8/22/25: I’ve been wanting to get this written up for quite a long time but haven’t been able to. It will have been three years of work this past July, 7/11/2022. I’d like to preface by stating that I started this project with almost no knowledge of working on vehicles. With a mechanical engineering background, I knew the physics behind a lot of the automotive systems, but the intricate details of things like ignition, braking and fuel delivery systems took extensive work to learn as the project progressed. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the most important thing to learn was welding, which I had zero experience with. That will be evident soon. I intend to update this when significant enough progress is made, warranting a status report. One of the biggest reasons for holding off on writing this to begin with was knowing how much needed to be done. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard ‘long way to go’ when people check on the progress. While that’s still true, there’s quite a bit that has been done that I think is now worth sharing. I will note that the only times I have available to work on this is weekends and a few days after work, so progress is very slow. History: I’ve always found the most enjoyment in life from taking things apart and putting them back together. From mountain bikes to analog stereos, whatever was intriguing that I could afford, I’d look to pick something up used and renew it to keep it going. In college I started to really want to get a vehicle with the intent to learn it top to bottom and get it back on the road, a really quality repair that I’d be able to maintain over a lifetime. Only a few vehicles really stand out to me, and once I came across the 59 El Camino I was dead set on finding one. After over a year of scouring I finally came across one that appeared complete, despite having some owner modifications that would clearly need to be reverted. Over this time, research made it abundantly clear how flexible and forgiving these old American cars are, Chevrolet in particular. Given the 59 shares the X-frame with up to the 64 model year, it only further confirmed this was the way to go. The goal was to make something that appeared factory original, but had quality of life improvements to the engine, transmission, brakes and suspension, mainly removing sloppy steering and less than ideal fuel economy due to inefficient gearing. Something reliable and comfortable that could easily be maintained, all without serious modifications. 7/2022: I drove out to Las Vegas from San Diego in a U-Haul van and trailer. My dad grew up dealing with old Chevys and Buicks so he had an interest in coming along. Checked the vehicle over and found rough patch work in a few areas (primarily the front of the rear quarter), but otherwise no real issues. Lacked a battery, exhaust and front windshield but all things that can readily be acquired. First rookie mistake was not checking the inner pinch weld behind the rear quarter or crawling underneath to check the undercarriage. The entire floor pan had been replaced with a reproduction panel, and a ‘rebuilt’ SBC 350 was installed. Had hydraulic control arms and springs, but on first glance all potential issues were (in my head) easily correctable. Absolutely packed with boxes of bolts, electrical components, trim, etc. A lot of very good chrome, and no dents. Looked good enough! Drove it home. I had COVID this entire trip, made getting back at 2am pretty tough. After recovering, the vehicle was cinched down into the garage and mounted on jack stands. Wheels came off and boxes were unloaded to a storage unit. Only picture I've got with the vehicle on the ground 8/2022: Due to having no money, I held back on any serious work and instead started on cheap, simple things to still be able to complete. So I started on the gauge cluster. All but the original clock had been swapped to digital gauges, which I opted to revert. I found some cheap original gauges online and broke down the speedometer. I cleaned the faces, reset the odometer to 0mi, and cleaned the corrosion off of the internal magnet driving the needle. Lubricated the gears and put it back together. The clock is a fascinating device that took quite a while to understand, but eventually I was able to clean all residue off of it and relubricate it. Testing it with a 12V battery confirmed it was able to start up and keep running. The fuel and coolant gauges were relatively simple, only needing corrosion cleaned off of the wire traces, then tested with 12V (+float for fuel gauge) to make sure they functioned properly. New lenses were installed and the gauges were all put back in their housings. Original clock mechanism 3/2023: