PDA

View Full Version : One man, a Big Block El Camino and a Cadillac engine...


Brootal
08-06-2004, 05:35 AM
Well... it's 6:30 on a Friday night, so I figured Tech Week is over. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Some of you may recall a while back I managed to score a '57 Cadillac engine for the princely sum of $0.00. (Thanks Choco) For the last couple of years or so... has it been that long?... my good buddy BobbedT has been looking after it at his place up in the Blue Mountains.

Bob's a bit of a swap meet junkie and unfortunately his collection required some more room, the Caddy had to come home. So... how does a guy that lives in an apartment and whose only mode of transport (at the moment) is a Saab convertible or the chauffeur driven Mercedes (the big blue and white ones), accomplish this.

As the song says... with a little help from my friends.

A friend of mine has an El Camino. It just happens to be a factory SS 454. I know it's too new, but I'm pretty sure it's an original RHD car, or was imported very early on in the piece.

http://www.the-rumbler.com/roadtrip/elcamino.jpg

It's got a cowl induction hood...

http://www.the-rumbler.com/roadtrip/cowlinduction.jpg

...and ate up those miles heading West up the Freeway. It also ate up a bunch of juice, but you gotta expect that.

Got to Bob's place up in the Blue Mountains. It wasn't snowing, but it might as well have been! Luckily Bob has an engine crane, so we got it in the back pretty easily. Much easier than last time when we manhandled it off the back of a ute in to Bob's station wagon!!!

http://www.the-rumbler.com/roadtrip/backoftheute.jpg

So after a cuppa and bit of a chat as we hadn't seen each other for ages, I headed off back down the mountain.

Fortunately, there's a Krispy Kreme down the bottom. Mmmm... Doughnuts... and coffee.

http://www.the-rumbler.com/roadtrip/krispykreme.jpg

I was a bit worried because I didn't have any chain, but what I did have was a whole heap of nylon tie-downs that I use to keep my big, heavy and old surfboards from flying off the roof. FOUR of them should do the job.

Will she hold...

http://www.the-rumbler.com/roadtrip/willshehold.jpg

Better get a couple of snaps before it all goes horribly wrong. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Here's the coolest thing that's been in my garage for a while.

http://www.the-rumbler.com/roadtrip/almostcool.jpg

...and what makes it cool, even though it's TOO NEW!

http://www.the-rumbler.com/roadtrip/ss454.jpg

So back to the pumpin'... Yep, looks like she'll hold.

http://www.the-rumbler.com/roadtrip/liftoff.jpg

Oh, by the way. Mike with the El Camino also leant me his engine crane. Every home should have one.

Not far to go now...

http://www.the-rumbler.com/roadtrip/almostthere.jpg

TOUCDOWN!!!

http://www.the-rumbler.com/roadtrip/touchdown.jpg

Managed to do it without dropping it on my new Vans sneakers and without busting my back.

Black Gold??? Maybe Texas Tea...

http://www.the-rumbler.com/roadtrip/oilchange.jpg

And there she sits. As you can see, I've got the bell housing, harmonic balancer, water pump, lower pulley and chrome rocker covers (which came up a treat with a bit of a polish). I've also got an Edmunds 2x4 stashed away.

http://www.the-rumbler.com/roadtrip/thedonk.jpg

...and finally, the mighty Rat that got me there and back. As you can see, Mike is a Mechanic.

http://www.the-rumbler.com/roadtrip/therat.jpg

PEDDRO
08-08-2004, 08:03 PM
"Boris' Excellent Adventure"

Looks to have been well worth the trip...and going by the fact you've already polished up the rocker covers, you're pretty keen to get into that motor!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
And ain't it good to have a crane to lift motors with???.....Men, backs and cast iron don't mix too well. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Zeke
08-09-2004, 12:42 AM
God I was hoping that OZ would be free of them nasty sugarbombs. Starbucks, Krispy Kreme and Michael Moore all signs of the apocolypse... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

slammed
08-09-2004, 01:24 AM
Neat 'shop' truck. Vintage power plant w/2x4 intake, cool indeed. AWOLBUSH.com

55olds88
08-09-2004, 01:58 AM
yup looks like a good time, engine cranes rock, just a pity I need all hands on deck to move my Olds collection, walking a 324 down a plant off the back of the ute when there is only you and a mate with a dodgy back aint fun....

jimbob
08-09-2004, 02:06 AM
So whats it goin in BROOTAL, the Rambler http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Cheers and beers
Jimbob

PEDDRO
08-09-2004, 03:06 AM
[ QUOTE ]
God I was hoping that OZ would be free of them nasty sugarbombs. Starbucks, Krispy Kreme and Michael Moore all signs of the apocolypse...


[/ QUOTE ]

Zeke: we just want the TIN and IRON. You can keep EVERYTHING else....I'm sure we've got reels of Golden Girls episodes we can return!!

Zeke
08-09-2004, 12:29 PM
Sorry but we've found out that Starbucks, McD's, and Krispy Kreme are viruses that cannot be cured. Once a country is infected it is nearly impossible to get rid off them. As for the Golden Girls reels send them to France we don't want them back.

Now if we could work some falcons and utes into some sorta tin trading oganization:... HATO Hokey Ass Trade Org.???

Smokin Joe
08-09-2004, 02:01 PM
Sorry, that's not a cowl induction hood. The cowl induction hood has a flapper that works off engine vacume. Bottom of the hood has a ring that fits against a rubber dam around a special air cleaner. Very nice truck tho. Send pics when you get going on that engine. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif