Personally, I don’t have a problem with modernizing an old car and making it more pleasant to drive; along with safer. This is especially true if the car was not original, a rolling chassis, or whatever to begin with.
It’s true for the most part that modern cars are superior to older ones from say the 60s when comparing handling and braking.
Some may remember that many things that are taken for granted as standard now, such as disc brakes and sway bars, were options back then and part of the MSRP now. Many buyers chose to cheap out by not purchasing those options or they felt they were simply not needed. Way back when, a sway bar might be a 6 dollar option and I think 4 piston disc brakes were a 12 dollar option…
The same thing applies to motorcycles. An old man around here who is now gone used to have a late 40s Harley Knucklehead that he owned for going on 50 years. It leaked a little oil, had gas stains and chips in the paint, dried leather saddlebags, etc but was just the way it rolled out of the factory. The motorcycle was sold to someone who sold it to someone else for huge money.
This bike should have been kept as is with the history and patina but the last buyer had it over-restored, many things chromed, and the last I heard it was used as a decoration hanging from chains over an entry into a restaurant. What an ignominous end…
Things got pretty crazy around that time with NHRA 1/4 mile and NASCAR competition getting major factory support…In 1963, only a handful of 427 powered cars were produced, most of them provided to racers with inside connections and established credentials…DOS cars and F/X models (DOS = Domestic Order Special, F/X = Factory Experimental) were avenues through which the manufacturers satisfied production requirements to qualify as legal “Stock Cars”…
In February 1964, when Chrysler showed up at Daytona with their 426 Hemi “stock cars” and finished 1-2-3-4 . This created an uproar as these racing engines were not available in “ordinary” factory production…Chrysler sat out the 1965 season but returned in 1966 after the detuned “Street Hemi” was made available in certain models…For drag racing, the factories produced special, low-production models with racing engines and light weight body panels. Ford ended the party with it’s 427 Thunderbolt drag car, a highly modified Fairlane which was unbeatable in the Super-Stock class. Only a favored few were able to obtain these cars…After a year or two, the NHRA banned them from the “stock” class…Nascar banned the 427 Ford “Cammer” motor and by 1972 the “Muscle Car” era was over…
I’d need to know about the car as it sits now. 2dr or 4dr? What motor is in there, 6 or V8 and what size V8? Auto or manual tranny, if manual 3 on the tree or 4 on the floor? A 2 door, with a decent V8 might have more “collectible” value and therefore could impact the decisions on what to do with the car. Does it have power steering, power brakes? What is the intent for the car, keep as a hobby/weekend car - or make it back into a daily driver?
Unless the white to red paint job was a high quality job, I’d suspect the paint job will need to be redone. It should have a 12V system with an alternator so no real need to upgrade there. I’d make sure the radiator and tranny oil cooler (if it has one) are either in very good shape or I’d change them out for new ones. A clogged radiator will lead to overheating on summer drives.
If you really want a daily driver you need the carb(s) working properly. Power steering if it doesn’t have it, and power brakes. Drum brakes that work good are fine with me, but if you really want more braking and less brake fade then put disks brakes on the front.
I think $20K would get a lot of work done, but not cover a frame off restoration. You need to have the car inspected for rust when it is up on a lift. If the rust is minimal and surface only then you can do a lot with the 20K. If there is significant rust, then you really shouldn’t put much into the car because you’ll need much of the $20K to deal with the rust. If you find rust and don’t fix the rust, then just drive the car and only put into it what you need to keep it safe and “running great” at it is now.
If there is no rust, then you can fix it up nicely for $20K, but the final product might not be considered a high quality “restoration” in the eyes of a car collector. Meaning you might not see a return on your investment. Since there is no intention to sell the car, then you fix it up as you like for yourself and don’t worry about what others think, or numbers matching etc.
Your main concern is the state of rust and your budget.
I know of a '63 Impala SS convertible with a factory installed six cylinder too. It belongs to the retired CFO of a MAJOR local company. I gave him a ticket to the auction where he bought it. They used to come to town about once a year, sell a couple hundred cars and skip out over a weekend. The state shut them down over dubious title issues.
I know another guy who has his father’s '63 Impala SS with a 409. His dad bought it a year old. His antique vanity tag reads shefine. You can’t get more than seven letters.
I haven’t seen the Corvette Overhaulin’ episode, but the cars they restore are typically in bad condition; barely driveable. It might be that the 327 couldn’t be salvaged. The owner might have wanted to replace the engine himself but never got around to it. Not having time for restoration work is typical on this and other similar shows.