There was a gap here as time was spent on getting some money saved up, gauges were being restored and just generally poking around to see where to start. This was the first real hurdle. To preface, to accommodate the hydraulics, the frame had been almost entirely wrapped in 3/16” steel plate. I was indifferent to this initially, but after checking underneath, wherever there wasn’t reinforced plate, there would be at least one rot hole somewhere in the original metal. Additionally, due to the modification to the frame for the hydraulic pistons, stock control arms were no longer able to be mounted. This made it pretty clear that I needed to swap the frame. I was able to find a great deal on a stock, solid 59 frame that I wire brushed and painted. I pulled the engine, removed the control arms and jacked the body up off the frame as high as possible. The frame was them pulled from the jack stands and dropped onto a piece of cardboard, that was then slid out from underneath the body. The new frame was then put on the cardboard and slid under the body. Bolted everything back up and mounted the engine back on the frame. The rear brakes were redone with new wheel cylinders, shoes and hardware. Replacement frame Body and engine mounted up 5/2023: Picked up a brand new Tremec TKX 5-speed. This was an overkill purchase but after hearing repeatedly about the Magnum 6-speed I figured this would be a good option. At this point I was still considering potentially swapping in an LS motor in the future, which the TKX would be more than capable of handling. This transmission also clears the low transmission tunnel without modifications, and should allow for excellent gearing for street and highway driving. I was also able to get it with a factory correct offset location, so that was a nice bonus as well. I bolted the flywheel and bellhousing to the engine and checked the runout for proper concentricity. All looked good so moved to pulled the transmission to the engine. This proved very difficult to align on my back so I pulled the engine and installed it on the ground. Bolting everything up Transmission installed 7/2023: Picked up an Eaton posi with a Yukon 3.36 gear set. The goal is to be able to use this vehicle for mild driving that is capable of highway speeds without needing to run the engine at high RPM. This seemed like the best option for potentially higher power down the road. I pulled the 55P open diff and set it aside. I then went through the arduous process of installing the pinion gear and mating it to the ring gear. I was able to get solid markings on the coast and drive side that apparently are within spec. Once the vehicle is under load we’ll see if it causes problems or not. For the time being, it’ll have to be good enough. Posi gear markings 8/2023: Picked up a full set of suspension and steering components from Global West. They seem to have a very solid set of tubular arms that are more connected to the tie rods, eliminating bump steer from these vehicles. Installed both front and rear, along with the Borgwarner steering box and steering linkages. Greased all fittings and moved to the rear axles. Picked up a new set and installed new axles seals. Unfortunately I ordered the wrong diameter initially and needed to angle grind off the bearings and races to press on the correct ones. This was also the first time I really gave welding a shot. The radiator core support was rotted out in several sections along the bottom, so I picked up a MIG welder and some 18ga mild steel. Not the best attempt, but the panels have been welded in and the support painted. I will likely go back now and touch up a few areas now that I have a bit more experience. Steering/suspension installed Filler weld on old clutch linkage Radiator core support rot Preground core support patch 9/2023: Started to really dig into the engine. I was unhappy with the rust in the water jacket (later found to be normal behavior) and jumped on some nice rebuilt double hump heads. Broke down the top end of the 350 to inspect the cylinder walls. Some staining and scratching, but nothing major. It was apparent that the motor has indeed been rebuilt. The top end was then put back together. 