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Bonneville Salt Flats Discussion => Build Diaries => Topic started by: NICO10 on December 20, 2013, 07:54:08 PM

Title: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: NICO10 on December 20, 2013, 07:54:08 PM
Hi everyone well seeing as i have less than 8 months for the Kalahari Speed week ill concentrate more on the Elco than the golf

The elcamino is a 71 model and it has a 350 smallblock with a 350 turbo gear box its not the fastest thing on this earth but it in the true fashion of old style LSR.

Im just struggling to get suspension upgrade seeing as it is basically a holden HJ UTE if anyone from downunder has a contact for me this would be awsum
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: Milwaukee Midget on December 20, 2013, 08:27:14 PM
Dr. Goggles owns a '67 - I think it's still leaking oil in his drive.

Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: DND on December 20, 2013, 10:32:49 PM
Hi Nico

Do you have any pics of your Elco

I had a 69' SS 396 for 11 yrs that I bought new, and it did great Burnouts too

Are your going to do a build log thread?

G Don
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: tauruck on December 20, 2013, 10:45:52 PM
Nico,

What are you wanting to upgrade?.

Do you want to go to A arm top and bottom with coil over shocks?.

I don't think you need to get parts from down under for that mod IMO.

Good luck with your project. Mikey. :cheers:
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: NICO10 on December 21, 2013, 02:06:51 AM
@ Mike I see your also from SA, yes i want a coilover kit for the front the back ill just stiffen up, because im sitting with the dilemma of the ute needs new front suspension so i can either go coilover or struggle around to find bushes and rubbers.......do you know someone who does this sort of thing in sa ?
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: NICO10 on December 21, 2013, 02:14:36 AM
A very old pic..... i need to resize the other ones then ill post them
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: NICO10 on December 21, 2013, 02:50:26 AM
youtube.com/watch?v=iB2GPmj3E0Y



Long ago hehe
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: tauruck on December 21, 2013, 07:05:18 AM
I can help you bru.

I wish bushes and rubbers were the only problems. :-D

I'm not far from you anyway.
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: NICO10 on December 22, 2013, 03:49:35 AM
Dude that would be flippen awsum, is there a place we can meet sometime?
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: gkabbt on December 22, 2013, 07:35:20 AM
NICO10, Really love the Elky!  :cheers:  I wonder if this is where Chrysler got the idea for the Rampage/Scamp?

I don't have any up to date pics but here is my 83 Dodge Rampage I have been very, very S-L-O-W-L-Y working on.

(http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad318/GKABBT/Gregg%20Adams%20Land%20Speed%20Rampage/84.jpg)

Here is my Build Diary link: http://www.landracing.com/forum/index.php/topic,10671.0.html

Retirement has been not going as planned.....This year has been many, many honey-do's around the house/yard/garage, family, traveling, yada, yada, yada!   :-D  :-D  :-D
Now, I'm caught up with everything and have finally gotten the time to start back on it.  :cheers:  :cheers:  :cheers:


SteveM, on here, has completed his LSR 84 Rampage and here is a pic of it:

(http://i468.photobucket.com/albums/rr44/Jetmugg/Dodge%20Rampage/DSC_1870_zps7acfb0f4.jpg)

Here is his Build Diary link:  http://www.landracing.com/forum/index.php/topic,10625.0.html

Gregg


Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: tauruck on December 22, 2013, 10:57:25 AM
Nico, PM me your email and i'll get in touch.

Gregg, You've got about seven months. :wink:
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: Peter Jack on December 22, 2013, 12:19:18 PM
I just looked at South Africa on Google maps. You guys are close enough that you could go back and forth to each others' projects to offer moral, technical and physical support. I hope things work out that way. It's a lot easier when you have some enthusiastic help sometimes when the going gets a little heavy.

Good luck to both of you.  :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

Pete
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: NICO10 on December 23, 2013, 01:42:26 AM
@ Gregg wow i never saw a dodge like that before its quite cool, what motor are you planing on running in it?

Oh and even though im far from retirement  :-P i recently got married so i can say i know about the honey - do's hehehe

@ pete jip its roughly about 60 miles between Pretoria and Johannesburg so im super excited about the possibility of getting the suspension done

Thats why i love Classics and hotrods, if been in the " Tuner" game before and built up a VW golf track car but you would rarely find someone willing to help with advice and so on...... so thanx to you guys
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: tauruck on December 23, 2013, 04:41:32 AM
If Nico is in PTA north he's only 35 miles from me.

It's almost a straight run on the freeway.

Don't get caught speeding like Steve or Julius though. :-D :-D :-D :-D

South African joke right now.
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: gkabbt on December 23, 2013, 07:00:27 AM
@ Gregg wow i never saw a dodge like that before its quite cool, what motor are you planing on running in it?


