[Shawn]

Remember me?! I'm the one with the rust-bucket El Camino. I've finally decided that I'm going to get a new body for my Elky but the one's I need are in Arizona. I live in NY (40 miles north of NYC) and I can see that the only alternative is to have it shipped truck freight. Any advice on this? I haven't ordered one yet but I will when I'm ready. When I get the new body I will switch the VIN over from the old body to the new one as well as the cowl tag on the body. The only reason I want this done is because the Elky with the bad body (the one I have now) has a lot of desirable options and the bodies I want are just shells w/out build sheets. I plan on never selling the car so this isn't something to be worried about as far as legal stuff goes.

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1970 Chevy Custom El Camino aka Kaileigh
Built on November 25, 1969 in Baltimore
Green Mist #45 w/Green Vinyl Top
350ci/300HP 4bbl Small Block
Factory Dual Exhaust and Rally Wheels
My Elky Home Page www.dreamelectric.com


[This message has been edited by Shawn (edited 11-22-99).]

 

[66 bowtie]

glad to hear ya found one. I would ask the seller for a picture and in writing that that pic is the body you will get just incase you get it and something is wrong with it. could be used in court. pick a trucking company that has a great record for items shiped don't just take the cheapest one cause they might never get you your body. my idea of what i would do.
maybe others can add?


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OWNER OF 66 CHEVELLE MALIBU
Check out page dedicated to resto of my chevelle. still being made.
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Fav Quote: Second place is the first loser...

 

[gUmBaLL68Malibu]

Why not just get a new car that car was really rusted + the frame was rusted i live in arizona and i have known many people to make a trip down here to just buy a car they are really cheap out here compared to where you live.

 

[Shawn]

I don't want to get a new car because I don't think I could afford it. I found this one in August '98 that had been sitting in a field for 2 years and I bought it this last April and have decided that this one is a keeper. I found a body in AZ with a rolling chassis complete with doors, glass, dash, tailgate, etc. for $800 a little over what I paid for mine ($750). What I would do is switch the engine into this one, switch the VIN and cowl tags from the old to the new and switch the parts from the old one (seat, other stuff) so it would be the same car without the rust. I don't have access to any machinery to do this but I know a guy that restores cars for a living and maybe he could do it for me (just switch the body and hook up the brake lines, etc. to make it driveable) and then I could do a real frame off later. Then it wouldn't be over my head replacing panels and stuff.

 

[DG]

Shawn, how much is transporting it gonna be? I would more than likely figure out a way to get it myself than pay to have it transported. But since I have never went that route,..... I mean it might be cheaper to go to a big show, like Super Chevy, or Carlisle, pay a little more, and be able to tow it home.


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DG
Springfield, Ohio
70 Chevelle Malibu

www.wright.edu/~adams.6/chevy.htm
TEAM Chevelle Member #0086
Genx member (Founder 4 Ohio)
eBay username: dg98adams

 

[JWagner]

Will you get a title with the body? If so, just make that body your car and forget the rusty car. That would get you a lot closer to legal. Then you would only deal with a frame change and not a counterfeit VIN problem. Seems to me that you are asking for trouble by changing VIN tags.

 

[68SS396Camaro]

I am curious to find out what the shipping would be. A guy I used to work with had a frame of a 69 Buick Electra conv shipped from AZ to MA, dropped off at his door and it was around 8 or 9 hundred to ship. However it was not rollable (harder to transport) and he's not the type or person to shop around for prices. To me that seems like alot especially if what your buying is around that price. Maybe it is and maybe it isn't but when you figure the cost of what your buying plus what it costs to ship is it really worth it. Let us know the outcome.

 

[ED1966SS]

If the body you are getting is on a rolling frame you might look at some of the auto transporters. Many of them advertise in HMN. They are not cheap and most charge by the mile. You may end up paying more for transportation than you did for the body. I do agree with your direction to change out the body rather than attempt to fix a lot of rust. You will end up with a much better product. Email me if you want the name of a transporter I have used in the past who is reasonable.

 

[robert]

I would fly out there and rent a truck and trailer and tow it back. Time permitting.

 

[DaDon]

I agree with JWagner. I think you're asking for trouble if you're talking about switching vins and cowl tags. No matter what you do, that vin tag will NEVER look like the original. John Law will not appreciate what you're doing. Get the new one and use it to put together one nice car. Forget about build sheets and cowl tags. Make it the way you want it, and have fun with it. Just my .02

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Don - Chicago 'Burbs
'67 Malibu Street Machine
"Under Construction"
Gold #43
I've heard that the memory is the second thing to go.
I don't remember what the first thing is!?

