My long term build

[shadyduk1979]

Bringing this over here for a few extra eyeballs . Started that thread way back in 2012.

I am hoping to get off my but and finally finish my first registered car, a 79 el camino. I blew the motor back in 2003 and decided that i needed to do some body work. I tore the car down and found tons of bondo, which led to tons of rot. I at about the same time had a daily driver, and little time so the car sat. Then i got some free time and had a 81 320 fall in my lap which got me hooked on track days and auto cross and sucked up tons of time and money. car went from a nice reliable 80 hp driver to a 300 HP turbocharged monster. I got in a rather bad crash in another car on some back roads in a Subaru, shattering my sternum, ribs, wrist and knee. more time went by. I didn't race for a while due to the injuries and life getting in the way, and o yea i got into guns thinking it would be a cheap hobby. That worked out well lol.
Over the years i have been collecting parts, and casually working on the car. I have convinced my girlfriend to drive me down to my parents house where the car is on weekends so i will have no choice but to work on the car.
My plan is to make it a comfortable highway cruiser since the BMW is far more fun on back roads than the highway, but for now there is much work ahead of me.
Before anyone asks, the BMW as it came to me,

and now

The elky as she sits:

One good thing is the frame was scrubbed down and coated in por 15, and i have a open diff 8.5 with 3.73s in it

I do not see myself getting much done until may, but who knows at this point is just a matter of sanding, welding in patches and getting the bodywork done. After that i will have to figure out the drivetrain. I would like to build another 383 and put a manual back behind (original 4 speed car)it like a T5 but to be honest, I do not really care if i have to throw in a 305 and the b and m turbo 350 i had in it to get it moving for now.

 

[shadyduk1979]

Got some stuff accomplished this weekend. Sandblasted the rusty areas in the door jams, got the worst of it off the floors and figured out where i need to fabricate new metal. I think this is a good place to start before i bolt the body down. More was done after these pics but i was in a hurry to leave and didn't take any more.

Why i have rot here i do not understand, all cleared out now (no pic of it done though)

I also am in the process of bending up new fuel and brake lines. Brake lines are done, just need to get the fuel lines done and bolted to the frame.

 

[shadyduk1979]

Been a while since i updated this, I got the rest of the interior sandblasted where it needed to be and started cutting out and replacing rotted metal. I didn't take pictures of that being done, but i did find this relic hiding in the insulation behind the drivers seat from my teenage years lol.

I used my plasma cutter to get rid of the old rotted metal and for cutting the new steel since like a moron i forgot my shears and had to make up the difference in weld. I didn't get a ton done as a result, only 3 holes patched. 3 more to go, I should get them done tomorrow.

If things go really well ill make brackets for my seats. They are recaros out of a VW. Very comfortable.

Almost forgot, fuel feed line is done, i need to get more line to do a return line just in case i go fuel injection again which i probably will. I still have my TPI and a 3/4 full bottle of NOS

 

[shadyduk1979]

Got most of the floor patched this weekend, just need to clean up my welds since i am using a welder that isn't well suited for sheet metal but it is working. I didn't get anything else done in the time i had but cut out the remainder of the cancer, make new sheet metal, weld it in and give it a quick prime. I also found the reason my plasma cutter sucked was because it wasn't getting enough air. I thought it was because it was a 110v one and i heard they sucked, but the power available at my parents house makes anything else impossible. After i fixed the regulator it was perfect. http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f342/shadyduk1979/IMAG0736.jpg

For anyone curious why there is still rust on the floorpan, i am using por-15 type product on the interior and underside of the body as a safeguard against rust in the future. I only took off enough to make sure the scale was removed but a tiny bit is ok since the paint will convert and bond to it much better than bare metal.

 

[shadyduk1979]

Ok go the last of the holes patched in the front, i think next i will run all of my fuel and brake lines since i ran into a snag on my seats.

I am missing the front part of the bracket on both. Im not positive what they came out of, so if anyone knows please feel free to let me know

 

[shadyduk1979]

And now for the present day April 10,2016....
As with many things, life got in the way. Racing, Serious wreck that shattered my sternum and 4 ribs among other things, getting married, moving 4 times and never being near my car to work on it, I now am finally in a place with my car in the garage where i live. Add to that a wife who forced me to buy a sensible daily driver so when the BMW is broken (who knew a car with 4 times the original power would break so much? lol) i still have a vehicle to drive a Subaru STI. She also want me to finally finish the Camino and get it moving under its own power.

I took a few days off last month and got the underside done, and all of the panels welded in. Now i work on the car a minimum a hour a day.

Yesterday i went to the boneyard and got a set of old Gbody rotors to turn into hubs and use LSI Fbody front and rear brakes. Still need to go back to get the backing plates which i plan on doing next saturday. Yesterday in the pouring rain was not fun to be grabbing this stuff so jacking up a car in the yard alone in the mud and a few inches of standing water didn't seem that fun. Plus thats not a easy job so i don't see anyone sniping those out from under me.

I am planning on doing a Dropout 6.0, 6.2 LS Truck motor and 4l80 trans, hopefully i will have them in hand by may first.

 

[shadyduk1979]

Went back to the junkyard yesterday and got the backing plates. Then I realized, hey e brake on the floor by my feet is going to be a pain, so I snagged the whole thing. At least if a cable snaps I'll know what it is for off the top of my head.

I also primered painted and undercoated my wheelwells this week, not that there is any good way to get a pic of that.

I got a surprise too. Rot in my window channel in the upper right corner. Metal was paper thin and tore right out. Fabbed up a new section and welded that in wish i took a before pic of that, but it looks like it never happened.

Also A pretty new set of brake lines arrived.

Hoping this week to get the window channel stripped and primered and the body back on the frame. Not sure if i can do all that because it is a busy week and weekend but i am going to try.

 

[shadyduk1979]

As i suspected, the windshield channel took up a crapload of time and was all i got done this week.

I did however have my B body master cylinder arrive this week, should help fill those LS1 calipers nicely

Getting the calipers rebuilt and powdercoated and added more primer to the windshield frame. Going to hold off on putting the body on the frame until the new engine and transmission arrives.

Having a motor cleaned up, trans built and harness made by someone else. Should be done and at my house in about 3 weeks.

 

[shadyduk1979]

Progress seems to be slowing a bit. I did have a few cages break while bolting the body back on but the body is on again. Hoping that my drivetrain is still 2 weeks away. Need to open up where the cages are and get those fixed and also get the fuel system installed/fuel lines ordered.

working on the body mounts, and getting my fuel lines to get it ready for the new motor which should be here this week or the beginning of next week. I am hoping it is next week to give me time to be ready for it. My crossmember hasn't arrived yet!

 

[shadyduk1979]

Fixed the broken body mount cages

I have most of the brake parts, but I need new wheels to clear them. So saving for those. Still need pads and rotors but there is no need for them yet without a way to bolt them on.

Motor mounts are in, I got my brand new windshield, and the channel is ready to have it installed.

Closed up the hole in the floor from when my 4 speed decided it's internals needed to join me in the passenger compartment(and the shifter hole)

And I got my fuel tank ready to fuel the ls motor. Modified a grand national sending unit to work in the el camino tank with a 355 fuel pump.

Working on the transmission crossmember now. I have a frame extension that needs bolting in, but I have a bend in my frame there from probably bottoming out on something way back when. Motor may be here this week or the beginning of next. I wish I already had it but I told them to take their time since I wasn't ready. So they have. Oh well.