No replacement for displacement

 When I bought this El Camino, it was sold to me as SS396, which is still hanging in there that is it a real or just a copycat. Everything points to that direction, albeit someone can go lengthy way to make it a "real SS", but I like to keep it hanging out there, since it is much better to have a "real" than actual real, because then I have to do whole restoration thing. 

But the thing is that I haven't checked the stamp on the engine block until now, and it tells us that this isn't the original engine.

What the stamping tells us is that this engine was made in Tonawanda plant, August 30th, and engine code is CXA, which translates to 1974 454, 235 hp and TH.

So, I got 58 cubic inches more than I bought for, although it has only 235 SAE horses, as it was built after the big horsepower era was over, due oil crisis and insurance policies in the USA.

Checking first things first

Now that winter has settled in, for the second time in a few weeks, it's about time I start to do something.

The first thing that I need to do  is check fuses, which ones are okay and which ones are blown. After that we can establish which parts should work. 

This was surprisingly neat, compared to the rest of the car. Sure, some rust on the other end of the fuses, but still. 

And then there is this, as we Finns like to call them: the American Joe's workings.

I have a multimeter that I could check that there are three blown fuses. Yeah,  you can also just take a look at the fuse, but as you can see from the first picture it isn't that easy, but with a multimeter and connection check, you can hear a buzzing if there is a connection between the ends of the glass fuses. 

Now, I don't remember where I have put my spare  fuses from my previous El Camino, but I can pick up some from of the work on the Monday.

And week and half a later I finally have picked up some fuses from the work. 

I guess I might as well put them on and see what happens?

Pressure wash it all down

So, now that I finally have rolling wheels and I finally put them on, I can roll the El Camino outside and pressure wash the Nevada dirt off and start to do stuff.

About two months ago, my childhood friend visited my house and we drink some beverages and went to Sauna and talked about life etc., but one thing was that we also talked about my El Camino.

We took out the old battery and put in a new one that I had lying around, from various reasons, and then I sat in the drivers seat and put in the key. Then I turned the key... 

But nothing happened, except the lights in the dash light up. Nothing from the engine bay, not even a grunt. 

<insert image old battery vs new battery>

Oh, I tried if the engine is seized or not and I turned the engine by hand, with the help of the wrench, back in the winter.

As I changed the "new" set of tires under the El Camino, I noticed that the same F#¤%ing tire is deflating, well it wasn't the same tire, but in the same position. Driver side front wheel. 

Since I don't have running engine and even if I had, there is no driveshaft to make the El Camino move, so, I had to push it out and then winched it back in when I am done with it.

Luckily, it is a bit sloped towards outside, so that the El Camino rolls out with a bit of pushing.

And now that I am writing this, I noticed that I planned to do before and after, but I forgot to shoot that after. And now that the El Camino is back in the garage, the light is completely different.

The good thing is that when you don't know what works and what not, and you are prepared to change everything you can just really go for it with the power washing.

New set of wheels and lugs

So, I bought a few weeks ago "new old" set of wheels. These are 20 something years old wheels and tires are at least 10 years old, but both are in good shape. 

As my El Camino has just some rims with some tires so that it could roll on the trailer and in the container when it was shipped to Finland. And of course into my garage.

But since those wheels were just to keep it rolling it didn't have all the lugs and those were mix matched, so I ordered a new set from the internet. 

While I was searching for the right one, I came across black chromed lugs and even thought my friends were against them, since those chip easily.

So I bought also Chromed ones too.

Now I just need to change the wheels and roll the El Camino out and give the engine bay a good power washing.

I could've rolled it out, due driver side front tire being flat. So I have to change those Super Sport-wheels under and roll it out.

But I have been very very lazy. And then I saw a "craigslist" listing about GM wheels with tires for 90€. So I went to Lohja and bought them.

And these are from 5th gen El Camino. These are spiked winter tires, but all I need them is for me to roll out and in the El Camino so that I can wash that engine bay.

I also bought Holley Street Avenger 670 carburetor. Because I got it "cheap". 

I guess, now I really need to change the flat one and the rest and roll it out and wash the engine bay.

Other El Camino part VI

I was browsing the web on the other day and I came across this post on Chevelles.com forum.

In that post was a picture of "old friend" 442 Oldsmobile that has a bed. 

These two photos have been circulating the web way longer than I can remember. I even tried to contact the builder Murphy Walker, one time, but didn't get far. 

Now, as I was thinking that maybe this time I have a better luck to reach out the builder and get the story behind this marvelous custom job.

In post on Oldsmobile forum from 2010: https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/general-discussion-33/olds-camino-23740/

When I was doing "research" again, I came across this:

Photo by Paul Balze : https://www.flickr.com/photos/splattergraphics/

Photo by Paul Balze : https://www.flickr.com/photos/splattergraphics/

When I asked more about it, but like many things in happenings that are drive-in shows, not much, but he had 3/4 shot from the rear and we can see that this Caminofication still has El Caminos rear end.

