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65 El Camino

74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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I have owned this car since 1985, my Uncle Don who bought this brand new in 65' gave it to me when he moved to WA. It was a cool high school cruiser, at the time it had a 400 Pontiac out of a 69 GTO (Salvage yards were awesome back in the day) and was obnoxiously loud.

I started to restore this in 89 while going to school so money was hard to come by as well as time, I ended up having to move it North to my folks place in 93'. The car was 95%+ done, Pontiac and Trans were rebuilt and in the car, body work was done (had a BIL with a body shop) and I blocked my ass off on this thing, had my IROC 16" wheels and Goodyear Gator Backs all polished and ready to go, every piece of stainless trim was polished or new, all the chrome was done. I was at my Dad's place and he was helping me put a new gas tank in and I say "I would like to put a little wider tire under the back of this thing" he smiles at me and the next thing you know the body is coming off the frame...

Well after that happened I got married, my job started pulling a ton of hours, I bought my first Sanger and got a taste of Big Block Chevy power. Next thing I know I have 3 kids, I am tearing down my house, I traded my Brother the Pontiac and trans for Back Ho work on the house... now I am on my Second Sanger, then a full restoration of a Spectra and its almost 2021.

Finally my little 65' is getting some love... I spent the last 3 days with my oldest Son and my 86 year or Dad getting her dug out and on the way to restoration. The body has been in his shop under a mezzanine all tucked away and the frame was covered up outside. My Dad has racks or steel from all of his years of fabrication building trailers in SoCal as well as being a farmer in Visalia. We get the frame all power washed and in the shop and he says "I have the 6x6 steel rack (think a huge H made out of square tubing) over here and there should be some big casters over here, I think we can build a rolling jig for the frame.

True to fashion everything is exactly where he says it's supposed to be, the H frame has some 2" x 4" long round tube welded to the corners, I find some 10' lengths of pipe in his bone yard that work perfect to sleeve the existing pipe and then slide over the caster that have 18" long adjustable legs on them. A little welding and we have a rolling table that fits the frame almost perfectly. Was fun working with my Son as he has started doing quite a bit of welding at home, he did a great job getting the table squared up.

We hoist the frame up, sit it down and get it welded to the jig and then start getting it stripped. We had the old 12 bolt complete with suspension on a dolly, I had my Son throw it up on Offer UP and 12 hours later we trade a guy out of Hanford a 90 degree Rodack 3/8 impact for this rear end... awesome! I gave the tool to me Son (Riley) to add to his tool box and I am free form having to move that thing around!

Once we had the frame stripped we pulled the body out as I wasn't completely comfortable with my measurements and I wanted to roll the new rear end and wheels under it to see exactly where I need everything to end up. Width is spot on, I am going to need to take the wheel tubs almost all the way to the top of the bed and move the axel back a couple inches from stock wheel base. I want this low, pics are just below where I think it will end up... now just have to figure out how to change a rear tire once its all together...Probably set up a system with an off road style bumper jack to get the thing high enough and let the rear suspension hang low enough to pull a tire off and on.

I have a rear suspension kit coming with ladder bars and coil overs, we have gone back and forth on what type of suspension to run and I went this route based on a friends Chevelle and he has excellent drivability, I highly doubt this car will ever see a race track, this is just a cruiser...

Plan in to get the frame built and the body set back on then bring it home so my boys and I can work on it, its hard for everyone to align with time to make a trip to Grandpa's... but if its in my garage we can spend some good hours together out there.
B frame in storage 2.jpg
C frame pwr wash 4.jpg
F frame pwr wash.jpg
G jig build .jpg
J riley welding jig.jpg
K frame on jig tear down.jpg
L frame on jig 3.jpg
O frame on jig 6.jpg
Q right side mock up 1.jpg
R right side mock up 2.jpg
S rear mock up 1.jpg
 
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74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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I think that the 65' is the best looking elco as a pro street, on stock suspension I dont like them and gravitate to the 67 and then the newer 68 style. really a little car as well, I gotta loose some weight or my kids will be driving this thing instead of me :)
 

74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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Blasted up the 99 for a day and a half... the rear of this frame is tweaked a bit, no collision issues probably to factory standards but what the heck lets make it all good. I was able to position the frame so everything was level (1/4 to 5/16 twist on the rear corner) and boxed the back sections of the frame where the gas tank used to bolt to the rails. Once it was all welded it sure stiffened that up, almost spot on. I was hoping to retail the stock bed floor in this thing even use the original wheel tubs but sectioned out, unfortunately with as low as I want this to sit and using 30.5" tall tire, I will be cutting the entire floor out from the axel up to the cab and possible getting into the floor at the back end of the cab... having some serious thoughts on downsizing the tire a bit.


