Curtis73's El Camino build thread

Purchased 6/21/14 from Ebay. Totally shady, ghetto, Trenton car lot. One of those that is just a chain link fence with white trash cars packed in like sardines. Mercedes with torn seats for $2000 and 4 billion miles. An early RX7 convertible with the top down... then you realize its actually missing.

Anyway, looks were deceiving. The folks were very honest and helpful. Very good experience. Chambers Auto Sales at 941 Chambers St.

Trailered it home (no brakes except some rear). I was a bit disappointed to find that the tranny slipped, but it does have a pan gasket leak and it was 2.5 qts low. Filled it up and it shifts great now, but I will remain skeptical for a while. How long and how often was it operated with low fluid?

Anyway, the plan is still developing. It will be a daily driver, so it has to be useful. I'm sure a good spray on bedliner is in order, as is V8 EFI and a manual transmission. I have two T56s. One came from a Viper and was adapted to fit GM SBC/LT1. The second was pulled from behind an LS1 and is stock and in need of rebuilding. The kneejerk reaction is to say LS/T56 (especially since I have so many T56 things around) but I'm open to almost anything on the planet. I love diesel, but I don't think this is a diesel type theme.

LT1 would suit, but it seems they bring more money than they should. A person can usually find an LQ9 for similar money as an LT1 so its kinda a no-brainer. I could also really piss people off and put in something like a Buick Nailhead with a TBI.

As far as appearance and chassis, I'm going with a light application of pro-touring. 16" wheels, maybe some flare to the fenders, slightly lowered, and a cruise-worthy interior.

For now, I'm just getting it on the road. I did some hard digging on the brakes and found some real ghetto stuff like three compression fittings, lots of rust, and a fuel hard line that had been replaced the whole way with half-rotten rubber line. I bit the bullet and ordered all new stainless brake lines, fuel suppply, return, and vapor lines (in preparation for EFI in the future). Once that is in, it should be road worthy... I think. Then I can drive it. Until I tear it apart.

Oh yeah... its an 86. Shows 64k on the clock, which means 164k... or in the case of this car, maybe 264k.

Thumbs up. These a good platforms, and still reasonable out there to find them.

When I get back to a real computer ill post the cheap and easy handling package

Dusterbd13 wrote: When I get back to a real computer ill post the cheap and easy handling package

and I shall love you forever.

TIGMOTORSPORTS wrote: Thumbs up. These a good platforms, and still reasonable out there to find them.

I was always so impressed with the parts swapping ability of the GM platforms. So many G, B, D, F, A, and S-truck/Astro parts interchange.

Aftermarket is awesome, parts are cheap.

Strange thing is, I am a HUGE fan of uncommon cars. I like the cars that most people have to ask "what is that?" G-bodies (of which I've owned three) don't fit that description, but I love 'em.

You mentioned Nailhead? Or if you'd prefer one that's already built..gulp!

Congratulations, Curt! This will help you get yourself car-happy again. Any plans for the rear end on this guy? I know that swapping is both a near-requirement and pretty difficult. If I were you I would start there before going into the engine. You can hoon an old engine and a new rear end, not so sure on the other way around.

Also, if money is an issue, a four speed can do the job behind the genIII just as well as a T56.

Looking forward to reading!

5.3 T56 Ford 8.8? 12 bolt? Handling bits DONE

tuna55 wrote: Congratulations, Curt! This will help you get yourself car-happy again. Any plans for the rear end on this guy? I know that swapping is both a near-requirement and pretty difficult. If I were you I would start there before going into the engine. You can hoon an old engine and a new rear end, not so sure on the other way around. Also, if money is an issue, a four speed can do the job behind the genIII just as well as a T56. Looking forward to reading!

Already have a couple T56s around. One is going in the Impala SS someday. The other needs synchros for sure, maybe more. But its set up for an LS engine. Years ago I had bought an S10 that someone swapped an LS1/T56. I parted it out, made my money back, and kept the T56 and Spec aluminum flywheel/clutch.

Rear end I will likely narrow something from something else.

Possibilities:
8.5" disc from a B-body (already has the upper trailing arm bushing holes)
9" with a disc conversion (steel center section easy to weld on bushing mounts)
8.8" disc from an explorer and maybe preheat/weld on bushing mounts (scary)

The most obvious choice (to me) is to narrow an 8.5". Its easy to get 5x4.75 or 5x5 axles, brake parts are cheap, and there are plenty of axles to be found.

