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Full body restoration

5K views 19 replies 11 participants last post by  LS1Volvo 
#1 ·
Hello, I am a complete novice but I baught my elky and I really want to work on it and make it good. I want to do the job right. Doing the job right is going to involve pulling the body completly off and removing rust and laying down new steel/parts. This may be more then I can chew and I was hoping perhaps there is a heavy detailed step by step on the internet or even a book I can pick up. I have several books on car restoration but non go as far as what I am looking to do.

I understand elky books are not so easy to get ahold of but I am looking for a restoration book in general... I just need the basic ideas of what to disconnect and where to find bolts. Last thing I want is to take off the body to find that I can't get it back together again.
Thanks guys
 
#2 ·
#3 ·
You're my hero ElkySS.
Thanks so much... anymore info anyone might have about body-frame seperation rejoin? Even if it is not Elcamino related but perhaps a general book...

I am scared to death of pulling it all apart and not being able to put it back together [even though I will of course lay the parts out right.
Thanks again!
 
#4 ·
As you disassemble the Elky, take pictures of any especially challenging looking areas. I've seen Corvette guys take hundreds of BEFORE pictures before taking a Corvette completely apart. Also, buy lots of sandwich and "freezer" baggies for nuts, bolts and small parts. Label the baggies with masking tape notes. Tape the baggies to the larger parts that the nuts and bolts go with.
 
#5 ·
As you stated, your a novice. I wouldn't attempt this if your not at least somewhat mechaniclly inclined. It requires a lot of time and special equipment. You will need to support the body once you get it off the frame so it doesn't bend or twist, putting it on a rotisserie makes the restoration process a lot easier. Are you really sure you want to do a frame off restoration, do you really need to? Can you get by with a frame on restoration? Maybe strip car down to frame and rear clip and have bottom sand/media blasted? A guy quoted me a price of $1500 to do my 1985 inside and out. If you need to replace panels, do you know how to mig weld? I'd at least take some auto body classes to see whats involved before I started a job like this. You don't want something thats going to be sitting in your garage for the next five years because of lack of experience/knowledge, money or time, makes wives real mad. And then one day you say to yourself, "I'll just sell it"

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#6 ·
Well, I do consider myself a novice however I have assisted on several VW bug jobs. But as some might know. VW's are super easy work. I can tell just by looking under the car that there is so much more to this one.
Also, I am sure I need a full body off job. the car has a ton of rust. I really want to stop it right now when I can before it is a huge problem. I plan on painting over the entire thing with a substance like POR-15.
 
#7 ·
81elky said:
the car has a ton of rust. I really want to stop it right now when I can before it is a huge problem. I plan on painting over the entire thing with a substance like POR-15.
If it has a ton of rust that you can see, just imagine what you can't see. There's quite a bit of preparation involved in using POR-15. It's not intended to just "Paint-Over-Rust" like the name implies. Check out the POR-15 Step-by-Step Demo

:mrgreen:
 
#9 ·
here's a stupid question, but why put all the time and money into a rustbucket? Unless it has sentimental value, you'd be far better off to find a clean car to start with, in terms of time and money. The one you have may have been a screaming deal, but only because nobody else wanted it. I don't mean to insult here, just trying to provide another way of looking at it, having been through the process a few times.
 
#11 ·
body off restorations.

By the way I thought that I would reply to this one cause it sounds a lot like my Elky. I have 2 of them actually one I paid $1500 cause when I saw it I feel in love with it. It is from SD so a good state to buy cars from. Well the other one came from MI. I will tell you one thing if you see rust on the outside you will guarantee find more rust where you are not expecting it. I picked this one from MI up for $700 and I was thinking that I was getting a great deal cause the engine and tranny and everything is in great shape. Well body needed work and I could clearly see rust and there was like 3 rust holes in which I thought I would have new steel welded in those spots. Well I started driving it and the brakes lines broke and while I was under the car replacing the brake lines I looked at the rear compartment where the spare tire is and the rust underneath the car was over whelming. It was a hole about half the size of the tire. So if you find rust really any major spots will be in that area and on the floor boards along with the bottom of doors. Those are major spots however they are not limited to that. So I got royaly screwed with the car from MI cause it would cost more to fix than it would be worth. That is something where you have a frame and engine and you build your own car. So I guess I wouldn't recommend a restoration on a Elky unless you know the car inside and out and be able to see almost everything in the car. Not to mention you should definetly inspect the body. As you can tell by the name also I have a 73 vw in which what is nothing to work on compared to a elky. So if you think that is anything compared to it, it is not. So hed my advice to know that car before spending thousands into the car to make it work it. Not to mention you will spend more money on the car than what you will be able to get out of it so don't expect to spend $10000 and get $10000 when the project it finish. Do it for the love of the car or for sentimental value as I saw in a reply earlier.
 
