Pic Thread: Not Just El Caminos

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by KWC1069

My '72...Unfortunately...Sold

That is unfortunate. Especially since it wasn't sold to me.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by FleetsidePaul

That Nash is cool. And it's a crew cab.

I know it may be a topic of debate but I always liked the stripes on the bed of the Blackwood.

I stumbled upon this on the internet. A 1981 Ford Fairmont Durango. I'd never heard of one. I think Ford should have made them instead of killing the Ranchero. But then again Chevy nixed the El Camino. I don't understand why. They both sold well. I guess not enough for the bean counters.

Fairmont's were crappy cars but wasn't pretty much everything in the dark days of 1981

That Nash is super cool. Funky is cool, right?

I don't mind the stripes on a Blackwood. I never looked into what those were all about. I always figured the intention was to look like inlay in wood.

When I met my X she was driving a '79 Fairmont Futura. This was around 82/83. I paid no attention to and had no interest in any cars made in the '70s, more so as the decade went on. This was '82 and that Fairmont was just another dumb big bumper '70s can with an engine attached to the smog pump. But I did end up liking driving that car. Not for the power, but it drove nice. It looked as good as a car could back then, dark blue with blue cloth buckets. It had a 3spd +O/D on the floor and a 6cyl.

They didn't stop making El Caminos and Rancheros. They turned them into trucks

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by special-K

That Nash is super cool. Funky is cool, right?

I don't mind the stripes on a Blackwood. I never looked into what those were all about. I always figured the intention was to look like inlay in wood.

When I met my X she was driving a '79 Fairmont Futura. This was around 82/83. I paid no attention to and had no interest in any cars made in the '70s, more so as the decade went on. This was '82 and that Fairmont was just another dumb big bumper '70s can with an engine attached to the smog pump. But I did end up liking driving that car. Not for the power, but it drove nice. It looked as good as a car could back then, dark blue with blue cloth buckets. It had a 3spd +O/D on the floor and a 6cyl.

They didn't stop making El Caminos and Rancheros. They turned them into trucks

I rented a Fairmont to go on my first honeymoon. It was badged as an LTD but it was a Fairmont. I don't know who Ford thought they were kidding but you're right it was a comfortable car. We drove it up the coast highway to San Francisco. It was a nice ride. Ugly as sin, the color of baby poop, but i didn't care. It was just a rental car.

Sadly El Camino's and Ranchero's have morphed into SUV's with tiny open beds. I wish GM had imported the Holden Ute's like the last GTO's.

It reminds me of when I bought a cab for my 70 shortbed. My buddy said that we could go get it in his F150. I thought that would be cool. It didn't cross my mind that he had 4 kids. I didn't realize how small the bed was on his truck. I had never paid attention to it. I told him that the cab wouldn't fit. He said it would. The seller was waiting. So we went. I just kept thinking "It's not going to fit' .

Well we did get it home after a long white knuckle ride up the 57 Freeway. It was nice of my buddy to help me but he did have a wife and 4 kids. I think it was just an excuse to get out of the house.

[72c20customcamper]

My Springer . Fat boy rear fender with frenched in ford tailight. Welded in a patch then used lead . Body filler would have just cracked .

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

My Springer . Fat boy rear fender with frenched in ford tailight. Welded in a patch then used lead . Body filler would have just cracked .

Well that certainly isn't an El Camino.

I think you got the wrong thread Mark.

Hey we've all done it.

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by FleetsidePaul

Well that certainly isn't an El Camino.

I think you got the wrong thread Mark.

Hey we've all done it.

Thought I was in the random photo thread.

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

Thought I was in the random photo thread.

I knew it the moment I saw it.

I've done exactly the same thing. Whoops... Wrong thread.

[Boog]

Basically, you can show your rear end in either thread.

I wish I had thought to learn modern lead work when dad and I had the body shop. It's a lost art as they say.

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by Boog

Basically, you can show your rear end in either thread.

I wish I had thought to learn modern lead work when dad and I had the body shop. It's a lost art as they say.

