Trying hard NOT to consider this one

[Camino LS6]

http://reading.craigslist.org/cto/3228268637.html

[Camino LS6]

A bunch of rare options on this one - too bad it isn't more original.

[z28luvr01]

that's actually quite nice. The color has to go though. I think it would wear the color scheme you have in mind for the '77 Camino very well.

Maybe a straight up trade of either the Tahoe or wagon?

[Camino LS6]

that's actually quite nice. The color has to go though. I think it would wear the color scheme you have in mind for the '77 Camino very well.

Maybe a straight up trade of either the Tahoe or wagon?

I think it is supposed to be that maroon color Chevelles used back then - but isn't.

I'd trade the wagon for it, but it would be dangerous for me to own this car right now...

[balthazar]

OooooooOOooooooO!!

Camino, you kno I like this gen ('64-67) best.

Why no price?? Bet it's no less than $10K.

[Camino LS6]

OooooooOOooooooO!!

Camino, you kno I like this gen ('64-67) best.

Why no price?? Bet it's no less than $10K.

Good question about the price.

I'm sort of in fear of it being reasonably priced - not sure I could control myself if it were.

I'm betting this car started life with a 327 and a 3spd. overdrive manual. It's a very high-optioned car for a '64.

Some dumb stuff has been done to it when you look at collectability, but it would be tons of fun to drive as is.

If the original parts are still hanging around though...

Edited August 31, 2012 by Camino LS6

[balthazar]

It's a Chevy- you can get a complete interior at 7-11.

Unless you meant the 327/3-spd; you might have to go to Target for that.

I see NO reason to NOT call & ask the price.....

[Camino LS6]

It's a Chevy- you can get a complete interior at 7-11.

Unless you meant the 327/3-spd; you might have to go to Target for that.

I see NO reason to NOT call & ask the price.....

Haha.

Been doing some digging and this is the uplevel interior, the gold you see on the dash is the original exterior color, the 4spd. could be original, The shifter location is correct, the car has been seriously de-badged, and there were no vinyl roofs in '64.

Yeah, I could just call.

What's the harm, right?

Would love to see the build sheet for this one.

[ocnblu]

Looks like there is evidence of a column shifter.

[A Horse With No Name]

OooooooOOooooooO!!

Camino, you kno I like this gen ('64-67) best.

Why no price?? Bet it's no less than $10K.

Agreed, and it's gonna need cash dumped in. but hell, even I'm tempted by this thing and I live eight hours away.

It's a Chevy- you can get a complete interior at 7-11.

Unless you meant the 327/3-spd; you might have to go to Target for that.

I see NO reason to NOT call & ask the price.....

Me either....

[Camino LS6]

Looks like there is evidence of a column shifter.

Looked that way to me too, but the damned pic is too small to be positive. That's why I was guessing the three-speed overdrive trans.

I taught myself to drive a stick on a '65 Chevelle with the 3spd, overdrive manual - it was a hoot to drive, sort of a semi-automatic. Just stab the gas, and it kicked down to a lower gear.

[Camino LS6]

OK, I called.

Voicemail is full.

[balthazar]

1st gen Elkys are hot property....

[G. David Felt]

Very cool car with a ton of potential. This would be fun to drive as is, but would be a hella beauty once it was fixed up or totally restored.

Go for it Camino and keep trying till you get the guy to answer the phone.

[Camino LS6]

Guy noticed that he had a missed call, and called me back.

The plot thickens...

I was right, this was a 327, 3spd. car (but not overdrive).

He still has the 327, though not the trans.

He's willing to sell the car as a roller w/o the engine and 4spd. trans that are in it now.

As it sits, Balthy was spot-on - he wants 10k for it.

Just so happens that he has other stuff (like a split bumper Camaro) that he might sell.

And he has a rollback.

I may be doomed.

[Camino LS6]

1st gen Elkys are hot property....

2nd gen.

[BigPontiac]

Guy noticed that he had a missed call, and called me back.

The plot thickens...

I was right, this was a 327, 3spd. car (but not overdrive).

He still has the 327, though not the trans.

He's willing to sell the car as a roller w/o the engine and 4spd. trans that are in it now.

As it sits, Balthy was spot-on - he wants 10k for it.

Just so happens that he has other stuff (like a split bumper Camaro) that he might sell.

And he has a rollback.

I may be doomed.

What's a rollback?

[Camino LS6]

Rollback truck (car hauler).

[balthazar]

2nd gen: of course. The break... and the F/S <> intermediate thing always makes me forget.

Tho thats some coin, if I were primairily a Chevy guy, I could be happy with this one for a long time.

A 327 4-spd combo would be about the best powertrain combo for you, no, Camino?

You have some real thinking to do on this one, IMO.

[Camino LS6]

2nd gen: of course. The break... and the F/S <> intermediate thing always makes me forget.

Tho thats some coin, if I were primairily a Chevy guy, I could be happy with this one for a long time.

A 327 4-spd combo would be about the best powertrain combo for you, no, Camino?

You have some real thinking to do on this one, IMO.

I'm doing that thinking - and my head hurts.

[Camino LS6]

I'd have to be pretty sure about what I'd want to do with the car.

I don't really want the guy's tweaked 350, but it would be nice to have an M-22 4spd. again.

To go all original, I'd be rebuilding the 327, looking for a correct 3spd. manual, patching the shifter hole in the floor, painting the car that ugly original gold color, buying all of the missing emblems and trim...

On the other hand, a modern LS drivetrain just wouldn't be right in this car.

The '77 recipe will not work either.

I think maybe a semi-faithful resto would be the right thing here. Use the 327, but keep the 4spd. Restore the interior, but change the color and find a floorshift steering column, maybe a factory console with original buckets. Then use a year-correct color on the exterior that doesn't turn my stomach like the gold does. And, perhaps, add some of the trim and emblems, but not all.

