Projects 59 El Camino.. Build Pics

Very well ! Just dont put anything other than reg steel, take em out and scrub them after a few days, I use stainless steel scrub pads.

 

Figured out how to remove the inner fenders... take the front end off.

Scraping the firewall & frame is always fun. I removed the deluxe heater, inlet & duct.
If not raining tomorrow, I'm going to dismantle the front end so it doesn't take up so much room.

 

Set the gas tank out first thing this morning. Walked back to the garage to grab the paint & came back to some bird "doo doo" burning into the rust seal. A real shit job!

Here's a before pic, of the one rear lower valance, that did come with the car. Vinegar works excellent, the rust peels of like soggy paint. Most of the paint came off, also!

It was deceiving looking at the parts in the container. They looked like they did the day I put 'em in there. But today I seen the paint wrinkled & coming up. So I pulled them out & wasn't impressed. As I squirted them w/ the hose, thick layers of rust washed of like I've never seen.. A friend was watching me as I did this, he just kept saying "that's cool" - "that's cool". I was thinking the same thing, cos' I don't like sanding if I don't have to!
Just water & a scotch brite pad worked amazing at removing the stubborn rust..

The hinges look amazing, I put them back in to hopefully get the rest of thhe rust!
Quick pic of my Hero & Bestfriend..My Pops!

Hee learned me everything I don't know.. wait, I mean Umm

 

Looks good.I might have to give that a try.

 

Looks cool! looks like alottt of work! i bet it will turn out great in the end!

here a cool pic of my 53 and my gfs 59 camino with us dressed up before a dance at our school.

 

I need to find a bigger container, but other than that. It's working,(even when I'm not..haha) doing a better job at removing the paint & rust, w/o grinding the GOOD metal away. In the end, less prep work for me, too!
Yesterday I was watching Joe, disassemble a 700R4, for Danny Martinez. He wants an empty, mock up case, and we had one that was lunched inside. I thought it was interesting. I learn more everytime we get into one. I need to rebuild a 700R4 for the Elco.. fun fun!

 

i was in SB that weekend it was nuts we were at chucke cheese's with the kid and felt 2 or 3 earthquakes and the rain was bullshit i was trying to put my white wall's on the top of my suv in the rain and winds .. i got to say i miss the hell out of the IE.. we may be moving back down there in oct

 

Cool picture, very inspiring! I look forward to driving mine.. I haven't even dreamed about driving mine, its soo far off! A lot of keepers in that pic!

 

yeah haha we just started drving the 59 around after rebuilding the 283.
its a fun car! yours will look great in the end!

 

The shaking doesn't bother me as much as the rain.
but we had an earthquake a little while back that made soo much noise, it put a little pep in my step! A lot of people move back to the "E" after they've been away! I can't see living anywhere else.. SoCal, Nuff Said!

 

Thanks!

 

Tell your pops he looks exactly like a crazy fighter on World Extreme cage fighting. A real character named ORLOV. Had to point that out they look like brothers or something

 

What's funny.. is there's two of 'em! My Dad has an identical twin.. My mom is a fraternal twin!

 

Welded up the frame where the tow truck drivers hook, tore the opening. A little more time to get it looking like it never happened.

Welded up the new "straight" core support. The bottom was cracked..


I finally got around to closing off those holes in the rear shelf.. I welded in some mini patch panels!

Once again, on "Weld, Grind & Reweld!"..


Good enough..
Does anybody know if the rubber seal for the park lights are reproduced. not for the lens..Have those! But the seal you see where the housing meets the fender! Any info is appreciated!

 

I found the seals at The El Camino Store..

 

Fuel lines off today, E brake cables routed to the back. Scraped more of the frame gunk off. Adding & cleaning parts in the vinegar derusting bin. Started taking down the 283 a little more today also. Sounds so small, compared to the 427 BBC, that's showing up tomorrow.(not mine, my Uncles) This is just the measly o' 283 that came w/ the Elco. Tomorrow, I am going to get the date code. Didn't think about it today.
In Late 61 it was in the Vette, 62-64 Trucks & 63-64 Passenger and Chevelles.

Why don't people change the oil... this 'ish is black in this thing! Froze up, too!

 

Oct 19 1961 date code.. It was like scratching a lottery ticket! 3789935 is late '61 Corvette only w/ that date!

