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67 el camino project

5K views 25 replies 5 participants last post by  Jim Mac 
#1 ·
started posting on the el camino forum but figured the progress report is more correct here.
Basically bought a roller 67 el camino in march. The car was for sale for 2500 with a SS hood, disc brakes, bucket seats, 12 bolt 3.73 posi. The big block and TH400 had been pulled. By the time I called it was sold, turns out to a buddy wanted it for parts. A week later, I find out the car is for sale less SS hood, buckets, 12 bolt. It got a 10 bolt swapped in, a nice cloth bench seat, a flat hood. But the price was 1000 without the original discs or 1200 with the original discs. I opted to keep the brakes intact.
So its been a month, so far the cars got its back brakes hooked back up, new lines, shoes, cylinders. We were going to go with a muncie but my wife wants a auto. I was going to use a th350,turns out someone modfied the crossmember for a th400, so I stuck one out of my chevelle in there. Had to trade the driveshaft for a shorter one.
Then had to start ordering parts,
New u joints, aluminum radiator, motor mounts, headers, 2.5" exhaust, fan shroud, PS pump, hoses, even bought a repro SS hood in a moment of madness.
I started a spread sheet and with the price of the car and stuff I already purchased, Im up to 2500 bucks. I still need to drop the motor in it, buy the hoses, fluids, belts, cables.
May as well get a carpet kit installed before I install the shifter.
The little things add up quick! fortunately I already had most of the big ticket stuff, Motor, tranny, rearend, wheels/tires.
I swear after this one gets up and running, I will not buy another project car again. Im just going to keep what I have and do stuff to them. jim
 
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#4 ·
got to talking to a buddy about the el camino tonight. Hes finishing up a total frame off resto mod 66 chevelle. Big block, 4 speed, 12 bolt, powder coated frame, suspension etc. vintage air, dakota digital etc. Anyway, he never threw any of the old interior stuff out that was originally in the car. Granted its all aged but considering my elky has a bare shell inside, Im going to use as much as I can. jim
 
#6 ·
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=414745
theres one pic in the thread. The ralley wheels didnt come with the car. Its got centerline autodrags right now. The flat hood is going soon. I bought a new SS hood for it, just waiting to drop the motor in before bolting it on. got a couple ads out right now, looking for a 12 bolt for the truck. Even offered up a AK47 for one. jim
 
#8 ·
Bill, as I went over to look at it I pretty much decided if the car had any issues i was going to pass on the deal. Once I saw it i decided I wanted it. The truck was already on a trailer so getting under it to look at the suspension, floors and body mounts was made real easy. James is a stand up guy and was real helpful on pointing out where a body's have issues. If I hadnt talked to him that day about buying it he had a second buyer from phoenix buying a sprint and the guy wanted the 67 too.
 
#10 ·
A little progess on the truck. Plan was to use a reringed 350 I have in the shed, but I never saw the motor run before the rings, I dont know the history of the shortblock or the heads. I will probably use it in the future, but there was a guy selling a 307 on cl complete with all the brackets pulleys, accy, carb dist etc. Basically he's building a truck and wants a new hotrod motor for it. So I went and picked it up last night. Turns out its got 041 heads on it, a 1970 Q jet off a 350 Im thinking someone used the top end off of a 300hp 350 on this 307. The plugs were a nice light tan so I decided to just go for broke and install it as is. Im trying to do this in the dirt in the side yard. Went to home depot and got a 3/4 in sheet of ply wood to help roll the hoist on. Well unloading the motor was easy enough, getting the hoist turned around was no big deal and the next thing you know the motor is sitting in front of the 67. So I figured why not. Got it dropped in, bolted to the tranny, broke down the hoist and finished up about 20 min ago. So hopefully the heavy stuff is done, now its just hooking up the exhaust, hoses, electrical radiator and then to the interior.
Im just glad the heavy parts is done. Now I can pull it up onto the trailer and put it in the back out of sight. jim
 
#12 ·
Thanks for the offer. I like these backyard projects because when im tired of tinkering i can drop the wrenches and walk away. Now that the heavy job is done i can go out and do the little stuff slowly as time allows. Hopefully itll be on the road mid summer.
 
#13 ·
spent some quality time with the truck this weekend. Its one of those 2 steps forward, 3 steps back. Got the headers installed, starter installed. Had to figure out which wire was the start wire (3 pink ones all look the same) 2 hot 1 hot only with key turned to start. So now I can wire it up. Dropped in the radiator, turns out two of the mounting holes are off about 1/8" so out comes the grinder. The motor mount on the drivers side needed a little grinding to fit the bolt. Filled up the rad and turns out the used waterpump on the used motor is leaking out the weep hole. So I went and bought a new waterpump. PS hose needed to be ordered. Hopefully it fits (long waterpump in a 67).
Another day of tinkering and I should be ready to take the thing for a test drive. I still need to pull the seat and install the new carpet. Then the shifter can be installed.
After that, new door/window seals, drop in the door panels. Probably pull the back window and reseal it, while its out the headliner is going in.
Fun fun fun. jim
 
#15 ·
Im to the point where I just need to hook up a power wire to the coil and drop a battery in it, it should fire off. I still need to lengthen the alternator wires to the passenger side. Forgot to run a wire from the R side of the solenoid for the coil. (points type) Im going to swap over to a HEI but just to see the motor run, I want to use whats in the car now.
Converter is hooked up. need a hose for the vacuum modulator too. but its getting down to the simple stuff. I just hope the 100 dollar craigslist motor actually runs. jim
 
