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TC userid - 65elcamino
TC member #1092
I found the El Camino in 1990, or I should say that my wife found it for me. While visiting her parents, she was reading the small town newspaper, she saw the For Sale ad and showed it to me. We decided to look at it since it had power brakes and steering, which I could remove and install on my 1964 Malibu SS convertible. On our way home, we went over to see it. It was ugly looking, but it ran and the seller claimed it had new front suspension components installed. I decided to buy it, take off what I wanted, and then sell it. We bought it $500.00 and not less than 15 minutes later I was wondering if I had made a huge mistake. On the drive home, I pulled over to the side of the road to wait for my wife to catch up. It stalled and wouldn't restart; bad battery cables with only two conductor strands still connected and a hot engine were the problem. We finally found a gas station willing to let us borrow a set of jumper cables to get it restarted and be on our way. It made the rest of the 50-mile drive home without incident. The only other problems detected during this drive were a bypassed heater core and worn piston rings. On a cool night in north Alabama, the air can get fairly cold. Missing door panels and window seals did nothing to keep the cold air out, and I didn't have a coat with me. I was shivering from head-to-toe by the time we got home.
The first things I took care of were the mechanical repairs to make it road-worthy. These repairs consisted of a carburetor rebuild, new plugs and wires, battery cables, radiator hoses, brake shoes, heater core, tierods (he lied), and some decent used tires. I then tried my hand at bodywork and paint. When I finished, I realized I didn't know the proper technique of blocksanding; however, the body and paint looked presentable and much better than its ugly beginnings. The plan was still that I would sell it, but now I could get more for it. Of course my wife was thinking the money would go towards a house fund, I on the other hand I was thinking more parts for my convertible. Then one day my wife made me an offer I couldn't refuse … "If we build a house - you have to sell the El Camino, but if we buy one - you can keep it." We started looking for a house immediately!
Three years later I had to rebuild the engine after it detonated, punched a hole in the #6 piston, and melted the ring lands. Surprisingly, the engine only required a 0.030 bore to remove the scratches in the cylinder wall and 0.010 grind on the crank. That was the start of a more intensive mechanical refurbishment that gained momentum. The body remained as I had finished it until March '98. It was finally put into the bodyshop to be professionally redone, which ended up taking 2-1/2 years to complete.
The exterior features '96 Bonneville mirrors (look OEM); '97 Corvette exterior window seals; fiberglass cowl hood; and removal of the tailgate letters, rocker mouldings, door frame mouldings, and engine displacement emblems. The body is finished in Medium Atlantic Blue basecoat/clearcoat.
The drivetrain and other related modifications include a warmed-up 327 engine (double hump heads, roller tipped rockers, performer intake, headers, 218 duration Lunati camshaft, forged pistons, balanced assembly, Carter AFB 625CFM carburetor; Holley mechanical fuel pump and regulator, Flow Kooler water pump; Moroso valve covers and air cleaner, K&N air filter, finned aluminum oil pan, '74 HEI distributor with Accel super coil, and MSD ignition box); 3/8" aluminum fuel line; custom aluminum fan shroud for 14" temperature controlled electric fan; oil and transmission coolers; '82 Camaro coolant tank; driveshaft loop; transmission shift kit and 800RPM stall converter; 2-chamber Flowmaster mufflers; aluminized pipes capped with flared chrome tips which exit in front of the rear wheels, and a custom panel between the radiator and the grille.
The suspension, brake, and wheel modifications are as follows: '72 Chevelle power front discs; adjustable proportioning valve dual reservoir brake system; custom double-flared brake lines; '86 Trans Am power steering gear; Hotchkiss front 1" lowering springs; 1-1/8" front and 5/8" rear sway bars; boxed rear control arms; rear air bags with onboard air compressor unit; 17X8 Torque Thrust II wheels with BFG Comp TAs rubber (235/45 front, 255/45 rear).
The interior is redone in '65 Saddle tan with a '82 El Camino bench seat (widened 4" with a cup holder in the armrest); 3-point seatbelts; Grant steering wheel; '67 Chevelle sun visors and mirror; factory A/C from a '64; under dash engine gauges (water temperature, oil pressure, air/fuel ratio); component speakers, and CD stereo; security system; spacesaver spare tire, and a custom back wall upholstered panel.
Future modifications will be a 8" dual diaphragm power brake booster, completion of the A/C with a R134 system, 80s Camaro steering column, positraction differential, manual or automatic OD transmission, custom dash bezel with white faced gauges, power windows, power door locks, and cold air box for cowl hood.
My wife thinks it's finished, HAH nothing is ever finished. I just say "Remember you're the one who showed me the ad."
Team Chevelle would love to feature your Car on one of our future monthly articles.
If selected as a feature, we will send you a high quality Team Chevelle license plate!
To take part, send a few quality pictures to us and as much information as you can (we LOVE reading about Chevelles!)
Note: preference is given to submitted photos, unless you have access to high quality scanning equipment, we would prefer to do the image work and touch-ups.
or: Al McKenzie, Box 231, Creston, B.C. Canada, V0B-1G0
