Projects Help with my 63 Catalina 389

Thanks for the info I have checked Ames but they don't have a carb for a 63 it's been difficult to find someone who has one between 61-64 I guess there isn't a big following for those years it seems most people are interested in the 65-70 gto. My engine as far as I can find right now (my mechanic is checking the numbers now) is either 230 or 267hp with the 2bbl and 303 with a 4bbl which would be great.

 

Unless it has to be a stock intake you could try any number of catalog speed shops. I am sure that offy and edelbrock both make an intake for it as well as Holley and Weiand.

Like Rocky says the Q Jet was not offered on them back then and the AFB is a way better carb anyway. On our old Q jet cars we used to pull them and make an AFB work in their place.

No one will appreciate this but we called the Quadrajunk for a reason.

 

Nobody is making a intake for the pre-65 cylinder heads....

 

Im not looking for an intake just a 4bbl Carter carb

 

Exiter Auto Supply is an offenhauser dealer and their catalog shows a 4 bbl pre '65 intake. Maybe the *catalog is off and it is better to give them a call. I have found that the net is only useful for basic info and the telephone is still a viable tool.

*sometimes the catalogs show something that is discontinued because of low sales numbers.

Note: this is not an affront to @Crazy Steve which he already knows but some of you don't. Just an effort to help a newby.

Here knock yourself out.

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=carter+carbs+afb

 

Beaner, I looked at their site and didn't see a single four Offy intake for pre-65 Pontiac.... Dual fours and three twos they do have.

 

My understanding is that offy is repoping the old stuff and the catalog I just looked at listed a single 4. I could have misread it, and it was in PDF format so maybe it is a scan of an old catalog.

My experience with Exeter is that things that they don't show online they either have or can get. I have called them on lots of obsolete parts in the last few years and if they didn't have them in stock they had them drop shipped directly to me. But I have called them to find some of the parts I needed.

Damn it this should not be an ad for an autoparts store, sorry for the spam.

 

My families mechanic gave me 643680 as the engine block casting number but I can't find that as a number anywhere could he have gotten a random number off the engine and thought that was it?

 

Maybe look here then go take a look for yourself. Most of us try and do that sort of thing for ourselves but it is entirely up to you if you want to or not.

this is probably not definitive but it is a start for you:

http://www.pontiacpower.net/castnum01.html

Ok I followed one of the links this will help you a ton:

http://www.pontiacpower.net/engcast01.html

 

Im about 100 miles away from the car and will be till Dec. (Still in college and have basketball everyday) He is giving the car a once over to make sure its safe to drive which as of right now its not he took the drums off and the previous owner had stripped everything out inside the drums? All the new parts are on the way now along with new tires and pumps since it still has the original fuel pump brake master cylinder and power steering pump we have decided to replace them also.

 

Ive found that table on a couple websites which is why I am thinking he has the wrong number since none of them start with a 6 like the one he gave me 643680

 

Maybe give him a link to the sight?

 

I sent him a screen shot of where its suppose to be and what it should look like so we'll see hopefully he gets it to me today

 

You are aware that you probably don't have a 421 SD correct? Although it would be a nice surprise.

 

I bet he misread the 6 for a 5..543680 is more like it

 

For sure I don't my dad and his buddy both owned early 60's Pontiacs my dad had a 1962 Grand Prix and his friend had a 1966 Gto 389 Tri Power triple black which he kicks himself for trading they both opened the hood and immediately said it was a 389

 

I was teasing about the SD. They were the same block as the 389 from the same era. it would be sweet if you did and that body would have been correct for a factory hot rod. Your dash would have been a little more sparce though.

 

If it had the 421 I'd be*****ting myself for the 800 that I have in it It would get a lot bigger budget than 15k too haha I am hoping that if I put about 15 in it I will have a nice cruiser with a decent amount of HP

 

I once bought a '66 grand prix a 389 4bbl car for 250. It had a pair of sweet heads in the trunk. I thought they might be SD heads and there was a local guy that was all about the SD so I asked him and he said yep they are Super Duty heads. He asked what I was going to do with them and I said, "I dunno want 'em?" We made a deal for everything he had in his pocket 15 bucks and a red rabbits foot.