BOXING REAR 1.2.jpg
BOXING REAR 2.3 (2).jpg
BOXING REAR 3.jpg
BOXING REAR 6.jpg
REAR END MOCK UP 1.jpg
REAR END MOCK UP 2.jpg
 
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old rigger

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I have owned this car since 1985, my Uncle Don who bought this brand new in 65' gave it to me when he moved to WA. It was a cool high school cruiser, at the time it had a 400 Pontiac out of a 69 GTO (Salvage yards were awesome back in the day) and was obnoxiously loud.

I started to restore this in 89 while going to school so money was hard to come by as well as time, I ended up having to move it North to my folks place in 93'. The car was 95%+ done, Pontiac and Trans were rebuilt and in the car, body work was done (had a BIL with a body shop) and I blocked my ass off on this thing, had my IROC 16" wheels and Goodyear Gator Backs all polished and ready to go, every piece of stainless trim was polished or new, all the chrome was done. I was at my Dad's place and he was helping me put a new gas tank in and I say "I would like to put a little wider tire under the back of this thing" he smiles at me and the next thing you know the body is coming off the frame...

Well after that happened I got married, my job started pulling a ton of hours, I bought my first Sanger and got a taste of Big Block Chevy power. Next thing I know I have 3 kids, I am tearing down my house, I traded my Brother the Pontiac and trans for Back Ho work on the house... now I am on my Second Sanger, then a full restoration of a Spectra and its almost 2001.

Finally my little 65' is getting some love... I spent the last 3 days with my oldest Son and my 86 year or Dad getting her dug out and on the way to restoration. The body has been in his shop under a mezzanine all tucked away and the frame was covered up outside. My Dad has racks or steel from all of his years of fabrication building trailers in SoCal as well as being a farmer in Visalia. We get the frame all power washed and in the shop and he says "I have the 6x6 steel rack (think a huge H made out of square tubing) over here and there should be some big casters over here, I think we can build a rolling jig for the frame.

True to fashion everything is exactly where he says it's supposed to be, the H frame has some 2" x 4" long round tube welded to the corners, I find some 10' lengths of pipe in his bone yard that work perfect to sleeve the existing pipe and then slide over the caster that have 18" long adjustable legs on them. A little welding and we have a rolling table that fits the frame almost perfectly. Was fun working with my Son as he has started doing quite a bit of welding at home, he did a great job getting the table squared up.

We hoist the frame up, sit it down and get it welded to the jig and then start getting it stripped. We had the old 12 bolt complete with suspension on a dolly, I had my Son throw it up on Offer UP and 12 hours later we trade a guy out of Hanford a 90 degree Rodack 3/8 impact for this rear end... awesome! I gave the tool to me Son (Riley) to add to his tool box and I am free form having to move that thing around!

Once we had the frame stripped we pulled the body out as I wasn't completely comfortable with my measurements and I wanted to roll the new rear end and wheels under it to see exactly where I need everything to end up. Width is spot on, I am going to need to take the wheel tubs almost all the way to the top of the bed and move the axel back a couple inches from stock wheel base. I want this low, pics are just below where I think it will end up... now just have to figure out how to change a rear tire once its all together...Probably set up a system with an off road style bumper jack to get the thing high enough and let the rear suspension hang low enough to pull a tire off and on.

I have a rear suspension kit coming with ladder bars and coil overs, we have gone back and forth on what type of suspension to run and I went this route based on a friends Chevelle and he has excellent drivability, I highly doubt this car will ever see a race track, this is just a cruiser...

Plan in to get the frame built and the body set back on then bring it home so my boys and I can work on it, its hard for everyone to align with time to make a trip to Grandpa's... but if its in my garage we can spend some good hours together out there. View attachment 956881 View attachment 956882 View attachment 956883 View attachment 956884 View attachment 956885 View attachment 956886 View attachment 956887 View attachment 956888 View attachment 956889 View attachment 956890 View attachment 956891

What a great project!

