Does anyone have any advice on converting to a tilt front end for a 5th Gen. El Camino? I don't want to use a fiberglass kit.

From what I've seen most conversions involve extra bracing and making the entire front clip sheetmetal one solid unit. I know the guys in the full size chevy pickups have been doing this mod for years.

Most of them flip up and then kind of slide forward from bumper clearance and such.

Because you won't be using fiberglass you're going to need to either come up with some kind of torque rod to help open the thing up or get some hydraulic struts involved. All that sheetmetal can be heavy and it doesn't look too cool at the local cruise night to be busting a family jewel trying to get your hood flipped up.

Would be a cool look though.

:D

8) It has been done. All the shoe box Chevys and Fords have had it done as well as Chevelles ! I even saw a 73 Laguna with a sheetmetal tilt frontend! I found this, scroll down and there is a 72 Camino with a sheetmetal tilt! :cool:
http://www.pacificwesterndesign.com/Photos/chevys.htm

Looks neat, lot easier to work on the engine too unlike the corvette hoods..

I notice the front bumper is part of the assembly. That could be a bad thing. One tap and you're whole front end could get screwed up.

I'd find out about those details.

:D

I think I'm going to use a linear actuator (Hoffman Group (http://www.thehoffmangroup.com/autoloc/product.lasso?prodinc=linearactuators)) to open and close the front end. My body guy is already drawing up plans for the hinges. The more I thought about it, the more interested I became in attempting this. Now after seeing the El Camino from PaPa Johns 77's link, I'm definitely doing it. That looks sweet! :D

There was a member on here from over seas, I think his name was kloenie or something like that...I remember seeing pictures of him making his 4th gen with a tilt front. Try doing a search or check the memberlist, maybe you'll come across his posts.

You are correct Low75...kloenie was the username. I'll print that pic out from his post and see what my body guy thinks. I also found this (http://www.gerardsgarage.com/Garage/Tech/tilthinge/tilthingeWS.htm). I'm going to see if this can be adapted to what I need as well...unless my body guy has figured out something else by the time I get there tomorrow.