Project Camino!

[NOS2006]

I think I agree.

With me?!

haha Just kidding, bud.

[Camino LS6]

I was back at it on Sunday, and the drivetrain is now out. Everything went pretty smoothly with the exception of the driveshaft, it just didn't want to slip out of the trans and had to be "persuaded".

I have decided that I love cars from Nevada! I have never had such an easy time removing an exhaust system - it simply unbolted without any form of penetrating oil, cutting, snapping of hardware, or any drama whatsoever. Even the exhaust manifolds came off easily. The entire system could be bolted right back on and used. First time ever for me.

Parts of it (if not all) seem to be original! The tailpipe hanger is welded to the tailpipe. I'm really amazed by this and will take some more pics of these components later.

The engine is now out and I have determined that it is a mexican-built 350. I don't know any more detail except that it appears to have been a long block replacement without tin and intake. I took pics of its casting numbers and a number on a plate near the oil filter. This makes me think it is from Jasper (or similar engine co.). It has a GMPP intake with an Edelbrock carb.

The trans appears to be original or a very old replacement judging by the amount of crud built up on it. I spent hours last night removing it.

The cleanup of the engine and trans is well underway, but not complete. I'll be back on it today to get it ready to install into the wagon.

pics:

[zhawk]

Camino, with an orange/pearl white paint scheme, I would definitely go with a really light, maybe even white, wood bed.

Good thinking. Maybe not white but a light ash would look incredible.

Hey, Camino, you mentioned Nevada. Any chance of you coming out to Hot August Nights sometime in the near future?

[Camino LS6]

Good thinking. Maybe not white but a light ash would look incredible.

Hey, Camino, you mentioned Nevada. Any chance of you coming out to Hot August Nights sometime in the near future?

Never say never, but not too likely. It would be quite the hike for me.

-Back to work, more pics later.

[z28luvr01]

Wow, that engine and tranny cleaned up pretty nicely so far. That setup will look (and sound) really cool in the wagon.

[Camino LS6]

Let There Be Orange!

[Camino LS6]

Mission-creep has hit me like a ton of bricks today. I decided not to risk the trans without rebuilding it, it was reluctant to shift into third and had a VERY thick coating of goo on it when I pulled it. So, I removed it from the engine today and will be dropping it off for a rebuild tomorrow. It also needs new lines, which leads me to the next aspect of mission-creep.

Yesterday, I decided that I couldn't put that shiny engine into a worn-looking engine bay. So, I removed the inner fenderwells, hood hinges, and battery tray to have them sandblasted and painted. I will be removing the rad support and grille/bumper brackets and hardware for the same treatment as well. Then, I realized that I needed to do something about the underside of the hood and the insides of the front fenders - so they may get the same. I ordered another new set of rad support mounts today as well.

Oh yeah, the trans lines, they're not the only lines I need. One of the front brake lines is so rusted that I could never trust driving the car this way. Now I'm contemplating buying the stainless front kit from either The El Camino store or OPGI. I will have to get the flexible lines too, as the rusted line has spread its damage to the end of the flex line.

As for the rest of the front end, I'm going to take it all apart and clean and paint the suspension,firewall , and cowl area here at home.

This will make a nice practice run for me as the wagon's front end is identical to the Camino's. So much for a quick engine transplant!

I have a few "before" pics and some of the car with the fenderwells removed ( I love the view after doing this) but I'll wait to post them until I get the rest unbolted.

[Sixty8panther]

Holy cow, you're making good progress!

[Camino LS6]

Thanks 68, I'm too tired tonight or I'd be back out there wrenching.

I'm having fun. :AH-HA_wink:

[ocnblu]

[z28luvr01]

I'm having fun. :AH-HA_wink:

Trust me I know the feeling. I finally got the clutch/brake pedal assembly out of my car this afternoon, a feat I've been trying to accomplish for a week and a half but got delayed by the cold and lack of knowledge of how to take it out. After I got it out I couldn't resist reenacting that bit on the Simpsons where Homer sings "I am the Champion" while holding it in the air.