Photo by Paul Balze : https://www.flickr.com/photos/splattergraphics/

And When I was browsing Paul's photostream I came across this one:

Photo by Paul Balze : https://www.flickr.com/photos/splattergraphics/

Photo by Paul Balze : https://www.flickr.com/photos/splattergraphics/

Now I am not saying this is exactly the same than the much circulated photo of 442 Camino, but...

And while I was browsing Paul's photostream I came across this one:

Which is whole another story.

 

Slowest quarter mile part 1

AKA bring the El Camino to home.

This has been long over due. But first part is here.

It took about a month for me to get the El Camino from the shipping company's lot to near me. I've asked quite few transport companies and prices were quite high when they knew that it is a project car and don't move by itself. Needing a second person to take too long to load was given reasons, but I got a number from the shipping company and when I called that person he said that price was in the 200-300€ range and it doesn't matter if it is a project car and doesn't move. He will transport it to me, or actually near me since his long truck and trailer couldn't drive in my yard, but that was all good as it is just a quarter mile away from the garage.

Also I scored new door lock set from local craigslist-alternative.

Scored some used spare parts

 As I am no longer in the Facebook, I don't know what's going on the marketplace and who is selling and what, but luckily my friend was on the Facebook, although he resisted for a long, long time to sign up for but due owning a rare American car made him sign up to get spare parts and knowledge from it. 

So, he noticed that someone was selling -70 El Camino sweep dash and though that he might have something else also for sale and notified me about. I asked to get his phone number and I got it. I called the guy and he indeed had something leftovers from his El Camino as he has purchased newer parts.

He wasn't living that far away so I drove there on the other Saturday and we chatted a bit about his and mine El Camino. He has bought it few months earlier than me from the San Fransisco area and it arrived a few months earlier in Finland than mine.

Anyway, this is what I got:

Not so big box, but plenty of stuff. 

So, all the headlights, which I didn't have. Armrests that are far better than what I currently have.

While the driver's side is completely disintegrated, the passenger side arm rest is kind of in shape.

Front amber turning lights and side markers I have but I wasn't sure about the condition so I took them as it's a package deal.

I also got the SS-hood pin set, although I have the pins in the place.

Then I got the rear tail lights, reverse light and rear bumper reflectors, which I also have, and I wasn't sure about the condition those are, again.

I also got the trims for the doors and roof rails. Which I also have. 

Then I got the side rails for the lower quarter of the side. Which I don't think mine had. 

Also got these kick panels too, which I also have. I guess I bought a lot of what I already have.

Oh, and I got this dash pad too, which is cracked, but not as badly as what I got.

And while I was in the garage I also continued vacuuming the cabin floor. And I tried to vacuum the dash pad, but the Nevada dust was there to stay, so I had to wash it off. 

I'll post a video later, when I get to edited to a shorter video.

You got to start from somewhere, right?

To do list part 1

Okay, this is kind of obvious that I need to make to do list. That one that I had on the right was from my previous El Camino, but actually describes pretty much what I need to do to this El Camino too, with lot's of more than that.

The windshield is one of the most notable from the outside, and El Camino wouldn't pass the inspection with this kind of windshield.

Then there are those headlights. All four. Although I bought two "angel eye" headlights, way way back and I don't know should I install them, but I need two more. These are 5 3/4" headlights and luckily I can buy them from my work.

Then I need to buy whole brake booster set up.

And under the body we need driveshaft. This was a bit of a surprise, or I didn't remember it missing.

And while we are under, we need also exhaust system. 

Wheels and tires of course. Those were just for the travelling from the seller to the shipping yard.

So, at least I need to get wheels and tires, driveshaft and brakes, so that I can take if off the garage and do something outdoors, like power washing and maybe some rust blasting. 

Well, I have started cleaning the cabin and took out garbage by hand, mostly, and then some vacuuming. 

Six bags of garbage. Well, at least it's a start. 

Been a while

Yeah, it's been awhile. The El Camino has sat in the garage for almost two months and I haven't done anything, except a bit of arranging the garage. I had the whole end of summer, whole autumn and start of the winter to sort it out, but...

At least it is in the warm garage now. Okay, it has been there, idling all alone the whole time, but I have been busy in life.

The El Camino spent three cold weeks in the Finnish winter weather, outside in the lot of the shipping company. One of the first things to do in the garage was to shovel the snow off the bed.

After a  few days of sitting in the warm garage, I took a look what I have actually bought.

It is a bit of dusty, but considering it has been sitting in the Nevada desert for quite awhile, it's no wonder.

I just love that cowl induction hood. And this is actually working one. Not just a bulge on the hood.

That front end is just... Fantastic!

Okay, I have started cleaning the interior, which I'll tell you more about in a future post and YouTube-channel video.

Till next time!