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My 1964 elky restomod journey and question thread

3K views 20 replies 8 participants last post by  Jim Ramsey 
#1 ·
alrighty so im posting here to talk about my 6fo's current state, my plans on restoring and or updating. I will also be asking questions along the way because this is very new to me. and because I second guess myself allot before doing anything I'm unfamiliar with. ( I have been searching the threads since joining here for gen 2's and the 64 elky. So if I post a question here and there is threads bout it already I'm apologizing now in advance) also I may call parts by wrong names or made up names, please correct me as needed!

so my keys for my daily pickup, house key and only key for the elky disappeared.. wife and I think our youngest ( she will be 2 in march) threw them away, she was fixated on putting things in the trash can. I needed door locks so I ordered the new ignition cylinder door locks and glovebox lock with matching key. well I thought id try and be awesome and remove the old ignition cylinder from the ignition switch with a flat head to turn it to ACC to remove it.. well that didnt work ... at all... I broke the flathead inside the cylinder and then with frustration I took a drill to it.. that didnt work so I looked online to order a new ignition switch. found a local autozone that actually had in stock a "64 el camino" ignition switch! JACKPOT!! well it didnt fit the harness clip.... :unhappy: ... so I decided I should of just ordered it from the online el camino store from the get. I was nervous about doing it now cause what if it doesnt fit like *** then id have to send it back. and I really hate having to do that with online purchases...
so for a few days I pondered about the harness clip and the ignition switch not lining up.. a lightbulb lit up and I thought to myself lets see if its a 64 chevelle ignition switch will line up ... it did! So is that normal with the chevell el caminos?

so first major thing ... I want to do is the head to tail complete update wiring harness.
I have very little knowledge on electricity and Id rather do that all in one shot rather than try back tracking problems back n forth on wires. plus the wires are 55 years old .
once the wiring harness is done ill put the dash back in ,
what recommendation do y'all have for headlights? I am looking at the LED low & high beams that are up on the el camino store online...

but in the mean time before that happens I want to start sanding and priming the car. I dont have a garage to be able to strip the car down completely and get at it. so was thinking about doing one section at a time. for ex. take a front fender off sand and prime completely then put back on and go about the car in that manner. good idea? bad idea?

also need to buy and install the weather stripping for the doors.

What parts are irreplaceable and I should make sure they are kept in good shape? I have a few buddies that tell me theres parts that I might not be able to find for this ol car.

when I bought this car it came with most of if not all the trims pieces and even some extra trims pieces. also came with a few bins of extra or original parts and even nos parts . ( dont know how to post pics on a new thread gonna research now so I can post pics of the parts)

to be continued....
 
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#2 ·
A couple suggestions:

Get yourself a good shop manual and a body manual.

Bookmark Rockauto.com. They are a very good source for parts.

Also go to the gm heritage center and download needed info from there.

And CONGRATS on the 64. I want another one.
 
#3 ·
#4 ·
Hello Ryan,


And good luck on your project. I will try to answer some of your questions.


1 - I went with an American Auto Wire new wiring harness - their "Classic Update" model. No major complaints with it and each wire is labeled along its length for easy installation. The instructions are well written and I recommend doing one circuit at a time and then test it using a good multimeter. This is what worked for me.


2 - Headlights? I'm using standard incandescent original lighting. With new wiring and clean grounds, you will likely be surprised at how well they can operate.


3 - As long as your panels are not too rusty or dented, I'd leave them on while sanding them. This avoids needing to learn how to do panel alignment and you can always take them off later if you are not happy with your initial efforts.


4 - Weatherstripping? "Steele" or "Metro" make good rubber. I think what I have is made by "Soffseal" (? spelling) and it fits well but still leaves a gap at the top of the window frame. I have since learned that the factory people would bend the window frame to close this gap but I'm not going to do that. I have somewhat cured this problem using other methods.


5 - I would not throw any of your old parts away yet and yes, some will not be available. Even an old rusty part is better than no part at all. Somebody around here might have what you need.


The best advice I have for you is to try doing something in your rebuild every day. Every. Single. Day. Even if you can only get 15 minutes devoted to some obscure project with your EC, those little bits of time will add up.


Rick
 
#7 ·
hey rick thank you !
1. thats who I have book marked for the wiring harness
2. im gonna look up those bulbs. if they are cheaper than going LED more than likely ill go
that route. the one bulb that does work is the sylvia and the other three bulbs are GE sealed beams. was surprised they are actually glass bulbs and not bulbs behind plastic

[URL=https://s50.photobucket.com/user/BUX64/media/IMG_3639_zps91o25bpt.jpeg.html][IMG]https://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f304/BUX64/IMG_3639_zps91o25bpt.jpeg[/URL][/IMG]

3. the reason I was thinking to take the panels off was to get rid of any rust hiding behind
them
4. noted

5 ohhh nooo I wasnt gonna throw away any parts I have the original nuts and bolts in bags
covered in rust.
thank you very much!
 
#20 ·
Thanks Jim I will check them out, right now looking online for lock pawls... el camino store has em for 9.99 each... is that good?



I've had four 64 els and just finished the last. Check the muscle fatory in Placentia Calif. They have the best price and a large inventory. Been driving one since 1967. I have a large number of 64 parts.
Jim
That part is the top of the steering column.
 
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