Peter Lombardo Posted July 6, 2008 Posted July 6, 2008 A brief history tour…..1957 Ford introduces the Ranchero, effectively blending the line between pickup trucks and passenger cars. Two years later, Chevrolet countered with the 1959 Chevrolet El Camino based on the 2 door Brookwood station wagon. It ran, in that configuration for 2 years before slumping sales sidelined the car/truck. In 1964, Chevrolet brought the El Camino back but this time, based it on the smaller Chevelle. This seems to have been the right sized package, as the new El Camino ran through the 1987 model year. Even though, you could never mistake either the Ford or GM car/trucks as “runaway best sellersâ€, they did, and continue to this day, to have a huge number of fans. In fact, Pontiac is readying a version based on the Australian Holden as a new car/truck model for the 2009 model year called the Pontiac G8ST. To this day, I never understood Chryslers’ reluctance to jump into that market. Sure, Chrysler was always short of cash, but the retro-fitting of a B body Dodge or Plymouth with a pick up bed instead of a rear seat would not have been all that difficult or expensive. Plymouth, in 1979, did briefly produce a compact pickup truck based on the Horizon/Omni platform, with front wheel drive called the Arrow, then in 1983 calling it the Plymouth Scamp. Dodge produced the Rampage during the same time sharing the body and platform with the Plymouth and having a distinctive Dodge grill and graphics. These car/trucks had more in common with Volkswagen than with other Detroit vehicles, though. So, I asked myself, if Dodge or Plymouth did venture into El Camino/Ranchero territory, what could one look like? Since I had a 1971 Plymouth GTX un-built on the shelf, it was offered up to the God’s in sacrifice to find out. So here it is...... a 1971 Plymouth Arrow GTX Hemi. The pickup bed, sides and front bulkhead were scratch built and the tailgate was heavily modified from the trunk of the car. The doors were opened, tailgate hinged and a Hemi and Shaker Hood Scoop were hijacked from a Barracuda convertible kit. Not being a big fan of the chrome front grill surround, I painted the outer portion and the rear bumper the body color. The body is painted in Mopar Champagne Pearl Metallic lacquer and the accent color is Super Copper Pearl all toped with clear coat and than rubbed out with wax and finished with bare metal foil and a few decals, hood pins and an antenna. I don’t know where you guys stand on the issue, but I like how this little experiment came out and honestly think Dodge and Plymouth would have taken a good sized chunk of this market, had they ventured into it. Just a little side note, the accent color on this car, as I said before is super copper Pearl, but that is not the whole story on that paint. This stuff, Jacquard Products, Pearl Ex Pigments is my new favorite kind of paint. This is a pigment that is ground down to 10 to 60 micron size particles…I can only say that it is a very, very fine powder. I mix about a ¼ teaspoon of the powder with about 1 inch of clear lacquer (this becomes the “carrier†of the pigment) and about a ½ inch of lacquer thinner in a small paint bottle, shake it up and pour it directly into my air brush. (all measurements are estimates, so if you try it, experiment with the measurements to find a consistency that you like). This pigment comes in 40 different hues and many are duo tones that change color depending upon the viewing angle. I have 13 bottles and the colors that I have used have worked great. I pay $3.99 per bottle, with many, many applications per bottle, they are very cost effective. If you spray them on and don’t clear coat them, they will give you that great “satin color primer†look that look great on neo-rat rods and customs. When you clear coat the color, it gives you a nice bright look that will buff into a high shine. You can mix different pigments together to create your own custom colors too. One word of caution though, if you will be masking (using tape or any kind of masking agent) over the painted on pigment surface, be sure there is a good dry strong coat of clear over the top, or you may pull up some of the paint when you remove the tape……been there, done that, not going back again, thank you. Other than that one precaution, I love this stuff, and oh, yeah, I found some of the basic colors at A.C. Moore and Michaels, but found a more extensive selection at a well stocked artist supply shop (art store), also, you can go on line, just google “Jacquard Productsâ€. Their website will list the stores in your area that stock the stuff, and one more thing, I use Lacquer as the carrier but you can use Tamiya clear or even Enamel paint, but it will take longer to dry. If you haven’t tried this yet, take a look at it, I just painted a 1950 Chevrolet pickup truck with a beautiful light green/yellow duo pearl that is awaiting some flames to be applied) yes, it has been clear coated) and it “looks marvelous†(Billy Crystal, Saturday Night Live, circa 1985)
cruz Posted July 6, 2008 Posted July 6, 2008 Excellent, I have the Pearl Ex pigments too, got them from Michael's, just have to put them to use one of these days. Again, cool build Peter, pretty unique and one you won't see around the contest tables!!!!
