my dad (and never paid him for it 😬) I swapped everything from my 68 onto the pristine 67 when I was in my mid 20s, simply because my 68 was hit and quarter-paneled.
I always wondered why my 68 was Orange. That color was never available from the factory in 68. It was close to Grabber Orange but clearly had more red in the color. It wasn’t a repaint because everything in the jambs and behind the fenders was one coat of orange.
In the past few years I learned of a promotional program only available on the west coast. It was called the Rainbow of Colors, where certain vehicles could be special ordered from west coast dealers with colors not available from the factory. These cars arrived at the dealers in primer and were dealer painted. The warranty tag on the door did not list an exterior color and the DSO was six digit instead of two, indicating a special order paint scheme. Mustangs in the 60s were built at one of three plants. DSO 71 was Los Angeles.
The left door on my 67 is off of my 68 car and has the VIN (warranty) tag from the 68. The DSO on that tag is 710777, meaning Los Angeles with a special order color of Madagascar Orange. The 68 was an S-code, 390 GT, 4-speed, 325:1 limited-slip rear end 63A Fastback car. It was 1 of 2 that I can tell from the available documentation.
This car is a 67 with 68 doors, fenders and interior. The wire loom for a tach equipped car is different, this car has a factory tach. I’ll build this with an aluminum 427FE and a Tremec 6-speed manual. It will be Madagascar Orange but with Shelby upper and lower scoops and a Shelby deck lid (which the car already has.)
This is what the Rainbow of Colors 68 looked like.
FBF22D4A-79CD-49DE-B20D-F6943155765E.jpeg

Special order, Los Angeles- Madagascar Orange
2D4E8BD6-E71D-4314-9512-FD1D2F8A3ACF.jpeg
 
Last edited:
It pays to know car guys. I saved my buddy today. This car was listed for $80k. He and the seller agreed to $69k. Until I showed up.
D1CB5ED9-0BD1-4668-B333-D8BFDE10C228.jpeg
.

6E229890-24C9-47C9-9B8C-C0994522B193.jpeg

1969 S-code, 4 speed Mach 1.
This car was sold at a Mecum auction. Not sure what the owner paid for it because he wouldn’t say.
The guy really knew nothing about the car. Me and my dad have owned about 10 Fastback S-code cars.
This cream puff spent its life in New Jersey. 1/4 paneled on both sides and has replacement shock towers. The doors match the front fenders but don’t match the replacement rear 1/4 panels. The owner was almost in tears when I showed him what was wrong with the car. He had no idea that the car was pieced together. I’m not even certain it’s a factory S-code car. Too much wrong with it.
 
SH!T!! Bobby!! You messed up a party!! DAMN!! :rolleyes:
Good for you saving your buddy. I'm surprised Mecum would let this through if it was pieced together the way it was. I always was under the impressions when these classic car auction companies sold these vehicles for such high prices they went through the pedigree so people did not get screwed over as this chap apparently did.

Which raises another question. If he sells this to someone else and fails to disclose the inconsistencies, could he be sued by an unsuspecting buyer and money returned?
 
SH!T!! Bobby!! You messed up a party!! DAMN!! :rolleyes:
Good for you saving your buddy. I'm surprised Mecum would let this through if it was pieced together the way it was. I always was under the impressions when these classic car auction companies sold these vehicles for such high prices they went through the pedigree so people did not get screwed over as this chap apparently did.

Which raises another question. If he sells this to someone else and fails to disclose the inconsistencies, could he be sued by an unsuspecting buyer and money returned?
I think it’s “buyer beware” and if you’re the buyer make sure you check the car thoroughly.
Used cars are usually sold as-is.
Now if the buyer flat out asks the seller a question about the car and the seller lies, then I think there is reason to sue.
 
