Remember the old "good" GM days?

[Camino LS6]

Ugh!

Had a Cavalier loaner when my '87 Camino was in for service once - worst POS with a bowtie I ever drove.

Hated every minute of it.

Pure, rattly, junk.

[ocnblu]

I have a photo of a proposed '89 El Camino, based on the Cavalier around here somewhere. Shoot, if I can find it I'll be sure to post it.

[Camino LS6]

That's just cruel, Ocn.

[balthazar]

I have an illustration of a Celebrity-based El Camino. Same roofline as the ST- but the straight-edged lines look pretty decent...

[ocnblu]

sorry robert mcQ, just teasing

[Camino LS6]

Noooooo!

[Camino LS6]

I sincerely hope that the Camino stays dead if the alternative is an FWD version.

I just couldn't tolerate that, I'd probably be arrested for vandalizing them on the lot.

[ocnblu]

It sure would look funny with air shocks in the FRONT, with 60-series Kelly white letter tires and Cragar S/S rims!

[Camino LS6]

What a mental image that is!

[ocnblu]

Almost like a jackrabbit with his hind legs out front.

[Robert Hall]

A Lumina based one might have looked pretty decent. So would have a 2dr wagon, IMHO.

[ocnblu]

The Lumina Euro coupe actually wasn't a bad looking car. I saw a white one in mint condition the other day.

[Camino LS6]

[Robert Hall]

The Magnum would be a natural for conversion into an El Camino style vehicle. I plan to do that eventually w/ a Revell 1:25th scale model kit.

An El Camino based off the last W- Monte Carlo could have been interesting..

[Robert Hall]

The Lumina Euro coupe actually wasn't a bad looking car. I saw a white one in mint condition the other day.

That reminds me, I saw a dark gold base '90 2dr Lumina (gray egg crate style grille) in really clean condition recently. Not something you see very often in any condition.

[Satty]

I have a photo of a proposed '89 El Camino, based on the Cavalier around here somewhere. Shoot, if I can find it I'll be sure to post it.

Saw this bad boy months ago, wish I could have gotten more pics.

[Camino LS6]

The Magnum would be a natural for conversion into an El Camino style vehicle. I plan to do that eventually w/ a Revell 1:25th scale model kit.

An El Camino based off the last W- Monte Carlo could have been interesting..

Yes to the Magnum, or better yet, the Challenger.

No to the painfully ugly Monte, even the Lumina was better looking than that.

[Camino LS6]

Saw this bad boy months ago, wish I could have gotten more pics.

That's just hilarious, especially parked next to the big Ford.

[Satty]

Yeah, its pretty sad up close. Not exactly a high quality customization.

[A Horse With No Name]

That would be a new use for a Vocal GPS, as the mullet would be on the front.

Annoying female voice "Blind Camino Driver, left in two hundred yards....one hundred yards...you have contacted a mailbox....you have contacted a parked car....you have contacted a curb..."

[A Horse With No Name]

On another forum they had pics of a Kia minivan made into a Phaeton like touring car, with a very long and awkward convertible top.

ughhh...most home built rebuilds...But I did see one VERY professionally done 55 chev Nomad into an El camino vehicle...didn't look half bad....

Chris

[Robert Hall]

A couple of the worst home-brew car-pickup conversions I've seen were genuine 'Keys Cruisers' (got their picture in the Saturday Keynoter newspaper in the Florida Keys)---a '72 Torino wagon that had been converted into a rusty 2dr convertible pickup w/ flat bed and a '73 or so Mercury Colony Park wagon that had been made into a 4dr pickup (the rear roof area cut off, sawed through D-pillars still sticking up a few inches)..

[Camino LS6]

On another forum they had pics of a Kia minivan made into a Phaeton like touring car, with a very long and awkward convertible top.

ughhh...most home built rebuilds...But I did see one VERY professionally done 55 chev Nomad into an El camino vehicle...didn't look half bad....

Chris

A very natural conversion - the lines are perfect for it.

I've seen many of them that were sweet (55-57)

I'd never cut up a Nomad to do it, but I'd buy one converted back in the day.

[Robert Hall]

The AMT '55 Chevy Nomad 1:25th scale model kit has parts to convert it into an El Camino style pickup. I built one that way once, makes a very nice looking El Camino...

[Camino LS6]

Tried to find pics of 55-57 Nomads converted to El Caminos.

No luck.

The well done ones look so factory it's amazing.

[balthazar]

I would bet a number of them were done from the 'regular' 2-dr wagons.

I know where a '55 Pontiac 2-dr wagon 'el Camino' is/was.

I drooled after that car for many long years.

[ocnblu]

On the Nomad/Safari, though, the roof already has cutlines and the door window frames are cut at an appropriately sporty angle.

[Camino LS6]

On the Nomad/Safari, though, the roof already has cutlines and the door window frames are cut at an appropriately sporty angle.

Which makes all the difference.

