Beater El Camino

I love the idea of the 250 with three-on-the-tree!

NV3500 might be a nice match to a stock-ish 250. 

Cleaning up the shop has turned up a treasure!

So now I can figure out how to install it!

But it does bring up an interesting question about fuel systems: can I use the mechanical fuel pump to fill a swirl pot in the engine bay? That would simply the installation by a lot.

Wait a minute this is no beater

maschinenbau said:

I will ALWAYS upvote El Camino content! I agree with using whatever parts you got on hand to make it run, but I've always liked the idea of 4.2 Atlas in one of these. If the 350 in mine bit the dust, I'd be looking hard at that swap. 

From 15 years of driving an El Camino, I have learned a few things:

• Everyone loves an El Camino
• Fellow owners always give a thumbs up, like the motorcycle wave
• You may notice your inner mullet tingle from time to time. The only relief is to drive your El Camino.

this right here...but just don't stop at the 'atlas' throw in the whole awd from the GMT360 and then have Calvin Nelson (V8Kid) fab you a turbo setup......oops your thread and your nickle......wink

In reply to 759NRNG (Forum Partidario) :

There is a larger than zero chance that this will end up converted to some version of 4wd/awd, and shortening up a Trailblazer EXT to just about SSR wheelbase is right at the top of the list of options for that. 

Getting closer:

Just get it out in the sun already!

el camino is best camino!  i'm irrationally excited to see this coming along.

Outside!

is that black, or is it G Body Maroon?  looks black in indoor shots, but looks like my '87 Monte SS outdoors.

Interesting.  Looks good from here.  Wheel/tire/stance situation looks on point as well.  Curious what you end up doing with the gingerbread and bumpers and such.

The two tone looks great!

Gingerbread, trim, and the chrome bits are all going to be just bolted back on. It was all straight and in decent shape. I think the front tires in particular could be a little smaller overall OD, but it rolls around and turns like it is. 

The top is maroon, but I don't think it is a stock color. I didn't really care, as long as it looks good with the red interior, so I let the painter pick whatever he wanted. 

You can see they didn't paint the inside of the bed. I actually have a white spray in bedliner going in as soon as I get it running.  And since the new flywheel,clutch, and tune-up parts got here today that shouldn't take terribly long. 

Cool!  I would've totally picked the inline 6, too, they're just sweet.  Looking forward to following along with this!

The inline 6 was never used in that chassis, should be a challenge. A 4.3 or small block would be nearly a bolt in affair. The factory clutch pedal etc is unobtainable for g-bodies. Super rare score!

For an easy eletric fuel pump, just order a sending unit and pump for a TBI 4.3 (1986-1987) and it should drop right into the tank.

In reply to Gearheadotaku (Forum Supporter) :

The Mexican G-body used the 250, so it should be doable.

I haven't found a g-body bell housing for the large diameter flywheel or a  small diameter flywheel for a 4.3 that would let it bolt up. Same problem with the newer LS motors. I think the 250 should be fine for what I am going to do with this thing.

Didn't know Mexican bound cars used the inline. Wow, thats odd. 

I knew there were different flywheel sizes and starters to match, but didn't know the bell housing changed. Thought all the 90 degree Chevrolet V6 used the same parts the V8's they came from did.

This is going to be a cool build. Thanks for saving this car.

So as alluded to in a question thread,  this marine 250 was given to me supposedly with a bad head. Free is free, and it has both an aluminum valve cover and the correct oil pan that should fit the El Camino. 

Yesterday, I also brought home this:

This is the height of the malaise era 250s, from an 80s Chevy pickup. It was supposedly rebuilt, it was in front of a manual transmission, and the truck drove last Friday to where the engine came out.  The astute among you might notice that it has a power steering pump, which is a big deal.  Apparently finding the brackets for power steering on a straight 6 is something of a challenge.  I actually bought the engine, for $100, specifically for those brackets because the aftermarket alternatives I could find cost @$160.

So, I have an arguably higher performance level older 250 with a 1-barrel carb that I have never actually driven that will need the pan swapped and brackets moved over, or I can just drop this in and run it. It has the cast in intake, which is potentially a negative, but it is the 2-barrel truck one that might actually out perform the oldet 1-barrel.  It has the dual exhaust manifold too, which should certainly be an improvement. I could rip off all the air injection stuff, swap on a Weber 32/36, and add the marine valve cover and it would be ready to go in half an hour or so. 

In reply to oldopelguy :

I owned one like that I bought new in 1978, and another in 1979. 
 

The reason is late in 1978 some kid racing his buddy plowed into the drivers door doing just short of 60mph.  I'd checked that I was clear to my left and checked right again. The kid was busy checking on his progress racing  his buddy and failed to see me until he was about 10 feet from my car. That's when I saw him and threw myself away from the drivers door. The first time I nearly 2 decades I hadn't fastened my seatbelt before moving. It's a very good thing I didn't because when I went to get my personal effects there was a similar station wagon hit in the same door. Not as quite  as bad as mine.  Bloody mess, he died on the scene. Nearly cut in half by the seatbelt. 
 

I still fasten my seatbelt before moving-usually. But I don't like consoles. 
Those have weak automatics. And disappear in rust in the rust belt. 

In reply to oldopelguy :

Update?

Need my El Camino fix; status?

In reply to pres589 (djronnebaum) :

Sorry, haven't been around much. I got the El Camino mostly back together, got the original 3.8 Chevy broken loose and tune up parts installed, and sold it this past weekend to a guy who already has a couple of them and wanted something to teach his kids how to drive a stick.

So the Elky is gone?