Hello folks!

by Willem Sun Oct 16, 2011 7:06 am

Hi I'm Willem, I'm from the Netherlands.

I enjoy reading about the 'forgotten' generation of A-bodies, and since I have one myself ('77 El Camino) I decided to join up.

Here's a pic of the Camino:

Hello folks! Imgklein

It has a 454HO crate engine, a TH400 with a Gear Vendors OD, and a 3.08 posi out back.
I want to make it faster though, the 454 is pretty wimpy, gears are to tall, too.
I've drag raced it and the best I could do was a 14.2, it just needs to get way faster!

by Deltaroyale Sun Oct 16, 2011 9:42 am

Very nice, maybe one day I'll have my 73 looking as good as yours.

by 77mali Sun Oct 16, 2011 10:05 am

Welcome Willem, nice car . There are several other active members in your neck of the woods...Poland, Slovakia, Norway....to name a few & all good folks.

by orange Juiced Sun Oct 16, 2011 10:10 am

WOW, Looks good Thumbs up

by Tom77 Sun Oct 16, 2011 10:30 am

Welcome

by JB2wheeler Sun Oct 16, 2011 10:37 am

Welcome Willem. I have a 3.42 rear end ratio and it is boderline on highway driving at 60 MPH and sometimes I wish I had a 3.08 instead. Also 14.2 "aint" nothing to joke about, thats a pretty swift car. I have not checked my signature to see if my Picturetrail account is still listed, if so, check out some of my lifetime cars I regreted getting rid of. JB Well I see its not. http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/19847223

by Limey SE Sun Oct 16, 2011 10:57 am

Thanks again for Joining up Willem and very nice El Camino

by Fishgrinder Sun Oct 16, 2011 11:19 am

Welcome!

This forum is an amazing resource for our cars. I've gotten tons of help from here during the build up of my 1975 Monte Carlo.

A clean looking El Camino you've got there!

Fishgrinder form Norway

by Willem Sun Oct 16, 2011 12:29 pm

Thanks for the welcomes!!!

Deltaroyale, the car isn't looking so good right now. I've used it for 2 and a half years as a daily driver. It has seen everything from snow to blazing heat. It has always been a reliable car, but at times it seems to be cursed.
I had a tire blowout on the freeway, took out the left front fender (that's why the chrome moulding is missing in the pic I posted).
I had a tractor back into my car, destroying the left quarterpanel.
And now a little over a month ago, I hit someone on the freeway. My own damn fault, I wasn't paying attention, and the guy in front of me was on the brakes. So now the El Camino has a nose job.

JB , arent you also on Chevytalk? I can see the pics in your picturetrail, and I think I recognize the green/white El Camino..... also, a '60 El Camino AND a '60 Belair? Too cool!!!
As for the gears, yes, especially with the GV OD, 3.08's are great to cruise the highway with, 60 MPH is only 1800 RPM, and that is were the 454 really shines. It loves to cruise at low revs.

Limey I'm glad to join!

Also nice to see that these cars are from all over the world now. Smile

I also have a '72 Cutlass and for a daily driver a '85 K30.

Willem

by Mcarlo77 Sun Oct 16, 2011 12:38 pm

Hey, Willem...welcome to the site. If you need help finding trim pcs for your repairs, give a shout. Got some of these Elkies sitting in yards here in Minnesota we can check.

by Deltaroyale Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:49 pm

Willem, I drive my 73 daily as well, so far only for a year and nothing bad yet, but it is always a worry in the back of my mind. I keep doing it though because it is so much more enjoyable than a modern alternative.

by JB2wheeler Sun Oct 16, 2011 3:50 pm

Green & white is right. I ran out of money on the mechanicals and had no more money left for a new paint job. Putting these kids thru college has busted me. JB

by Willem Tue Oct 18, 2011 3:36 am

Mcarlo77, I've actually managed to get all the trim parts of ebay. I only need a grille for a '77 (with the vertical spokes).

Deltaroyale, agreed! Especially where I'm, people with turn their heads to look at my car, nothing cooler than driving a muscle car daily. Very Happy

by 2fat2fly Wed Oct 19, 2011 11:29 am

Willem wrote:Hi I'm Willem, I'm from the Netherlands.

I enjoy reading about the 'forgotten' generation of A-bodies, and since I have one myself ('77 El Camino) I decided to join up.

Here's a pic of the Camino:

It has a 454HO crate engine, a TH400 with a Gear Vendors OD, and a 3.08 posi out back.
I want to make it faster though, the 454 is pretty wimpy, gears are to tall, too.
I've drag raced it and the best I could do was a 14.2, it just needs to get way faster!

Nice ride I love that color combo and ya I bet that's a hwy. cruiser. With the gears in the diff., that 14.2 is not bad at all, is it a posi. ?. You might think about using a mild convertor.
Anyways ------------ WELCOME AND THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL ELCO happy bowtie

by Willem Wed Oct 19, 2011 4:55 pm

2fat2fly, right back atcha, beautifull Chevelle!
Yeah it has posi, it also has a 2500 RPM stall, and, AFTER the races, I found out my carb had a rather large vacuum leak. I was able to loan a 850 double pumper and performance on the street picked up noticably.
I also have a 3500 RPM stall laying around, I'm gonna try that too! Very Happy

by 2fat2fly Thu Oct 20, 2011 2:34 am

Willem wrote:2fat2fly, right back atcha, beautifull Chevelle!
Yeah it has posi, it also has a 2500 RPM stall, and, AFTER the races, I found out my carb had a rather large vacuum leak. I was able to loan a 850 double pumper and performance on the street picked up noticably.
I also have a 3500 RPM stall laying around, I'm gonna try that too!

On that gear vender thing it may be a bit hard to go any further with a convertor. With your gears and the vender your conv. is going to be slipping most the time, you may want to step up to some 373's or 389's.
I was thinking about the vender with a 400 trans. but didn't like the idea of the conv. slipping, which at that time I believe I was running a 28-3200 stall. I went to the 4l80e, 2500 stall, 389 gears & 29.6 tires (best of both worlds) . happy bowtie

by Leike Fri Oct 21, 2011 4:17 am

Welcome Willem king

by cees klumper Sat Oct 22, 2011 3:06 pm

Welkom Willem - there's more Dutch guys here like Leike and me (although I live in Geneva). My '73 'Earl Camino' is in Geldermalsen at the moment, getting a new heater control valve - it left me stranded with coolant leaking on the pavement three weeks ago, on my way back to France from Hoek van Holland ... should be all set end of this week.

Mine is also a 454 but I drive it pretty calm. If I want to go fast I just take the T6 Volvo. Good luck with the repairs!

by Willem Sun Oct 23, 2011 3:23 pm

2F2F, you basically have the drivetrain I want! Wink

(although I'm probably not the only one)

Hey Leike & Cees, two more El Camino's, nice! Cees, cool that you have the Earl Camino!!! Seems like you get around!

Randy! He drives an El-freakin'-Camino! That's like the Cadillac of cars!

by Oidar Fri Oct 28, 2011 7:24 pm

Welcome to G3GM! Nice Camino.

by Willem Sun Oct 30, 2011 4:23 am

Thanks Oidar!

And its official, I'm going to pull the 454. Yesterday I was taking the K30 in for some new oil, and on the way over the engine siezed up. Sad

So now the K30 is getting the 454, and the Elcy is getting a.......?

by abajc3 Tue Nov 08, 2011 1:06 pm

welcome from another european, im from slovenia. sorry to hear about your engine, are you going to rebuild it?

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