The car loves the Cragars, so they could stay.

[balthazar]

Yeah- period-correct would be the way to go; agreed.

Cragars are overdone (within my lifetime)- tho they're classics and look good; if it were me they'd go.

[ocnblu]

Yup, trade 'em for a set of Keystone Klassics!

[Camino LS6]

This puts things into perspective:

http://www.autabuy.com/Gallery/?ID=672713&ShowAdSense=1&K=1964%20Chevrolet%20El%20Camino%204%20SPD%2E

Yup, trade 'em for a set of Keystone Klassics!

K-mart Cragars!

[ocnblu]

Whoa NICE... clean as a whistle! And I still swear there's a lever on the column on that first one.

[Camino LS6]

Whoa NICE... clean as a whistle! And I still swear there's a lever on the column on that first one.

There is. It isn't an original 4spd car, the three speeds were all on the tree.

[Camino LS6]

That one I posted looks like a real bargain at $11.5k when compared to the one we've been discussing at $10k.

But then, the asking price drops to about half that without the 350/4spd. drivetrain (and with the old 327).

Room to talk maybe, but not much.

Then there is the fact that I like the '65s so much more than the '64s.

Edited September 1, 2012 by Camino LS6

[Camino LS6]

Yeah- period-correct would be the way to go; agreed.

Cragars are overdone (within my lifetime)- tho they're classics and look good; if it were me they'd go.

What wheels would you go with?

[BigPontiac]

Yeah- period-correct would be the way to go; agreed.

Cragars are overdone (within my lifetime)- tho they're classics and look good; if it were me they'd go.

What wheels would you go with?

I like the American Racing Torq Thrusts on my Nova.

[Camino LS6]

Yeah- period-correct would be the way to go; agreed.

Cragars are overdone (within my lifetime)- tho they're classics and look good; if it were me they'd go.

What wheels would you go with?

I like the American Racing Torq Thrusts on my Nova.

Those are about the only other wheel that would have the right look - I actually like them better than Cragars.

[balthazar]

Ya; AR TTs, or best yet : AR 200Ss!

Then again, I could groove on Salt Flat Specials, too.

[z28luvr01]

I'm thinking that a really good color for it would be either silver metallic or that steel blue, like the one commonl seen on 64-67 GTOs.

Something to accentuate the body lines that the car's current color pretty much makes invisible.

[z28luvr01]

Or, if you were flirting with the idea of a modern color, how about the white pearl that Caddy has been using for like the past decade? That carries with it the added bonus of letting you keep the tan interior.

[ocnblu]

Well, in 1982, I had plans to put Keystone Klassics on my '81 GP. I bought one, thinking I was going to complete the set eventually, but then the '83 S-10 happened and I put that wheel on consignment at a nearby speed shop, never to be seen again...

Custom wheel styles come and go, but a few remain year after year because they're "just right". The Torq Thrust is among them and would look great on the car. Of course, the dog dishes also have a minimalist appeal, with body-color wheels.

The '64 at the top of the thread appears to have an uplevel exterior trim package, with rocker moldings, bed rail reveal moldings, etc. I like z's point about possibly keeping the interior color and choosing an exterior that would coordinate, like brown or blue of some sort, which would also allow the trim moldings to stand out.

[ocnblu]

Edited September 1, 2012 by ocnblu

[ocnblu]

Some nice wheel choices for you to peruse.

[BigPontiac]

Maybe a '66 Artesian Turquios with American Racing Torq Thrusts like this

[Camino LS6]

Good input, guys.

I like a few of those wheels.

And Ocn's idea of dog dish with body color has a certain appeal for this car.

God, but I still love that car, BP!

[A Horse With No Name]

Good luck, I think it's unique enough and uncommon enough as a 64 that it's worth a try.

I like all of the color ideas so far, agreed on bringing out the body lines.

[Camino LS6]

Lagoon Aqua:

Edited September 1, 2012 by Camino LS6

[Camino LS6]

My current thinking:

Lagoon Aqua exterior

White Interior

Black dash pad and carpet

[Camino LS6]

In '65 th Impala SS 327s had these great-looking chrome valve covers with engine callout and in a unique sharp-creased shape.

They would make a perfect touch under the hood.

I also happen to have a pair of those Chevrolet scripted valve covers (like the maroon car I posted) in stock in the barn.

[A Horse With No Name]

Sounds like your a gonner, sir...

And I like this car a whole lot better than the Vette project, which I loved.

Good luck in getting it, and getting it home!

...although it sounds like you'll be eating ramen noodles and selling plasma to get both the 64 and the Mothertruck finished and painted...

[Camino LS6]

Sounds like your a gonner, sir...

And I like this car a whole lot better than the Vette project, which I loved.

Good luck in getting it, and getting it home!

...although it sounds like you'll be eating ramen noodles and selling plasma to get both the 64 and the Mothertruck finished and painted...

Yeah, if I do this several somethings would have to go immediately.

Here's the only pic I could find of the valve covers I'm talking about. The pic is lousy, and the decals I remember were different.

[Camino LS6]

L-79 327 in a '65 Chevelle. Yes, this is what it looked like from the factory.

[ocnblu]

What is that red, silver and chrome thing? Do modern cars have those? All I ever see is black plastic when I raise the hood.

[Camino LS6]

No matter what happens, it's been lots of fun doing this "mental build" on this car.

Edited September 1, 2012 by Camino LS6

[Camino LS6]

I hope to go look at some stuff over the next few days, and if I don't buy anything and this car is still for sale, I may go check it out.

Last.

After nothing else works out.

That's as close to responsible as I think I can be.