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Looking: How fast

15K views 26 replies 18 participants last post by  Trevor 
#1 ·
Okay im looking at 1980 el camino with 350. They got the 350 froma 79 chevy truck I guess and its pretty much stock. Has dual exhaust (glasspacks) 4 barrel carb and a edelbrock intake. I want a car that can actually give people a good run. Im not expecting 12's but maybe mid 13 or 14's. Can someone estimate what my cars running now? good way to loose weight and get more horsepower. How much does a camino weigh? Do they weigh a lot compared to other v8s of the time or about average?
 
#2 ·
You are probably looking at a 15-16 sec car assuming it still has the stock trans and rear axle. 5th Gen Elkys weigh around 3600 lbs and if you intend on using it on the street there is not much you can do to lighten it. All of the normal hotrod techniques: cam, heads, compression will increase the power but the quick and dirty is NOS. A 125hp shot will get your car into the 14s and with better gearing and a good cam maybe even into the 13s.
 
#5 ·
I have been around racing my entire life and I have seen many engine/trans/car combos. I would say you would be looking at 15 seconds 1/4 mile time. Add some headers, MSD ignition, and ignition timing, and you should be able to get it into the upper 14 second range. Just my guess, El Camino's about 3600lbs so the weight make it much harder to run 12's. good luck -Matt
 
#6 ·
It might already have msd to not sure, ill go check tonight, I planned on a better exhaust system with headers, maybe a hydrualic cam? or just another cam dont know much about cams but yes to headers and maybe take the heads already on it and get them ported and polished. then try to reduce weight a little, fiberglass stuff I guess and definitely diff rearend. The gas is really hard because the throttle cable spring or whatever is hook from the carb to a loop on the engine that you use to hoist it so it really hard to push the gas down but when it shifts it will get up and go. I was thinking 3.73 gears I had them my mustang and they worked great
 
#8 ·
It depends on the options. Power windows/locks, A/C transmission type all ad weight. My Stock '85 with no power options was 3590, and my 85 SS with every option was 3670 . I guess a no optioned V-6 base model would probably be about 3400-3500lbs.
 
#9 ·
If you want to go with fiberglass for weight reduction go to www.up22.com. I'm, personally looking at putting the whole fiberglass front clip and fiberglass tailgate on my car but being a poor 16 year old I'm gonna have to do alot of saving up lol. Also 3:73 are really good gears and I would say get those, but i have no clue what gears came in the 5th gen. As of right now i would say your car is good for probably a high 15 sec pass. Just my 2 cents

Landon
 
#11 ·
Only problem with the car is the steering is really loose. They got a steering wheel from a older camaro. I was told el caminos are heavy compared to other v8s. I figured theyd be lighter because they dont have back seat or snything like that. Are the much heavier then 80 model malibus. How much weight can I expect to loose on elcaminos with normal weight reductions, ac removal fiber glass hood, maybe remove the tailgate. If it has a decent 350 and the stock rearend should it be able to do a good burnout?
 
#14 ·
What people and compared to what cars? It was a lightweight compared to a 1980 Cadillac DeVille but a porker compared to a 1980 Vega. I think you will find that practically everyone on this forum didn't really consider weight when choosing their Elky, we were primarily looking for a vehicle with unique styling. You realize of course that the 5th Gen El Camino still had body-on-frame construction when most similar cars of that period had lighter (but less desirable) unibody construction. If lightweight performance is your primary goal I would choose another vehicle.
 
#15 ·
Well, all I can tell you is that my '85 rolls empty from the dump scale at just under 4,000 pounds, with a full tank and my fat but. Now, I don't weigh 400 pounds, so I'm guessing net weight, without fuel and me, would be about 3600. You could easily look it up.

If our friend wants a drag racer, then it's not so much the car as it is what you intend to do. A real drag strip terror requires a lot more than a big honking engine and four speed. By the time you deal with chassis issues, radiusing the wheel wells for big tires, and on and on, you might as well just get a tube chassis racer and have done with it.

