Projects 1959 El Camino - What have I gotten myself into?!?!

not to hijack the thread but i need some panels and cant find them.like bottom of the tailgate from taillights down,behind the wheel,from the beltline down rear 1/4 panel i guess?.share the wealth,man where do you find them???

 

Those pieces have to come off another car.. or most likely you'll have to make them. Ebay has some t/gate shtmtl.. IDK, give a shot

 

That's what wives and girlfriends are for! They're more fun when you've made them nuts! (Try singing the "Green Acres" theme song on a road trip, I highly recommend it! Oh, then remind her she's yours forever!!!)
Seriously though, your trucklet will be cool as all get out. I didn't mean to be so negative last night, and if it wouldn't be hogging or hijacking your thread, I would tell the whole evil, terrible, story of my '59 Camino misery... but suffice to say, it still makes me wake up in a cold sweat at night some times...

 

A company called C.A.R.S. out of Michigan I believe. I say I believe because I dealt with they're local holding CIDELLA interiors in Tempe,AZ. There is also Impala Bob's in Mesa, AZ. They got for me some of the panels I couldn't locate through the other.

 

I think they all get their panels from CARS, but all teh prices are about the same. I have a rear quarter panel (I forget which side) I could let go of if someone needs it.

 

Well, you certainly just moved up quite a few notches on 'the list'

 

El Caminos are 'nor cars or trucks, They are sexy parts cruisers!

 

Well pretty cool.
I helped put a '59 and a '60 together a couple of years ago. The '60 is still with the fella who I helped out.

The '59 ended up with a restorer down south somewhere. I guess he had to undo some of my handiwork. This one was built for a paraplegic friend.

They are really cool old cars. It will probably be a love hate relationship before its done but well worth the struggle.

 

That's cool Harrison! You sir have got balls! How much for the Bama football tag on the front! my Dad's a huge Alabama fan.

 

Give him the tag- you need a power T on it!

By the way- If our house sells before you get started on it, we're moving to the Knoxville area- if you want help from someone who isn't afraid of rust and has '59 Chevy experience, I'd be glad to help out!

Though I'm not 100% sure they'd interchange, Sherman and Associates offers a lower rear quarter section for '59 Chevy cars. It actually goes 3-4" above the beltline trim and slightly past the center of the wheel arch. As to whether or not it will work for an ElCo- you'd have to ndecide for yourself. As far as the corectness of the contour- this car has them

 

nice score, I'd love to find one of those here in Michigan..it's my grandpa's dream car and I'd love to be able to build one for him and surprise him on his b-day with it

 

Well, yes they will, after a fashion... That's the problem with the El camino, all of the panels ARE available, sometimes after a long wait due to small production runs. And they are NOT that expensive really. But almost all the pieces are made for passenger car repair, and the trucklet is just different enough, that it becomes a game of, well I guess I can make this work...

 

There's very little available for them, the quarters are for 2 door hardtops, nothing fits, the quarter stainless is unique, rear bumperettes and a host of other parts. There are no panels available to fix the rust in the bad back, everything has to be hand fabbed and these car/trucks are notorious rust buckets but I love them, only the 59s though, the 60s are OK, but they just don't move me.

All the best Harrison.

 

thats pretty cool and it shows me i am not the only one guilty of dragging home rusty bones to work on lol good luck and please post some build photos

 

That's what I meant Nads, I made a pair of quarter patches fit mine! It wasn't easy in any way shape or form, but I did use them, and it turned out well. Same with every piece on the thing, from the floors to the inner rockers to the body mounts to the outer rockers... I have to agree though it's all about the '59s for me too!

 

In Michigan, El Camino's are titled as trucks and require a commercial license plate........Mike

 

C.A.R.S. Inc. is three miles from my house. They do NOT sell any El Camino body parts.

 

I'm not certain it's an upgrade?!

 

Hey Nads I don't know if the rear 1/4's are one off but it looks like Rockauto has them for 105$ each.
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raf...36&parttype=1416&a=FRc1422436k2376380-2293858

 

That El Camino brings back High School memories! A buddy had a stock fadded green with 3 on a tree that we drove to go and from school in the mid '70's. It was rusty back then and was from California. Loved it!

 

They are selling Sherman Parts shtmtl. Fits 2 & 4dr Impalas. Anything other than the outer shtmtl, you have to make it or find a donor.

 

What do you call a beautiful Italian woman?.. Lucky! I can tell that joke, My Mom's Italian. Hahaha (please don't kick me off a here.. I couldn't resist)

 

Yeah , that is a real odd ball of a car.

 

Whatever it takes......

You can have that tag. Alabama is full of Albanians anyway!!!!

Nads, I found your build thread here. It's amazing what was hiding under your paint. Where did you get your repair panels?

JH

 

Now grant me this, please. It has been about six years ago, but I did use the Sherman quarter panel patches, that I did indeed buy through CARS local affiliate Cidella, to patch both sides of my '59 El Camino. I used the large panels that patch the lower half of the panel. The biggest difference is at the back of the replacement quarter, where the cut out for the bumpers are. It took quite a bit of reworking to do, but it was not impossible. I said twice that nothing is stated as being for El Camino, but with a bunch of work, it almost all can be used. If I have some time to go through several years of paper pictures, (this was long before digital for me) I will post some of the completed repairs. Just saying guys....

 

I'm not doubting anything you said. If it seems that way, I apoligize. I've known Bob at our Michigan store for a long time. In fact, the El Camino I now own is the one pictured several times in C.A.R.S. current '58-'72 full size catalog although I've made a lot of changes since I bought it. Bob said they just didn't get enough calls for '59-'60 El Camino specific body parts.......Mike

 

Hey Mike, do they have any other elcamino specific stuff?

 

I don't ask about El Camino/ Wagon parts where I know there aren't any. So thats just not good marketing. Going through my El Camino, I've seen what is and isn't available. Between the lack of anyone producing 59-60 ignition switches, heater control valves, t/lite bezels, lwr rear corner valances, t/gate hinges or pins.. and bedfloors.

I remember when 61 Chevy repop stuff still wasn't available.(late 80's)
Then they began to make parts, and look at 'em now.
I think I see an opportuity here.

 

Any chance you would want a stock grill instead of that ugly tube thing?
I've been looking for one of those for awhile and I have a decent stocker available for trade. Nice project by the way, don't let the naysayers discourage you, I've seen people start with way worse than that.

 

Jay,
The big difference is that in 1961, Chevrolet built 287,700 Biscaynes, 381,500 Belairs, 411,000 Impalas and 211,000 wagons...Production totalled 1.291 million.

In '59 they only built 22,246 El Caminos and in '60 they only built 14,163.I'd guess that at least 25- 30% of '59-'60 El Caminos are looooong gone due to rust. You've got to figure there's just not enough market for so few El Camino specific body parts.......Just my opinion...Mike