#17 ·
If the wind was right this afternoon, you probably could have.... dropped a battery in it, poured 4 gallons of gas, hit the key......... cranked and no start! felt like those hotrod shows where they cant get the brand new motor to light off. I checked and got no spark, pulled the cap and looked at how I have the wires hooked to the coil. Well I do remember hooking up a wire to the - side of the coil but it was the condenser. I forgot to hook the dist wire to the coil. Well cranked it again and Im out 180* swap the wires around and she lights off!
Gen light works, wipers work, headlights dont work but I notice a jumper on the dimmer switch. Heck the gas gauge moved and the dome light even kicked on!
I did forget to mention I couldnt get any gas to the fuel pump. I trace the hose back to the tank and I think someone had a electric fuel pump installed back there at one time. I have a hose from the tank and a hose to the line but air in between. I stuck a fuel filter in there temporily just to see if it runs. It runs, starts, idles. Its a bit loud with open headers but for a $100 307 with 041 heads, Q jet intake and carb off a 70 350 Im happy with it.
Now to just start going back and doing the stuff right. Adjust the rear brakes so I have some brakes. swap mod on the tranny, install a shifter and start on the insides. jim
 
#19 ·
Now the pain in the butt part, detailing the stuff and making the oddball stuff right under the hood. 4 hot wires under the hood. I think one was a HEI but the other 3 who knows?
Another odd ball thing, the carb has a switch for wide open throttle, I think its a kick down switch for a TH400 so I can make use of that for my trans.
Its all the little things that turns a 1200 dollar rolling project into a 3500 dollar running/driving pile of poo.
jim
 
#21 ·
More progress, a few more dollars. Homemade throttle rod $25 2 spheical rpd ends jam nuts and a piece of all thread. So now my gas pedal works. Swapped oit the vacuum modulator installed a hard vacuum line to it. Installed the carpet kit, quicksilver shifter so now the tranny is done. Motor is wired up and running. Next ip is to adjust and bleed the brakes, install the exhaust system then rig the e brake and go for a drive. Jim
 
#22 ·
Adjusted the rear brakes, found the metal brake line in the rear plugged. Changed it out got brakes tonight. tied up the E brake stuff just to get it off the ground so I could pull it out of the yard and say I actually drove it! Turned the car around parked it nose in first.
Next up is to readjust the brakes because they still feel a little low and bleed them again. install the exhaust then get the E brakes working. Jim
 

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#23 ·
installed the exhaust Sunday afternoon. for a $190 dollar mandrel bent kit its not a bad fitting unit. If I had the car in the air it would probably fit even better. Nothing like laying on your back in the tucson heat to make you want to get it done.
Had to get under it and do some readjusting this afternoon. Fits better now.
Got a call today, guy wants to sell me a set of ralleys, caps, rings and tires (15") so I may take a little road trip saturday to pick them up.
Probably going to replace the master cylinder, the brakes feels just too squishy. I think the fronts arent pumping up.
Picked up a original am radio to fit in the dash the other day, got a horn button for the wheel too, plus a extra steering wheel and horn tri bar.
jim
 
#24 ·
Progress update.
#1 got brakes!
fixed the roller on the window regulator and while I was in there replace the channel, and fuzzys on the drivers side. Installed used set of door panels a buddy pulled off of his car. So the doors look used and matches the car, but completed the look.
Bought a original am radio with knobs a week back and finally installed it. Its not hooked up but at least the hole is filled. Gotta order the radio bezel and glove box bezel.
Took it for a little drive. the 245 60 tires up front rubs. Bought a set of 15x7 ralleys with caps and rings the other day. Probably going to swap them with a set of 205 75 15's pretty soon. The 307 isnt going to be smoking the tread and being able to rotate the tires will be different.
Its about 105* and stop and go in the neighborhood the temp his right around 200*. Not sure what thermostat is in there or if its even got one. Its got a new aluminum 2 core radiator without a shroud, its also got a flex fan. I accidentally bought a BBC shroud. I lined it all up and the clutch fan I have looks like its going to fit. Just have to get to it next. But its not over heating and once its moving the temp drops to 195 or so.
So far so good! jim
 
#25 ·
little more progress. I talked to the buddy that sold me the car yesterday and turns out he has a set of bucket seat cores for sale. It took me about 10 seconds to decide to get them so I went and picked them up this morning.
I bought the roller off of him in march and the fun part was I drove the 67 back to his house to buy the buckets off of him. Actually felt good to see it back on the road.
So I get the seats home and had to make room in the shed for them. Ive been tripping over the SS hood stuck in the doorway of my garage, since the car was a few feet from the hood, I went ahead and bolted that badboy onto the elky.
Next up is to do something about tires. The centerline's offset is just a hair much in the back and they rub. Im probably going to move the rubber over to the rallys I picked up. The backspace should work out fine. jim
 
#26 ·
Can't believe its been 18 months. Well heres some progress. I did swap to the ralley wheels and new tires so no more rubbing. Found a set of 67 bucket seats and redid them at Christmas. Installed new door panels, channels to clean up the door. Found a set of clutch pedals and got them installed for the four speed swap eventually. Headliner is done too. Broke down and installed my spare 3.31 12 bolt and a factory rear sway bar. And rattle can the thing black satin for now. Grabbed 5 quarts of paint and primer for this summer. Its still a long way but ive been driving it almost every weekend. Jim
 
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