50 replies to this topic

[TooOld]

Rubber lined hose clamps !  You're killing the details...hahahaha

Great update pics Bob..thanks

On a side note..I saw two 60 El Caminos at a show and the vendor

wanted 30 bucks for each..like Wow..he wouldn't budge on the price.

 

Thanks James .  They look good as long as you don't get too close !

 

James, you didn't add the fact that there was a good five coats of Green enamel brushed onto one of those so called Meusuiem pieces that guy had too !

 

People want crazy prices for those SMP El Caminos .  I kept looking for a long time ,  but they were either real glue and paint bombs or they were priced twice what a resin body goes for !  I have a Bandit Resins '60 and it is really a nice piece with an open hood and F and R bumpers ,  it just wasn't what I wanted to build .

Edited by TooOld, 25 February 2013 - 04:29 PM.

[Ramfins59]

Great work so far Bob.  Isn't if fun doing all that bodywork..??  LOL.

[TooOld]

Great work so far Bob.  Isn't if fun doing all that bodywork..??  LOL.

 

 YES !

[impcon]

This will be a masterpiece, to say the least! I do admire you for building the car this way as opposed to just buying a resin or original kit. The quality of this build will be hard to beat simply because of the time, effort and love put into it. hard work always shows in the finished product, just as does appreciation of the subject and the love and enjoyment of what you have done. I don;t want to know but I am envisioning this in several different colors - we'll see how similar our tastes are when you are done.

The addition of Impala side trim on 1:1 builds seems popular and I have to admit that it does look good. In styrene or steel, I'd stay with the original Bel Air side trim simply because I just like stock. But this will look good and add to the beauty of your finished product. I'm watching pretty much daily for more updates on your thread.

[TooOld]

 I decided it was time to start working on the engine so I found a nice small block in the Revell '64 Pickup kit .  It looks just like the 283 I had in my El Camino ,  with stamped valve covers ,  a 4 bbl intake and a 4 speed trans .

 I'm making my own headers out of .062 solder ,  which scales to 1 5/8 diameter .   If you ever buy headers made for a '60 Chevy ,  they are made to really hug the engine and then they dump to the outside of the X - frame where they hook up to the stock exhaust .  It took two trys but I finally have a set that I think will be okay once they are cleaned up and painted .  I have flanges made but they aren't installed right now .

 

 The orange paint was done quick just to take some pictures .

 

 

 

[TooOld]

 

 

[Custom Hearse]

Looks great Bob! Looking forward to the next installment!

[george 53]

Bob, If you want to trade, I have a 60 SMP Elco that I kitbashed with a 59 to get the same results you got there, and it wasn't NOWHERE near the work you put into yours! But then again, mine DOESN'T have that nice detail that the Revell 60 Chevy has either! I might have done it the easy way, but YOU'RE doin it the RIGHT WAY! Looks GREAT!

[TooOld]

Thanks Marshall and George !   I've managed to spend a few hours on this the last couple of days so I should have some updates this week sometime .

[TooOld]

Here's a few photos of the finished engine ,  ready to drop into the chassis .

 

 

 

 

 

[Johnny]

Doggone man! You have me wanting to try that conversion now!

[TooOld]

I've been busy with other stuff for a while but managed to get in a couple of hours Sunday night .

 I pieced together the exhaust with turbo mufflers made out of 1/8" thick styrene ,  pipes from 3/32 aluminum rod ,  and the tips will be polished aluminum tubing .   I pinned the parts for easier alignment .

 Thanks for looking .

 

 

 

[TooOld]

 It's been over a month and I'm finally back working on this El Camino !

 Over the weekend I about finished the interior ,  paint and some BMF .  I added a clutch pedal and made a shift lever and boot ,  and the steering wheel from Detail Masters .  I'd prefer to use the stock wheel but this is a recreation of my own El Camino and that's what it had . I'm still going to add some floor mats ,  and I didn't forget the seat belts , it didn't have any !

 

 It's taped together for the photos since it will be assembled inside the finished body to make sure everything fits .

 

 

 

 

 

[TooOld]

I also remade the hood hinge ,  it was kind of big and ugly .  I found some small diameter brass rod that fit into .062 tubing and made a new one .

 

 

 

 I'm also trying something a little different to dress them up a bit .  Kind of crude but you get the idea , I can add springs after it's painted .

 What do you think ?

 

 

 

[Joker]

Engine bay is coming along nicely..

Dig the hinge idear..thanks for the update.

With the warm weather ..I tend to put building on simmer too.

[TooOld]

Engine bay is coming along nicely..

Dig the hinge idear..thanks for the update.

With the warm weather ..I tend to put building on simmer too.

 

Thank you James !

 It's warm or HOT here most of the year so weather doesn't affect my build time much ,  just other things to take care of .

[Eshaver]

James likes to go Fishin too much !

[66belair]

That is a beautiful conversion.

[hjracing]

Wow! I'm really impresed whit the level of details in this build, awesome job!

[TooOld]

That is a beautiful conversion.

 

Thanks Mike ! 

I'm at the point in the build where I usually screw things up ,  keeping my fingers crossed !