Morning project car ponderings

"Jim Spanfeller" (awesomeaustinv) 03/10/2020 at 11:35 • Filed to: None

2

25

The 1973-77 GM Colonnade platform was shared by several different cars, including the El Camino. Although the   styling of the doors and nose of these cars is different, t h e side profile behind the doors of these cars is identical, meaning that in theory, you can swap the doors and nose of any of these cars onto the body of an El Camino and the body panels will still line up. This means that if you like the idea of the El Camino but want something more unique, you can El Camino-ify any of the two-door 1973-77 GM Colonnade platform cars. And according to my brief internet research, a few people have done this !

These one s are Pontiacs , but you could also do this with an Olds mobile or Buick. Personally, I’d go with a ‘73 Hurst Olds:

Does anybody else like weird parts compatibility like this?

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > Jim Spanfeller 03/10/2020 at 11:41

1

God I love that Pontiac nose swap

66P1800inpieces > Jim Spanfeller 03/10/2020 at 11:47

2

Damn that is a long nose. 

Jim Spanfeller > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) 03/10/2020 at 11:48

0

It is pretty fantastic. I’ve heard you can also do this with earlier El Caminos and the front clips from Pontiac Tempest wagons. T hen you can put the bumper of the GTO on it and make yourself a GTO ute!

Jim Spanfeller > 66P1800inpieces 03/10/2020 at 11:50

0

Yeah, that Pontiac has a very pronounced schnoz. Malaise cars sometimes had weird styling choices.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Jim Spanfeller 03/10/2020 at 11:50

2

I saw an early 00's Silverado pickup once with the then-current Escalade nose, grille and front clip on it.

It was quite jarring.

Jim Spanfeller > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 03/10/2020 at 11:58

1

Whoa. Like this?

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Jim Spanfeller 03/10/2020 at 12:05

3

Yeah, one generation older though. This clip on a full-size, crew cab

Oddly, this one you found sorta works for me.

WilliamsSW > Jim Spanfeller 03/10/2020 at 12:14

1

These two are a bit more challenging (especially the Pontiac), but I love the 1961 GM bubble tops, and find it strange that they (almost) disappeared in 1962, the Chevy Bel Air being the lone exception.

I'm apparently not alone, as I've seen a few 62 cars modified to become bubble tops - including that Catalina.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Jim Spanfeller 03/10/2020 at 12:28

0

Was it the Pontiac or GMC version of the El Camino that was called Caballero?

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Jim Spanfeller 03/10/2020 at 12:31

1

They were trying to do a boat-bow, instead of a boat-tail like the 70's Rivieras.

On one hand, it was a bit weird... on the other hand, that seems like much more interesting forms of over-styling, than some of today’s dumpster fires. Have you seen some Infiniti or Lexus SUVs/CUVs?

WilliamsSW > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 03/10/2020 at 12:35

0

GMC.  There never was a Pontiac version, although there is 1 factory prototype floating around (it’s a 59).

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Jim Spanfeller 03/10/2020 at 12:40

1

I love parts bin swaps, though I’m not a body guy, I’m a drivetrain guy.

But its amazing how much of this stuff is interchangeable . I was talking with someone here yesterday about the different GM FWD turbo 4 engines and what fits in what. We were pondering a direct injection turbo 2.0L swap from a Buick Verona into a Cruze since they are built on the same platform. Nevermind the interchangability of the older V8 and V6 engines.

Subaru is another great example, they are practically like legos. I don’t know as much about the newer FA engines but the older EJs could be mixed and matched to come up with some wild setups.

Then there’s Honda B motors. I knew a guy running a mean little Civic with what they called a “Mini-me” swap. It’s a CR-V 2.0L B20 block with a B-16 V-tec (yo) head, all run by an Integra B18 ECU. It was a torquey little son of a gun.  

But the one that has my interest at the moment is mixing FWD and RWD Volvo parts . The newer FWD/AWD cars use inline 4/5/6 engines called “whiteblocks. ” The older RWD Volvos (240/740/940) used “r edblock” engines, and they have different transmission bellhousing patterns.   However, the 960 used a RWD “w hiteblock”, but it was only offered with an automatic in the US. So you would need to run that or try to import an M90 manual from Europe. However, the aftermarket provides - there’s a company out there making adapter plates to bolt a 960 auto bellhousing to a Tremec T5 or Toyota W158 manual. You drill a hole in the side of the housing and run a hydraulic throwout bearing. It’s genius and makes a manual, RWD, whiteblock swap possible. Oh, and supposedly the Volvo/Yamaha 60 degree V8 uses the same whiteblock bellhousing pattern...

