Camino and balthazar

[XP715]

"1959 Buick Le Sabre / El Camino morphed into the worlds only "Le Camino." This is a potential magazine cover like project car with 1962 Cadillac frame and title. Will win any show when finished."

3000.00 obo 253 310 7845

One of you two HAS to buy it. HAS to. I decided for you. There is no getting around it.

Edited June 4, 2008 by XP715

[Camino LS6]

Tempting.

Would make a great C&G project car.

[balthazar]

C-@-tell. A bit far.

I would seriously be tempted to jump on this one if it didn't have a CHEVY rear end on it. And right off the bat, my jumping would be at the risk of ignoring the fact that a Buick-clipped Chevy body is somehow, inexplicably, mounted on a Cadillac chassis. I make a point of avoiding that level of automotive monkey business.

A B-59 wagon would make a logical starting point to build one of these, but I've yet to see one in person.

[Camino LS6]

C-@-tell. A bit far.

I would seriously be tempted to jump on this one if it didn't have a CHEVY rear end on it. And right off the bat, my jumping would be at the risk of ignoring the fact that a Buick-clipped Chevy body is somehow, inexplicably, mounted on a Cadillac chassis. I make a point of avoiding that level of automotive monkey business.

A B-59 wagon would make a logical starting point to build one of these, but I've yet to see one in person.

Hmm, got a pic of the tail end of a B-59 wagon you could post?

[XP715]

A few questions:

-Would you really want to cut up a wagon with the number of survivors being so few today? Unless you found one so bad that it would never be saved otherwise, but that sorta defeats the purpose of the cardinal rule of restoration: start with the best condition example you can, doesn't it?

-Wouldn't the El Camino's cab structure (especially the rear window portion) and inner bed structure make for a more seamless transition from car to pickup in the final product?

-An experienced fabricator should be able to graft the Buick skin to the Chevrolet inner structure successfully, right (because I, too, agree that the Buick's front with the Chevrolet's rear would look ridiculous)?

As for the Cadillac frame, I don't know what to make of that. I find it very strange that the frame is from neither of the two vehicles the truck is made out of. Unless the guy literally had like a '59 Buick front clip, a '59 El Camino with a bad frame, and a rotted to death '62 Cadillac with a good frame. Weird.

I think one of you should call the guy and find out what his reason for doing so was (and see how much you can talk him down!)

[balthazar]

I am NOT in the market for another major project, so the true answer to #1 is no.

Were I, I just might cut up a rough but restorable wagon, yes.

#2: It would be easier to use a B-59 wagon w/ B-59 quarters & tailgate already in place, a scenario which would not involve any frame issues or front- or rear-clip grafts... than to splice B-59 quarters on an El Camino, in my experience/opinion.

The Caddy frame makes no sense unless it was shortened-

C-59 Elky wheelbase: 119

B-59 coupe: 123"

'62 Cadillac: 129.5.

Something is up, here.

[Sixty8panther]

Tempting. And there's no B-pillars

I personally love it. The nose of the B-59 is the main attraction for

me, I think the Chevy rear end would be livable, I see Balthazar's

point but it would not turn me off to the car enough to not buy this

if it was cheap enough.

For Camino:

XP:

Remember that '62 Cadillac "hand made" flower car up at GoldenRod garage?

We looked it over in that nasty rainstorm and determined it was def. built buy

a guy with overalls & a jerky-cabinet, using leftover parts from an early 60s

Oldsmobile wagon, like the tailgate that turned into the cab/bed divider.

[balthazar]

>>"And there's no B-pillars "<<

Actually, since there's no place for a B-pillar to go, and pillars are so designated 'alphabetically'... I would say an El Camino DOES have a B-pillar... but the good news is there's no C-pillar to muck up the lines.

[Camino LS6]

Tempting. And there's no B-pillars

I personally love it. The nose of the B-59 is the main attraction for

me, I think the Chevy rear end would be livable, I see Balthazar's

point but it would not turn me off to the car enough to not buy this

if it was cheap enough.

For Camino:

Thanks for posting that pic 68, I couldn't visualize the wagon from the back. Now that I've seen it, the rear quarter and tailgate aren't too far off of the 'Camino.

I have to say I prefer the Chevy styling at the back,though. The plain round taillights don't work so well with the gate, IMO.

[Sixty8panther]

The back of the B-59s in general is wicked cool, and also a

slight let down after the incredibly awesome ANGRY nose.

If I ever get a very rusty but restoration-worthy B-59 I think

I might make a clone/slight variation of this concept:

(notice 3rd tail fin extends through glass into the parcel shelf)

C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\My Pictures\1959___BUICK_TripleWing_clay_mockup_1.jpg

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