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lowrider el caminos

56K views 26 replies 17 participants last post by  just plain john 
#1 ·
my last car was a 1971 lincoln that had hydraulics. i love hot rods and lowriders the same when they are done right... this website mostly focuses on the preformance aspect of el caminos... i just thought i would share some pictures of lowrider el caminos that i especially like. its popular in the lowrider scene to put a the front clip, front end, and doors off of a ls monte carlo on the 5th generation elcamions. i just thought you el camino enthusiasts would like to see...













 
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#2 ·
Whether your into lowriders or not, you gotta appreciate the workmanship and detail in some of these crucks. Don't know how many of our members have them, but I do know of one anyway. Perhaps he'll chime in on this thread, his car is stunning and a consistant winner.
 
#3 ·
mgs72elky said:
Whether your into lowriders or not, you gotta appreciate the workmanship and detail in some of these crucks. Don't know how many of our members have them, but I do know of one anyway. Perhaps he'll chime in on this thread, his car is stunning and a consistant winner.
definatly. i was going to put hydraulics in the 1987 el camino that i had recently purchased but i decided i want to switch it up and go for a preformance build. this was my baby before my el camino. i did all the work on it, not too bad for a 17 year old.






 
#5 ·
i think they look pretty good with those monte carlo ls clips because it still has the chevy look but you get the european 1 peice headlights that make it distinct. the purple elco the light blue elco and the red and black one all have full ls trim on them :-D if i ever repaint mine im debating doing that to mine
 
#6 ·
Not my cup of tea, but I can appreciate the enthusiasm, craftsmanship and engineering.
You should do well with the Elky, just get really informed with your mods, before you leap too far and I can see you are trying to do that. There are several items, (vacuum controlled) you will want to keep.

Doug
 
#8 ·
Years ago when we did wire wheel service, you would almost always' find at lest one not true. This was under normal driving conditions. There is no way they hold up to the beating they get on these cars.
For the show they look great but should be outlawed for street driving. Cars with no (or very little)suspensions are just plain dangerous to drive on the street. Parts are stressed to no end and can break at any given time. Put them in a trailer, keep them off the road.
Mike
 
#9 ·
MEvang said:
Years ago when we did wire wheel service, you would almost always' find at lest one not true. This was under normal driving conditions. There is no way they hold up to the beating they get on these cars.
For the show they look great but should be outlawed for street driving. Cars with no (or very little)suspensions are just plain dangerous to drive on the street. Parts are stressed to no end and can break at any given time. Put them in a trailer, keep them off the road.
Mike
im sure the wheels you delt with were mostly chinese made, and not made by dayton or zenith. daytons and zeniths run 1000+ for a set and can handle anything you can thorw at the.... i dove my lowrider as a daily drier on the freeway, on trips and around town, never with any problems.

all of those cars have frames and suspesion reinforments like you wouldnt belive, they even upgrade the spindles and ball joints on the cars that have the more powerful setups. they arent unsafe.
 
#10 ·
You know, that is a question I've always wanted to ask a lowrider guy about, are those tiny wheels and rounded tires still used because they wont bash the fenders up when all those crazy angles and bounces are done with the hydraulics? They can't be for looks, they're ridiculous looking on those big cars, so I'd imagine it's because larger rims and tires will smash up the bodywork? Just wondering.
 
#11 ·
I agree on the wheels and tires as to looks and size so it must be that it is for clearence. Because it can't be for looks but no to generations every agree????? on what looks good or proper.

The wheel and tire thing with the wire wheels, have you ever seen the stacks of daytons and most others that come back for out of round and abuse. I have personally sent back 3 rims out of 4 for going out under normal conditions. If you race or treat them rough your day will come. I have seen both rear rims have more than 1/8" bends in the spokes from a burn out that was not even a 100% run. Don't believe everything that your told or is printed. Yes they are great looking on the right cars and some trucks but there is a reason they are not the most common production rim on most any model in any price range, they don't hold up to any abuse for very long.
 