And you're right, junk yards were awesome back in the day. Dad bought a 425 Olds out of a brand new car that was totaled and stuck it in his '56 ford pick up, that truck ran like stink. I still have 8 '57 Caddy hubcaps that I got for a buck a piece out of the same yard years before I actually ran them on my '54 hardtop.

'64-5 Elcos are my favorite, never owned one...yet. Cant wait to see what you guys do with yours.
 

74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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Do you remember Wagon Wheel over off Artesia and Gridley! I spent a lot of time there as a kid... Dad had a 440 Chrysler in his 54 GMC back in 68', they also put a 461 Lincoln in my brothers 63' chevy truck, they had the cruise control in there as well...
 

74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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I got the ladder brackets welded on the rear end and cross member welded in with brackets burned in as well. The benefit of this being an El Camino frame is the reinforced frame thru the middle of the car, allowed me to cut pockets and drop the cross member in with a lot of metal to weld to. Next trip ill hang the frame on its side and weld up the bottom of the brackets on the cross member and gusset them up nice a solid. I am a shit welder at best and working upside down or under the weld is a no go for me. once We have the car home ill take the rear end to a friend of mine and he will jig it up and finish all the welds on it to make sure we keep it straight. Hoping to start on the frame rails as well next trip and then cut the old ones out. Originally I had planned on using the stock frame rails and just moving them in 8" but I need to raise them 4" as well so might as well just make some new ones. My plan is to get the rails built and in while leaving the old ones in tact. Once we get everything solid we can cut the old stuff off and assure that the frame doesn't shift at all. I am planning to have the body back on this thing by May so a couple more trips to the farm. I also got to be a cowboy Saturday night as a couple of steer got out of the pasture and we had to wrangle them out of the orange grove and Amond orchards.... ya not a life for me those dam things are sketchy....
LB SET UP 2.jpg
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TITTIES AND BEER

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I got the ladder brackets welded on the rear end and cross member welded in with brackets burned in as well. The benefit of this being an El Camino frame is the reinforced frame thru the middle of the car, allowed me to cut pockets and drop the cross member in with a lot of metal to weld to. Next trip ill hang the frame on its side and weld up the bottom of the brackets on the cross member and gusset them up nice a solid. I am a shit welder at best and working upside down or under the weld is a no go for me. once We have the car home ill take the rear end to a friend of mine and he will jig it up and finish all the welds on it to make sure we keep it straight. Hoping to start on the frame rails as well next trip and then cut the old ones out. Originally I had planned on using the stock frame rails and just moving them in 8" but I need to raise them 4" as well so might as well just make some new ones. My plan is to get the rails built and in while leaving the old ones in tact. Once we get everything solid we can cut the old stuff off and assure that the frame doesn't shift at all. I am planning to have the body back on this thing by May so a couple more trips to the farm. I also got to be a cowboy Saturday night as a couple of steer got out of the pasture and we had to wrangle them out of the orange grove and Amond orchards.... ya not a life for me those dam things are sketchy.... View attachment 971016 View attachment 971017 View attachment 971018 View attachment 971019 View attachment 971020 View attachment 971021 View attachment 971022 View attachment 971023 View attachment 971024 View attachment 971025 View attachment 971026
bitchen
 

Eliminator21vdrive

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Not to be a dick but from the angle of the picks will the drive shaft clear the ladder bar cross member at ride height?
 

74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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Not to be a dick but from the angle of the picks will the drive shaft clear the ladder bar cross member at ride height?
Not offense Brother, the axel is at ride height the way its sitting, the frame rails are getting cut out and raised, I just did that this weekend. This is my first time doing anything like this so if you see something funky call me out on it, I am all ears. I was double checking that cross bar as well, if it hits we will cut the center out and weld in a solid loop.
 
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74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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Had some fun and made some progress this weekend on the 65'. I used some foam poster board and ripped off strips on the table saw then mocked up some 2x3 tubing. The stuff worked great and we were able to get both frame rails in and best of all cut the old ones out. I wanted to make the frame rails out of one solid piece, notch and bend as needed. I don't possess the metal skills to do that, the first upright has a little compound angle and I just gave up and made these out of two pieces. Next trip I start reinforcing everything, plates and straps are on the menu, once I get the top wrapped up we will roll this thing over and go at the bottom side. A little more intrusive than I wanted I am going to have to raise the bed floor for sure but I really want this low so that is what we will do, more than likely getting into the trans tunnel as well.

