I'm considering putting a Choo Choo front end on an '85. I've seen the excellent step by step that was done using one from Choo Choo customs- looks like a lot of work, especiall having to chop up the bumper :mad: .

I've been looking at the one that Honest Charley's has for sale ( Custom Components). Looks like it might be an easier install. Has anyone had any experience with this one, or any other that might be more of a bolt on?

If I'm not mistaken the frontend that Honest Charleys sells IS the Choo Choo frontend...I think Choo Choo Customs quit making that frontend sometime after GM quit sending them El Caminos. Can anyone verify this? Lauren Industries also makes a frontend conversion...but I don't care for it's looks. I got a good look at one of theirs on an Elky and it looks too generic.

I got the Complete LEX-19-A-EL Stage II Nose Conversion and stage II kit from Lauren Engineering. http://www.laureneng.com/flash/page02.html
They have a Camaro Conversion front end for the Elky, A Lumina "type" front end conversion and the one that resembles the Choo Choo front end. Bumper wraps, ground effects, spoilers, Scoops, and other stuff.

Honest Charley sells both the original Choo-Choo neophrene (sp?) fascia or their own fiberglass replica of the Choo-Choo fascia. The fiberglass fascia has optional grill inserts but is more of a bolt-on to a stock front-end. You will need the headlight and parking light pieces. Honest Charley does, also, sell this as a kit.
I swapped out my original Choo-Choo fascia for the fiberglass fascia. I feel it holds paint for a much better match to the body paint. I had to "glass in" the grill insert so it would look like the original. If you don't fiberglass it in, it shows where the optional grill insert (stock or custom) is screwed into the fascia.
I've been very pleased with the Honest Charley fiberglass fascia. It can be seen in the ECC member pages, 5th gen, ElkySS_N001

You can avoid cuttitng up your front bumper. I just finished this project and I just used the bumperfiller and bumper pad off a MC SS I had to trim the ends off just about a 1/2 inch or so and other than that it worked just fined.. I installed the Original Choo Choo front end.