When one door closes… Open it. That’s how doors work.
I can’t remember who said the above line but it makes me laugh at how true it is. Just because a door is closed, doesn’t mean it’s locked. Sometimes life will surprise you with things you never expected and this is one of those times.
I have a confession to make. In the past few weeks I had become very bitter about classic cars. I would still take pictures with plans to write about them, but it felt that the passion had gone away to be replaced with petty anger. It all started with a kid in his 1976 Cordoba. Every day for about two weeks, his triple black land yacht would pass by me on my way to work. At one point, he and I were stopped side by side at a red light. I could hear his exhaust bumble rumble away, and could see that he was driving something so instantly recognizable and beautiful. I used to be like that! It planted a seed of jealously that reared its ugly head one night a couple weeks later.
Drunk on heartache, I wrote what was probably the worst, least professional thing I have ever dared to put my name on. It was a letter to the 1987 Plymouth Fury I had chosen to sell almost a year ago. Unable to sleep that night, the stress from work, home, and the sight of that Cordoba all swirled around inside my mind like a thunderstorm, the sound of that Cordoba’s V8 beating inside my ears like the telltale heart. It was something that never should’ve gone to print, and one admonishing email later, the article was pulled from this site less than an hour after it had gone up.
I felt devastated. Not that my article had been pulled down… it deserved that. I felt terrible because I’d let a thing like that go to print in the first place. I wasn’t so much writing that night, as I was making a big mess with a keyboard. As a writer, I should’ve known better. I love writing for this site, it’s allowed me to share my passions with a community I have great respect for and am happy to be a part of.
I didn’t touch my laptop for a week.
I attend a writer’s club every weekend, and at the start of every meeting, the club president asks us if we’ve had any submissions or rejections. Most of the people in the group are already published authors in some way, and everyone looked surprised when I raised my hand. I told them about my rejection on this site, but felt that I had grown better as a writer because of it. I wasn’t going to let a mistake keep me from doing what I love. When we all went on break, I was approached by a member of the club (let’s call him Jay), who had been to a couple meetings and had an offer for me. He was in possession of two late model El Caminos that his wife would be very happy if he got rid of. I felt hope swell in my chest, but told him I didn’t have the money right now to buy another car. He said that wasn’t a problem and we started e-mailing back and forth.
After a couple weeks of this, he shared the picture that is at the top of this article, saying it was a 1985 Conquista that was purchased by him for his son who was going to use its frame for a drag car build, using the body of the second El Camino he had but that never came to pass. His son lost interest, went to college, and had given up on both cars altogether. Jay has no interest in working on them, feeling he isn’t in the best shape for such an undertaking, and wants them to go to a good home. I told him the ’85 Conquista was something I was very interested in, and he said the car was mine to have. He wanted to see it go to someone with a passion for cars who might actually be able to get it on the road. I went to go see it last weekend. Inside the cabin was a wealth of parts I was allowed to keep. A box of brand new carpet, new side mirrors, a box of spark plugs, a set of long tube Hooker headers, and a four barrel Edelbrock carburetor!
Just like that, I’m the proud owner of a 1985 El Camino. It’s a bit of an odd duck, as it was owned by a kid who worked at a Toyota dealership before Jay bought it. It has the wheels from a 1979 Pontiac Firebird, and the 350 from a 1980’s Chevy C-10. It’s a project, for sure. It hasn’t run in two years and was last on the road in 2014. I have started to keep a journal of my time with it, calling it Operation: Mighty Mouse, because that was the name hot rodders gave to the small block when it first came out. I intend to build this car in the traditional hot rod style. That is to say… I’ve got the budget of a ham sandwich. I will use as few new parts as possible with as many vintage ones as I can find. I already have the steering wheel and rack from a 64 C-10 given to me by a friend who wanted to get rid of them. I don’t know how this project will turn out, but I am so excited to share this process with my readers and fulfill a dream of mine. I’ll keep everyone posted as I go. The first goal is to get it running!
Glad to hear you rebounced from that experience. And congrats on the new wheels. Your approach makes for my favorite builds. Unlimited funds never make for anything interesting.
A few thoughts:
Jeff Goldblum’s character from “Jurassic Park” said “Life finds a way”. It’s one of my wife’s favorite movies, but she gets annoyed whenever I quote this line.
Like you, I’m not sure who said the “when a door closes” line.