350 top end teardown Putting everything back together 10/2023: I figured at this time it’s time to start addressing the body rust. Early on I noticed severe rot on both firewall corners. I figure this was a good enough place to start. So I started cutting panels back until the rust was gone. This is not a recommended method and have since changed my approach. This section has still not been fully repaired and will be a pain to fix, as I now have very little metal left to go off of. I made a simple panel that joins the sidewall of the cabin to the floor and put the work on hold. I realized I was likely a bit over my head and needed to come back later. During this time I also picked up an original, non-working 2-speed wiper motor. I broke it down, cleaned out the hardened grease and reapplied lubricant. It was then tested with 12V to ensure everything switched and parked properly. Firewall corner rot Further interior rot First steps towards repair 11/2023: Lots of bodywork during this month. I cut rust out of the drain rain behind the rear glass, and cut into the body channel that the tailgate sits in. These were perfect practice locations as they are non-visible, simple and small. The prior owner had also laid several 16ga sheets over the bed with somewhat of a structure to hold them up. I removed everything to get a good look at the condition of the original metal. 90% of the original bed was gone, and the front and rear corners were in terrible share. I cut out the passenger side rear and set it aside for repair. It was curious that so much of the inner metal was in very back condition, but the body was so straight. Out of curiosity, I wire wheeled the body corners that wrap from the tailgate to the back of the rear quarters. Immediately a ½” layer of Bondo was buzzed through, with large rot present underneath. Had some legitimate frustrations at this point, but gathered my thoughts and kept moving. Remaining original bed metal Rotted passenger corner Rotted driver corner Rear passenger bed corner damage 12/2023: Decided to fix up the driver’s side door. Drilled the spot welds at the bottom of the door skin and replaced the rotted backing panel. The front corner near the hinge was also rusty so that was also addressed. I was curious about the tailgate, so I wire wheeled the paint off of the front and pulled the 16ga panel that was used to replace the original corrugated panel. Easily the most rust I have seen, and likely the worst remaining on the entire vehicle. The entire bottom 8 inches were shot, with a lot of rust bleeding through the front. I cut some of the top layer out, then realized I was going to need to practice a bit more before addressing this. Door panel corner rot Door panel bottom lip rot Corner and lip repair Tailgate rust damage Tailgate corner rot Tailgate front rot 1 thru 11/2024: Lots and lots of bodywork done over this period. Starting with relatively simple panels, I experimented with various methods and workflows before ultimately finding a good groove. Wire wheel around the rust, cut a sheet of paper to cover the area, sharpie the paper onto 18ga, cut the metal, form to the required shape, sharpie around the rusted area, set the metal in place and scribe around the patch, cut the rust out, fit the metal, tack it in place, weld and cool until the seam is made, then grind down and check for pinholes. Areas addressed: trough below the tailgate, passenger side rear body to frame mount, driver’s side fin trim lip, partial section of passenger side rear quarter backing structure, partial section of passenger side structure underneath tailgate corner (valence panel mount). Passenger side rear wheel well, rear corner valence panels, partial section of rear cabin drain rail, rear wall of passenger side cabin, driver side front fender, outer face of rear corner, underneath passenger side fin, passenger side bed rail corner, driver side drip rail above door, both front wheel wells, front half of passenger side quarter panel (bought cut out patches from a 2dr Biscayne, were partially rotted but better than existing metal), cut and properly fit up reproduction passenger rear quarter (back half) and welded entire passenger side quarter together, remade passenger door sill above rocker panel, then finally the passenger side firewall corner, fixing it the right way. These last two repairs took many, many pieces to reform the original structure, but are now solid and painted, hopefully lasting a very long time. During this time I also installed the parking brake pulleys and routed cabling to the rear brakes. Also in June of this year I stop by Casa Grande to check their junkyard. I stumbled across a 1960 El Camino with both corrugated bed panels in nearly immaculate shape. Nearly hit with heat stroke pulling these panels out as it takes 3-4 hours to get the rusted screws out of the body in 115F heat. Tailgate body trough repair Rotted body to frame mount Fabbed body to frame mount
Nice start, there is learning curve on everything. On your sheet metal welding with mig, you can’t run straight beads, you need to tack on about 1/2” intervals let it cool then come back and tack in between and so forth until the entire seam is welded. It’s tedious. Look forward to more progress.
