72 El Camino Daily Driver Project

[cooperhw]

Just started a 72 El Camino project this past weekend. Pulled the nose off the car and while my bodyman started cutting out the rusted rear cabin panel I started dropping in my new (new to me anyhow) 2002 LS-1 and T56 6 speed transmission. Got all the new brackets on the motor on Saturday and dropped it in for test fitting on Sunday. Modified the stock crossmember so it will work.
This coming weekend the plan is to pull the motor and trans back out, remove the intake manifold, exhaust manifolds, and make just soo slightly of a notch where the pan is too close to touching. Once that's done I plan to swap out the steering gear box to a Jeep Grand Cherokee unit I bought and clean up the area before it goes back in for good. Hopefully that will happen this weekend too.
Wish me luck.

[cooperhw]

Just a couple more,

[cooperhw]

..

[bs46488]

Subscribed.

I liked Homer, so I want to see what happens with this one.

But holy surgery to get that T-56 to fit!

[cooperhw]

Originally Posted by bs46488

Subscribed.

I liked Homer, so I want to see what happens with this one.

But holy surgery to get that T-56 to fit!

Nah, that looks worse than it is. I jacked it way up in the air so I could take the crossmember in and out with ease. Actually the hole I cut in the floorpan will only be raised about 1.5 inches. I have a new floor pan section off another El Camino that I will cut longer and lay on top of this piece once I trim off the chunk. I pushed it way out of the way to install the motor since it's getting cut off anyways. Besides I wanted to take a picture and send to my friend with a caption "Ruttt Roww".

[swamp rat]

Very cool!

[flashed]

Im in for another ,but Im a sucker for Elky's as I too have a 72 .Im wondering if your front turn signals are from a 71 .Do you have a 72 grill ? If not I have one .

[Advanced Design]

All in, gonna be fun. Wife won't let me ever get another El Camino again... She was 8 months pregnant and shifter locked up on her in bank drive through with a long line behind her.

[Daddy'O]

Always loved the Cruck...subscribed.

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

All in, gonna be fun. Wife won't let me ever get another El Camino again... She was 8 months pregnant and shifter locked up on her in bank drive through with a long line behind her.

Dang Doug....I get it though.

[cooperhw]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Very cool!

Thanks. I think it's gonna be an awesome DD.

Originally Posted by flashed

Im in for another ,but Im a sucker for Elky's as I too have a 72 .Im wondering if your front turn signals are from a 71 .Do you have a 72 grill ? If not I have one .

Dang Flashed. Great minds "DO" think alike. Ha. You are right, the nose is a 71 so the turn signals are 71 and not 72. I don't have a grill yet. Not sure on which year turn signals I like better. I kinda like both.

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

All in, gonna be fun. Wife won't let me ever get another El Camino again... She was 8 months pregnant and shifter locked up on her in bank drive through with a long line behind her.

Come on AD. You just gotta make her understand it was the shifter to blame and not the El Camino.

Originally Posted by Daddy'O

Always loved the Cruck...subscribed.
"Cruck" huh? never heard that one before. My wife will love it. She called it a mullet the first day she saw it, but it's kinda growing on her. Or she has just got to the saturation point where her mind tells her it's easier on her if she just goes along????



Dang Doug....I get it though.

Maybe it was just the straw that broke the camel's back?

[flashed]

Im sure you know Chevelle and El Camino turn signal parts dont interchange but Im pretty sure the grills do .Let me know if you decide to use the 72 grill and I can make you a deal on mine unless you are planning on an SS grill ,mine is Malibu .

[cooperhw]

Originally Posted by flashed

Im sure you know Chevelle and El Camino turn signal parts dont interchange but Im pretty sure the grills do .Let me know if you decide to use the 72 grill and I can make you a deal on mine unless you are planning on an SS grill ,mine is Malibu .

I will let you know as soon as I figure it out. kinda leaning towards the split 71 model. I kinda like the way it looks like two lenses instead of one larger one, but then again the cars a 72???
Oh well, a purist "I am not" as you can attest.