Paul and I evaluated this car today for my buddy. He ended up making a deal with the seller.
View attachment 57800View attachment 57801
I'm going to lower this car 2" - 3" in the front. Someone clearly put new springs in this car. Just waiting on a spring compressor.
Meanwhile, I decided to rewire the 63 Unibody. The stock loom has a glass tube fuseblock attached to the headlight switch :oops:. Also these trucks had a wiring flaw where all of the exterior lights wired through the turn signal switch. If you upgraded to Halogen headlights, the extra load on high beam setting would trigger the built-in circuit breaker in the headlight switch and the headlights would cycle on and off. I'll also order a couple of junction blocks to be placed under the hood, one for constant and the other for switched power. I have an upgraded (from generator) 10SI alternator on this truck already as well as an electric cooling fan.
New loom---> American Autowire 510260 American Autowire Classic Update Series Wiring Harness Kits | Summit Racing
 
I'm going to lower this car 2" - 3" in the front. Someone clearly put new springs in this car. Just waiting on a spring compressor.
Meanwhile, I decided to rewire the 63 Unibody. The stock loom has a glass tube fuseblock attached to the headlight switch :oops:. Also these trucks had a wiring flaw where all of the exterior lights wired through the turn signal switch. If you upgraded to Halogen headlights, the extra load on high beam setting would trigger the built-in circuit breaker in the headlight switch and the headlights would cycle on and off. I'll also order a couple of junction blocks to be placed under the hood, one for constant and the other for switched power. I have an upgraded (from generator) 10SI alternator on this truck already as well as an electric cooling fan.
New loom---> American Autowire 510260 American Autowire Classic Update Series Wiring Harness Kits | Summit Racing
The 63 is gonna outlive you I'm guessing. Great work bud!

1963 was a great vintage.
 
Seriously, I’m pushing to get this truck done. I talked to Paul yesterday while we were looking at the Mustang for Brian. I told him I changed my mind on the 63; yeah he owes me a lot for the work I’ve done for him but I can’t allow him to slave on this truck. He’d spend a month on this truck to complete all the bodywork. Ima pull everything out of this truck (engine, trans, interior, wires) and send it to Doug’s Custom. Gonna cost $10-$20k, depending, but Doug can put multiple employees on the bodywork whereas Paul is one guy.
Less work on the 72 so I’ll feel better letting Paul do that.
I’ve been driving the 72 a lot since I got those new wheels and tires on the front.
6E537ED2-163A-4427-8B52-B15BD917FD15.jpeg

Ridiculous truck to drive on a bumpy street if you have your foot in the gas.
 
Seriously, I’m pushing to get this truck done. I talked to Paul yesterday while we were looking at the Mustang for Brian. I told him I changed my mind on the 63; yeah he owes me a lot for the work I’ve done for him but I can’t allow him to slave on this truck. He’d spend a month on this truck to complete all the bodywork. Ima pull everything out of this truck (engine, trans, interior, wires) and send it to Doug’s Custom. Gonna cost $10-$20k, depending, but Doug can put multiple employees on the bodywork whereas Paul is one guy.
Less work on the 72 so I’ll feel better letting Paul do that.
I’ve been driving the 72 a lot since I got those new wheels and tires on the front.
View attachment 57824
Ridiculous truck to drive on a bumpy street if you have your foot in the gas.
Man, that must draw a crowd when you start that up.
 
Man, that must draw a crowd when you start that up.
It does but I’m almost seriously contemplating selling it or taking this motor out and putting it in something lighter. 500+ ft lbs of naturally aspirated torque in short bed 50 year old lowered 4,000 lb. truck is a lot of work to drive on bumpy streets.
 
I learned a lot about these Mustangs in the past few weeks. Nothing that I didn’t know about what they are. More about what they’re worth.
I saw a guy try to sell a rusted-out, patched up Mecum S-code car for $80k. I saw a guy almost buy it. Then, I saw a guy buy a decent car for twice what I truly believe it’s worth. Cash.
My car in the garage must be worth $100k.
 
The 63 is gonna outlive you I'm guessing. Great work bud!

1963 was a great vintage.

AHhhhhhhh, YESSSssssss!! 1963. It was a very good year. It was the year when the girl of my dreams said "I do," and she's been by my side ever since. We've been through it all and always together. We've had good times and hard times, lean times and sad times but life's been a blessing every day with her by my side. So yes, 1963 was a very good year!!
 
Back
Top Bottom