That also means I can do it myself and the only real expense will be purchasing axles shafts.

Another possibility I considered was any proper-width axle and do a truck-arm suspension. That way I'm not dealing with aftermarket axle shafts.

(and I will admit to strongly considering a C4 IRS, but I havent found the right bank to rob.)

lincoln mark viii irs?

4 link with any axle?

Dusterbd13 wrote: When I get back to a real computer ill post the cheap and easy handling package

waiting patiently for this

nicksta43 wrote:

Dusterbd13 wrote: When I get back to a real computer ill post the cheap and easy handling package

waiting patiently for this

sorry,ive been on call and trying to get the wifes car back together.

hopefully this was worth the wait...

first up is that this is a metric chassis. yes, its a g-body, but the thing to remember is that the metric cars were/are dominant in the cheap circle track world. which opens up a plethora of options.

the front suspension geometry, frankly, sucks. the spindles are too short. when I was road racing an s10 (shares the metric chassis), I developed a cheap set of yubular upper control arms with ub machine that add caster, correct negative camber, and adapty a c10 upper ball joint which is a half inch taller with the correct taper. the part number is 15-0739-6R and 15-0739-6L (right and left respectively). they use an 84c10 2wd upper ball joint.

I never found the need to go with a tall lower, in all honesty. those are available from proforged for 50 ea. they coorect some roll steer issues, and bump steer issues, but again, are not necessary in my opinion.

for LCA bushings, I ran AFCO steel greasable circle track pieces on the street with no issue for about 30k. new owner has done another 30k, and theyre still going strong.

front shocks were used bilsteins from a ~2000 2wd blazer. they bolt up fine for the g-body car as well.

I used 600lb/in springs from speedway on mine. went with the afco street stock springs, and trimmed till my LCA was level with the ground. I then used belltech 2 inch drop spindles, stock rotors, aluminum circle track calipers, and PFC Z compound pads up front. also, use the monte SS sway bar and steering box for the g-body. those will give you a VERY nice turn in and flat cornering.

on the rear, I never fully developed anything specific to the g-body. my bet would be a nice 1 inch helwig sway bar, blazer bilsteins, and afco steel bushings in the control arms with the corresponding spring rates. id probably shoot for about 300 or so in anelky. also add drag bags back there for load capacity.

I also rocked cragar soft 8's in 17X9 on the s10, alternately with 16x8 iroc wheels for street tires.

hope that helps, guys.

Michael

^That should save you a year or so of trial and error...

Holy E36 M3... what a great start. We'll talk more.

I knew about some of that stuff, but the specifics are like G-body porn. THANK YOU.

Forgot a few things. Cherokee steering shaft makes a good difference in steering wheel feedback.

If unable to find monte ss pieces, helwig front sway bar and steeringquickener. Touching up the welds and addinga tube between front feamerails in front of the stee box helps a bunch.

In reply to Dusterbd13:

Great info Dusterbd13. Thanks for posting

We found the cherokee steering shaft to be AWESOME! Also, we used a GTA steering box (from like an 88). It is actually "quicker" than the monte box, but the "stops" are not the same so you must be careful with FULL lock.

They make bilsteins for this car for about $50-$60.00 a piece brand new.

There is a cool chart to show you ride height and spring rate using stock moog springs. http://jeffd.50megs.com/Moog_Spring_Page.htm

We ran a rear addco swaybar. It helped the rear a ton!

There is no reason to upgrade the rearend unless you are drag racing. We road raced ours for several years with ZERO issues.

Rob R.

goddamit my reading comprehension sucks sometimes. i keep opening this thread expecting to see a '73 el camino, and i keep going away disappointed.

When you have the front lower arms out run a piece if rod through the front and rear bolt holes to see if they are inline. We've had a few that were noticeably off and had to be corrected or solid bushings would have bound up.

In reply to Dusterbd13:

Interesting suspension build up. How did you decide on the parts and what equipment did you have at your disposal?

basic tools. and a tape measure/digital angle gauge.

parts were what was available in my price range, what I saw the circle track guys using, and a little bit of voodoo.

mosty trial and error....

AngryCorvair wrote: goddamit my reading comprehension sucks sometimes. i keep opening this thread expecting to see a '73 el camino, and i keep going away disappointed.

Don't feel to bad. I had a '73 Camino and that thing was a turd.

Trust me... for as much as a 73 was a turd, this one is a gunky-carbed, catalyst-plugged, oil-burning, wheezy-ass 305 that was optimistically rated at 150 hp.