Projects 59 El Camino.. Build Pics

It probably got lost among all those 55&56 chevy's.

 

There's hot chicks in the Branding Iron, but I can't stomach the music. And TV is more interesting then 66ers baseball, for me anyways! I heard this joke; Where this guy was saying, 'you'll always be remebered by the second thing that they say about you, after you've died.
Example:
Hey, J.Fishbeck past away last night!
Who?
That guy that lives on Mill Street, with all them old cars!
Ooh yeah, I remember him..

So that's actually funny,(but fucked up-I know!) to think about the legacy some people leave.

Oh yeah, I remember that skinny bumpy muh' fucker.. he had that one good tooth up front. He loved cantalope, 'member they used to call him scoopy

 

Taped up the hinges and threw 'em on the decklid..



The first time its had a t/gate since I've owned it!





Then I checked on the side bed panels, I have soaking in the molasses/vineagar mix.









Tomorrow, I will cut out the rust and weld in a new pieces on the t/gates inner bottom.



I had to use the circular file to elongate the t/gate holes. The hinges are exactly the same as the original specifications. No worries, just makes me wonder!





Then I wanted to go over my MIG welds with the gas torch. Just to practice, really. I can tell the difference between the metals willingness to move, when I hammer and dolly after using the actyl/oxy welder. I used a 0 tip, and the thinnest filler rod. I look forward to using it more.



Weld, grind the weld, hammer and dolly- repeat!



I have to shrink the top of the t/gate in the morning.. Feels good to be working on this thing again! Good day, today!

 

Adjusted the t/gate.. Gas welded & shrunk, what needed to be shrunk.







Worked the corner a little bit.. no pun intended!

 

Looking good !!!!! Tom (Tired Old Man)

 

Thanks.. I appreciate it!

 

Nice progress man you keep moving along...right on.

 

It's gettin' there.. like my Dad would say! Now he keeps bringing up, 'Look how old it is!'

 

More 'rustoration', today! I also pulled out that kink in the t/gates corner.

 

Cleaned up the side bed panels, before I started my attempt at leading the t/gate.



Started here



Made the paste to nuetralize the acids?





I didn't understand this stuff at first..



It ends up resembling the powdered tinning, I'm used to seeing.



Well, I learned what not to do. I need to see the old man do it, so I can see where I'm veering off!



Looks like a Robot Agent, took a lead shit on the t/gate. Oops, better clean that up.. So I melted it all back off!



And this is where I finished off.. Burned the f#*k outta my thumb, too Hahaha I learned a lot today!

 

No worries, it ain't really yours until it has cut you/burned you/injured you in some way.

Looking good, the tailgate looks a lot cleaner without that big wart in the middle of it.

 

Then me and this thing are married, with no parole!

 

You gave it a shot, you'll get it eventually.

 

Thanks, Nads! There are 'no' mistakes.. just life lessons of what 'not' to do. That lightens the load a little bit!

 

'Stan Back' sent me this pic, this morning. The roadster is a friends of his. The front Halibrands (were-are IDK) Stans. The owner of the roadster, found the 18" rears to match.. I really like these! The roadster is nice to look at. Wow

 

More rain tomorrow.. so I threw on the new plugs, wires, cap & rotor for my 57. Which was overdue, I must admit. The 700R4 is all buttoned up, just needs the fluid added, once it's in.



I was talking with my Dad about lead work.. I needed to use more lead was all. I still have my hood to fix, so I will try on it. It isn't cherry, so I have no worries about practicing on it. I'll have a little parental supervision, next time! Looking forward to it, yet I look forward to working on the front end.. cos that represents the end of the body work!



"

 

Stellar progress, young man! That blk '55 in the background is another 'hurt-me-bad!!

 

My new desktop

 

it's Dads, shame he can't drive anymore. That car hasn't been back on the street since done.bummer

 

It's mine, too ahaha

 

It sure is.Maybe he'll let you take it out.

 

would have to insure it.. I miss the days before insurance was the law. We'd build something and just drive it. But not anymore...

my 'Lost Hot Rods' book is in the mail! Can't wait..

 

So I was able to get some primer down, weather permitting. Cleaned up the jambs a little and sanded on the t/gate some more! Felt good to get back on it, didn't even cuss once today! Hahaha





















The paint (Orig.Gothic Gold, The 2nd color Blue & The Zolotone) on the bed sides will be stripped down, tomorrow. I need to get primer on 'em while the weathers still in the 70's! Dad will be at the Veterans hospital all day tomorrow. So Imma get all the major noise making outta' the way, while he's out!

 

I hope yer pops gets to feeling better soon.
Slow down, yer gonna beat me.

 

Thank you, kind sir! The race is on.. Hahaha!

 

More show & tell.. with a little less tell!



































I did a lot of block sanding the t/gate, also! I'm starting to like what I see!

 

Jay,
It's really coming along well. You just keep plugging away........I'm sorry to hear that your Dad is under the weather. I hope things turn out well for him.
I just finished my El Camino. I had it re-upholstered, even though it probably could have stayed the way it was, had the speedometer restored and, installed new weatherstrips, headlamp switch, heater switch ,N.O.S. radio and instrument bulbs. I installed the heater switch, headlamp switch, instrument bulbs as a safety precaution.
Anyway....best of luck to your Dad.......Mike

 

Hope your dad gets to feeling better, sucks to be sick no mater how old/young you are.

That tailgate looks so much smoother with the emblem shaved off of the middle of it. I was thinking about removing mine & now I have my mind made up.

Do you have any pictures of your original tailgate hinges? I have mine loose but I cannot get them out of the car. I did break a few of the bolts though. Were the bolts on yours long enough to hang out of the bottom of the hinge so that they would catch on the body metal (if you happened to break one or two bolts while trying to remove them) I have not gotten rowdy with them yet though, I don't want to have to fix anything that I accidentally broke.

 

Heat, lots of heat from a propane torch, an impact screwdriver and PB Blaster will loosen the toughest fastener.

 

Wow, Mike! Can you say, better than new.. I can! Who restored the speedo? My Uncle needs a 55-56 speedo head restored! United Speedometer in Riverside is out of business.. So I'm looking for a new place!

Mine didn't come with the t/gate or hinges.. I bought some loose hinges of a 59(wore out). But the 60 hinges I bought were still on the Elco and they were a pain to remove. The hinge pin broke taking them off, so that's when I decided to have the hinges made.

Eric was over my hse ystrdy, he was saying he could make them hinges for $400.00

yep, we were using a torch an a hammer! Kinda glad it happened really!