[flashed]

You ,NOT a purist ,never would have thought ,LOL . Im not either although my Elky is still stock with the exception of the bed cover .

[cooperhw]

Originally Posted by flashed

You ,NOT a purist ,never would have thought ,LOL . Im not either although my Elky is still stock with the exception of the bed cover .

Let's see a couple pics of that Elky. post em right here. especially the front end grill marker lights and the bed cover. Kinda thinking about putting one on mine when I get there. Not 100% sure yet. Too far in the future for now. Hoping to be driving it in about 60 days though. Probably not, but gotta have a goal. At least I do, it's how I get **** done.
Later,
Wayne

[cooperhw]

Well weekend before last we got all the back panel and smugglers box cut out. This weekend we got the last of the rot cut out from around the back glass. Also got the box, patch pan in cabin, and all the pieces around the back glass back in.
Here's a few pics of the progress.

New lip and inner package tray panel arrived today in the mail. Yeah.
No work next two weekends with Goodguys next weekend and going to a wedding the follow one.
Gonna go into productivity withdrawls.

[flashed]

Looking great ,I cant post pics but can e mail you some of my El Camino when I get some if you can share your email with me .

[cooperhw]

Had the day off to take the wife to the doctors office for a procedure early morning. Back home by 9. 15 minutes later with her tucked in in front of the tv I am outside getting it on the El Camino. Package tray parts came in on Monday so it was a great day to cut out the last of the rust. Took all day but at the end I have it all welded in place and ready for the bodyman to smooth it all up. Felt good to get it done.

[Daddy'O]

It is nice to make progress isn't it? Looking good Wayne.

[Advanced Design]

Yeah, getting a lot of metal work done. Did the package tray rust due to a leaking window?

Oh, wife wasn't buying that...It was the shifter, not the car bit...I tried.

[flashed]

Wow ,you been busy ,looks great .

[Low Elco]

Y'all ain't afraid to cut into 'em! Love me some Camino, I've had 2 g bodies.

[nlped]

I love El Camino's too. I had a '74, it was ugly, but it had a beastly 454/th400 and I was in high school so kept the right rear tire bald bald.

[cooperhw]

Originally Posted by Daddy'O

It is nice to make progress isn't it? Looking good Wayne.

Thanks. Yes it's good to make progress.

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Yeah, getting a lot of metal work done. Did the package tray rust due to a leaking window? Yep. all the way down into the smugglers box. I cut all of it out and put in a donor section.

Oh, wife wasn't buying that...It was the shifter, not the car bit...I tried.

Oh well, lots of other makes and models of vehicles.

Originally Posted by flashed

Wow ,you been busy ,looks great .

Thanks. I love the cut, weld, fix, replace, install motor/trans. part of the builds way better than the end of fixing little stuff that does not work, etc.

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Y'all ain't afraid to cut into 'em! Love me some Camino, I've had 2 g bodies.

Yes Sir. I figure it's all just sheet metal. They welded it in, I can cut it out and weld it back in. No problem.

Originally Posted by nlped

I love El Camino's too. I had a '74, it was ugly, but it had a beastly 454/th400 and I was in high school so kept the right rear tire bald bald.

Yeah, my buddy had one in High School too. Used to burn that right rear to the ground. Put another one on for the next Friday night cruising.

[RocketChevy56]

Subscribed!!! Watched Homer and I'd be a fool not to watch this one too!! I love the work you do!! TOTM award could not have gone to a better truck. Congrats to you and Homer! Can't wait to see what you create this time!

[cooperhw]

Originally Posted by RocketChevy56

Subscribed!!! Watched Homer and I'd be a fool not to watch this one too!! I love the work you do!! TOTM award could not have gone to a better truck. Congrats to you and Homer! Can't wait to see what you create this time!

RocketChevy56, Thanks man, I appreciate those kind words. Now that My Chevelle and Homer have gone on to greener pastures, I need to get busy. Quit slacking. Have not been able to do a burn out for a few weeks now.
Anyhow, glad you are along for the ride. It really does motivate me to share the build with fellow enthusiasts and receive inspiration/feedback.
Have a good day,
Wayne