The rason imentioned it was becouse I saw a pic somewere. It looked very stock. Could have been a fake I guess.
They did not build any 59 Pontiac El Caminos. Stole following info from a Swedish site: Three lines of Pontiacs were available in Canada during 1959. The lowest-priced range was the 7100 Strato Chief series, in which the Sedan weighed 3,675 pounds and cost $2,872. The same body style in the 750 Laurentian series was priced $3,040 and weighed 3,668 pounds. Top-line models were in Parisienne series, which included a 3,713 pound Sedan selling for $3,222. All Canadian Pontiacs were on a 119-inch wheelbase and came standard with a 150 horsepower 261 cubic inch six-cylinder engine (STRATO-SIX). Options included 185 and 230 horsepower versions of the Chevrolet 283 cubic inch V-8, as well as 250 and 280 horsepower jobs based on the Chevrolet 348 cubic inch V-8. Pontiac where the most popular car in Canada 1959, 57129 cars where manufactured. The Laurentian was the most popular Pontiac series in 1959. Its rear flanks used the same star ornamentation that was a Star Chief trademark in the U.S. About the Mercury pick-ups, some info can be found at http://www.mercurypickup.net
[ QUOTE ] Any pics of some Canadian cars...like a 1959 Pontiac Elcamino..............? [/ QUOTE ] The car you are referring to was not a Canadian car but rather a styling prototype built by GM in the states.If memory serves me correctly two of them were built and I'm not sure but I think both of them survived.Seems to me that one of them was at a POCI convention a few years ago.
There you go, thats what I was talking about. I saw a pic of one of them some damn were. It was just one that was parked on a street in Cali. Would love to find one. Thanks Safari...
There is also a link to Canadian Pontiacs on Yahoo run by a guy called Aubrey Bruneau(bruneauperformance).
did chevy make any kind of car truck thing before the elcamino? A guy I know claims he knows where he can get a pre-elcamino "bel air" truck. I never heard of anything of the sort though.
Another thing - Canadain Pontiacs were built on Chevrolet chassis, with all Chevy running gear , like rear ends, front suspensions etc. as opposed to the Oldsmobile stuff that came on US versions.
55-58 Chevy had the Cameo and GMC's version was called the Suburban Carrier. I have a book somewere that show a proto type, I think, 55,6,or 7 GMC El Camino or Cabalaro that is just a Chevy Cameo. I'll look for that book.
Really? Wow I wish my 56 Safari had been that way. It was NOTHING like a Chevy. You would think it and a Nomad would be simular..NOT!
Lotta Pontiacs 58-64 ran the 348/409's... exactly the same except they don't have the bowtie on the valve covers. There was a 59 Pontiac El Camino at BilletProof in '00. I'm 99.9% sure the guy fabricated this car, but he did a really good job and it looked factory from what I remember. Aubrey Bruneau is very knowledgable in this stuff. He posts on the 348-409.com website.... Travis
Oh yeah... and switchblade... I've seen a picture of a '56 Chevy done up as an El Camino and it was titled "Did Ford really have a better idea?" in regard to the 57 Ranchero. I think it was just a GM idea that never came about. Neat picture, though. Travis
[ QUOTE ] Speaking of Beaumont's, anyone know where I can get some '64 front end trim? [/ QUOTE ] You might try this guy or maybe he can lead you in the right direction, http://www.bruneauperformance.ca/
There never were lots of 348/409 Canadian Pontiacs. I've seen a few, but they never were common. I remember gettiing a cal from a car dealer in Carnduff about a 63 Parisienne wagon with a 409 4 speed, that some old fart had traded in. By the time I got there, though, it was long gone. I got a couple Canadian built cars; The first is a 56 Pontiac sedan delivery
[ QUOTE ] Oh yeah... and switchblade... I've seen a picture of a '56 Chevy done up as an El Camino and it was titled "Did Ford really have a better idea?" Travis [/ QUOTE ] There was a 56 Nomad that a guy named Paul Bourque converted into an el Camino because the roof had been danaged in a rollover accident.He used a rear window from a 59 Thunderbird and it blended almost perfectly into the "B" pillars.Painted in Titian Red,put a set of Keystones on it and used it for a shop truck for several years.He sold it to a local kid who thrashed it badly and it disappeared for awhile.The next time I saw it was on the cover of Rod & Custom in a group shot.I'd love to have that one!A friend of mine is trying to convince me to do that to one of my Safaris but I don't think that's gonna happen anytime soon.
The ol'guy who did the stitchin on my roof of my roadster used to own a kewl car.It was a 55 chevy nomad made into an elcamino.It was built back when it was only a couple of years old.It was called the "madcamino"Its still around here.I clipped this kids 56 ford peekup about 2 years ago.Turns out his dad owns the madcamino.Its buried in their garage wastin away.Prolly won't see the light of day till the dad dies........Shiny
A car restorer friend-o-mine has a '50 Merch Monarch waiting in the aisle... It's been chopped 3 inches, has Corvette suspension all around and is set up for a small block. As it happens frequently, he hasnt had time to work on the car for the last 8-10 years... Some of the mods (like the suspension) are already 'dated' (80's trend?). The original plan (in the late '80's) was purple with huge billet... Now it would be black with caddy hubcaps... In ten years? Who knows!
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