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My '62 Electra 225

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  • My '62 Electra 225

    It was requested that I start a thread for my 62 Electra. So here it is. I bought this car about 14 years ago, just before I enlisted in the Marine Corps. Since then, being in the Marine Corps has determined what I could do with it. The car spent almost the whole first 8 years in storage, coming out of storage when I would go home on leave. Finally I was able to get it out of storage and drive it regularly when recruiting duty got me stationed close to home. When my tour on recruiting duty was up I got moved out here to Camp Pendleton, and once I got a place to live with a garage the car got shipped out here. Now, after a tour in Iraq, I am finally able to do some work on it.

    Here it is after coming of the truck when I had it shipped out here to CA.



    Under the hood it is grimy and ugly, but the 401 Nailhead runs good. With a 4 barrel is moves the car nicely, even though it is backed up by a Dynaflow.



    All the years of storage were not so kind to some areas...especially the trunk. Pretty much the whole trunk floor is rotted. The body mounts are rotted too. This is beyond my skill level, so I will probably have to find someone to do it for me.





    I also need to do the suspension, since I am pretty sure it is all original (shocks too).

  • #2
    Re: My '62 Electra 225

    It looks great. Hard to imagine a bunch of Marines cruising in an Electra. Almost a oxymoron. You need a pic of your platoon all decked out for battle sitting in it. ;D

    Serving your country does have it's challenges when trying to own and restore an old car, especially when you get stationed overseas. My Dad thought his moving days were over and started building a house near Offutt AFB. We almost had it finished when we got orders to go to Okinawa. So much for moving into our new house. We got it finished, then rented it. Dad was not a happy camper the three years we were there. He also got passed over for promotion. Well, everything worked out in the end. Dad got promoted to Lt. Colonel and transferred back to Offutt.
    BS'er formally known as Rebeldryver

    Resident Instigator

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    • #3
      Re: My '62 Electra 225

      Depending on your job and station building a car while serving can prove to be difficult. Especially if you live in base housing, the frown upon disassembling a car in your driveway. The hobby shops get expensive too...Good luck with your build man, they are a nice looking car and its cool to see you don't have a more door hang up like some people.
      If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

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      • #4
        Re: My '62 Electra 225

        Glad you posted your car on here. Let me know If I can help in anyway. Try www.rockauto .com for parts. Otherwise ebay is a real reasonable source to find parts also. I think your rear springs are around 240.00 ouch!
        61 Olds 88, 69 Plymouth Roadrunner, 68 Pontiac Firebird, 95 Buick Roadmaster LT1

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        • #5
          Re: My '62 Electra 225

          First of all - THANKS for your service. Glad you're back safe and sound and I hope the rest still over there can say the same.

          GREAT car. Sorry about the rot, but it CAN be fixed. All in all, the car is pretty nice. I lived in MI for most of my life so I know what rust REALLY looks like - this is minor (but does need fixin').

          Best of luck and have fun
          Dan

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          • #6
            Re: My '62 Electra 225

            Thanks everyone for the comments.

            Dan, I grew up in WI, so I am familiar with what REALLY looks like too. Reminds me of my first car, a '71 LeMans. When I sold that car (it was a rust bucket, had only a couple body panels that were somewhat straight, and I couldn't afford to drive to work and school) the guy who bought it (who was going to build a GTO clone out of it, don't know if he ever succeeded) opened the passenger door and as he stomped on the floor said "what really impresses me is how solid the floor boards are". Funny thing is, if he would have done that on the driver's side he would have put his foot right through the floor.

            As for the '62 Electra, I took it in to get an estimate for fixing the rust in the trunk. I'm normally a DIY type of guy, but that mess is beyond my skill level, and I'm not afraid to admit it. The suspension I'll be doing myself. Thinking about a disk brake upgrade, but I think I'll see how getting the suspension fixed changes things before I go ahead with that.


