Pug 403 63 ute

[hulot]

Pug 403 1963 Ute

This is a tale of two utes going back to the early eighties. A friend and I bought a green 63 ute from a bloke in Carlton. I think it came from Ballarat. After twenty something years of using it as a spare car and occasional load carrier, rust got to it and we took out all the running gear.

We then set about trying to find a rust-free body. We approached Gordon Miller who was a great advocate and supporter of worm drive pugs. He put us onto a very good 58 car that someone in the eastern suburbs had. He thought it had come from a Yarra Valley winery.

Ute 2.0 started or son of ute. This was in the early 2000s. Work started but was then delayed for many years. The car was recently liberated in late 2024 and work has resumed.

See photos of the back and floor of ‘son of ute’.

The gentleman with the green ute is my friend’s father Hugh in 1987. Hugh sadly is no longer with us. At least two of Hugh’s daughters had Renault 10s. One of his daughters donated me her 10S when it was near the end of its life. The transaxle from that car is now in our much-used 1969 ten.

The 63 Green ute has been rebodied with the 58 blue ute body.

 

[Peter C]

My first car was a 403 sedan, so I have a real soft spot for them. Great to see the project out of moth balls.

Gordon was a very industrious member of the PCCV and is still missed.

 

[20FIVE]

Great to see and and look forward to seeing the finished project. What's the plan for paint colour?

Not a lot of memories of the 403 but we used to drive on occasion in one of dads works 403s (Bianchi Brothers Motors). I remember as a very young kid mouthing the top of the front seats when standing in the back seat compartment. I don't know why I vividly remember this but that red vinyl made my lips tingle in a weird way!!! Work that one out

The other memory was my uncle Peter had two beautiful 403s, one, a special France Motorshow? Something special on the rear suspension?? And the other was a nice ute...both beautiful silver but unfortunately both lost to a garage fire....very sad

 

[hulot]

Great to see and and look forward to seeing the finished project. What's the plan for paint colour?

Not a lot of memories of the 403 but we used to drive on occasion in one of dads works 403s (Bianchi Brothers Motors). I remember as a very young kid mouthing the top of the front seats when standing in the back seat compartment. I don't know why I vividly remember this but that red vinyl made my lips tingle in a weird way!!! Work that one out

The other memory was my uncle Peter had two beautiful 403s, one, a special France Motorshow? Something special on the rear suspension?? And the other was a nice ute...both beautiful silver but unfortunately both lost to a garage fire....very sad

Yes Gordon is missed! Paint will be the same as the blue on the front. It was done before I got the car.
Re Bianchi bros I was heading to Adelaide in a Blue 203c in the early eighties. On the way over there I started hearing big end rattles. Lucky to get to Adelaide. Took the car to Bianchi Brothers who replaced them and loaned us an old 504 which took us to the Clare valley. Very nice people.

 

[20FIVE]

Yes Gordon is missed! Paint will be the same as the blue on the front. It was done before I got the car.
Re Bianchi bros I was heading to Adelaide in a Blue 203c in the early eighties. On the way over there I started hearing big end rattles. Lucky to get to Adelaide. Took the car to Bianchi Brothers who replaced them and loaned us an old 504 which took us to the Clare valley. Very nice people.

Thanks for the kind words Hulot, dad did have a kind heart helping everybody he could. Unfortunately dementia has hit him pretty hard and walking is now a struggle. While his two brothers sadly past with cancer - all from a pretty tough upbringing as kids.

Regarding the 504, probably the early model 1800, that car was fantastic. Still miss all the fun us kids had at that shop

 

[20FIVE]

A picture of dad, Paul Bianchi at a recent car event.... Not so interested in cars anymore which is a shame. Not sure if it's the dementia or the fact he live and breathed them for over 50 years every day of the week!

 

[hulot]

Hi 20 Five.
Yes it was a generous thing to get the car fixed in a hurry so we could drive the car back to melbourne and to lend us the 504 to finish our brief holiday. I think it was an 1800. My mother has dementia it is a tough condition for all to deal with. All the best. Still remember his kindness.

 

[hulot]

Pug 63 Ute

63 Ute has been rebodied with a rust free 58 body.

Gearbox mount and gearbox have now been installed. The seal between diff and torque tube was replaced, Uni joint and clutch components all in very good condition. Splines cleaned and lightly greased. Fly wheel checked for high spots. A new cork was put into fuel tank to ensure a better float.

The engine came from a 60,000-mile Mike Jolley car. Mike was a big pug club supporter.

New engine mounts and fuel pump. Lower sump removed dismantled and cleaned. Almost no residue in sump. New gasket. New fuel filler hose and fuel lines.

Hard to find fuel filler hose till someone put me onto Absolute Rubber in Brooklyn or Truganina. Huge warehouse with construction workers purchasing industrial quantities of everything. I wanted half a metre of 54 mm id petrol hose. Bloke behind the counter asks what’s it off. When I tell him he says Oh my first car, took me while to get used to the gearshift.

Brings a piece back a few minutes later and says no charge for old times sake. If only most old parts shopping was that easy.

Engine reinstalled. Another photo of my friends father Hugh in the late eighties. Running gear donour ute.