#14 ·
[/quote]im sure the wheels you delt with were mostly chinese made, and not made by dayton or zenith. daytons and zeniths run 1000+ for a set and can handle anything you can thorw at the.... i dove my lowrider as a daily drier on the freeway, on trips and around town, never with any problems.

all of those cars have frames and suspesion reinforments like you wouldnt belive, they even upgrade the spindles and ball joints on the cars that have the more powerful setups. they arent unsafe.[/quote]

Actually, the wire wheels I dealt with where way before it was legal to trade with China.
And Dayton was where we sent them for repairs.
Mike
 
#15 ·
thatss odd, ive known people that have had daytons for 7+ years on heavy boats with no problems. daytons are notorious for being virtually indestructable. but im sure you know what youre talking about. but the day they outlaw hydraulics on street cars is the day im moving to another country. theres nothing more fun than when i would post my lincoln up on 3 wheels in the school parking lot.
 
#17 ·
lowriding is just all styiling, its about keeping all the original trim but having a nice paint job (as much chrome as possible). the hydaulics were origianlly just to have your car sit as low as possible (in a time before air ride suspensions). now adays people got hydraulics to hop off of the ground, or to sit their rides on 3 wheels. besides hitting switches is TONS of fun... and i could be crusing next to a 100 thousand dollar hot rod, but when id put my car up on 3 wheels on the strip i would be turning heads.

thats not my ride, but you get the idea.
 
#26 ·
lowriding is just all styiling, its about keeping all the original trim but having a nice paint job (as much chrome as possible). the hydaulics were origianlly just to have your car sit as low as possible (in a time before air ride suspensions). now adays people got hydraulics to hop off of the ground, or to sit their rides on 3 wheels. besides hitting switches is TONS of fun... and i could be crusing next to a 100 thousand dollar hot rod, but when id put my car up on 3 wheels on the strip i would be turning heads.

thats not my ride, but you get the idea.
I think I missed something, when did 464elky get his new ride on the road?
 
#19 ·
spoke wheels have been used for years and have only gotten better. i rolled a set on a 60's cadillac and drove through about 5 sets of 40 thousand mile tires. there just as durable as anything else on the streets. its amatuers putting them on wrong that makes it dangerous......almost every car ive had has had spokes.(im a lowrider guy) only think i havent put spokes on was my wifes ride.haha. just like anything else it just takes some know how and youd be surprised at how good they ride especially on the 83 elco (EL MAS CHINGON).
 
#20 ·
I def support any and all custom cars man, and thankx for sharing some of your pics with us. I wanna do all one day I just want a nice street strip custom for my first. Dont worrie I plan on having all the gen's so ill have alot of fun ways of making then my own. Thankx again for the pics stuff like that alwase inspires me.
 
#21 ·
I would never condone any law that would further restrict anymore to what we can do to our own cars and still drive them on the street. Once that starts it will get to the point that you could not even replace the speakers with out breaking the law.
 
#23 ·
This like don't like thing has been around for as long as man himself. Difference in things is what makes all of us strave to do what we like. The low rider, bouncer, Tunner, ratroder, Hot roder, Trucker, and any other handle you wish to place on a car is what drives the hobby. Car show means car show, but it seams we as people must split up things and not come together as a large group and get along. A general car show will be mostly collectable, hot rods and muscle cars. Why not everything with wheels low to high ?? While I think ! how cares what I think, build it show it, run it and enjoy it!!!!
I just whish the world could get along....

That being said I think every thing is worth a look, just don't try to make me like it!

el Camino's are still number one on this site

:beer: ___________________________
 
#25 ·
The first lowriders that I saw many moons ago, went to the ground and stayed there. :yell:

The guys with a garage de-arched their springs or cut them. Other guys loaded the trunk with bags of concrete. Getting the nose down wasn't as important as the rear. Remember 'taildraggers?' Bags and hydraulics came in, partly to please 'the man.' That, and to clear the entrance to the burger drive in.

The modern hydraulic 'hopper' cars have as much in common with the original lowriders as NASCAR has to do with stock cars.

Don't get me wrong, I like ALL kinds of cars. We destroyed a perfectly good Lincoln by hopping it to death on 13" Dayton wires. The car broke, but the hydraulics AND wires live on. Still looking for a new victim-NOT the El.

OK, I like ALMOST all kinds of cars. I am still trying to come to grips with 'Dubs.' :let_it_all_out:
 
#27 ·
Maybe I'm just an old geezer, but I don't get it. I can see the craftsmanship in these cars, but it makes me cringe to see a nice car (of any variety) smashed down to the pavement from several feet up over and over again. It just has to bend stuff. They're not really streetable either. What's the point? Put hydraulics on a ricer, and leave vintage US made classics alone. Just my $.02.
 
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