I had read that post and wondered why it was pulled down. I think I even commented on it, as it was very heartfelt and I was genuinely upset for you. I just thought when it disappeared that day that it was meant to be scheduled differently, but then I never saw it come back. I guess contributors can pull their own posts down?
Nice el Camino and I wish you the best of luck, P_Fox! I always liked this generation of these, as their proportions were just right compared with the older ones.
The “snowflake” Firebird wheels are an interesting choice, and I kinda like it. 😀
I pulled it. Although CC is a mighty big tent, occasionally something just doesn’t fit under the canvas. It belonged on Facebook.
Everybody has bad days of anger-infused writing and subsequent posting. I know I’ve had a few.
Good luck getting your ’85 El Camino ready to go on the road and do stuff, Pioneer_Fox. Doesn’t matter if it’s simply going to the grocery store or even to the gas station. ♠It’s fun to be behind the wheel of a classic car you like♠ No bones about it!
One of the many reason I’ve kept my ’64 Falcon for nearing 30 years. I like being behind it’s large steering wheel and navigating it around (+plus+ those afterburner taillights are the bees knees).
This would be a great basis for a project. Good luck!
NOW, I think you’re on the right track.
When you’re looking to do an older car on a budget, there’s a reason why the same “old reliables” keep coming up. Sure they’ve been done to death but WHY?
Often it’s a basically good design – not just the styling but the engineering – and parts are plentiful and cheap.
The 1978-88 G-Body, Chevies in particular, check all the above boxes.
Sure, some of them had crappy motors and/or transmissions. But the SBC is the easiest engine to buy and install, and both the Turbo Hydra-matic 200-4R and 700-R4 became GREAT transmissions in later years. Find out which one you have, I forget which year the TH200 got good but if you have a TH700 and it’s from after 1987, you’re golden. That said, the older ones can be upgraded and any reputable tranny shop should know to do that on a rebuild.
But that’s the important part.
Of course if someone swapped-in a TH 350 or 400, reliability is no issue. You’re just missing the benefits of the overdrive.
I think this Elco will be a winner for you. There’s a lot of support for the G-Bodies out there and the vehicle was among the best the General had to offer in the ’80s. You may find it to actually be reliable for regular use if you find and fix the trouble spots.
Which again, will be less expensive and easier than the Plymouth.
Maybe someday you’ll want to LS it. Plenty of them out there and basically a bolt-in. If you ever decide to go that direction, get the engine and transmission as one unit and when installing, wire it so it “thinks” it’s still in the car/truck it came out of, as much as possible. Plus the LS (GM Gen III/IV) is designed to go 450,000 miles.
May you enjoy it for many years to come.
Congratulations on the El Camino. I wish you well on the project, and suspect it will go very well for you.
Can I offer one tip that may be of use? I find that it is very helpful to write when you are upset, as it helps focus your thoughts on WHY you are upset. I do that with emails as well. The trick is to not post, at least not for 24 hours minimum and with review prior to hitting “send”. When you hold off for a day and then go back and re-read, suddenly, all the bad points tend to fall away. The anger that was misplaced finds the true home for it, and blame and aggravation seem to greatly dissipate. If it still rings true after 24 hours, then it might be safe to post. However, I don’t think that it has ever met that criteria.
Now, get out those wrenches and get that sweet ride running! I look forward to reading about your progress with the car, your writing, and your life!
Great platform for a Turbo Buick GN V6 swap. My neighbor around the corner has said engine in a ’79 or 80 Chev Malibu wagon, talk about sleeper…
Some days I feel like my VW is having problems like Herbie there. Hang in there and get all the advice you can.
Also I’d recommend that you read “How to keep your VW alive”, it actually is quite a good read for a technical manual.
I already have the steering wheel and rack from a 64 C-10
Could you clarify this? What’s the “rack”?
All the best on this new project; it does sound quite appropriate to your budget and desires.
I should have said steering column. That’s what I have.
You’ve got a good project underway.
One question due to curiosity. What’s the diameter of the C-10 steering wheel in comparison to the stock wheel on your El Camino? Back at that time non-power steering vehicles had much larger diameter wheels. Would hate for you to install a wheel in which you can’t fit your legs beneath it to get in!!!
The ’64 wheel is 17 inches across. I don’t know the diameter of the OEM wheel, but I see your point. I might just hang it on my wall or something. The horn button that goes with it is so pretty!
