Projects 59 El Camino.. Build Pics

Good for you.

 

fuck ya!

 

Nice man. Keep up the progress!

 

This is the 58 frame, from the parts car, 2dr Biscayne "ex-qtr mile car" .. the one I used the rear side frame rail from. I had the whole thing sold, before I remembered that the front frame horns were cut off. They welded the fenders & hood together, to make a tilting, one pc front end. Since, it has contribruted to two cars, destined for the street, as a donor POS. Best $400.00 I spent. Now I have an extra rear end housing, too! I am going to bend the fuel & brake lines to shape, using this frame for a pattern. Then its time to cut this thing down and scrap it, with the plasma cutter.


I got the front end ready to be disassembled. All the cotter pins are out, the nuts and bolts are broke loose. The spring compressor I have fits the 55-57's coil springs.. but the 58 & 59 springs, I've dealt with, have a smaller I.D. So I have to do things I won't share with pics, just to get the springs out!

 

Haha, I was thinking that too

 

all in all its coming along nicely. thumbs up

 

I have some 17x7 & 18x7 ET's five spokes I just put on my 58.. They would give the Elco that 60's retro look. The 20's & 22's came off my 58 cos the 285 35 22 tires are too wide. It needs 265 40 22's to fit the 58 better. I can trade off, just to cater to everybody.. so its all happy,happy, joy ,joy.. That's better!

 

One of the chrome shops I stopped at today, had some beautiful sprint rims they were plating to replicate the polished magnesium look.(w/o the elbow grease, baby oil & plastic bags to delay oxidizing.) I like the copper look!


This pic shows how subtle it is from a distance..



I think these are "real rodder wheels" or whatever, or "Limeworks". Not sure, but really nice eye candy, anywho..



My mirror post is rechromed, an I picked up my new "thin 18 gauge" rockers. Yippie!



Appreciate the rain, but it looks like I should be able to get back to work, tomorrow.

 

I trimmed the rear replacement panel down. Then used it as a pattern, to reference where to cut the '59s qtr off.



No idea how this got effed up, but the dent pullers already moved it down, pretty easily.



I just have to finish that little bit of grinding, for a tight final fit.


To Do list: Straightening the inner panel, apply chassis saver on inside of replacement panel & inner panels, grind out the old brass & straighten things up around the t/light.

 

Sorry the last pic isn't resizing.. maybe it will later. I don't know!?

 

I started shaping the body to the t/light bezel also, after I welded that patch panel in.





















Still waiting for this to dry to the touch, before I take it in the garage tonight.



Thought I would throw in a personable face pic, so as to introduce myself properly... Hi, I'm Jay..

 

Great progress so far, Ive always wanted an El Camino, but the family said "NO!!!".

Fix it, drive it like you stole it.

 

Less Bondo and rust .... more steel !
Keep at it man ...

 

I used to live in Gig Harbor for a short while. Absolutely beautiful. I couldn't live there now, though. They're too strict on the speed limits.. nothing on the town, itself. I remember hearing a cop refer to GH as Candy Land, cos' nothing bad ever happened there.

 

Thanks. Another case where, less is more!

 

Yeah, really, what do you look like?
I feel yer pain, I'm really starting to hate this car/truck.

 

I'm tired of thinking about everything I still have to do, but once I get moving, it's not bad. (More denial)

 

Diligent work! This thread makes me appreciate the condition of my projects.
Keep at it, you're doing good!

 

Keep movin' and groovin' Jay! I'm watching this thread like a stalker.

 

Thanks! A friend of ours, bought a 56 Sedan Delivery for 16k. Upon dismantling the thing, it's rusty, an I mean everywhere. At least I didn't pay a lot, initially. I appreciate good metal, too.

 

That's funny!

 

For the most part, the quarters on. Took longer than I thought it would.







Arrow shows where I welded up the back..





Restringin' my 6 string lefty..

 

Now I know why your work looks correct to me. Being a lefty also when looking at a right handers progression of work looks backward to me.

 

If this is backwards, then I don't wanna be forwards! B)

 

I tried to keep busy between coats.. 3 hrs minimum. Should be fun welding on new rockers. We'll see..



The seat track runners, mounting width is different, between the 2dr '58 seat I have & the '59s original holes. So these plates will bolt to the floor & the '58 seat will mount to the plate. So its an adaptor of sorts!





Then it was off to Gazelle Machining. Still working on the t/gate hinges. Brass bushings to be swedged in, then redrilled for the pins, Pops gave me.









Started a lot, finished nothing. Tomorrow will be better!

 

Pics of my side mouldings...click on pic to enlarge.

 

man, I need a set of tail gate hinge pins, ya think you could knock off an extra set, I'll pay ya.

 

The long rr qtr mldgs differ between the Elco & 2dr Bel Air mldgs. I have one of each, Elcos are about an 1.5" shorter.

 

The brass is going to sleeve the hinges. Then, bored out to fit the hinge pins. The pins I have are 21/64" - who knows what they came from.
I have 300 in these stupid things.. Eric was like, dude you should just buy new ones. I wish I could!

 

Whoa Nelly!
I shoulda just left mine alone, they were slightly sloppy, but I heated then to get the pins out and melted the bushings, end of story.
I just took the back glass outta mine, it's a horror story back there, but all is fixable.