New Newport guy from Indiana

[MoparScott]

Good evening folks,

I'm a member on For A-bodies Only, and if you guys are half as cool as they are, we will get along great. I had recently sold my 71 duster and didn't think I needed another old car anymore. I used to have a 64 880 a few years ago and I regretted getting rid of her. A friend of mine found me a 1963 Newport.

She's a really solid car with a lot of potential. I don't know a lot of the history on the car. The body is VERY solid with a lot of patina, it has a California highway inspection certificate on the front window. I believe it is a 361 BB. The interior is pretty much shot, but that can all be replaced over time.

I'm not wanting to spend a lot of money on her, I just want something to drive around town and to cruise in's. I'll definitely post some pictures of the progress, but here's a couple pics I took as soon as I got her home.

I'm sure I'll be reaching out to all of you guys for information and tips. This is still a learning process for me, so I thought this would be the best place to come.

Scott

 

[Stormer]

Welcome.

And, we're not nearly as cool as the A body guys...

 

[MoparScott]

Thank you, I bet you guys are!!

 

[commando1]

Welcome aboard Scott. A close friend of mine down here is a 63/64 Chrysler guru. Any tough problems you have and the Best and the Brightest here can't solve, I can forward it along to him.
And we're way cooler than anybody

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[MoparScott]

I really appreciate that commando! I feel like I'm among a good group of people here!

 

[C Body Bob]

Welcome aboard. Give some more detals on the Newport please.

 

[commando1]

I'm looking at the pics you took.
You have a storm cellar, right?

Posted via Topify on Android

 

[MoparScott]

Thanks Bob,

I know the car was originally from california, and stayed there until the mid 2000's when they moved to Indiana. Its been sitting outside for the last six years in a guys yard. It was recently sold and the guy was able to drive it the 12 miles to his house. He was going to restore it and ran out of money. It looks like the car was originally light blue, and at some point ... looks to be 20 years or more ... painted the color it is now. The 361 appears to be all original, it still has the stock 2bbl carb and single exhaust on her. The undercarriage is phenomenal. very solid with no rot whatsoever. The chrome is all intact and in very good shape with minor pitting, the front bumper looks a little bent, and theres one spot of rust on the rear bumper.

As far as my vision for the car, I'm not 100% sure. The body is so solid it would be easy to repaint, I've also thought about clearing the patina, I'm going to go through the engine and put a new cam, 4bbl, intake, timing chain, water pump, and fuel pump on, as well as new paint. I want to put new wheels on the car, and I'm considering 18" cragars or torque thrust wheels, and of course dual exhaust.

Its going to take a little bit of time to get her where I want, but that is part of the fun!

 

[1978 NYB]

Welcome......nice car.

FCBO guys are the coolest on the planet!

 

[Edison]

Welcome and great car to start with. Personally, I think patina is cool.

 

[thood1954]

Welcome to the site. That's a cool old car. Your plans for it sound great!

 

[Wollfen]

Welcome and damn, thats a big car, i bet you could fit a Plymouth Duster in the trunk huh?

 

[MoparScott]

Commando, believe it or not, the storm blew over ... I thought I was gonna get hammered!!! She is a beast of a car, it barely fit in the garage. I had about 12" to get the door shut. I think you're right Wollfen .... a duster would fit in the trunk.

 

[bulldogchesty]

Nice car. Welcome to the group.

 

[detmatt]

Welcome to the site from the Motor City! You will very much enjoy this site unless you have an aversion to hilarity and immature boyish behavior.

 

[70NPORT]

Welcome to the asylum. There's something about the "patina" of a barn or garage that otherwise molested and trashed cars do not have. The car has been used but not abused. Exactly the way it should be...Nice.

 

[commando1]

... and immature boyish behavior.

HEY!!

 

[MoparScott]

So after I put about $600 into the car on seat covers, tune up, intake, carb, and hours of labor getting it almost road worthy, I drive to the BMV to get the car titled, come to find out, I don't have the most current title for the car, as a matter of fact, the person I bought the car off of, is not the title holder of the car at all.

on the bright side, I bought it off of a friend, who restores cars ... he picked it up 2 days before I bought it from him. So needless to say, I think i can get my money back from my friend, but this whole situation is quite disheartening.

The manager of the BMV was very helpful, her and her husband are actually owners of some sweet old mopars so she did everything she could to help me. She said I could get a court order for the title, but there was still no guarantee.

 

[C Body Bob]

Say what? Do you mean....

 

[MoparScott]

She didn't think the car had been stolen, she thought that maybe it had been removed, like by the city, for sitting on the street for years, or something of that nature. She did call the person who's name was last on the title, he did say he sold it years ago, but refused to meet me at the BMV to get a duplicate title made. He said that the only person he would do that for, is the person he sold it to, and no one knows who that is.

This is quickly becoming a pain in my ***. I don't want the car to get scrapped, the paint is worn, but she's a very solid car.