 

Bet you wish you would've held on to them now huh haha I haven't been able to find how many of these 63s were in that gold color would you have any idea where that info would be I have tried google and haven't had much luck

 

I would have no idea maybe google the Pontic Club they keep that kind of info.

My grand prix was metallic gold. I love that color. I just happen to have half a gallon if the original lacquer in the closet it is going to be the primary color on my A sedan when and if I ever get that far.

As for the heads they were just car parts, I don't regret very much that I have done in my lifetime. I have lived and enjoyed most of it.

 

If you're thinking about dropping that kind of money into it, swap to a newer Pontiac motor/trans combo. That will open up a lot more options.

 

Im trying to stay as original as possible i.e. original color paint, as original interior as I can get, Same motor and trans. Just in body work and paint I have been quoted 850 for glass blasting and 5-8500k for bodywork and paint.

 

Agreed.

Unless one is building a restoration which is pretty much not what most of us are about there is no reason to not switch to the next gen mill. Well I could think of a reason or two I suppose but none that make much sense in the whole scheme of things.

Steve here is on the right track, even a '65/66 mill changes your options immensely.

As for cost of body work there is a lot to be said for doing it yourself. More satisfaction and less cost. End of the day a mediocre job that I did trumps a to notch job that someone else did.

 

I have zero skill at body work and paint this is a car that brings my parents back to a place they were as a kid and they are helping be restore it they want it as close to original as possible and I agree with that I do see where y'all are coming from and over time I will switch it over to newer options but that'll be after law school is over.

 

Guess who the new owner of a 1961-64 Carter Afb 4bbl carb is and at only 60 shipped I think I came out okay

 

In regard to your engine casting number, I believe it is a seven digit number and the one you have listed is six digit. I can't recall off the top of my head what it is exactly and I'm not close enough to my garage right now to look. Having said that, if you look at the front of the block on the passenger side, just below the head will be the engine code and the VIN number. You might have to clean/scrape that area some to see it. You can match that VIN number on the block to the VIN number embossed on the metal plate fastened to the driver's side hinge pillar post. You can see that plate when you open the door. The plate shud read: 363_ ***xx. The first 3 stands for the body series "23" which the 2dr sport sedan is style number 2311 in that series. The next two digits are the model year, 1963. The "_" will be a letter identifying the****embly plant: P - Pontiac, S - South Gate, W - Wilmington, K - Kansas City, L - Linden, D - Doraville, or A - Arlington. The "xxxx" is the VIN number. At that point, you can determine if you have an engine original to your car. The engine code for a standard 23 series car with 3spd A/T is "15H." That engine is 389ci/267hp with 10.25cr and a 2bbl carb that has a 1&11/16" bore. It's important to know what 1&11/16" bore carb you have in case you are going to rebuild it or replace it as there are several versions. There are other engine codes, but they are determined by special equipment, A/C, or economy for instance. If you have an engine code other than "15H," let me know and I may be able to identify it for you. In regard to getting a Carter 4bbl, the correct one for that engine/trans/car is a 3326SA and has a red tag, if you can find one with the tag. I haven't seen a lot of them available, so the Edelbrock wud be a suitable replacement. They used to have a tutorial on their website about calibrating/adjusting the carb for optimum performance. The 3300SA that Rocky mentioned is used with the 4spd Super Hydramatic (A/T) trans and has a yellow tag.

 

Well I never had mom and pops wallet to lean on, nothing wrong with that it just was never an option for me. As far as paint and body work none of us were born knowing how to go about it we had to learn. Some of us have an aptitude for different things though.

If you came out OK remains to be seen but we can always hope.

 

I vote for keeping it 2 barrel for now. You could pick up the manifold if you can get it cheap and put it away. When you decide to use it do yourself a favor and buy a new or rebuilt carb. In the meantime check the engine over, do a compression test and tune it up. If the compression is bad and the oil pressure is bad don't waste your money on 4 barrels.

If the engine checks out good you can put on the 4 barrel but only after everything else is done and you drive the car for a month or 2. If you are used to modern 4 cylinder*****boxes, that Poncho will feel plenty powerful no matter what carb is on it. You may decide to leave it alone especially after you buy gas a few times.

 

Hey Shown50..after reading this complete thread over,by any chance are your eyes brown??