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74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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I had work up in the Central Valley of CA this past week, was able to hub out of my Folks place and get some time with the the 65'. My box of parts form Auto Weld is now empty! I still need to build a few braces and then finish weld and strap some things down but a couple more days and we put this thing on the ground and try to figure out how to set the body over this, I think it will be as easy as putting on wet jeans.
  • Connected the original frame to the new rails, stiffened the thing up nice and should be pretty stout. 3/16 plate with a bend in it and its burned in nice to the original frame.
  • Built the pan hard - track locater set up, works smooth as the suspension moves up and down with the hoist.
  • Welded the coil over brackets to the housing, should say tacked them in as everything on the housing will be fully welded up on a bench with the rear end in a jig and clamped down. Realized that the shocks we longer than I had anticipated, did not want to hassle with returning them also I will tow my flat bottom and i needed some spring rate back there. I had to build a perch for the cross bar, I am raising the floor anyway so what the hell keep stacking it up.
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74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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The most ignored project ever got some attention, hopefully it wont be another 9 months before we work on her again! Flipped the frame on its side and upside down to finish welding everything up, good thing too as we flipped this over I saw all the bugger welds I did trying to weld upside down, Thank the lord for grinders! I boxed the front mounting points for the ladder bars, these should be pretty solid now. I typically make any bends in a hydraulic press, it works well if you have a couple brackets that are the same because you can set them together and mirror them pretty goo. I was really tired last night and I just used some good old heat for a final bend, I love moving metal like that, very satisfying. Trying to head back up the End of February and we will fit the Body! Very excited its been a while since those two were together.
 

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74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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Body is back on the frame, went down fairly easy, ended up cutting out more bed than had anticipated and had to cut into the back of the floor pans to get the new cross member to suck up. Sat down nice, I had only modified the two rear mounting locations and we hit them spot on, I was breathing a little better after all the bushing bolts snugged up.

She looked pretty funny at first as I had the shocks in the lowest position, a little too low, I still have 3 to 4 inches of settings back there but we just put her right on the center to see where we are at. The Front end was sitting so high it looked like a gasser, I had a 396 on a stand up there that needed to come down for a rebuild, I had new frame mounts and engine mounts so why not, i dropped the engine in this morning and she leveled out, I think once all the sheet metal is on we will be good with just a slight rake.

By the end of Feb I am hoping to have her home so its easier to work on, my buddy has a huge enclosed trailer, he letting me take that up for an easy transport home. We will separate the body again, finish up all the mechanicals on the frame and keep on plugging away at her.
 

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Backlash

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Nice build! Thank you for sharing some pictures with us too. Would you happen to have any pictures where you grafted in the new frame section with the original frame section? Specifically, the area in front of the rear axle. I love following along with what others are working on. 👍

Nevermind, I found it in post #12. 😁
 

74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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Well she is home, now I have no excuses... My buddy let me borrow his big Hallmark trailer and his F350, I have a need for diesel now, could have been a very expensive trip for me... brought back a 351 Cleveland that had been sitting for a while, going in a friends 69 Mustang.
 

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74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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When I rolled the 65' on the lift I realized that this stupid idea of a pro street that git into my head as a teen ager bit me in the butt again. The tires are too wide for the ramps, these things run pretty low air pressure and the inside of the tire was sagging pretty good. not sure if it would goof up the tires so I built a pad so the tires have full support. I am thinking of building another one to slide up and down the can to put a bottle jack or something on to lift the car if needed when on the lift.
 

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74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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I thought I would be working on this dam thing now that its home, 5 months later I finally get the body back off and start stripping all the front suspension off only to find out that the control arms I want to order from Original Parts Group are back ordered...OK, gotta get to work cleaning and then paint this frame
 

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74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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I have the lower control arms now but the uppers are still a few weeks out. I did just pick up my rear end, everything new and ready to go, went with a True Trac, 31 spline axels, 3:50 ring gear... should be a cool little cruiser when we wrap it. Transmission should be in my hands by end of January and then its just deciding on what to build for engine, I have had a 496 in my head for several years since I built one for my Day Cruiser but I have always just dug the history of the 427 and it sounds cool... I have a Block and some good heads ready to go, just deciding on rotating assembly
Rear end 1.jpg
Rear end 2.jpg
 

Husqy510

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Looking great! I'm just getting started on a similar build with this 55. Currently it has a narrowed frame with ladder bars and leaf springs. I'm building a new 9" and plan to install a four link or ladder bar with coil overs. What made you go with the ladder bar setup?
 

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