NICO,
Dodge Rampages and Plymouth Scamps are REALLY cool!
These trucks were based on the Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon FWD platforms and both are now fairly rare here in the US.
When you find one, there is usually rust to deal with in the floor pans.....see mine and Steve's build diaries.
Rampages were only made from 82-84 with a total production run of 37,401 units.
Scamps were only made in 83 with a total production run of 3,564 units.

As for the engine in mine, I am swapping in a 2.4 Dodge Neon Turbo SRT-4 that puts me in the middle of the "F" category.
Neon SRT-4's were only produced from 03-05 with a total production run of 25,000 units.
Along with the SRT-4 engine, I'll be running an automatic transmission for the gearing and per the rules, it will remain FWD.
What is really interesting is how much of the later Neon stuff will bolt up to the earlier Rampage so there are some pretty good upgrades available.

As a side note, be sure to get down to Mike's as he had done some AMAZING work on his truck and now the liner!
Be sure not to DROOL to much over his work!  :-D



Gregg, You've got about seven months. :wink:
Mike.....And even less time to get ready for Wilmington!  :roll:  :-o  :-D  :cheers:


Gregg
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: NICO10 on December 23, 2013, 07:41:31 AM
Gregg that is very unique, do you know what woul my class be at bonneville.... ill be running a twin turbo 350 v8 carb and the ute would be modified only in suspension area......jip hopefully in 3 years time you'll see my ute at bonneville....... with the help of mike of course hehehe wink wink 
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: tauruck on December 23, 2013, 07:58:05 AM
Gregg, You need a hand there to be ready for Wilmington.

I know of a few guys there that you could call!!!! MMMMM :-D :cheers:

Whatever happens I hope you get her ready.
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: gkabbt on December 23, 2013, 08:03:12 AM
From the SCTA rulebook your 350 will be in class C which is 306.00 to 372.99 CID / 5.015 to 6.111 L
Mike has a rule book and you can look up this info when you visit.

Look here for the Bonneville records: http://www.scta-bni.org/Bonneville/Records/BNI_records.htm

Hope this helps,

Gregg
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: gkabbt on December 23, 2013, 08:08:21 AM
Gregg, You need a hand there to be ready for Wilmington.

I know of a few guys there that you could call!!!! MMMMM :-D :cheers:

Whatever happens I hope you get her ready.

Mike, I "think" I'll be OK for now as the truck is the only thing I'll be working on till Spring!

I'm now shooting for the June meet! Let's see..... -20 firesuit in Summer.....Can't wait! LOL, LOL, LOL!  :-D  :-D  :-D

Gregg
Title: '71 Chevy El Camino / Holden HJ
Post by: gidge348 on December 23, 2013, 09:18:47 AM
If you were in Australia that El Camino would be a Holden HJ or HX or HZ ....

If you need rubbers or other parts for it try http://www.rarespares.net.au/rarespares/

They have everything you will ever need.

Ian...
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: SteveM on December 23, 2013, 11:45:05 AM
This may not be 100% correct, but it looks like a '70's El Camino with a turbo'ed 350 would be a "Classic Blown Gas Altered", with a "C" sized engine.

The record in that class is/was 224.3 mph in the 2013 rulebook.

Steve.
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: NICO10 on December 23, 2013, 11:54:26 AM
Ok wow thanx steve and gregg I really do appreciate all the help from you guys.... its suuuuper cool of you
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: gkabbt on December 23, 2013, 08:26:06 PM
First and foremost you NEED to get a rulebook as it nautrally tells you what you can and cannot do.
Per the SCTA rules, an American El Camino is considered a car and NOT a truck and can only run in the car classes.
I am assuming that your El Camino would be considered the same but you would need to email the SCTA Car Tech Chair for verification.
In addition to what Steve posted, there are other classes you could run as well and you will find them and records listed in the rulebook.
Look through the book when you get down to Mikey's.

As usual, hope this helps.

Gregg

Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: kiwi belly tank on December 23, 2013, 09:54:51 PM
A very old pic..... i need to resize the other ones then ill post them
Looks like an HJ ute to me Mate, or at least an HQ with an HJ front panel.  So they called that an El Camino down there? Was it sold as a Holden?
  Sid.
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: tauruck on December 23, 2013, 11:15:46 PM
No, it was sold as a Chev here. Some had the Holden 308 in them.

There were some cars here that were badged as Holden.
There was the Monaro 308 and the identical car with another motor (350) in it was called a Chev SS.

I think Nico's ute had an engine swop, hence the 350. They had a car here called a Chev DeVille that was definitely a Holden but had a 350 in it as stock.