Why would you possibly put that in the Elky?? Invariably, it’s the other way around; folks put modern columns in old trucks.
You realize that that ’64 C10 steering column, among other issues, is not collapsible? Meaning in an accident, your chest and face are going to get to know it very intimately.
I worry about this every time I get in my old F100. Seriously.
Well, me too. I often wonder if I could transplant a later collapsible column from a later Beetle so I wouldn’t have to deal with the spear of death. Don’t have shoulder belts in my VW either 🙁
If there’s no column in it I’d think that yanking a complete G body unit out of the U-pull. It’ll fit, for one thing and have all the switches and connectors for another.
These days I’m limiting my mix and match to my PartsCaster guitar project 🙂
Lucky for me, it’s a complete car. As far as I can tell, it’s only missing an AC compressor. I’m just wanting to make use of the parts I was given. I like a big thin steering wheel, but if it’s going to be unsafe, I might as well not bother. The cabin is in great shape as it is. It’s missing the radio, but the same friend that gave me the ’64 parts is giving me his rebuilt 90’s era tape and CD aftermarket radio that came out of his project truck. He rebuilds radios and other electronics for a living and knows how much I miss being able to listen to tapes in my Fury. Besides, he wants a modern radio with Bluetooth.
Good gracious, if it’s complete, use what is already there. Nothing says “pain in the ass” quicker than trying to make something fit that really doesn’t want to. Playing tinker-toy with something that already has all it’s parts does not sound like fun at all. 🙂
Yeah steering wheel right in front of my chest worries me in traffic in my old car headons are quite popular here, nobody can see the centre line around their fone.
I thought we were never supposed to mention steering columns. That’s why I drive a 2018 Miata and not a 1964 Falcon.
A very generous gift from your friend. It does not look rusty from the photos so you should be well ahead on that front. Just take your time pulling it together to cut down on frustration. Everything should be well documented which is a huge bonus.
I didn’t get a chance to read that post but I imagine that it just how many of us feel at times. Frustration and the feeling that the World just ain’t fair. “Why do some guys get to have all the fun?” Well, we have to find, and make our own way to have fun. There are lots of possibilities out there, lot’s of doors that we can open and take a look within. To paraphrase a line from Marianne Williamson, “The happiest people don’t always have the best of everything. They just make the most of every opportunity that comes their way.” Best of Luck and keep your head straight!
Like you, I’m in a writing group too. I also write when I’m upset (and when I’m not, of course!). I take what I write along to the group, and we start by reading anything we may have written since last time. Based on the feedback I get, I gauge whether it’s worth taking a piece further, or whether I should just file it and move on. I find that when you’re upset, it can be nigh-on impossible to accurately judge the worth of your own writing.
Currently a friend is turning one of my ‘upset’ poems that the group liked into a country song. Will anything ever come of it? I don’t know, and quite frankly I don’t really care anymore. It was therapeutic for me to write it at the time. it served its purpose. So don’t judge yourself too harshly over that piece that got pulled. It served its purpose for you; in that, it had worth.
So glad to read that you’ve moved on. And automotively as well. Have fun! 🙂
I find that writing inspirations come at odd times for me. I like to quickly note them down and the elaborate on them later, often after a few drinks the words start to flow as the memory returns.
This is a great first project car. There is tons of support and aftermarket parts for the ’78-88 A/G-body GM products. And being a Chevrolet, they are plentiful and cheap. Personally, I’d start at just getting the thing up and running with what you have before you start modifying it too extensively. One you can get it running and driving you’ll find out pretty quickly what its deficiencies are and where you’d like to make improvements.
As already mentioned about, the steering column swap is not a great idea, and not exactly a bolt in swap. However, as I have mentioned to you previously,you can practically custom build the steering system on these cars to your preference. If you want a quick, high effort steering, a Monte Carlo SS steering box will give you that with a 12.7:1 box and high effort. And like Dave Skinner mentioned, you do have to be cognizant of the steering box degrees of travel, but if you stick to the same platform (G-body) you will be okay. Or you can always send your existing box to a builder and have it custom built to you spec for your car.
This article has a small chart that shows some of the difference between the boxes:
https://www.hotrod.com/articles/ccrp-0901-gm-steering-box-upgrade/
Good luck with the project and keep us posted.