The Nomad tailgate adds a nice touch as well - can't beat that slant and the chrome strips.

[A Horse With No Name]

Speaking of phantoms...I've always wanted to do a sedan delivery based on a nomad or a Safari...

That would be cool...as a 60's drag car with slicks and a solid front axle...as a resto look car that should have "come from the factory" that way...as a modern pro touring style car, slammed, with an LS series motor...

Chris

[balthazar]

You guys are right, of course, but it pains me to even think of cutting up a rare Nomad / Safari.

The Nom/Fari B-pillar I can't argue, tho note the regular wagons had (not as much) slanted tailgates, too.

I could cut a regular wagon, tho that'd be tough, too. Any sheetmetal 'deficiencies' from the regulars vs. the 'sports' can easily be remedied with sheetmetal, a welder and a good eye.

[Camino LS6]

The way I look at it is that enough Nomads have already been converted over the years, so I would never cut one up.

But if I ever run across a nice one and have cash on hand, I'm buying it.

I love phantoms, but I couldn't kill a real Nomad to create one.

[A Horse With No Name]

I'm wondering how much it would cost to create the stampings for just a few nomad pices so that one could be built from a 4 door sedan.

They've already got enough pieces to build a ragtop from a 4 door...why not a Nomad?

Chris

[Camino LS6]

That thought crossed my mind as well.

Wheelbase could be an issue, I'd have to research that.

[A Horse With No Name]

They make aftermarket frames for Tri-Fives...with all of the goodies attached if you wish.

Sedan delivery is still the 55 I want though...

[Robert Hall]

That thought crossed my mind as well.

Wheelbase could be an issue, I'd have to research that.

I think all '55-57 Chevies have the same wheelbase, regardless of bodystyle.

I wonder if Dynacorn or one of the others will make repro bodies for '55s..I think they are making '57 convertibles now.

[balthazar]

I'm almost certain the '55 body is also being reproduced.

Interesting to ponder the degree of interest to reproduce an entire vintage automobile BODY, eh?

BTW- wheelbases ARE the same '55-57 Chevy : 115".

[Camino LS6]

Nice.

If they did the Nomad body...

[daves87rs]

The 80's J cars were cool!

One of my fav. cars was an 85 chev Cavalier 5 speed coupe...NEAT little car...and probably why I'm so addicted to the idea of sport compacts now.

GM spoiled me with that car!

Chris

Yep...loved my blue 2 door RS! It was very tossable, and to me it just looked sporty.

I guess that's why this "Aveo RS" caught my attention.

Anyways, I'd love a GN or a T type...

[Robert Hall]

I'm almost certain the '55 body is also being reproduced.

Interesting to ponder the degree of interest to reproduce an entire vintage automobile BODY, eh?

BTW- wheelbases ARE the same '55-57 Chevy : 115".

Found this..

Cars Inc makes a '55 Chevy convertible body...

55 Chevy body

Here's Dynacorn's list of GM bodies they offer..

Dynacorn

No '80s Cavalier bodies that I can find yet.

[A Horse With No Name]

hmmm...they make a 70 Chevelle ragtop body....hmmm...

[Camino LS6]

Some pleasant surprises in what's available.

[Robert Hall]

Gather all the parts for a particular car through various companies and put them in a big box, it would be like a metal body 1:1 scale model kit

Edited January 5, 2010 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Camino LS6]

Expensive, but worth it to save otherwise unsaveable cars.

Nice to see the '69 Firebird on that list.

[balthazar]

Absof*cklootly amazing !!! I can hardly believe this, esp from the POV of a guy who's lucky to work on something for which repro weatherstripping is available. I'd seen finished examples of the '55 before, but they look like any other restoration/rod - this is the first time I've seen the starting point. You could easily spend $7500 for rust repair on a 50-yr old car and still risk waves, misalignment... or you could buy a 100%, real steel repro ready for paint and do a 'catalog' build. It's all there!

DAMMNIT- why didn't I develop a taste for Chevys ???

Camino- IMO, and coming from the same East Coast rust belt.... those prices are completely worth it for what you get.

Edited January 5, 2010 by balthazar

[Camino LS6]

I agree that the price is worth it, but still quite alot to spend in one shot. Spending $13,500 on a bare shell without frame, running gear, front clip, interior, drivetrain, and a VIN is a big pill to swallow.

[Cory Wolfe]

Back to 'Aminos... Geoamino.

[Satty]

A trailer hitch?

[Robert Hall]

To tow a tiny trailer. I saw an interesting Metro the other day when random googling on hypermiling..some one had cut down the roofline of a Geo Metro to make it more aero, looked like a Honda CRX sorta kinda..

[daves87rs]

Back to 'Aminos... Geoamino.

Hmmm...

[ocnblu]

Sweet, even with his toolbox in there, he still has room for the proverbial 4X8 sheet of plywood (4X8 inches, that is.)