Crazy badge engineering.
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: Milwaukee Midget on December 23, 2013, 11:54:34 PM
Crazy badge engineering.

GM's had their weird, marketcentric hybrids.

The Acadian and the Beumont - both Canadian - essentially Chevys handed off to the Pontiac styling department.

The whole Opel/Vauxhall/Buick subterfuge . . .

Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: 4-barrel Mike on December 24, 2013, 12:28:59 AM
But there is currently the GMC Acadian (a crossover), also available in Denali trim, easily becoming the most confusing GM name ever (at least geographically).

Mike
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: NICO10 on December 24, 2013, 12:57:07 AM
Jip like mikey said it was bought in as holdens but then rebranded as chevys, it originally came with a S L O W 4.1 straight 6, luckily we sorted out that problem


As for the rule book definitely wil get me one im planing on TRYING to go to Bonneville in about 3 years time - would take me that long to save up hopefully- but for nou ill see what the elco can do on the Kalahari flats......


Nico
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: kiwi belly tank on December 24, 2013, 01:21:25 AM
I had to google it but you guys are right hand drive too.
The Kalahari flats sounds like something out of an old movie  :-D, is it dirt or salt? Or did I already ask Mike this & just forgot. :?
  Sid.
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: tauruck on December 24, 2013, 01:42:58 AM
Alkali like Elmo.

 8-)
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: gidge348 on December 24, 2013, 05:32:07 AM
Jip like mikey said it was bought in as holdens but then rebranded as chevys, it originally came with a S L O W 4.1 straight 6, luckily we sorted out that problem


As for the rule book definitely wil get me one im planing on TRYING to go to Bonneville in about 3 years time - would take me that long to save up hopefully- but for nou ill see what the elco can do on the Kalahari flats......


Nico

In Australia, we only got a 3.3L(202ci) 6 and a 4.2 (253ci) V8 as well as the 308
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: NICO10 on December 27, 2013, 04:38:24 PM
So well after eating waaaaay to much over Christmas time I wasnt totaly non productive..... took out the standard exhaust of the Elco and with a bit of help from my cutting torch and welder.... my ute now sounds much louder and more like a V8. than before, wil post pics as soon as i can get them smaller
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: tauruck on December 30, 2013, 01:43:16 PM
3" steaks and Boerewors no doubt?. For you guys that don't live in South Africa it's a sausage that we barbeque.

We're big meat eaters here. :-D :-D :-D
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: NICO10 on January 16, 2014, 10:49:10 AM
hi all hope every one had some good rest .... me on the other hand didn't this is what I've been up to 
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: NICO10 on January 16, 2014, 10:58:38 AM
@ mike ..... im not as good a fabricator as you but I've been around a bit  :-P

built the NOS system brackets and mountings...

made the grille black

built my own -much better sounding- Exhaust

started to disassemble the front suspension..........oh and if any one from Aus wants to sponsor me the bushings that I need its only 700 A$.......would be kind  :-D
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: tauruck on January 16, 2014, 12:35:06 PM
That's good.

I used to drive a Ranchero every day and one thing led to another......... :evil:


The only thing I want to know is what rugby team you support?.
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: NICO10 on January 16, 2014, 03:25:50 PM
Hehehe why so mike..... :-D

As a full on speed freak mmmmm nt that into rugby... but the northern cape griquas take my vote
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: tauruck on January 16, 2014, 04:28:54 PM
So you know Oom Bushy!!!
 
Wrong answer bru, you should have said something like "BULLE" if you want to be my mate. :-D :-D :-D :-D
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: kiwi belly tank on January 16, 2014, 08:47:57 PM
That's good.

I used to drive a Ranchero every day and one thing led to another......... :evil:


The only thing I want to know is what rugby team you support?.
The All Blacks. :-D
  Sid.
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: tauruck on January 16, 2014, 09:57:19 PM
Good one Sid.

I set myself up on that one. :-D
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: manta22 on January 17, 2014, 07:16:57 PM
That's good.

I used to drive a Ranchero every day and one thing led to another......... :evil:


The only thing I want to know is what rugby team you support?.
The All Blacks. :-D
  Sid.

True story-- when I first visited NZ some time ago, I heard people talking about a NZ "football" team "The All Blacks". I thought it was a team comprised of only Negros. Honest!

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: tauruck on January 18, 2014, 01:32:57 AM
Neil,  :-o
 :-D :-D
Title: Re: '71 Chevy El Camino
Post by: kiwi belly tank on January 18, 2014, 05:18:57 AM
Neil,  :-o
 :-D :-D

A politically incorrect big fat "ROTFALMAO" going on here!! :-D :-D
  Sid.