#12 ·
My rubber bushings were bad so I replaced them with energy suspensions polyurethane bushings. The way I did it was one side at a time then tightened them all down after I got them all in. Getting the old bolts out was a royal pain in the butt. If you want you can replace rusted panels after you do the bushings and you don't have to worry about the body getting tweaked. You can do floorboards from the top. when doing the bushings watch out for the E-brake cable where it comes out of the firewall and goes down the frame.
 
#13 ·
I find it funny that people keep telling me not to spend 10k on something I would not be able to sell for 10k. Who would want to sell thier elky? I am not in this for profit or gain. I want to build something better then it was brand new. I could car less about how much I spend, and I must say, I understand I am going to spend alot. but this car will give me great enjoyment for the rest of my life. Something I might even give to my grandkids when they are old enough to drive [I am only 23 and do not even have a child of my own]
 
#15 ·
81Elky

I have an 80 I did that to and more. Should you have questions send them to me. It is not a difficult task, even for a novice, it just takes patients and time and a lot of money! I will also be doing that same thing to my 72 Elky.

I didn't do that with my 76 and I wished I had. You end up with a brand new vehicle. You know every part on the truck every screw, every wire etc... With my 80 there was no Holy Grail everything was up for grabs. I am just finishing it, well I was until I fell into a grease pit, three weeks ago, and shattered my left heel. But soon I'll be able to move around enough to go at it again. I am going to try some today.

I did this mostly on weekends and after work and I have been working on it for about two years. I have to say I'd do it again and I love the results! 8)
 
#16 ·
frame

I have 79 ELC and the back 4-16inched os the fram eare pretty rusted, the bumper mount onthe right side is there and that is it. But the bed mounts behind the frame are gone even though bushings and bolts still there, anybone encounter this andhow di you fix :?
 
#17 ·
Well, sounds like you have some pretty serious corrosion problems. I have a 2nd Elky with similar but probably not as bad problems. My plan for that one is to just cut the frame and install an Alston Engineering frame and tub the bed, I did this once before with a 68 Coronet RT I owned and it turned out really nice. If that seems a bit much, another alternative is to fabricate parts and box the frame and weld in the new section. If your having to pay someone to do this for you, it's probably going to be expensive, and you may want to just go with my first suggestion if you plan on keeping the car, the cost would be greater but in the long run it would be a better fix and you could do more with the car, like some really big meaty tires. I guess what I'm trying to say is give it that prostreet look. You could even change it to a coil over shock or 4 link suspension system. :twisted: Theres also another alternative and thats finding a frame in a bone yard from a donor and place your body on that frame while you do a complete frame off restoration , another good permanent fix if you plan on keeping the car but a lot of physical labor. I think you can figure out what the last alternative would be and that wouldn't be constructive criticism, sorry. :(

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#18 ·
frame

Mike, Thanks for the info. Furthe and more serious research has shown that th ebed mounts are still in tack and the only part of entire frame that seems effected is the back 14 inches on both sides but the left side is not bad, frame person said could easily plate weld , but right side need to cut off bad section and rebuild either frombonehard peice or home made. Person I am working with has doen this more times then he can remember. Yea I know the last alternative would be to sell it but it ia a 16yr olds first car and really don't want to do that. Oh know anyone who wants a set of 15" Z28 rims.


Stan
 
#19 ·
frame parts

Where can I get a 'WELD MENT' I think itermed it right for the left rear, spring Housing ofr a 79 Elky,I also need the bed mount bushings and bolts(4)

Thanks
 
#20 ·
body rust

81elky

If you've got rust, cut it out. Trying to contain and cover it won't hold long. Weld in new body panels. If you're going to spend the time and money, you want it to last. El Caminos are at their low point in value right now, and well restored ones will eventually rise in value.

BTW, I'm new to the forum, having just purchased a 79 El Camino for my son. It will be his educational project for the next two years until he's sixteen. A lot of rust is just starting, so the first part of the project is cut and weld.

Do it right and you won't be sorry, no matter how much you put into it.

Don't rush.

Have fun :)
 
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