1963 Custom Sportster

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popscomet
Posts: 9687
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 11:19 pm
Location: Jacksonville, Arkansas

Re: 1963 Custom Sportster

Post by popscomet »

SASSY wrote:
Tue Sep 22, 2020 12:48 am
Had me at solid lifter 289!!
Great lookin car,, welcome to the red Comet club,lol
Actually no such club but there could be!
Fred
we have a soild lifter 351 w in the big tired 64 comet....ole rusty !!! pop
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pop/glenda

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Joe Travers
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Location: Louisiana

Re: 1963 Custom Sportster

Post by Joe Travers »

popscomet wrote:
Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:58 am
we have a soild lifter 351 w in the big tired 64 comet....ole rusty !!! pop
Hey Pop!

Can you shoot a pic of old rusty?
I wish now I would have held on to my old Cyclone, knowing what those things are bringing nowadays.
It was an A code w/ a three-on-the-tree. Would have kept it but I wanted a factory 4-speed car.
Found a solid black on black one back then I wanted sitting in a pasture but the owner wouldn't sell.

JT
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1963 1/2 Custom Hardtop
342 stroker, solid roller, T-10, 3.55 posi

popscomet
Posts: 9687
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 11:19 pm
Location: Jacksonville, Arkansas

Re: 1963 Custom Sportster

Post by popscomet »

JT go to 64/65 section and click on 64 comet build by FRDPWR,,thats my son,,,,several pages to look at,,,we like the patina,,we want it to appear as if it was found in a barn sitting since back in the 60's or early 70's....somewhere on here is a picture of it on a trailer hooked to my 1966 ford PU.....I'll have to find it if it's not in with the comet build...thank you pop
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pop/glenda

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Joe Travers
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Location: Louisiana

Re: 1963 Custom Sportster

Post by Joe Travers »

That's a cool build, helping your son.
My oldest son caught the bug from me when he was in high school and picked up a '68 Mustang coupe. I taught him how to wrench on it and we had fun working together, did some mild performance upgrades on the C code 289. On Graduation Day they had a car parade and a goofy gal rear-ended the car, so I found a freshly painted one w/ a dog engine and tranny. We swapped it out w/ the wreck drivetrain.

Wasn't long, he wanted to build a faster engine, so we hustled up the parts and built a good street 289 w/ '69 351W heads and a hydraulic street cam. It was a great running street car but he wanted a stick, so he got in with the Fox body 5.0L roller cam crowd. Turbos and all that jazz. He has a pretty stressful job but found time to restore an old Bronco to drive in the mountains where he lives.

Always fun to have another gearhead in the family, passing it on. :wink:

JT
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1963 1/2 Custom Hardtop
342 stroker, solid roller, T-10, 3.55 posi

popscomet
Posts: 9687
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 11:19 pm
Location: Jacksonville, Arkansas

Re: 1963 Custom Sportster

Post by popscomet »

ain't that odd ?? POP has a 84 5,0 5sp capri that me and son built over 20 yrs ago..I still have it,,,I have a 1977 half cab bronco for yrs and son still has the 74 bronco half cab I gave him when he was in his early 20's....but the real kicker is when son was 10 yrso I built him a 67 fastback stang 289 4spd and he still has it today,,,,I built my daughter a 67 fstback when she was 14 and she still owns it,,,,,,I bought a 93 LX 5,0 stang new,,shortly after I put a glass hood with twin ram air scoops,,I still have it ,,,I was washing it the other day and I noticed it has not had new lic tags since 07,,,wife drove it for yrs ,it still looks near new inside and out,,she parked it for some reason and started driving one of my PU's til she bought her camry...so the 93 just sit and I would drive it down the road every month or so,,,,boy time flies never relalized how many yrs has gone by til I noticed the date on those lic plates,,,,,dang thing still runs like a top and still blows cold air....pop
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Joe Travers
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Location: Louisiana

Re: 1963 Custom Sportster

Post by Joe Travers »

Dang, Pop!

You don't sell anything, do ya? :lol:
That's a blessing to be able to hold on to all of that. Looks like the kiddos are following in your footsteps. :)

Mrs. Joe has been in bad health for 35 years, so I had to sell everything I wasn't using to make ends meet.
Wrenching on old Fords was really a matter of necessity so I wouldn't have to pay a note or buy full coverage insurance.
I took on a few really cool projects hustling parts but always had a hard time finishing up.
But I'm not griping, it was a barrel of fun!

Finally got a better paying job 20 years ago and been driving Jeep XJs since. I finally retired 3 years ago to take care of my folks.
After I got everything settled, I had some free time on my hands and the bug bit me again. :D

JT
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1963 1/2 Custom Hardtop
342 stroker, solid roller, T-10, 3.55 posi

popscomet
Posts: 9687
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 11:19 pm
Location: Jacksonville, Arkansas

Re: 1963 Custom Sportster

Post by popscomet »

NO SIR, OL POP don't get rid of nothing,,,,the 4spd and shifter in OL RUSTY probaly has been here close to at least 35 yrs maybe 40,,,have been blessed for sure in every way,,,includeing health and a good job,mine and wife (glenda)...but POP's health is failing alittle now,,but heck fire ....I ain't no puppy anymore !! but am able to keep on keepin on...thanks ,have a super day...time to get back on the traction part of POP's red rooster,,,that's what POboy JOHN calls my comet,,in fact he had a LIC plate painted up saying that and sent to me,,it's on the frt bumper right now......if you happen to read this JOHN, thanks again..am very proud of that plate.....POP
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pop/glenda

lavron
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Re: 1963 Custom Sportster

Post by lavron »

Joe Travers wrote:
Wed Sep 30, 2020 10:56 am
Finally got a better paying job 20 years ago and been driving Jeep XJs since.
I have '89 2 Dr XJ Limited that I put a 3.5" lift on years ago, I like that Jeep but it has been sitting a few years now and mother nature may reclaim it before I ever get back on it, it came from the upper eastern US so it has a little issue with rust :roll: Probably just cut the rust out and weld homemade patches in.