CB Posted July 7, 2008 Posted July 7, 2008 Very nice job of fleshing out that idea, Pete! I think you got a point there, quite moot now, but tha's whats so great about this hobby. I remember a lot of Mopars runnin around back in the years I worked at an old time Amoco station, 1969-73. Didn't see too many of em close up until I had to take an air tank over to the carwash to dry off some guys Challengers distributor sos he could start it again . I remember not caring for all the plastic in the Challenger. I kinda believe yer right in that ifn Dodge or Plymouth woulda offered something like this, it would've done pretty good. Probly woulda run a whole lot better than most Caminos. Nice job all around.
Raul_Perez Posted July 7, 2008 Posted July 7, 2008 Very nice work!! The proportions look pretty good, especially the roof line, where most of the "El Camino/Ranchero" conversions seem to have problems. Thanks for sharing,
lizardlust Posted July 7, 2008 Posted July 7, 2008 B****IN' Mopar truckster!!!! The shaker scoop set into the GTX hood looks like it SHOULD'VE happened!!! :lol:
stevegt738 Posted July 7, 2008 Posted July 7, 2008 Interesting concept and cool build. The info on the pearl pigments was good to. A bit more info on coupe utilitys as they where first known as i aus (now just called utes). The first ones produced where built in `33 by ford australia, after a request from a farmers wife for a vehicle that could go to church on Sunday, and could haul pigs to market on Monday. What i find interesting is that utes did not really catch on in America, but pickups are huge. Where as the exact opposite happened here.
MrObsessive Posted July 7, 2008 Posted July 7, 2008 Interesting and nice build Peter! Chrysler shoulda done that! The first ones produced where built in `33 by ford australia, after a request from a farmers wife for a vehicle that could go to church on Sunday, and could haul pigs to market on Monday. What i find interesting is that utes did not really catch on in America, but pickups are huge. Where as the exact opposite happened here. I suspect with $4 gal. gas prices (only to go higher ), those types of "trucks" might make an impact. Pontiac has one coming shortly (really a modified Holden) and you may see others follow suit down the road.
charlie8575 Posted May 31, 2011 Posted May 31, 2011 Glad this one got dug up! Wow, what a neat idea. It is unfortunate Chrysler never did this. I think they might have had a good seller. Charlie Larkin
diymirage Posted May 31, 2011 Posted May 31, 2011 Glad this one got dug up! Wow, what a neat idea. It is unfortunate Chrysler never did this. I think they might have had a good seller. Charlie Larkin
Guest Sickfish Posted June 1, 2011 Posted June 1, 2011 WOW! Such a great idea & excellent build Pete! & a Mopar to boot! I've alway's wondered why Ma' Mopar never built a ute for the American market because Chrysler DID for our Aussie market, following Ford & Holden of course I've attached a few pics for your viewing It would've been so easy, based on that era of B-Bodies avail' to Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler. I also have the same pearl pigments you have & you're spot-on with how to use them ... They're $10 a pop at my local art-supply store though I also highly recommend them! Cheers Cliffo
oldscool Posted June 1, 2011 Posted June 1, 2011 I never woulda thunk that it would work with the GTX body style but that looks great! Very outside the box idea. Gus
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