So lets hear about those winter projects everyone is working on! I'm putting factory power windows in my 66. Took me some time to round up all the correct items.
Brian :)

I started my winter project with the idea of pulling the engine to clean up the engine bay and replace all the engine gaskets & mounts. Pretty soon, my buddies and Budweiser convinced me to tear down the 350 & overhaul it. 8O
We're getting close to putting it back together. The only non-stock items will be a Summit K1103 cam & lifter kit and a Professional Products dual plane intake (I assume it's a lot like the Edelbrock Performer).
After that, I'll likely go after a set of headers then start on some body work. By this summer, the original two-tone blue & white w/ blue interior Elky Classic should be a little more sporty red version with black interior.
It seems like once you get started, it just snowballs...

Whew! I guess I'll just limit mine to a fiberglass cowl induction hood. Although, I "should" have read further into the forums under "Body Restoration/Cowl Hoods...Which one?......" before ordering one. Live, read the forums and learn.

http://elcaminocentral.com/users/87ss/hank_hill.jpg

:lol: My Winter project started with a thud. I drifted my '82 Conquista into a tree, damaging my driver's side door and quarter panel, so I thought I'd repaint the whole ride. I also decided to resto the interior while I was at it, then came chrome valve covers, retracting antenna, bedliner, hose covers, new dashcover...whew!!! i love my '82, but I'm just getting her put back together, and in the process of wet-sanding the final clear coat. Talk about your labor of love. A little elbow grease goes a long way in making that shine a mile deep(two-tone dark chevy blue on white with all the chrome shined up). More pics for the gallery when I'm done, though. i hope to get a lot more miles out of old blue. :cool:

Wow -not sure where to start!!!! I have not started my disassembly yet--too cold up here in the Northeast----------------Plans are as follows---Entire undercarriage of my 85 to be detailed-in April-----the gas tank, the rear end, all the lines(vapor,fuel, and brake) will be removed -along with the driveshaft. I am swapping out the 7.5 rear for a 8.5 Grand National 3:42 posi-----replacing NOS the upper and lower control arms --added new air bags and IAS Edelbrock shocks to my shopping list! Everything at the rear of the car --the rear end housing, upper and lower control arms, springs sway bar -new backing plates and brake drums will be powdercoated in black before reinstallation--all the tubing is being replaced with Stainless steel ---have purchaesed all but the tubing-can't wait to get started----------and to be honest-can't wait to show it off in the spring-Pete NYC

maybe get that holley 650 Dbl Pump carb on the motor. swap stock steering wheel for SS style and maybe dash trim to. swap clock for tach. get temp sensor and oil pressure sender hooked up.

I rebuilt the 2 Jet carb last weekend. It's fun undoing somebody else's goof-ups on the last carb job! I am also in the process of making a new gauge panel for my '78 with three 2 5/8" Autometer Ultra-Lite gauges and a 120MPH 3 3/8' matching speedo. I want to keep the original instrument faceplate so I have been at this for several months but now I'm getting closer to getting it into the car. I'll post pics later when I've got it all in. I need to get a fresh TH350 before the one I have lays down on me. Also need to get a speaker box made for the 6 X 9's to go on the rear wall. All this before camping season starts in a couple of months and the projects come to a halt. Canoeing rocks!!

My winter project is to stay warm this winter. Well other than that I have been working on replacing my front clip that was damaged last winter and than I also plan on replacing the motor from a 79 Impala that I just purchased for $385. Than after that I plan on replacing the hood also replacing the fenders from a 79 Malibu. Than after that in the summer I mean I plan on finishing up my paint job which is going to make my 78 El Camino really hot. The only reason I am replacing the fenders is cause it is easier to paint them black when they are already black so just do a quick sand and paint ya know. So I will hopefully talk to ya all later. I do have my other project such as my 65 thunderbird and than also I am getting a 77 thunderbird. So I will have much more fun.

my winter project is saving..... money hard to come by rite now n theres so much to fix.... :(

My Winter project is the same as my Spring, Summer, Fall and well, back to the winter again. My 80. I do what I can in-between times where I have some money I can spend on getting what I need to keep it going or finish it off. While working on anything that goes wrong with any other vehicle. Right now I have to pull the transmission out of the 76 because it has a broken bell housing. Snapped it in two pieces. Never had that happen before. But I'll yank it out when the weather gets good enough and Mig weld it. Its just one of life's little discomforts. I'd much rather build them and drive them and never have to fix them but that is never the case so I always have some project and some side project and occasionally a side side project.:D

Let's see...so far i've been focusing on the susupension and steering this winter, replacing the springs, ball joints, tie rod, PS pump, etc... Once i'm satisfied with the way she sits and handles, ON TO THE INTERIOR!!! :lol:

ElkyPete's broken bell housing reminds me, after I pulled the engine & trans and started cleaning up on the tranny, I noticed a weird crack on the bell housing on the passenger side. It appeared as though something from the inside tried to push its way to the outside. When I broke the tranny free from the engine I noticed one torque converter bolt was missing. I suppose it tried to escape in a previous life! It's funny though, I didn't find the bolt or nut and the dust cover was still in place....