I used the real lead not the substitute stuff . Not much call for it anymore as you cant use it on new cars metal is way to thin . Most bodymen are now just R&R techs my sons new Toyota parts came painted ! The door that they took off wasnt badly damaged , I could had it fixed it a few hours. They gave him some BS that once a door even just the skin with no damage to the rest isnt safe anymore.

When my Chevelle got damaged I had to search for a shop that would even give me an estimate. One guy even said "We dont do that kind of work" . I kinda went off on him,the owner that he should take the collision repair off his sign .

[special-K]

While we're lost here I'll post about my Harley fender/tail lamp. My Heritage came with a turn signal bar under the '73-newer tail lamp. My bike came without saddlebags and those turn signals looked dumb hanging out there. Also, the bike's whole meaning is to resemble an older Harley. The fender also has the plastic fender tip light that came on the dressers. I bought a Fat Boy fender (no turn signal holes/dentations and no fender tip light), cut out the tail lamp area, and welded in a smooth patch to mount a tombstone light.

Shoot. I thought I had pictures on this computer. I. It's all I have just put this one on here last week


There's the "It's not a truck" argument just like there's the "Short bed can't haul enough" argument. I'm a truck guy, so my reply about the short bed is "I'm a truck guy. I have trucks that can haul plenty with and the short bed is my car I can haul a little less with". My short beds are my El Caminos. An El Camino would be my muscle car... that could haul a little less.

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by special-K

There's the "It's not a truck" argument just like there's the "Short bed can't haul enough" argument. I'm a truck guy, so my reply about the short bed is "I'm a truck guy. I have trucks that can haul plenty with and the short bed is my car I can haul a little less with". My short beds are my El Caminos. An El Camino would be my muscle car... that could haul a little less.

I like them all. But like in the hauling my cab instance a long bed or a flatbed would have been a lot more convenient.

Short bed's and El Camino's are the best looking trucks in my who gives a rats rear end opinion. And an El Camino is a truck. They might be Chevelle's but they're still trucks. They aren't a coupe, they aren't a sedan. They are a truck. A very cool truck. And I know the later models were Malibu's. But that was just GM dropping the Chevelle name. They used to be Chevelle Malibu's.
At least that's what I remember.

This is not an El Camino. It's a Chevelle. No bed. Although I kind of wish it had one. Perhaps with a camper with some liquor in it.

[special-K]

I don't like that car but I want to buy it because there is a very happy friendly looking attractive young woman posing with it. Where do I sign?

The whole debate is simple but people want to be hard headed. A vehicle can be a car or a truck. Which one is based on it's core design. A car is designed to carry passengers and a truck is designed to haul cargo. With cars, and now even light trucks, you have different body types, sedan, coupe, roadster, convertible, station wagon, etc. With trucks you have pickups or cab & chassis. Designers created a car with a pickup body and called it an El Camino. The El Camino is not a truck. It is a car that is a pickup. It's a pickup because it has a bed and tailgate. Ever since these type of vehicles were created we have vehicles that are "pickup trucks" and we have vehicles that are just "pickups" that are not trucks. I don't know why everybody can't agree with that.

[KW5413]

You could just split the difference and call the El Camino / Ranchero era designs...Crucks.

LOL!

[special-K]

That's right, cruck or tar. Who can argue with that??

I always wanted one of these Morris pickups. I first saw them in The Bahamas. Just a simple little bop about. I'd want one stock like these. I think the fourth picture shows a converted car, the original idea that created the El Camino

[FleetsidePaul]

I always wanted one of those Morris's. I worked with a guy that had a Sunbeam Imp with surfboard racks on it. He was a big surfer. He found a Morris woody wagon and tried like crazy to get it. But the guy just wanted too much money for it. I saw it and it had been restored but it had also been parked outside for a long time. I think the guy wanted what he had in it and that wasn't going to happen.

[special-K]

I dunno. Wudaya think?

