Well, she is in a million pieces....or close, I lost count. Sent the body to be blasted after new floor pans, cab mounts, smooth firewall and a few minor rust spots. Working on boxing frame today. Body should be ready when I get back into town second week in Feb. 390 engine is on order (400hp, 460ft/lbs torque), Tremec 5 speed is in box. Got the crown Vic front end in...it is sweet!. Grabbed an Explorer rear end. This may be good swap for ours....it is 59" mount to mount, uses bigger tubes and axles and comes with disc brakes. It is 8.8 and a 3.73 limited slip rear. More welding tomorrow!
Great Stuff ! Keep it coming Russ . Will boxing the frame cure the body flexing & door jambing problems that killed these unibody trucks when they were new ? . Or , is it just typical make safe Hot Rod work ? .
Unibody Flex Maybe...... . I'm sure all here know that these beautiful trucks sold like hot cakes for about one year , then it became known that parking them on un even surfaces (farms etc.) prevented the doors from closing once you'd shouldered them open . As these were up market trucks, many were sold with 3 speeds and overdrive . That golfball sized knot on my leg ? it's just a bump now but still won't go away
Come on, Russ~ Nice shoes and a cool project, but *yawn* when are you getting to the ratrod GMC? This F%#D project might suck the life out of you. Congrats on you AD thread becoming a sticky! I bet Robert might make that GMC ratrod thread a sticky as well!
Um , I like it ! . How about some underhood before pix Russ ? so I can whine about how you ' ruined ' it....... .
That's really crazy,because I had a 64 El Camino (of course it was a Chevy) and never noticed any flexing problems with it.
Great job, Russ! Looks like your done. Now send that on to who ever and get going on that GMC ratrod! By the way~ Why are you peeing on the trailer in that one picture? Was that directed at the F#@d?
Duh ! Well of COURSE not ! . The wondeful El Camino was a CHEVROLET built upon a robust Station Wagon chassis . I'm apalled you'd ever consider comparing a wretched Brand 'F' product to anything Chevrolet ever made . I mean , O.K. , the Copper Cooled Chevy was a mistake but apart from that... .
If Kettering had only had the foresight of Dr. Porsche, air cooling would have worked for the Chevrolet.
Nah, thats my Yankee, Mark, who helps me on this project. Don't you know those Corvairs will kill ya? Just ask Mr. Nader.......