I have never had any major problems with the trannies of any of my cars luckily. However that dodge daytona that I purchased with the tranny problems was probably the worse thing I ever have had. So that wasn't bad cause of it being front wheel drive. So ya all have fun with those trannies.

I just got mine home and temps are around 70 down here, so I'm about to get busy when I finish this go around on shiftwork (off for 16 days) :P

Floor pans are already ordered, so that will keep me busy for a bit. Then comes all the other interior parts, (seats, console shift, carpet, dashcover, etc..) complete tune up on the Olds 455 under the hood, then just some do-dads to get it pass state inspection...then look out in Magnolia, because I'll be on the loose.

Somewhere in there some front disk brakes to catch me, and slow down...hehe

My new winter project is to help my son restore his clasic mr bean austin mini we already have it started, we just pulled the 1000 cc engine & trans out last night, were replacing it with a 1300 cc cooper engine. he's got new 13x7 inch alloy wheels, with new flares and were painting it viper blue with white strips down the bonnet. it should make a cool little cruiser.

Just got my elco back from having all the rust repair done (floor pans, quarters, inner rockers, etc. etc.). I also finished the suspension and disc brake conversion. So as you can imagine money is now a little tight.
This winter all I think i'll get done is putting in a new wiring kit. Maybe i'll decide what to do with the engine and trans. It seems I can buy a rebuilt 350 cheaper then having the original 283 rebuilt. I'm not quit sure, any suggestions.
I did find time to build a motorized radio flyer wagon. The kids love it.

[quote="67elkybryan"]. It seems I can buy a rebuilt 350 cheaper then having the original 283 rebuilt. I'm not quit sure, any suggestions.


Nothing quite the same as the original engine. I never regret putting my 283 back in. Just kinda looks right.

I think what I would do is yank the 283, stick it in the corner of the garage, build (or buy) me a nice lil performance 350 to drop in, and one day 300 years from now (when all cars run on electricity and fly mind you) your great-great-great-great-grand kids can put the 283 back in and donate your Elky to the National Air and Space Museum as an example of early modes of affordable transportation. Just kidding...keep it all original. I think there's a really good suggestion here if you think about it. I knew a guy who had a very rare 69 SS 427 Camaro, the 427 was in the garage, a 350 was in the car. Your car is already a classic antique, but only if left all original. :D

I know what you mean mike , the 350 has been in the car for a year and the 283 is sporting a garbage bag in the back of the garage. oh, it still has the oil in it!

if its the corect "comlpeat" engine heads n all then ya id save it but 8O in a garbage bag ???? clean it paint it "runs r ok" and foll it full of oil pull the plugs and fill each cyl full too then ist good 4 storage as far as new engine ya a gm crate is hard to top

my 80 needs alot of work it has a really straght body(needs a paintjob) but it needs a little(alot) of engine work, i want to have a bigger engine, the little 231 just doesnt have the ponys under hood that i need, my friend is selling a 305 out of a camero i might look at, and if i can come up with 1000 and some bucks i kno someone that will sell me a 82 with a 350 with a brand new 4 barrel elderbrock carb. in there..... so if anybody knos where i can find a fairly cheap 305,327,350 or a 400 that would be pretty good to know.



big bear


brats suck man

getting a job dedicated to paying for my 383 im rebuilding and my exterior parts and this summer picking peaches as a 2nd job to pay for interior sound system and fun stuff. but this winter the 1983 elky being stripped to the frame and the frame is being repainted and the whole suspension is gonna be redone probably piece by piece. Body will be sanded and tor apart and be painted once i come up with the color :cry: .

I had to reopen this just to let everyone know about my misfortunes with the fiberglass cowl induction hood I mentioned earlier. I bought the cowl induction hood from Unlimited Products in Hesparia, CA. The worse mistake I've ever made. It doesn't fit. It's supposed to come ready to paint after some light sanding, but there's all kinds of pits in it that would require filling. Customer service for Unlimited Products is probably the worst I've seen anywhere. I've written two letters and called numerous time to get this disaster resolved. So far I keep getting the run around and supposedly this coming Monday the person I need to talk to will be in the office. I check with the BBB in CA, (something I should of done in the first place) and they are rated with an, "Unsatisfactory Record." http://www.bbbsouthland.org/ I definately learned a lesson on this one. My bad.