I wish I had the foresight to do a thread like this. I'm loving reading along about your progress. It'll be amazing when you're all done and you'll be able to relive the whole thing from page one. When you're done, be sure to print this entire thread out and keep it with the car.

[Camino LS6]

Trust me I know the feeling. I finally got the clutch/brake pedal assembly out of my car this afternoon, a feat I've been trying to accomplish for a week and a half but got delayed by the cold and lack of knowledge of how to take it out. After I got it out I couldn't resist reenacting that bit on the Simpsons where Homer sings "I am the Champion" while holding it in the air.

I wish I had the foresight to do a thread like this. I'm loving reading along about your progress. It'll be amazing when you're all done and you'll be able to relive the whole thing from page one. When you're done, be sure to print this entire thread out and keep it with the car.

Count on it! :AH-HA_wink:

[Camino LS6]

Today's update:

- Ordered Stainless Steel transmission and brake lines from the El Camino store

- Ordered flexible lines (rubber) from the local NAPA

-dropped-off the wagon parts I removed 2 nights ago to be blasted and painted

- dropped-off the transmission for a rebuild.

EDIT: The rad support mounts came in already! Less than a day from ordering them. I picked them up this afternoon.

Here are the pics from the other night. I took a few "before" shots of the engine compartment, a few after I removed the fender wells, battery tray and hinges, and one of the parts ready to go the the blaster.

Thumbs:

[z28luvr01]

You're keeping this wagon, aren't ya. You big softie :wink:

[Camino LS6]

You're keeping this wagon, aren't ya. You big softie :wink:

I don't plan to , but I really like it.

So...

[Camino LS6]

Didn't get back to it today - busy with other things and it was damp and a bit chilly out in the barn tonight. Should make progress tomorrow.

Just as well, I'm pretty tired. :AH-HA_wink:

[Camino LS6]

This evening's work:

[Camino LS6]

More:

[Camino LS6]

More Still:

[Camino LS6]

Thanks for the pic,WMJ. The company that makes the deck does offer that wood, but I had never heard of it. Now I have something to go on.

[ocnblu]

Cool, I didn't realize those bumpers were made up of a face bar and a reinforcement. I don't think I've ever seen one apart.

[Camino LS6]

Cool, I didn't realize those bumpers were made up of a face bar and a reinforcement. I don't think I've ever seen one apart.

Yup, and they are both Heavy with a capital"H".

I am toying with the idea of modifying the mounts to draw the bumper back in closer to the body on the Camino. On the wagon, it will go back on in stock configuration after blasting and painting. It looks like GM was toying with the idea of non-shock absorber bumpers for this bodystyle as the bumper is the standard grade thickness of earlier bumpers and could serve that purpose without reinforcement. Adding the reinforcement and shocks makes these things real battering rams ( Fly, don't ever let one of these hit you!)

[BigPontiac]

Finally had time to grab some pictures of the Overhaulin' El Camino. They cut and narrowed the rear bumper and the hood center section was from a '69 Chevelle SS. Then of course the Laguna S3 nose... Also, all the molding around the bed were removed and custom cover fabricated. May provide some ideas...

El Camino parts car used for test fitting interior...also had a Laguna S3 nose, but with stock paint scheme.

Finished car.

[Camino LS6]

Thanks BP, I really like the '69 hood mod.

[BigPontiac]

They did a lot of work on creating the hood and also on "fitting" the bumpers to the car better. If you'd like to rent the DVD to see how they constructed the hood it's Overhaulin': Season 1: Disc 2 -- "Surfer Kid" I found it on NetFlix.

[Camino LS6]

Thanks again,BP.

[Camino LS6]

The Transmission is ready!

