What did cars look like and what were they like in 1963?

Answer 1

Heavy, gas hogs, that were not very dependable and required lots of maintenance. But some very beautiful cars were made then. Click the link to see a 1963 Chevrolet.

Not true! On the one hand, full-sized cars of 1963 all started to have the "long and low" look, with the exception of some independent auto makes, like Studebaker - who's focus was on compact cars which looked a little pudgy. Most of the "big 3" (GM, Ford, Chrysler) cars were longer, lower, and had a huge array of engines, interior colors, and trim levels. (Can you imagine? Back in the day, you could order any one of up to 8 or 9 interior colors! not just boring grey, or black).

Also big in 1963 were the Compact cars which were a huge hit since 1960 - especially the Ford Falcon, which was in it's day, like the Ford Focus or Honda Accord - EVERYONE had one - and everyone loved them. They were simple, roomy, and (mostly) economical to run.

The thought that cars in 1963 were non-dependable is rubbish! Most cars of this era were simple, had engines that were tested with years of run-in (the small block Chevy engine was about 8 years old by now - and better every year!) - as was the venerable small-block Fords and the Chrysler v-8's.

Unfortunately, "Maintenance" and oil changes were practically unheard of back then - and many engines barely made it to the 100,000 mile-mark before major failures occurred.. mostly, due to neglect. Still, a good running well cared for 283 engine in a '63 Chevy can still be found chugging away, as faithful as an old hound dog. Those were the days!

Obviously the above answer was posted by someone who is not old enough to have owned a car in 1963. I bought my first car that year and believe me when I say the cars of that era were very undependable. The fact that the above poster said, "Maintenance and oil changes were practically unheard of" tells me this person was probably not even alive at that time. Everyone did maintenance and the did it all the time. Replace the coolant every year. New spark plugs every 10,000 miles, oil changes were a must every 3,000 miles and even then if the engine lasted 90,000 miles without needing an overhaul you were extremely lucky. Brake shoes would last around 20,000 miles, and exhaust systems would last around 30,000 miles if you were lucky. The bodies of the car were well built and durable but nothing else was. It was common to see cars going down the road smoking so bad you could barely seen behind them. Automatic transmissions were even worse and rarely lasted beyond 75,000 miles. No one would even think of buying a used car with over 75,000 miles on the odometer. You knew that car was mechanically on it's last leg. I say again, Heavy, gas hogs, that were not very dependable and required lots of maintenance. But some very beautiful cars were made then. Click the link to see a 1963 Chevrolet. There was a vast array of options available for the buyers, but believe me we are much better off today with the extremely dependable and high tech cars we have today. The cars of today are also much safer and get way better fuel economy that the gas hogs of 1963.