Projects 59 El Camino.. Build Pics

Looking great ! You have come along way pretty quickly ,I am really enjoying your updates .

 

Thanks. Yesterdays and todays experience, was not something I will soon forget. Shrinking some spots with the gas welder, I warped the door skin pretty bad, yesterday. But I worked it back into shape. Took quite a bit of time, yet I figured it out. And that's what this car/trk is all about, for me!

 

Man, you have some grit, to keep at this car. Your learning so much about problem solving. Skill's are sharpened and shared.

 

Mine was welded shut with belair lights so I didn't have to worry about any handles

 

youve become a heck of a metal worker , hate to say it but i would have cut some corners or not even attempted to save this one lol , great job

 

Looks great! Ive been following the progress on the build watching you do all the body work is more fun than doing it remember its worth it!!!!

 

What does that have to do with his driver's door? Was your driver's door welded shut?

 

Glad to share & motivate!

Nice Elco!

Anytime I'm chasing holes, with the mig welder, I feel like I'm like I'm being lazy. We'll see!

If I don't do it, it doesn't get done.. life is short!

I think he seen the pics of the t/gate, earlier.. confused it with the door I was talking about, later!

 

If you want to save a 59 Elcamino you need to do what Jay has done. 90% of them need floors, quarters and rockers. Most also need major bed floor repair too. If you get into rust belt cars the roof & the tailgate go for a crap too.

If it was easy everyone would do it.

Jay, I am jealous, every time I open this thread I get the urge to work on my Elky too. Unfortunately it is about 18º here right now and there is 3 feet of snow outside so I think I will stay in the house & wait for spring. I'm still picking away at my A on the weekends though.

Looking better all the time.

 

Yeah, my door was welded shut....actually I misread..my bad.

 

No sweat. I didn't mean any harm. I thought I was "missing" something.......Mike

 

Thanks!

Sometimes it takes an outside reminder, to appreciate those things we take for granted. The weather being one of them. I won't even deal with mid 30° weather. I wanted to take my sweatshirt off, plenty of times today. Quite warm, here! Grin

Speaking of cutting corners, I left the old lead where it lie.. I'm not messin with it. I gotta keep it movin' The pic doesn't show the Metal Prep on there. I was 'slow' today.. but atleast I did somethin'!

 

Had to get a little more work done, before the superbowl party. Haven't watched one game in about three years. Just going to see friends, really!

 

Jay, It's looking better and better each time I look at it. It's amazing how quickly you work.
I got my '59 facatory fuel injection last Thursday. It's a restored unit with distributor. All I need now is the "parking meter" portion of the air cleaner as well as the fender fuel injection flags and nameplates. They can be re-pops if nec. Let me know if you run across anything. Here's a picture of the air cleaner part and emblems...............Take care,Mike
CLICK THE PICTURES TO ENLARGE....the emblems are at the front of the fender at tha same height as the headlights.

 

Factory Fuel Injection on a '59 El Camino?!?!? That is going to be sweet!

 

I'm so happy for you.

 

I will look and beat some bushes around here.. I have lots of resources!


So, Bill of Blue Lightning Products, came by to demonstrate how well the "B L" paint remover, works. Water nuetralized and applied with an ordinary spray bottle.. it removed two coats of paint and three coats of primer. Even removes powder coat.. anyways, I'm telling you about this cos' it something that's going to make my job easier, quicker & less expensive.



I busted out the metal files and brought down the high spots. Funny, I was reading a different thread & the guy wouldn't tell how he got his weld so smooth. Truth is, it's just 80 grit sandpaper and metal files.. they're your friend..



This picture looks a mess, but it's just in it's darkest hour! Right before she got real purdy!





So, I've been thinking "where am I going to hide the secret stereo head unit? IDK.. Under the seat or under the dash. Maybe just buy the in-dash autosound unit they have for the 59.











Make it pivot under either way.. dash or seat. If I do the seat Imma have ta' notch it up. I can hide the shit to automate it outward, from under the seat alot easier!

