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Pre-Caminos, Phantom-Caminos, and one Rare Ford


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I've seen a55 Nomad made into an El camino and done welll..

in 1955 GM seriously built El-Camino prototypes but decided to hold off for a bit...

That's new information to me, thanks!

I wish they had gone ahead as I've seen nice ones built from Nomads too. I'd love to have one, but could never destroy a Nomad to get one.

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There used to be a Nomad about 35 Miles south of me that had been a good start on an El-Camino conversion...guy was trying to turn it back into a Nomad.

Not sure whatever happened to that car.

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Ranchero came out in '57, IIRC. If Chevy had gone ahead in '55, they would not have been accused of playing "catch-up" as they were with the '59 Camino, '62 Chevy II, '67 Camaro, etc. etc. (although I guess the Chevy II was only in hindsight, as hopes were still high for my beloved Corvair in '60-'61).

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Not aware of any 3-D concepts for an Elky-esque vehicle from any of the GM studios circa '55, enlighten me please.

I've seen a handful of sketches for the '55 Chevy Cameo, which looked to be quite low like a car,

but these were 2-D only and undoubtedly would've been truck-based had they seen 3-D light.

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^ Without pulling books out, Ford had a Model T Roadster pickup (car based) at the same time they offered the Model TT (definite truck).

I know there was a TT in at least '17, T debuted for '08... so the car-based pickup is pretty early.

Someone else could've been there well before Ford, too.

Edited by balthazar
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Is there any photographic record of Aussie Utes from this purriod? Did the Australians invent the car-based pickup, or were the very earliest pickups actually just cars with open beds?

There were Chevy utes from the '49-52 generation in Australia...not sure what Chevys were sold there after that, but they definitely had Holden utes...

138855822.CvK3K7cN.IMG_5730.JPG

Edited by Cubical-aka-Moltar
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Not aware of any 3-D concepts for an Elky-esque vehicle from any of the GM studios circa '55, enlighten me please.

I've seen a handful of sketches for the '55 Chevy Cameo, which looked to be quite low like a car,

but these were 2-D only and undoubtedly would've been truck-based had they seen 3-D light.

You don't happen to have pictures to scan, would you?

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One of the best '57 Chevrolet Phantom El Camino models I've ever seen was the Danbury Mint 1/25 die-cast version they offered a few years back (and I regret not ordering):

dm1538.jpg

http://www.phillymint.com/danburyshopcartAE/dm1538m.htm

They even offered a hot rod version too:

dm1534.jpg

http://www.phillymint.com/danburyshopcartAE/dm1534m.htm

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One of the best '57 Chevrolet Phantom El Camino models I've ever seen was the Danbury Mint 1/25 die-cast version they offered a few years back (and I regret not ordering):

dm1538.jpg

http://www.phillymin...tAE/dm1538m.htm

They even offered a hot rod version too:

dm1534.jpg

http://www.phillymin...tAE/dm1534m.htm

That is really cool...similiarly, some releases of the AMT 1:25th scale '55 Nomad model kit include a separate roof and floor parts for building a phantom El Camino....it has a smaller rear window. The original 1962-era issue of the kit has the parts as do some later releases, but the most recent (from about 5 years ago) doesn't...I plan to build one of mine as a phantom EC eventually..

Edited by Cubical-aka-Moltar
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Not aware of any 3-D concepts for an Elky-esque vehicle from any of the GM studios circa '55, enlighten me please.

I've seen a handful of sketches for the '55 Chevy Cameo, which looked to be quite low like a car,

but these were 2-D only and undoubtedly would've been truck-based had they seen 3-D light.

You don't happen to have pictures to scan, would you?

No scanner, but I could try and take a pic tonight.

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Not aware of any 3-D concepts for an Elky-esque vehicle from any of the GM studios circa '55, enlighten me please.

I've seen a handful of sketches for the '55 Chevy Cameo, which looked to be quite low like a car,

but these were 2-D only and undoubtedly would've been truck-based had they seen 3-D light.

You don't happen to have pictures to scan, would you?

No scanner, but I could try and take a pic tonight.

That would be awesome!! :metal:

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Not aware of any 3-D concepts for an Elky-esque vehicle from any of the GM studios circa '55, enlighten me please.

I've seen a handful of sketches for the '55 Chevy Cameo, which looked to be quite low like a car,

but these were 2-D only and undoubtedly would've been truck-based had they seen 3-D light.

You don't happen to have pictures to scan, would you?

No scanner, but I could try and take a pic tonight.

Considering the collection you have, I think it is high time that C&G take up a collection on your behalf.

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The '61s and '62s are some of my favorite B-bodies...love the '61 bubbletop roof, the rears on the Chevys those years, the '61 Olds front and rear (love those sexy skegs), the '61 and '62 Pontiac front and rear (esp. the '62 taillights), the '61 Buick rear... similarly, I like the '65-66s the most of the '65-70 B-body generation...

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They got pretty big by '65, but I still love the '65-'67 fastbacks.

Ever since I saw a really well-done bubbletop at a local show a few years ago I've had a major car lust thing going for them. Both the '61 and the '62.

All of that aside, if I ever hit it big I will be building phantoms - and not just Camino phantoms.

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They got pretty big by '65, but I still love the '65-'67 fastbacks.

Ever since I saw a really well-done bubbletop at a local show a few years ago I've had a major car lust thing going for them. Both the '61 and the '62.

All of that aside, if I ever hit it big I will be building phantoms - and not just Camino phantoms.

One phantom I've seen a few pics of that people have built are '62 Catalina bubbletops...that roofline looks really good w/ the '62's lines, IMO..

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Pontiac didn't do a bubbletop in '62?

Chevy did.

Nope..the '62 bubbletops were only '62 Chevy Bel Airs (Impala used the more formal 2dr coupe roofline). Though supposedly 2 Pontiac Catalina bubbletop coupes were built for drag racing.

Here's an article about a phantom..

http://www.carcraft.com/featuredvehicles/ccrp_0806_1962_pontiac_catalina/viewall.html

ccrp_0806_10_z+1962_pontiac_catalina+side_view.jpg

Edited by Cubical-aka-Moltar
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  • 3 months later...

This is up for auction @ B-J later this month:

19454_Rear_3-4_Web.jpg

This is the right way to do it.

The one I recall was that nice, but a milt custom with American racing wheels and a grey velour interior...

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I'm going to disagree on the '55- the roofline fits a '55 better than the one on the '56.

Proportions might be off on the '55 tho- hard to tell.

That whole shortened-coupe greenhouse thing just turns my stomach - even moreso with a bed behind it.

As for the '56, it looks pretty good for a fabbed-up pillar and rear roofline - this is where a Nomad donor is essential for a factory look.

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I think if the '56 had the actual 'S' B-pillar of the Nomad, it would work better for me, esp as an otherwise stocker.

The '55, tho of course I know it's custom, has all the greenhouse lines as if built by GM. Here the custom work looks more factory IMO.

Of the 2, I'd buy the '55 and fabricate the world's longest hinged decklid for it.

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