[Sixty8panther]

I love seeing these photos... there's something so very masculine & rewarding

abot rolling up one's sleeves and get to work on a car. In this day and age

when the concept of chaging one's own oil is something that absolutely terrifies

most people it's fun to tell people about reallly tearing appart a car & putting it

back together.

[Camino LS6]

I'm certainly enjoying myself! :AH-HA_wink:

[Camino LS6]

Here are the "before" pics I took before starting the engine compartment/front suspension cleanup. I hope to make major progress over the weekend and get lots of pics, so I thought I'd post these now.

[SuperSport623]

I love seeing these photos... there's something so very masculine & rewarding

abot rolling up one's sleeves and get to work on a car. In this day and age

when the concept of chaging one's own oil is something that absolutely terrifies

most people it's fun to tell people about reallly tearing appart a car & putting it

back together.

thats why i love working on my car... my dad was totally blue collar, owned many tractor trailers, and serviced them himself.. i always looked up to him for that, and i think thats why i took such a strong interest in cars. you know how you can tell a good car person from a non enthusiast? show them a picture of a car in two different colors of primer, missing the bumpers, grille and lights (my car) and they scoff at you. normal people look at a car and see a car. Car people see a car... but also, its potential. what it could be... when my friend shows everyone what his chevelle looked like before and after his little resto, theyre amazed.... i cant wait to do the same

[Camino LS6]

The garage was out of control so I did a little cleanup and then attacked the firewall of the wagon.

[Camino LS6]

I dug back in tonight and removed the following:

-The master cylinder and brake booster

-The transmission linkage

-All of the front brake lines and the distibution block

- the driver's side caliper

I also put the car up on jackstand in the rear and removed the rear wheels to get to the bleeder valves on the wheel cylinders. I drained as much of the brake fluid as I could before removing most of the hydraulic system. During the process, I snapped one of the bleeder valves off of a caliper. Hopefully, I will be able to get the remains out so I don't have to replace the caliper. The brake line that runs from the distribution block to the rear of the car wouldn't budge from the distribution block so I got out the bolt cutters and lopped it off. I still haven't managed to get that fitting out but everything else unscrewed with a bit of effort. In the following pics you can see the connection from the hard lines to the flexible lines that got me started on the brake system. It was exceptionally bad at that spot. The rest of the lines were passable or better, but all will be replaced with new stainless lines.

The shot of the front supension shows the so-so condition of the ball joints etc. After some soul searching, I have decided to replace the upper and lower ball joints, upper and lower control arm bushings, outer tie rod ends, and the sway bar mounts and bushings. The shocks will also be getting tossed, and I may replace the springs while I'm at it.

Mission-creep strikes again!

Thumbs:

[Camino LS6]

Thanks to Black and Blue and BatmanVW helping out this afternoon and evening, A great deal of progress was made. The firewall and cowl are as stripped as they will be getting, and the sanding and cleaning is well underway in that area. The calipers and rotors, dust-shields,shocks,crossmember, and power steering pump are off, and the suspension has been broken down to a point that in a few hours I will have the frame as bare as it will get. I can almost smell the paint now.

Meanwhile the new torque converter and kickdown cable were installed on the freshly rebuilt transmission, and it was mounted to the engine. It was nice to see a few things going back together rather than coming apart for a change.

Thumbs:

[Camino LS6]

I ordered the front-end kit and new springs today, so I guess I'll have to get out to the barn and get some work done in the cold so the frame is ready when the parts arrive. Then I have to get ready to take the Maserati to the Carlisle auction. It is going to be a busy week.

[BatmanGTO]

Thanks to Black and Blue and BatmanVW helping out this afternoon and evening, A great deal of progress was made. The firewall and cowl are as stripped as they will be getting, and the sanding and cleaning is well underway in that area. The calipers and rotors, dust-shields,shocks,crossmember, and power steering pump are off, and the suspension has been broken down to a point that in a few hours I will have the frame as bare as it will get. I can almost smell the paint now.