 

I'm going to google that blue lightning, sounds like just the stuff for my Biscayne. Great tech.

 

Bill sends lots of product to Australia. Everything he sells is the real deal! I have a 58 Biscayne. After I finish this El Camino, I will be working to finish the 58. I will have to work on it, simultaneously along with the 56 Bel Air 2dr Sedan, project I have(build to sell). My 58 will be my new (well, new to me) everyday put-put! Let my 57, rest awhile!

 

So's mine, a more door that I'm going to make into the family bomb. This is the direction I'm going in, kinda ranfla but not all the way. Gonna lace the roof have the body solid color and maybe some freeway scallops. We'll see, I have so many combos in my mind that it is a good thing I am in Oz and the car is in Tejas.

 

There was an eggplant colored, 4dr 58 Biscayne, that was running around locally! Nice to see one, once in awhile. I will start a thread on my 58, when I finish this 59. I'm glad I picked out my colors early in the 59's build. Otherwise I just about drive myself crazy, trying to decide.

 

Drivers door is finished, we'll I'm not working anymore on it.. put it that way!



I've just been, all over this thing, tightening loose ends. Welded up the six, mirror holes.



the gas welder is becoming my new 'BFF'



Then began stripping it down.. the BL stripper works 'excelent' if you're inside a building with no wind. The spray bottle only works for a day also. Cos' the stripper eats up plastic. It takes 30 minutes for the stripper to do its thing, completely. The wind did me in, but usually, you don't use much since you just spay it on.



The hours just slip by, before you know it.. I completed all the metal work, on the door. It's been another noisy day today.. ears still ringing. This is a before pic, when I had just got it down to the bare metal.



Nice weather, today.. once the sun is gone, though! Fah-get about it..

 

So I derusted & metal prepped, the door. Then hosed it down..

 

So I rcvd my a/fltr today, from Advanced Flow Engineering. Great fit.. I'm satisfied.



Quite a few crankshafts, around here..





Steel 327 cranks, ones lrg journal.



I learned that the 265/ 283 cranks have a completely round flange on the rear.. easy to spot.



Made the patterns for the doors and parcel tray..





So I measured it with a micrometer, marked it with chalk & cut it with an ax!



I ran out of daylight, but I just cut out the rough shapes(easier to take away material, than to add it!



Atleast I did a little somethin' on the 59 today. I was working on my cousins 03 Windstar, changing the shifter lever (7210) cos the O/D shift button is part of the whole thing.. unlike the trks and that.

I love OLD American Iron!

 

Ahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!! thats too funny. Next time just put grease on the door and press the board to it. Perfect transfer .

 

Imma have to start callin you "Johnny Shortcut".. Cos you're full of 'em! I was hoping someone would get that! B)

 

10 day's.....everything cool your way?

 

I was thinking the same thing this afternoon. got used to daily updates.

Speak up Jay & let us know you are still out there.

 

I had my post almost done here, an accidentally closed the tab. So everything was lost. FUCK! Never done that before, Don't wanna do that again!

So this is gonna be short

I'm great, thanks guys! I don't wanna whine about the weather, so I just have said anything lately! Hahaha That's the biggest draw back to working outside. Has to be weather permitting. I should be working on the interior, but I'm not eager beaver to really start on it. I won't drive this thing until it's completely done, just to keep me motivated. Mine El Camino is originally a six cylinder car, but I'm going to put the V8 "V" on the hood. I don't like it without it.IMO

O/T Just got back from the machine shop. We stopped around 9.45pm.. so the neighbors would be kosher!

Making the safety piece that broke on my Mossberg 500A
Mossberg wanted me to send them the whole shotty, just to replace that piece. Wrong, Stupid!

Making it from berillium!







We'll finish it tomorrow..

 

Here is a pic of the 59 Pass Fueler Emb that I took at GNRS. I too, am looking for repros. This car DID NOT have fuel inj on it.