 

AWLRIGHT! Freakin' cool...... so keeping it or $sell$ it to the 'vett boy's? I'm collecting part's to overhaul my 283 my avatar car. Keeping the updates coming, love the finned Elky's!

 

Thanks, I remember seeing two, 62 bubbletops projects @ Pomona Swap Meet a long time ago. Each time I pointed the cars out, I remember my Dad grimacing!(Even more than usual) I really like the bubbletops myself.
As for the 283, I just tucked it away & covered it up. I will disassemble it soon, since I'm very curious whats inside..Solid Lifters? All 64 and earlier SBC's, have forged cranks. I would think it has forged rods, being outta of a Vette. Perfect engine for a enderle injected roadster, I'd say!

 

Holy crap! a car that actually had a corvette engine in it. I thought they were an urban myth. Cool find. You will have to post up pics when you disassemble it to show what you find.

 

When the ground dries up a little, I will be able to get the 283 up, onto an engine stand. When I need to get away from the Elky, I'll start fu#*ing with it. I should be putting something in the cylinders...

 

Still soaking parts in vinegar. I need to make a larger container, somewhat of a big fishtank. Just a wooden frame & cardboard sides for integrity. Lined with plastic so I can soak the big pieces.


These pieces do not fit down in the container I have, so I use a cup and baste the vinegar over them everytime I think about it.
Also made the bracket for the gas pedal and welded it in.




Welded & finished up the E' brake pulley, too. I need to soak the E'brake foot control assy, pretty rusty looking.

this is a bad picture, I'll take more as I work on the firewall..

 

Uhhhh, I don't think the casting number dictates what vehicle it came out of........ ????

Why would it be Corvette only?

 

That Casting number was used from late '61 to '64. Late '61 was Vette only.. Date code says late '61, Viola.. Corvette

 

Cut some brackets off two 9" Fords, today. First time using the new plasma cutter! So much fun turning metal into butter!





The new plasma cutter.. That's my Uncle Joe, the other half!

Then I used the porta-power (the upper arrow) to push that body to frame mount(lower arrow) against the the new floorboards, so I could weld it.

Then it was time to cover up my sins, w/ kitty hair.

And make 'em look.. purdy! Like nothin' happened!

 

Put a couple of paper towels down, then poured the "Blue Lightening Rust Remover" Kept the sun off with the cardboard.

"I DID MY HALF!" hahaha.. I wish. But, today I picked up a little more about using the slap file. Watched Dad shrink a couple high spots, then I fixed my first area that was "oil canning" succesfully. It was a great feeling when I pushed the spot down & it popped up on its own. He showed me where to concentrate on.. quiet a bit away from the low spot.

I'll finish up tomorrow, cleaning the rest of the paint off. Then continue metal finishing the passenger side of the roof.

I want to make sure ALL the rust is gone, before I primer this up. I need something to remove ALL the impurities. I see a trip to the paint store in the near future.

I need to decide on a color combination, quick. My moldings are done, I received the call today! I can pick them up tomorrow afternoon. So Imma pick up a torque convertor for my 700R4, while I'm down there!

 

Looking good.I have a couple of dollys that your dad and uncle gave me when I took body shop at valley college.

 

I learn so much from him! Today he came alive, with the slap file, hammer & dolly! I told him I need to keep him busy, doin' bodywork. Teasing him, telling him he doesn't need to go sit down. He laughed, tellin' me to move outta the way! He is absolute, magic with metal. It doesn't always need a lot of pressure when using the file & hammer. The vixen file was my best friend, making the high spots shiny. At first, I made the spot that was oil canning, worse. So when I fixed it, I was so stoked! He was pointing out where to hit. Now that I'm doing it,(on a car) I see things I wasn't noticing. (sorry for rambling..)

 

Same experience I had watching my grandfather. I just stood out of the way most of the time and watched him go. The vixen file freaked me out at first like "why are you filing away my cab??"

Your car is really coming together now!

 

Stand back is right! Before when I was watching him, he was working. So the energy was different. For him it's less work, and more fun now, since he's "retired". I'd come in after him w/ the vixen file, after he was finessing a spot with the slap file. Shrunk it w/o using the dolly at all. Every situation is different, but he's experienced so many.. it's instinct!

Thanks, I'm enjoying this so much. No deadlines, bitchy customers or shit eatin' bosses! Life's good..