 

[283v8]

My preference is to arrange my vacation to go get it.It seems a pickup truck and car dolly (from u-haul etc) would do the trick. I would enjoy the trip and the "savings" in shipping would be financing part (or all) of the cost.

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Gotta have a Chevy !In Durham N.C.
Why is there never enough time or money to do it right the first time, but ALWAYS enough to do it over?
Make it look the way you like it, forget what the other guys say!

 

[BULKSS]

If its a roller with no gas tank etc put it in the uhaul with a ramp truck much quiker than towing a trailer I think its ok as long as you dont have any flammable liquids (per uhaul ) Mike

 

[Wally]

Ship it FedEX!

Just kidding! I did ship a Pontiac Astre from Seattle Wa. to NYC air freight in 1978 for $600, what a bargin. It took several months to get the car, it was loaded on a pallet and sat at the air terminal until they had space on one of their planes, then bang it was in NYC. A bunch cheaper than driving 2800 miles one way. Car weighed about 2000 lbs.

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Wally
Gold #67
67 Malibu "Small Block"
90 SS454
71 Malibu "Small Block"
93 torch red vette

 

[68SS396Camaro]

Was that right, 1978. Sure its cheaper than driving 2800 miles one way, if it was still 1978! I believe the price has went up in over twenty years. Thats good info though. Knowing it cost that much over twenty years ago tells me that it is probably at least doubled to duplicate what you did. That twenty year old price is almost what he paid for the car. That tells me that time permitting getting it yourself is the way to go. You would probably even find more interesting stuff on the road trip

 

[Rainer]

Within the last year, I've shipped two cars from Oregon to Wisconsin (2200 miles), and the prices we got when we called around were $900 & up in an open trailer. We ended up going the enclosed trailer route for $1200, but these were nice drivers.

If you're gonna drive to get it, don't forget to figure in the cost of gas, motels, food, and the cost to rent equipment. You're probably not going to save any money by getting it yourself, but if you want an adventure, and you have time on your hands, go for it. Good luck!

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Rainer Seitz
Vancouver, WA
Team Chevelle Gold #50

'68 SS396 (soon to be for sale!)
'70 LS3 400 Malibu
'70 Malibu convertible 350/300hp
[email protected]

 

[Alan F]

Shawn,
You asked for advice. Here is mine.

A. Give up on the rust-bucket. Either sell it outright or part it out to recoup your investment.

B. Buy yourself a nicer original El Camino from a location that is nearer or more accessible to you.

Think about the following:
1. You are going to pay as much or more to have the body transported from AZ to NY as you paid for your original car.
2. You are going to have to pay to have the goodies transferred from one car to the other.
3. It is illegal to switch the VIN tags.
4. I'll bet that the body you get will still need bodywork, paint, headliner, etc.
5. Even though you say you aren't going to resell it, you shouldn't want to have more money in this project than the market value of the vehicle. I just can't imagine that you are that attached (like it was a family heirloom) to your existing El Camino.
6. There is no substitute for buying a nice, original car. In other words, it will take alot of $$$ to make a silk purse out of that sow's ear.

I'll bet you will have in the neighborhood of $6,000 invested in this project by the time it is usable, however not completed. As an alternative, I would look around and see what can be bought for the amount of money that you are about to invest in this project.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck to you.

 

[Shawn]

Well, I'm not too attached to it but I love the car a lot even if it is a rustbucket. I don't think anyone will buy it the way it is because they would only want the parts. My next choice would be another 1970 Elky in better condition or a 1968 El Camino. I don't even have my license or permit yet so I haven't really found out what I can do with it yet. I paid $750 for my Elky now after it had been sitting in a field for 2 years and even when it was parked there it was rusty. What I would like is a green (like green mist ) 1968 El Camino non-SS with a 350/300HP small block just like this one. The engine that's in the rust-bucket was rebuilt and doesn't burn any oil.

 

[Fine69]

Shawn, Check around some of the smaller auto brokers / consignment dealers. They have cars shipped from all over. I sold my truck to one and got talking to the owner. Shared with him my love for american muscle cars and and that I was looking out of state as well as local. He said he gets cars shipped to him for $200-$300 from all over. I think the trick is you need to find an open space on a transporter and share the costs!

[This message has been edited by Fine69 (edited 11-24-99).]