            Brian

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            • #7
              Re: My '62 Electra 225

              Scarebird kit is pretty good for just cruising. They even have one for the rears now on the 61-65 Buick Fullsized rear axle. New front shocks, poly swaybar links, and a rebuilt centerlink really improved the feel my '64 Riviera. I don't know the cross compatability of the Riviera stuff with the early full sized but I wouldn't be surprised if you can't use Riviera aftermarket front and the rear sway bars with some work as the basic suspensions are the same, its largly the wheel base that is different.
              Central TEXAS Sleeper
              USAF Physicist

              ROA# 9790

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              • #8
                Re: My '62 Electra 225

                CTX,

                Most of the early Riv stuff will work, based on my research, which is a good thing because nobody lists much of anything for the '62s. What shocks did you use?

                I have been admiring your project for a while now...was following it on the V8Buick forum.

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                • #9
                  Re: My '62 Electra 225

                  I have KYB's on mine at the recommendation of Mr Tom Tellesco of Nailhead roller rocker fame. Use poly sway bar bushings for the upper shock bolts instead of the supplied rubber and it'll tighten things up a bit more though it's slightly harsher on a bump. I also have a rebuilt power steering box but that was more to get a better ratio as it was a royal pain in the parking lot with like 5 turns lock to lock. Get your stock box rebuilt as the stops aren't garenteed to be right on a generic aftermarket box.

                  For a trunk floor, look at Wheatbelt Antique out on the plains and All American up in Washington seems to have a ton of classic stuff.

                  As for my project, I'm looking forward to getting back to it next month. With an IG, CoC, and everything on top of working on it; I burned out and took the month off.
                  Central TEXAS Sleeper
                  USAF Physicist

                  ROA# 9790

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                  • #10
                    Re: My '62 Electra 225

                    Originally posted by CTX-SLPR
                    As for my project, I'm looking forward to getting back to it next month. With an IG, CoC, and everything on top of working on it; I burned out and took the month off.
                    I know the feeling...that has pretty much been my summer. Two CoC's, two senior enlisted retirements, and an upcoming LRE (Logistics Readiness Evaluation), and I took over a section in June that hadn't had any real supervision in almost a year.

                    Thanks for the recommendations.

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                    • #11
                      Re: My '62 Electra 225

                      Well, I got the estimate for the trunk repair. It makes me wish I could do the work myself. But, body work is something I have zero experience in and have no tools for. Additionally, I doubt that Base Housing would look too favorably on me doing that in my garage. I don't know what to do now. The estimate is enough to make me wonder how much money I want to spend on the car. So, I don't know if I should fix the trunk and keep working on the car or if I should sell it. I think I am going to have to give this more thought.

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                      • #12
                        Re: My '62 Electra 225

                        If you sell it, buy Nik's '62 LeSabre... Its in better shape body wise and will take any parts you've gathered for the Electra. Personally I'm more partial to the 64-66 cars but the others are still cool.
                        Central TEXAS Sleeper
                        USAF Physicist

                        ROA# 9790

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                        • #13
                          Re: My '62 Electra 225

                          Come on, BSers! Someone has to live close to this Electra. Let's get him welded up - we can do this. Wish you lived close - I'd be happy to work with you on this one over the winter.

                          Dan

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                          • #14
                            Re: My '62 Electra 225

                            [quote=Page2171 ]
                            It was requested that I start a thread for my 62 Electra. So here it is. I bought this car about 14 years ago, just before I enlisted in the Marine Corps. Since then, being in the Marine Corps has determined what I could do with it. The car spent almost the whole first 8 years in storage, coming out of storage when I would go home on leave. Finally I was able to get it out of storage and drive it regularly when recruiting duty got me stationed close to home. When my tour on recruiting duty was up I got moved out here to Camp Pendleton, and once I got a place to live with a garage the car got shipped out here. Now, after a tour in Iraq, I am finally able to do some work on it.

                            Here it is after coming of the truck when I had it shipped out here to CA.


                            backed up by a Dynaflow.

                            call them and tell them they goofed the yellow car is yours zo6 dddrrrooolll

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: My '62 Electra 225

                              Originally posted by fabricatordave

                              call them and tell them they goofed the yellow car is yours zo6 dddrrrooolll
                              Funny little story about the BMW below the ZO6. The driver had my car up on the top row somewhere because he said it would be safest up there and because I am in the military he wanted to take extra care with it. That white BMW was below my car. Well, I'm not saying my car leaks...it just marks its territory a little...kind of showed that BMW who is boss. It didn't drip too much, just a little bit.

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