Interesting, uh, car on Hooniverse....

I'm wondering what you all think of it.

http://hooniverse.com/2014/08/03/weekend-edition-quick-hit-an-awesome-el-caminotrans-am-mashup-for-sale-in-deleware/#more-174425

You'd certainly get some attention.

In reply to pinchvalve:

Well I certainly can't argue with that statement.

No thank you.

I do not hate that.

I am surprised at how well the TransAm nose fit on onto the El Camino.

But make it into a vert and add Bigblock torques? I Think that car will twist itself into a pretzel on a couple of hard launches

I NEED THIS!

But if I did one, it would be Heritage Brown (a 1979 color) with the gold birds. Mine would not be a convertible.

In reply to mad_machine:

the camino is full framed. The vert mod doesn't really effect anything.

I always thought Caminos of that era were unibody. Did not know they were full frame. Regardless, 'trailer park refugee' names it about right and I'm too old for a mullet.

I would be more impressed by a clean El Camino. Not a fan.

bravenrace wrote: In reply to mad_machine: the camino is full framed. The vert mod doesn't really effect anything.

So are my Le Mans and my sister's Grandville, both ragtops. If you think cutting the roof off "doesn't really affect anything", you've never driven a car like that across a rural road and watched the base of the windshield and the leading edge of the hood rotate in different directions.

In reply to Duke:

On a full frame vehicle, the body just floats on the frame. From a design perspective its not considered a structural member like it most definitely is on a unibody vehicle. Thats not to say a full frame vert won't have more cowl shake than a fixed roof model.

bravenrace wrote: In reply to Duke: On a full frame vehicle, the body just floats on the frame. From a design perspective its not considered a structural member like it most definitely is on a unibody vehicle. Thats not to say a full frame vert won't have more cowl shake than a fixed roof model.

My point exactly. I understand how full-frame cars work, and cutting the roof off still makes a big difference in the structural rigidity. On the Le Mans (and I assume the Grandville, too, though I haven't been under it as much) there are several large gussets added to the A-body convertible frame that are not in the coupe / sedan frame. Enough that you can't drop a convertible body onto a coupe frame without adding a bunch of reinforcement.

Camino and wagons got boxed frames iirc.

As far as that thing goes I do not like.

Generally, convertibles of that era had more bracing built into the frame than an equivalent hardtop, so I would anticipate this converted El Camino is pretty flexy.

Duke wrote:

bravenrace wrote: In reply to Duke: On a full frame vehicle, the body just floats on the frame. From a design perspective its not considered a structural member like it most definitely is on a unibody vehicle. Thats not to say a full frame vert won't have more cowl shake than a fixed roof model.

My point exactly. I understand how full-frame cars work, and cutting the roof off still makes a big difference in the structural rigidity. On the Le Mans (and I assume the Grandville, too, though I haven't been under it as much) there are several large gussets added to the A-body convertible frame that are not in the coupe / sedan frame. Enough that you can't drop a convertible body onto a coupe frame without adding a bunch of reinforcement.

Its not the same as cutting the roof off a unibody car, and that was my point.

I wish I didn't like that as much as I do, that thing is awesome

Lancer007 wrote: I wish I didn't like that as much as I do, that thing is awesome

I wouldn't hate it except for the bad convertible job.

Duke wrote:

Lancer007 wrote: I wish I didn't like that as much as I do, that thing is awesome

I wouldn't hate it except for the bad convertible job.

I agree with you there

I'd rock that. I'd have a bastardization of the Mexican flag's eagle stylized to look like a Pontiac's Phoenix.

Anyone who gets behind the wheel of that will spontaneously grow a mighty mullet.

That's unfortunate . . .

GameboyRMH wrote: Anyone who gets behind the wheel of that will spontaneously grow a mighty mullet.

sounds like a superhero. "I am the might mullet! Able to lead doublewides in a single bound!"

You know... I've had the Van Hagar song "The Best of Both Worlds" song stuck in my head all day because of this thread...

All that customization and they left it as a two pedal car???