[tutone]

I've been reading this thread over the last few weeks and there are some good looking and some "not so" good looking rides. To each his own, I guess. In 1977 when I turned 16, my Dad wouldnt let me buy a 1968 camaro but he talked me into a 69 El camino. I absolutely hated that car, and got rid of it finally. Had several Chevelles that I loved. I just guess the half car half truck never made my radar. Here is that beauty. I can't decide whether to put it in my "car" album or "truck" album on my phone.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by tutone

I've been reading this thread over the last few weeks and there are some good looking and some "not so" good looking rides. To each his own, I guess. In 1977 when I turned 16, my Dad wouldnt let me buy a 1968 camaro but he talked me into a 69 El camino. I absolutely hated that car, and got rid of it finally. Had several Chevelles that I loved. I just guess the half car half truck never made my radar. Here is that beauty. I can't decide whether to put it in my "car" album or "truck" album on my phone.

When I first started carpentry I worked with a guy with a speach impediment. He'd say 'fr' in place of 'tr'. Seems perfect since you hated that one to start a new album and call it "fruck"

How about this '77 Raunchero? Am I wrong or is the hood as long as the bed? . And BTW, what's up with leaving off the racing stripe graphics? howzit s'poda go?

[FleetsidePaul]

That's a lot of hood right there. I wouldn't want to wax it. That's a hefty bumper too.

The front looks kind of like a Monte Carlo of the same era.

One of the worst looking Ranchero's ever IMHO. But just about everything in the late 70's was just as bad.

This is the high horsepower model. It has the stickers. Lipstick on a pig.

[special-K]

I agree. The worst. I drove one a few times that belonged to my boss. I worked for him around 74/75 and I guess it was new. It had air shocks. He went to Virginia Tech, engineering I guess. Couldn't be seen driving a pickup truck or using tools. He had me get a load of stone at the quarry in it. It went exactly as you have it pictured. Try looking over THAT hood all tail squatted all the way back to the job!

We were talking about the Mustang IIs of this era. As funky looking and gutless as they were, they were just what they needed and a reason Mustangs survived the energy crunch years. They sold really well. They were a success for Ford

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by special-K

We were talking about the Mustang IIs of this era. As funky looking and gutless as they were, they were just what they needed and a reason Mustangs survived the energy crunch years. They sold really well. They were a success for Ford

They did sell extremely well. It's hard to believe because they were just such ugly cars. But go figure. They were a hit.

I remember my neighbors a couple doors down had a pristine 66 Mustang fastback. It was the wife's car and she didn't work so it seldom left the garage.
It was mint and they traded it in for a Mustang II because she wanted a new car.
Another neighbor had a sweet 59 Mercedes convertible and traded it in for a Mustang II. But he got the fancy "Ghia' model. Very impressive. It had a Landau top and little emblems that said Ghia.

And then there's this one. My wife dressed up for a Halloween party as god knows what with her "Cobra' She still thinks that was a hot car.

[Steeveedee]

SOMEBODY is gumbee in the doghouse tonight...

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

SOMEBODY is gumbee in the doghouse tonight...

Nah... I didn't take that pic. Her friend did. Her friend was smoking hot. She was on the cover of Easyriders magazine. I have a copy around here somewhere. She was naked as a jaybird in that mag.

I keep telling my wife to invite her over.

[special-K]

The Mustang II that guy who worked for me was a Ghia. He built that motor up but it still had the stock wheels and tires. A real sleeper . It was silver with burgundy landau top. So luxurious. On cars that landau tops belong on are long, not a shrinky dink car . That one took up half the top . A think the Mustang II Ghia was meant for Lincoln Mark IV owners to carry in the truck for a spare.

The '70s were so gaudy, so polyester jump suit. A confused time for cars, a time of identity crisis. White vinyl top on red with woodgrain panel sides. Why stop there? That thing needs an anti-glare flat black hood with the engine size, maybe some kind of winged logo on top of that.

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by special-K

The '70s were so gaudy, so polyester jump suit. A confused time for cars, a time of identity crisis.

The 70's were a tough time. All the cool stuff was gone. Replaced by ugly junk, ugly clothes, ugly stupid gutless cars, weird hair, and the absolute worst of all... Disco.
Lousy music. If someone plays Tony Orlando and Dawn or The Captain and Tennille just do me a favor and shoot me.