Glad to see you are back on the Comet, mine sat for too long while I dealt with other life issues, but she has a new lease on life now :P

See Ya,
Mike
Mike's build thread
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13058
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Joe Travers
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Location: Louisiana

Re: 1963 Custom Sportster

Post by Joe Travers »

lavron wrote:
Wed Sep 30, 2020 2:25 pm
I have '89 2 Dr XJ Limited that I put a 3.5" lift on years ago, I like that Jeep but it has been sitting a few years now and mother nature may reclaim it before I ever get back on it, it came from the upper eastern US so it has a little issue with rust :roll: Probably just cut the rust out and weld homemade patches in.

Glad to see you are back on the Comet, mine sat for too long while I dealt with other life issues, but she has a new lease on life now :P
Hey Mike!

Those 4 X 4 XJs are just starting to appreciate in value.
Might be a good time to unload and buy Comet parts! :D

JT
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1963 1/2 Custom Hardtop
342 stroker, solid roller, T-10, 3.55 posi

popscomet
Posts: 9687
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 11:19 pm
Location: Jacksonville, Arkansas

Re: 1963 Custom Sportster

Post by popscomet »

JT,,,,ol pop finished the traction devices on the rear springs,,,,when all tighten up,it lifted the rear of body just a slight tick..I really like the stance better now then before,,,,ain't put 'em to the test yet....son is almost ready to test ol rusty on the pavement....pop
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pop/glenda

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Joe Travers
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Location: Louisiana

Re: 1963 Custom Sportster

Post by Joe Travers »

Hey Pop!

Know you aren't a big picture guy like me but I'll make ya a deal, would like to see what ya done to the rooster.
I like the old look with a tad higher in the front but I'm not there yet. Getting parts together to fix a few things.
Hope ol' Rusty gets in some track time so we can get a shakedown report. :)
Have to tie down everything and get the generator ready for another round of bad wind.

Thanks bud

JT
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1963 1/2 Custom Hardtop
342 stroker, solid roller, T-10, 3.55 posi

popscomet
Posts: 9687
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 11:19 pm
Location: Jacksonville, Arkansas

Re: 1963 Custom Sportster

Post by popscomet »

I'll tell you just what I did,,,,I did this many yrs ago on a mustang,,,,on the comet,I cut a length of double wall 1in square tubeing 18and a qtr in long,,used 2 muffer clamps 2.5 wide,,,I just used the U bolt ,took a flat piece 1.25 in wide and drilled holes to fit the ubolts ,,layed the tubeing on top of leaf spring and clamped it between axle tube and frt eye of spring,,,,as you tighten the u bolts that will flatten out the arch in the frt half of the spring,,,thus lifting the rear of body ever so much,,do that on both sides....I was leary that it may cause a harsh ride but it doesn't,,,maybe cause the rear of spring is so long,,,,this set UP YRS AGO took all the whl hop out of my mustang,,,and gave it more bite,,,,,altho am thinking about adding another clamp between the 2,,,thus having 3clamps per side....the 3rd member in my comet right now is the very same 8in chunk I ran in the mustang with a set of slicks yrs ago,,,,with a 5bolt 289 and I think the same TL 4spd now with a different tail shaft for the comet,,had 2x4's and at times 3x2's,,,,and a factory hyd cam that is the answer to the solid lift 289 HI-PO 271 hp,,,,and yes,,,I still have that 5bolt 289,,,,but now it has a ci 4bbl intake cause it's in a 1971 half cab bronco....
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Joe Travers
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Location: Louisiana

Re: 1963 Custom Sportster

Post by Joe Travers »

Never thought of that one but sounds like a cool plan!
Basically making the front of the leaf spring a ladder bar 8)
Good to hear it didn't get too stiff on ya.
I hate air shocks and I'm pulling mine. How much lift are you getting in the tail?

Thanks!

JT
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1963 1/2 Custom Hardtop
342 stroker, solid roller, T-10, 3.55 posi

User avatar
Joe Travers
Posts: 2424
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 6:23 pm
Location: Louisiana

Re: 1963 Custom Sportster

Post by Joe Travers »

SASSY wrote:
Tue Sep 22, 2020 12:48 am
Had me at solid lifter 289!!
Great lookin car,, welcome to the red Comet club,lol
Actually no such club but there could be!
Fred
Hey Fred!

Was thinking about your signature this morning.

Back when I had my Cyclone, I wrenched in my cousin's shop on the weekends to make a little extra dough and have access to a lift.
One New Year's Eve his mechanic got drunk, broke into the shop and took a '65 Vette on a joy ride.
He wrapped it around a telephone pole.

Yep, DIY has it's benefits :(

JT
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1963 1/2 Custom Hardtop
342 stroker, solid roller, T-10, 3.55 posi

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