Nice to meet you all. Fair warning, I am NOT a gear head, but I do enjoy tinkering or wrenching as long as I think I have a fair understanding of what I am doing.
Recently picked up this '63 pickup .. serial number says 55268 753000.
I didn't get much history, but it seems the previous owner slammed a Chevy 327 into it with straight pipes and enjoyed driving the dickens out of it. Had to have a shop help me get the transmission and transfer case rebuilt, attaching speedometer, and while they were at it helped me repair some leaks and aligning the engine to the driveshaft better. Course nothing goes to plan and the mechanic they had quit and then they started screwing things up. Needless to say now I have it back and have begun tinkering and working on it, starting with replacing the original tank and cork float so I can tell roughly how much gas I have (even though the gauge stops at 3/4 tank so far) and resolving the plug in the gas tank fuel line as a result of the last mechanic thinking it was fine to put the cork float back in.
Somehow they managed to overfill the transmission, and it got too hot way to quickly and didn't want to go over 50 or so, now I am wondering if they put the right fluid in also ... currently it shifts perfect until it gets hot (30 minute drive or so) and will do about 65 or so before I get cold feet as the steering is all over the place, then it start getting finicky and sometimes doesn't want to go in 2nd from 1st, or the entire stick starts wanting to swivel as I try to figure out why it doesn't like 2nd all of a sudden .. but usually I can manage without grinding anything or having to stop. wish the temp gauge worked but the wiring is still a hot mess of old fragile wires and some new wires .. seems every time I get something new working, something old stops .. but it's a blast so far .. I LOVE this truck
Next up is the brakes on all 4 wheels and seeing if I can tell why the emergency brake has a ton of slack in the cable and obviously doesn't work. Looking around seems 63 was an odd time for Willys and depending on where I look, almost looks like they didnt even build these trucks in 63, serial numbers and production numbers seem to stop at 61? .. I think I saw someone mention the willys logo on the tailgate wasn't something they did in '63 but somehow I seem to have one .. interesting .. anyway
Happy to read your stories and get any feedback you guys have.
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