Fin trim rust + patches Pinch weld sections repaired Tailgate trough repair Valence panel mounting structure rot Structure partially repaired Rear wheel well rot Rear wheel well repair Rear cabin wall repair Fin rot Fin repair Bed pinch weld rot Pinch weld repair Fender rot Fender repair Fender repair Front wheel well repair Original front quarters Repaired front quarter Cut passenger side quarters Welded quarters Firewall corner rot Repaired firewall corner 12/2024: I decided after all the months of body work to take a break and finally get the engine to fire. I hooked up a set of MSD ignition parts (motor came with MSD distributor, figured I’d keep it for now) and got the serpentine belt, fuel lines and carburetor hooked up. I was able to get the engine running, but not for very long. To summarize, the engine seemed to flood repeatedly to the point of strong gas smells from the oil. Heavy blowby fumes spurred me to check compression, which was wildly different cylinder to cylinder, with as low as 20psi while cranking. I suspect the compression could be low due to stuck rings, but it being so new I’m wondering if incorrect pistons/rings were used for the cylinder bore, resulting in a large gap and loss in compression. There was also continually water ending up in the oil after running for any period of time, so a cracked block is also a possibility. Regardless, it was something that needed the engine to be pulled and the bottom end looked over. I was never married to the idea of sticking with the 350, and with everything wrong with the vehicle up to this point, I figured I’d start from scratch and go with something I really wanted to use. 2/2025: Work was resumed on the tailgate. Both tailgate hinge mounts were rotted completely through, and the corners were almost entirely Bondo. Brazing had been done long ago to try and patch the outer skin but a lot of that had rotted out of control. So I methodically started cutting out and welding in one piece at a time. Tailgate hinge mount, beginning repair Opposite tailgate mount 3/2025: I went out and bought an old 1958 cast 283 engine. While not an exciting choice, this particular block is a late 1958 production, which matches the timeframe of the vehicle. It had previously run and looked to be a good contender. It’s a weak engine that’s not overly capable of much power, but with a Quadrajet and good transmission/differential gearing, fuel economy should in theory be quite good for this type of engine. Given the traffic in SoCal, laid back driving is the way to go IMO. I also picked up a 1980 Quadrajet and Cliff’s rebuild book to learn how to properly tune these for a given application. It arrived stuck and covered in residue. Tons of powder in the bowl as well. Stock 1958 283 SBC 1980 Quadrajet 5/2025: Engine block returned from machine shop after boring, honing, crank polishing and cylinder head rebuild. High temp orange enamel paint applied. For the tailgate by this point the passenger side tailgate hinge section and corner have been fully repaired. Front panels are nearly complete. Repainted block Tailgate corner repair
Passenger tailgate mount repair Opposite hinge mount first layer repair 6/2025: Engine is functionally finished. New pistons, rings, bearings, oil pump, cam (stock), pushrods, lifters, etc have all been installed, and valve timing is dialed. Flywheel and starter installed, water pump and alternator installed. 283 build 283 build 7/2025: Carburetor rebuild is complete with some fine orifice drilling to optimize idling. Engine installed on the frame and wiring set up to prepare for break in. Started right up! RPM held at 2000 minimum and increased to 3000 every minute or two. Overheated a few times due to air in the radiator but the 30 minutes was hit and break in called a success. For the tailgate, the driver side hinge mount is completed alongside the corner. The bottom lip that borders the bed panel is tacked in place. Engine finished, installed onto frame Opposite corner repair 8/2025: The tailgate bottom lip is fully welded in place, and all outstanding weld seams are ground down and checked for pinholes. By this point the tailgate is functionally complete, about 7 months later. It is installed onto the body. Work is now started on the passenger side fender. Alongside all of this main work necessary components have been knocked out, new full glass set has been delivered and am currently working on getting some original interior upholstery through Ciadella. Completed tailgate Fit check Most of the body work is still ahead, but a lot has been cleared out now. The main mechanical things remaining are a set of exhaust pipes, reinstallation of the transmission, getting a driveshaft made and aligned, and piping for the brakes and bleeding them. Have learned a massive amount in this span, looking forward to continuing. Updates may be irregular but trust that this will get done one way or another.
You’ve done an admirable job on this ElCamino! My favorite year. And done as a lot of us have, learned new skills, and gained valuable knowledge and experience as you go. Many kudos to you and carry on.
Thanks for sharing. Great model and year. I have read that they ( in '59 ) were only offered as a top model line. In '60 they allowed it to be plain. or base model as well.
The Jalopy Journal