El Meano;

Should've asked us...your comments are the only kind I've heard about their products. Sorry for all your troubles and hope they'll resolve them for you....

Unfortunately I ordered this hood before I spent much time on this site. (November) I have since spent quite a bit of time reading and learning. I don't plan on making the same mistake.

Started back in on mine this winter, maybe it will all come together this spring and be finished. New rear springs, new door hinges, and new hood hinges are done, I'm back to stripping the rest of the paint off the old girl, treating with ospho and sealing it up with primer sealer. When it got too cold to be outside, I worked on the pattern for the flames on the front end if I go that route. The body lift is next, that will probably end up being a royal pain in the behind. A couple of the bolts have broken previously, and the others will probably snap off when I hit them with the impact gun.
Thank god I have a cutting torch, mig welder and a big hammer standing by for the tough ones. :-D

I had to reopen this just to let everyone know about my misfortunes with the fiberglass cowl induction hood I mentioned earlier. I bought the cowl induction hood from Unlimited Products in Hesparia, CA.
I know of other El Camino owners who have had similar experiences with UP fiberglass hoods. Sorry you had to learn the hard way. I wouldn't recommend UP to anyone looking for a cowl hood.

Well...I finished my power window project. Everything looks bone stock, just the general did it 38 years ago. Nibbeled at it about 2 hrs a week due to my crazy schedule, but finally got done.
How is everyone else coming along on those winter projects???

:D spring is coming .......


:cry: to bad thats the start of our buisy seasion

i have however managed to install the 355 with a 3000 stall and got the needed trim parts
its a daily driver @ this point and lovein it

still needin to update the rearend with a 373 posi feal free to donate :)

i got the 1st patch pannel 4 the r rear Qp " not installed " fron O.P.G. in
cali other than the 3 weeks of tapping my toes i feal them to b a good parts sorce

any how best of luck with your rebuilds fellow Ekly lovers

Just finished installing my high back buckets tonight. The plastic back on one was busted up during shipping. Lotta gluing done. If anyone has the plastic backs to this style bucket or the shoulder belt guides that attach to the seats, feel free to PM me. Jon

I was going to help my dad pull his Riviera out of mothballs but I broke my ankle. I was also going to help get the Special running, finish my tonneau cover, fix my tailgate where I got hit early in February. OH only three weeks left. I had to have surgey to rearrach the tendons so I can't really stand up or do anything active for any length of time or it swells up like a balloon. :-(

Well my winter project isn't going to well. It has been to cold on the days that I have off to work on the Elky and than the nice days just seem to fall on those days that I work. However my elky engine is just about out of the car and I will be dropping in the 350 from the impala than the beast can run again and be a speedster again. I can't wait. Than after that I am not sure what I will do with it I will probably finish painting the car. It is going to be black and blue. So happy days are going to be coming again. :)

Well, the fall/winter project I picked was suppose to be somewhat manageable however it rarely turns out that way.

During the summer I was able to find a very rare, correct and complete 1959 Chevrolet Accessory Safety Light set for my 59 Elky. Unfortunately upon close inspection, a stress crack was present within the chrome lens retaining ring.

http://elcaminocentral.com/users/dr59elky/Cracked59SafteyLight.jpg

Great...now ship that complete housing back for a replacement because both the housing and retaining ring chrome have to match. During the interim, the driver's side light was mounted. Weeks pass and then the replacement light finally arrives.

OH NO.....WAIT...the incorrect retractable passenger antenna is in the way. Off comes the antenna, a replacement patch is welded in, and then the whole passenger fender is removed and painted Roman Red lacquer.

I'm happy to say http://elcaminocentral.com/users/dr59elky/GifFiles/banana.gif that the whole project has been completed with the passenger saftey light balancing out the driver's side. I'm not a real fan of inoperable "dummy" lights that that are seen on many of the rods and customs today.

Attached is a picture at the Good Guys Great Lakes Regional Meet last September with only the driver's safety light installed. It was one cold and blustery day.

http://elcaminocentral.com/users/dr59elky/GoodGuys9-04a.jpg

Until next time: Cheers http://elcaminocentral.com/users/dr59elky/GifFiles/cheers.gif

DocElky

I'm with you...I refuse to put anything on my car that does not work or looks marginal. Even if it is not going to get used (like my 4way flashers), I want it to work.