Meanwhile the new torque converter and kickdown cable were installed on the freshly rebuilt transmission, and it was mounted to the engine. It was nice to see a few things going back together rather than coming apart for a change.

Thumbs:

Who did that sassy sanding..... and i love my cup holder....

and to quote camino after we finished "shes almost naked enough to grind her now"

[Camino LS6]

Ha ha, I meant to post that!

Thanks.

[BatmanGTO]

Ha ha, I meant to post that!

Thanks.

Hey someone has to make sure everything gets documented

[Camino LS6]

That was a funny moment, I knew I was in trouble as soon as that statement came out of my mouth. :AH-HA_wink:

EDIT: I was talking about the surface rust on the frame, you pervs!

[Camino LS6]

After my "Carlisle delay" I got back to the wagon last night. Unfortunately, the batteries in my camera died - so no pics. I removed the spindles, upper & lower control arms, springs, and a few small items as well as beginning to prep the now nearly naked frame for paint. I had to disconnect the steering shaft to get the D/S upper control arm off. I'll try to take some pics if I continue tonight.

[Camino LS6]

Suspension removed/frame prep:

[Camino LS6]

I like that!

[Camino LS6]

Update and new pics coming soon.

[knightfan26917]

I like that!

Holy cow ... so do I! That is AWESOME!

Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker

PICS:lego.HO.model.MCinfo.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"I'm about to put the hammer down" ... CW McCall ... 'Convoy'

[Camino LS6]

Been really busy lately, so I'm not as far along as I would like. But here are the latest views anyway. The frame is farther along than the pics indicate, as is the firewall - one more full day should have them ready for paint. I may still remove the steering box and the rest of the suspension parts before painting.

The other pics show the newly sandblasted control arms and crossmember and the hardware from the frame and firewall all labelled and bagged-up.

[Camino LS6]

Jumped back into the project over the last few days.

Before I started in, I tried one of my Firehawk wheels on the wagon just to see how it would look.

I've been doing lots of sanding, priming and painting: upper and lower control arms and the crossmember primarily. As you can see in the pics I got a bit a carried away with the details by sanding the sandblasted parts smooth, using a coat of rust converter, priming, sanding again , and finally finish paint.

The large parts (inner fender wells, rad support) were blasted and painted by the sandblast guy I use and are ready to be re-installed as soon as I complete the frame, firewall and front suspension.

Take a look at the pics of the crossmember and you will see the results of using this Rust Fix stuff from Plastikote. Stange stuff: it sprays on clear, then turns a pen ink blue, and finally dries to a black primer finish. It seems to work ok, but it takes FOREVER to dry. The parts were sandblasted but had some deep rust pits so I decided to try this stuff as a base coat just to kill any remaining rust.

I have also removed all of the old ball joints and bushings from the control arms and am ready to install the new ones on two of the arms. I am going to wait until I have the other two arms ready though, because I need to borrow a press to install them.

[Delta Force79]

It looks like its coming along nicely...keep up the great work

BTW...I would suggest slightly larger wheels as the Hawk's wheel seems rather small in that wheel well...

just my $.02

Edit: on second thought, perhaps its just the angle the pic was taken at?

Edited June 4, 2007 by Delta Force79

[Camino LS6]

The Hawk wheel looks small to me too, but the funny thing is that it is a 17" wheel and the wagon runs 15s. I think it is a combination of the low-profile tire on the Hawk wheel and the fact that the rear is dropped down because the wagon is on jackstands.

I won't be using those wheels anyway, the offset isn't compatible.

[BigPontiac]

So are you keeping this wagon or is it just a LOT of practice ?

I vote for redoing the rally wheels for the wagon...

[Camino LS6]

Well, the wagon will be around until someone wants it more than I do. :AH-HA_wink:

I like to do nice work and find it hard to say "good enough" when I do a car.

I may use the current Camino wheels on the wagon after I have the gold centers blasted and re-painted black. I think that that should look good on a silver car.

The rally wheels may just get stashed away.