Hey, Camino...got an even better project for you

[Flybrian]

Daryl Hannah's flat black Biodiesel El Camino.

[Camino LS6]

Cool.

[K.C.]

[ocnblu]

Coolness... but... please don't tell me it has an Olds 5.7 diesel (which was available in G bodies, although I don't think it was in the El Camino.)

[daves87rs]

Cool!

[BigPontiac]

Here's his next project!

- Pontiac

- RWD

- Manual Trans

- Wagon

eBay link

[ocnblu]

I spy a '77 Chevelle/El Camino in one of those pics.

[Oracle of Delphi]

Here's his next project!

- Pontiac

- RWD

- Manual Trans

- Wagon

eBay link

And they said the Chevette was bad, I think that car was worse.

[Camino LS6]

Coolness... but... please don't tell me it has an Olds 5.7 diesel (which was available in G bodies, although I don't think it was in the El Camino.)

Actually, it was.

[Camino LS6]

I spy a '77 Chevelle/El Camino in one of those pics.

Good eye!

But I think it is a '76.

This little wagon could be a cool project.

[vonVeezelsnider]

Cool. I always liked matte black on a car... how Dodge applies it on the Charger!

[Sixty8panther]

About two weeks ago I watched TIN MEN, as I do every so often to drool at all the Cadillacs in the movie.

esp. Danny DeVito's '62 CDV, the hardtop, cooler version of the Banana Boat.

I have decided that my ultimate daily driver idea would be a MB turbodiesel inline-six with a manual

transmission in a '61 Coupe deVille (white interior of course) with a pastel exterior color.

That and the '59 Buick would be the last two Post-War cars I'd ever need.

[Sixty8panther]

Damn.... that Sunbird Safari would look awsome nestled between the Datsun & Mercedes.

Looooooooooove it!

[Camino LS6]

You know, I don't remember Pontiac using the Sunbird name on this car - I remember it as an Astre.

[Camino LS6]

The Sunbird was based on the Monza, the Astre was based on the Vega.

Which is why the Sunbird name on this bodystyle (and front-end style) puzzles me. Must have been a transition year.

[K.C.]

I was wondering that, too. I thought the Pontiac version of the Vega was the Astre. I thought the Sunbird was along the lines of the Monza, Skylark, and Starfire.

[BigPontiac]

Which is why the Sunbird name on this bodystyle (and front-end style) puzzles me. Must have been a transition year.

You are correct sir! I pulled my book off the shelf (Standard catalog of Pontiac 1926-1995). It shows 1977 as the last year for the Astre coupe and hatchback. It appears that the wagon got folded into the Sunbird line for 1978. There's a caption in the 1979 section under a photo stating the name as "Sunbird Astre Safari station wagon". Appears to have been dropped in 1980.

[Camino LS6]

You are correct sir! I pulled my book off the shelf (Standard catalog of Pontiac 1926-1995). It shows 1977 as the last year for the Astre coupe and hatchback. It appears that the wagon got folded into the Sunbird line for 1978. There's a caption in the 1979 section under a photo stating the name as "Sunbird Astre Safari station wagon". Appears to have been dropped in 1980.

Makes sense as I never saw one of these with the Sunbird snout.

[ocnblu]

Camino, how can you tell that's a '76? I cannot tell which grille mesh it has... was the bowtie in the grille only on '76s... hmmm... I think I just answered my own question.

My H/T-body memory is fuzzy. I did remember they put the Sunbird name on the T-body Vega-based wagon after the Astre name went kaput... but did they put the Monza name on Chevy's T-body wagon after Vega died in 1977?

[Camino LS6]

Camino, how can you tell that's a '76? I cannot tell which grille mesh it has... was the bowtie in the grille only on '76s... hmmm... I think I just answered my own question.

My H/T-body memory is fuzzy. I did remember they put the Sunbird name on the T-body Vega-based wagon after the Astre name went kaput... but did they put the Monza name on Chevy's T-body wagon after Vega died in 1977?

It's a '76 because it has a mesh grille, the '77 has slats.

Yes, they put the Monza name on the wagon and it got the cheapo, round headlight, Monza nose.

[ocnblu]

Well, I was using the word "mesh" in general terms, yeah, there was a crosshatch mesh on the 76s and vertical bars on the '77s, for the Classic trim level, at least. Didn't they still have a base model El Camino, at least in '76, with the round headlight front end and grille of the base, non Classic Malibu? Was there a bowtie in the center of both '76 and '77 models? I thought the bowtie was omitted on 77s, at least on the Malibu... I am relying on memory.

[Camino LS6]

You have it right, Ocn.

Here are the grilles on my '77s:

No base models here. :AH-HA_wink:

[Flybrian]

What's the one on the left, a Ford Aspen? I like the Ranchero, though.

[Camino LS6]

What's the one on the left, a Ford Aspen? I like the Ranchero, though.

[SuperSport623]

hey camino... your getting me to start to like mid 70's A Bodies! yours look good...

btw, i want your shop

[Camino LS6]

hey camino... your getting me to start to like mid 70's A Bodies! yours look good...

btw, i want your shop

Haha!

It took me decades to warm-up to them myself! Now, I really like them.

As for the shop, once I add heat and some real lights, it will be my true heaven. :AH-HA_wink:

[SuperSport623]

im starting to warm up to a lot of oddball late 70's cars that i never liked before... i want a 78 malibu pretty badly, but ive been getting a bit of a monza fettish lately.... one of those "its so ugly its cool" things...

[ocnblu]

Oh, don't get me started on '78-'81 Malibu coupes... LOVE 'em!

[Camino LS6]

im starting to warm up to a lot of oddball late 70's cars that i never liked before... i want a 78 malibu pretty badly, but ive been getting a bit of a monza fettish lately.... one of those "its so ugly its cool" things...

I've always liked the Monza - it would make a great drag car.

In fact, it was a common choice for NHRA Pro Stock back then.

[Camino LS6]

This one was built just around the corner:

[ocnblu]

My idear of a Monza hatchback project would include a stock body and interior, canyon carver suspension with maybe 16" rims (if they fit where 13's normally reside), and perhaps an '08 CTS 3.6L DI/manual six speed drivetrain.

[Camino LS6]

My idear of a Monza hatchback project would include a stock body and interior, canyon carver suspension with maybe 16" rims (if they fit where 13's normally reside), and perhaps an '08 CTS 3.6L DI/manual six speed drivetrain.

Nice recipe.

[BigPontiac]

My idear of a Monza hatchback project would include a stock body and interior, canyon carver suspension with maybe 16" rims (if they fit where 13's normally reside), and perhaps an '08 CTS 3.6L DI/manual six speed drivetrain.

I would tweak that to start with a Pontiac Sunbird Formula...

[ocnblu]

Whoa... baby got back. I bet you'd like to tweak that too, wouldn't ya.

[Oracle of Delphi]

I would tweak that to start with a Pontiac Sunbird Formula...

Nice A body in the background!

[Camino LS6]

Nice A body in the background!

Yup, I spied that as well.