Jim Spanfeller > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 03/10/2020 at 13:34

0

GMC

Jim Spanfeller > Snuze: Needs another Swede 03/10/2020 at 13:45

1

That’s fascinating! I like both that and the body stuff, though I think I lean towards the body stuff because the results look like factory offerings from an alternate universe. An example of an interesting drivetrain swap that that comes to mind is a project I read about a while ago where some guys from Car A nd D river decided to build a “Mazdaspeed 5" by stuffing the drivetrain from a Mazdaspeed 3 into a Mazda 5 minivan. They’re built on the same platform, so in theory, all the parts should bolt right up. I like this one because I’ve always thought there ought to be a vehicle that’s a hybrid of hot hatch and minivan, and this is a seemingly simple way to achieve that. It’s a really interesting project: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15391593/return-of-the-boss-wagon-mazdaspeed-5/

Kiltedpadre > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 03/10/2020 at 14:02

0

GMC also used the name Sprint on a version of the Elcamino in I believe 70-77.

benn454 > Jim Spanfeller 03/10/2020 at 14:12

1

 Or a Ye Olde Maloo.

KnowsAboutCars > Jim Spanfeller 03/10/2020 at 15:15

0

I’ve been thinking of Buick-ifying a colonnade El Camino but I don’t think the bodylines would match without some modification due to Buick’s downwards sloping character line.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 03/10/2020 at 15:22

1

The hot hatch/minivan was built and was called the R Class.

But imagine a GTI engine in a sportwago n! 

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Jim Spanfeller 03/10/2020 at 15:34

1

That’s really cool, I hadn’t heard of that project.

I can’t paint, do body work, etc. which is why I don’t get too interested in it, I suppose. But I do think it’s cool. Like my discussion about the GM 4 cylinder swaps, or the Mazdaspeed 5 you linked , I think it’s cool when you can build something that was never factory offered using all factory parts - the Cruze should have gotten an SS trim (i.e. the Verano) but I don’t think anyone has ever actually done the swap. Doing crazy body work makes it even more interesting when there’s a companion vehicle to mix parts on.

Cleytus’ post about the SHO got me looking back at SHO stuff, and apparently some people have made SHO wagons, and even SHO Sables - swap the SHO drivetrain directly into Sable, or into a Taurus wagon and add a Sable front clip and other parts.

Jim Spanfeller > KnowsAboutCars 03/10/2020 at 16:14

0

Actually, it shouldn’t be a problem. The Colonnade platform cars all had different styling on the doors, but the shape of the very back of the doors stays the same so that they can share body panels at the rear. If you look at the back of the doors on this ‘73 Buick for example, you’ll notice the character line ends at the rear of the door:

This means it should still line up with the rear quarter panels of a ‘73 El Camino if you were to swap them over. It works this way with the Pontiac, and it appears to work the same way with the Buick. The one that would give the most trouble is the Oldsmobile, which has slightly different styling at the rear of the door, though I imagine that as far as custom bodywork goes, this wouldn’t be the hardest or biggest thing in the world to fix.

If you eventually decide to do this, I’ll be very interested to see how it goes ;)

Jim Spanfeller > Snuze: Needs another Swede 03/10/2020 at 16:30

0

I also made a post a while ago about the factory prototype 455 Pontiac Ventura, which was originally meant to go into production but ultimately didn’t. However, all of the mechanical components it used made it to production in other vehicles such as the Sprint and Trans Am. So if you collected all the necessary components from those cars, you could build your own 455 Ventura just like the original factory prototype! https://oppositelock.kinja.com/the-factory-455-pontiac-ventura-1841518184  

Also, the Fiat 500L is built on the same platform as the Jeep Renegade, meaning there’s plenty of aftermarket support if you want to go off-roading in one. And the Grumman LLV (ordinary mail truck) is built on a modified Chevy Blazer chassis, so... D o with that information what you will. 

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Kiltedpadre 03/10/2020 at 16:55

0

Now that is a rip-off of a Pontiac name... the Sprint series Pontiacs were a DeLorean project to put OHC inline-6 engines in light weight versions of Pontiac’s cars as an affordable performance option with a bit of European influence. A bit of a contrast from the GTO that he broke the rules about putting a big block engine in a mid-size car with, which invented the Muscle Car.

(as in the guy who later left and started DeLorean Motor Company, aka DMC, while he was still at Pontiac)

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Jim Spanfeller 03/10/2020 at 16:57

1

I didn’t know that about the Venutra, very cool!

As for the LLV... I’m waiting for USPS to start unloading them whenever the new mail carrier comes out. 

Jim Spanfeller > Snuze: Needs another Swede 03/10/2020 at 17:39

1

I can’t wait for the inevitable wave of modified LLV’s as soon as they become available used... assuming USPS doesn’t just scrap them all. It’d be their loss, as I’m sure plenty of us weirdos would be willing to spend a few grand to have one :p

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Jim Spanfeller 03/10/2020 at 20:34

0

I know, I'd love to have one! Could be a lot of fun, especially if its not to hard to swap in Blazer 4x4 bits.