I converted me stock set up (the 267? v8 and th350 were orig) to a 'truck' block 355 with Street & Performance TPI conversion kit. I couldn't pass my local smog inspection with the stock set up ('computer' carb) and it would have cost me nearly as much to repair that system as it was to go to the TPI. Naturally, I sail through the test, since I'm being tested as an '85 but my set up (currently) is more-or-less an '87 TPI Corvette induction w/ S&P's custom LT1 chip (no charge for me, an original customer, although it was like ten years later. Yes, S&P is good folks.) I've got headers, single cat, single 3" exhaust; roller valve train/cam w/ world heads (72cc combustion chambers for a est. 9:1 compression), adjustable fuel pressure reg., etc. 700R4 trans w/ stage II kit, 3.73:1 rear.

No, I don't drag race it, I haul stuff with it. My mechanic guesses we're in the 325-350HP, but unless you know where to get free dyno time, it's anybody's guess. The car moves out fast, will haul it 1000lb. limit uphill w/ no hard breathing, and I'm rarely embarrassed on the freeway on-ramp.

So, it depends on your goal here. I want a nice driving car. I get reasonable gas milage, about 20 in town, empty, maybe 25+ on the highway. I've power windows, a/c (when I can afford to keep it working) and a few suspension goodies. For an instant handling improvement (night/day) have a chassis shop install a set of urethane bushings. That and some proper shocks/springs will give you a different ride. I installed the police/taxi quick ratio steering box (I think the code is FE) and my car steer like no other Elky on the planet with this set up. I'm starving so as to buy a Hotchkiss rear suspension kit.

When it comes to spending money on your ride, the only limit is your bank account and credit. Nope, you won't sell it for a profit, either.

Good luck.
 
#17 ·
8 year old thread. It amazes me how many hours people must spend reading old threads to find these gems.
 
#18 ·
X2. I started to read it and then saw a post by the late "mrapii". Sometimes it is good to see those old names though. Makes me think of something they wrote about in the past. Today something made me think of Larry "coyote on two". There have been some dandy's on here.
 
#21 ·
Your car probably weighs about 3500 lbs with you in it and a full tank of gas and would probably run a 15 or 16 depending on how bad you destroy the right rear tire off the line.

13's: Cam, Headers, 4.10 posi, 3000 rpm stall and some weight reduction (spare tire, tail gate).

You could probably get in the 14's with just the 4.10 posi and some weight reduction.
 
#23 ·
I agree with low 16 second 1/4 mile runs with that setup.
Back in the 70's I raced a '55 Chevy 2-door sedan in Gas and Modified Production classes.

It had a 327 with 11:1 CR, big cam, manifold, Holley carb, long headers with open exhaust with 20" long 2-1/2" pipes. Shift points were right around 6000 RPM depending on how it "felt".

It had 4.11 gears, a Muncie 4-speed, and wrinkle-wall slicks. It probably weighed less than his El Camino since there wasn't much under the hood except motor. Battery was over the right rear wheel. Ladder bar traction bars, etc. It ran 12.8 or so in the quarter. I won several local races, but couldn't compete on the national scale (they were running low to mid 12's in my class).

That's what it took back then to get in the 12's.

Jack
 
#22 ·
The only problem with unlimited Products fiberglass is the wide range of quality...great price point, and stuff no one else has...

I just used one of the cowel induction scoops...it was warped...I cut & re glassed it to fit...but I'm good with glass and it was much less than a Harwood.:beer:
 
#25 ·
Weight shedding in a El Camino is not that difficult, but is expensive. Michelle's car is 2928 with the driver in it.

1. Scrap the entire interior except the drivers seat and a shifter (150-200lbs)

2. Scrap both bumpers and bumper mounts (replace with fiberglass)

3. Scrap both doors (replace with fiberglass and lexan)

4. Scrap the rest of glass (replace with lexan)

5. Scrap the steel hood (replace with fiberglass)

6. Scrap everything else that can be replaced with a lighter weight component.

and before you know it you have spent $10K in parts and shed 600-700lbs, this equals about $15.38 per pound lost. On the flip side, for every 100lbs lost you will gain roughly .10sec on the track.
 
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