This car is arriving this Saturday. Originally a Missouri car but the idea is to transform it into a Beaumont, just some payback for all the Beaumonts that were made into Chevelles!
Photos are inside a garage so no real good angles, just teasers.
-- Edited by 73SC on Thursday 2nd of April 2009 04:51:45 PM
Hey beaumontwagon, may need a close up of your tail gate so we can replicated that trim.
Carl1 - we will need the poncho dash.
Here is the plan: 1. get the car delivered 2. Get the car safetied and on the road, need to be sure about the brakes, windshield washer does not work and rear of frame needs a plate welded on and new body bolts. 3. Drive the car around this season and fix minor things like get another column, get proper seat, seatbelts, detail engine 4. Amass parts needed for conversion 5. Put on Beaumont parts once they are collected. grille, dash, wheel, nameplates, dog dish or something else beaumont.
So it is not an overnight conversion, may take a season or two. No sure on engine late 70's or 80's 305 or 350, original 327 gone but has a 4 speed auto, 12 bolt rear, 3.23 gears? nice dual exhaust system good rubber and 6 rally wheels, 2 extra doors too.
I will do my best to scare up an air dash for you then. The side outlets are repro now, so that is good. I put air in my 64 Lemans a few years ago, and that is a tough hunt finding those parts.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Good eye on the AC underhood Carl1, I really hadn't put my mind to getting a dash with AC yet, this is just an idea that germinated since going to Performance World and seeing so many nice Beaumonts there....It's moving quickly though, got the best team on the job now! combined with time and money, that's all there is to it.
Just a few thoughts on this: May want to decide if you are using the beaumont "Deluxe" or the beaumont "custom" station wagon trim level. Vista roof guy above has the "custom" trim on his car. they also made the more plain "Deluxe" wagon. it has less trim, making your conversion easier. also used things like rubber floormat, etc. Check out a 65 beaumont brochure on wagons.
Also, the station wagons had very limited interior colors. see brochure
Also, keep in mind any quarter panel trim is about 4" longer on Station wagons/elcaminos. as well as the wheel opening.
Also, it would have been very unlikely for a canadian built 65 to have A/C. In fact, possibly no A/C in 64-65 beaumonts? anyone know for sure?
Just some things to consider. Sounds like you have most things worked out good. I use to have a 64 beaumont wagon, and have always thought a 64 elky would be cool to convert. Harder for a 64 conversion though, with trim, and tail diffences.
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Beaumontguru
MY BEAUMONT HAS 4 STUDDED TIRES AND 2 BLOCKHEATERS......AND LOTS OF OIL UNDERNEATH. The other one has a longer roof.
I have a 68 El Camino that I'm thinking of doing this to. It would make a cool tow vehicle for my Beaumont. I have most of the parts need to do the comversion. I also have a 396 I could put in it to make a SD396 El Mont. James
I am passing the torch to my good friend 65Camino, he paid for the truck. We just brought it down to Toronto from Thornhill, I followed in my Cadillac. 65Camino says it was real smooth and good power. He has old Fords so it is now up to us to teach him the ways of GM and the Chevrolet drive train. The truck is very nice as you can see in these photos taken today. I am sure there will be plenty of questions coming.
-- Edited by 73SC on Thursday 2nd of April 2009 04:50:55 PM
Yes, The Camino has arrived. Minor details to get it road worthy.
Has anyone converted their 64 or 65 to an AOD? I have what appears to be a powerglide column and I am unsure if it's right for the car. It doesn't have any indicator on top for the gear selector. It also has a Hazard switch that doesn't work. Thinking hazards were optional in 65?
Thanks Carl 1, Generally I am the photographer on this project so it will be later today or tomorrow. Definitely has the hazard switch which I know is not a 1965 column.
I guess this thread is an example of that old adage "great minds think alike"...or something like that. I've had the idea of this same conversion for years now, and have been collecting digital pictures, with an eye on using Adobe Photoshop to convert an example of either a 1968 or 69 Beaumont into an El Camino "phantom" car.
I had a name already picked out for it too : "Beaucoupe!"
(Kind of a play on words...like merci beaucoup or thank you a lot en francais).
There's a lot of work in that Buicamino. It's more than just fenders and grille. You can see he ran that feature line through the door down into the 1/4 panel, so it would have meant putting the Buick skin on the El Camino door, and grafting the 2 door Skylark 1/4 panel onto the Chev 1/4 panel. Pretty cool. I can't wait to see the Beau-Camino. :)