BTW....your elky looks great! :)

Brian:

I hear you on that one. All the original 1959 Chevrolet accessories that are in my elky (autronic eye, throttle hold down, wonderbar radio, clock, 4-way flashers, 2-speed windshield washer/wiper, and vacuum ashtray) all are operational. Believe me, it is a chore to make sure that 45 year old electronic and mechanical parts function.

The problem that was the absolute worse (5 year duration) was the unreliabilty of the gas gauge. It left me stranded twice because of the faulty readings. Last year ALL components (wiring, sending unit, gauge etc) of the fuel gauge system were completely replaced. Did the trick but was easier said than done because it was a pain to find the correct NOS 59 gas gauge that worked.

Anyway, thanks http://elcaminocentral.com/users/dr59elky/GifFiles/wave1.gif for the comment. Say...haven't I seen your elky on a calendar or on the back of a sweatshirt recently??? http://elcaminocentral.com/users/dr59elky/GifFiles/haha.gif

Cheers http://elcaminocentral.com/users/dr59elky/GifFiles/cheers.gif

DocElky

Ive been tryin to get goin on the 70 el ripped out the interior or should isay 200lbs of wood not kidden! 2x3 and paneling construction adhesive and expanding foam found some change and holes in the floor. tryin hard not to buy anything till i get the body off and take a good look at the chasis . I have some rust spray ive been usen on the body mounts once a day if i think of it .Im thinkin of using some 10ft pieces of 2x2 square stock runnin across the wheel wells and cowl put some rims on the flat with jack stands on top (for height) and roll the chasis out .Ive been workin on more shelf space (loft it turned into) so Im not workin around a bunch of parts layin in my way and start weldin in floor pans hell all kinds of pans and then rotate the body .That is going to be scary(virgin) i think i will let Howard do his first! :rolleyes:

yes, it was on the February page. Pretty neat honor.

So how in the world do you find all these cool NOS items? I've wanted a 66 cruise control but my search has been in vain. Like finding gold.

Brian:

For myself, half of the fun of any type of restoration is in "THE HUNT". They say: "You'll never find that!" I say: "Wanna Bet?"

Three initial routes to uncover hidden gold (insert NOS) are:

1) Hemmings parts for sale and cross look under different headings (66 Chev, 66 El Camino, 66 NOS accessories etc).

2) Ebay

3) Word of mouth.

It's out there, and many times unfortunately for big $.

DocElky

My winter project is not finished yet. Stripping the paint off, and getting it all ready for paint, Spring has sprung and I'm close but, I had to shift my attention to the body mounts. Started doing some checking the other day and found all the body mounts are shot, hence the rattles and squeaks. So I changed my priorities, completed the installation of 3 of the rear mounts so far. The fourth one, drivers side rear, the bolt snapped off while trying to unbolt it. Have to undo the last three and remove the bolt the hard way today after soaking it twice a day for the last two days with WD 40.

Then again the spring project has to be picked up Sunday, bought a 350, 4 bolt main, 4 bbl, to replace the 283 with a bit more horsepower and torque.

I need to scoot and get ready for the day.... have to make the proverbial liquid refreshment run and pick up a fresh bottle of acetylene before I get started today.

I can sure relate to the body mount harware problems. When I took mine off the frame, the spot welded nuts kept breaking loose. I was weeks getting them all removed. The General never intended for us crazy people to be doing that kind of work 35+ years after originally done. Hang in there!

I was told buy someone in the business for lots of years that you have to use an impact with lots of torque to remove body bolts without damaging some or all of the hardware. I used an impact on all of mine and thankfully only had a issue with one on the front on the 80.

Not too bad, only took about 3 hours on one bolt. Used a set of the new bolt removers, it kept snapping off a bit more each time until it was flush. I drilled it out slightly off center, collapsed the remainder with a center punch, then it pushed right out by hand without damaging the threads. The new mount is in place and locked down tight. Only eight more to go. That took care of all the rattling from the rear of the body.

i see some folks are trying to free rusted fastners with "WD40" :?
from what i have herd it was actualy mad as a wire dryer for wet electrical comections ... IE distributers with condensation

i live on the coast and see plenty rust what works for me is a product
called "PB Blaster" and when that dont help i use a torch and a candle
get it hot and the wax melts in there and wala :-D

as far as my 72 runnin and drivin great gimme another 5-7 years and maby it will b show worthy :oops:

needin ideas for tie-downs in the bed

best of luck with your projects