1977 El Camino

Gave my Holley 750 a bit of mild 'on the car' clean up and service today. Accelerator pump mechanism was a bit off and not doing the best job of travelling, so that was adjusted to go from off to on smoothly and effectively. Took the mixtures screws back to base setting and then out again to ensure they're as right as they can be (I've been driving it as they were when I bought the car aside from a bit of a fiddle at the start of winter), and adjusted the idle speed. Checked various hoses and made sure everything was nice and tight. So much more to learn about compared to the super simple Webers and SUs I'm used to fiddling with.

The plan was to run it around for a bit and make sure it was set up nice/good/better and then check/adjust the timing. However it (a) started raining and (b) I couldn't find my bloody timing gun anywhere before the rain came. It'll be in a box somewhere but shifting all my curse word back home from the workshop and trying to find little cubby holes to hide stuff in so it doesn't drive me wife crazy means I now can't bloody find anything.

So I packed up for today.

Testing the newly restored image upload picture with this GM prototype sketch from the archives for the 1970 El Camino. Sadly they never did do anything more than stick a tray back on a stock car from the range, but they did think of making a specific El Camino body...



"Drawing from the office of General Motors. It is dated 1967 and we acquired it in 2017. Its medium is color pencil, marker on paper. It is a part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design department.

George Camp was assigned to the Chevrolet El Camino project in 1964, soon after he began his long design career at General Motors. A key stylist for the El Camino, Camp was especially proud of the 1968–72 models, which were distinguished by the roofline’s broad flowing sail panels trailing back in a tapering line. The graceful form also served as a means to conceal the utilitarian panels of the cargo box.
Camp produced this April 1967 drawing as a proposal for a California-inspired El Camino concept to attract interest at touring auto shows. His use of figures importantly conveys the easy lifestyle associated with the automobile—the male driver wears a tank top and sunglasses, and his blonde female companion’s swimsuit and bare feet suggest that she could be coming straight from the beach. Female figures were often included in automotive advertisements, and women were likewise essential figures in dynamic auto show displays. The car’s details also evoke a California lifestyle. The mounted blue surfboard at the rear of the vehicle enhances the elongated effect of the El Camino’s elegant body, and the reflective blue color likewise brings to mind the effect of sunshine on the ocean"

I don't often "LOL", but LOL...

(Copied from a post in a Facebook group)

Q: How many car forum members does it take to change a headlight bulb ?

1 to change the light bulb and to post that the light bulb has been changed.

14 to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and how the light bulb could have been changed differently.

7 to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs.

6 to argue over whether it's 'lightbulb' or 'light bulb'.

Another 6 to condemn those 6 as stupid.

22 to tell THOSE 6 to stop being jerks.

2 industry professionals to inform the group that the proper term is 'lamp'.

15 know-it-alls who claim they were in the industry, and that 'light bulb' is perfectly correct.

49 to post memes and gifs (several are of Michael Jackson eating popcorn with the words added, “I’m just here for the comments.”)

19 to post that this page is not about light bulbs and to please take this discussion to a light bulb page.

11 to defend the posting to this page saying that we all use light bulbs and therefore the posts are relevant here.

24 to discuss the merits of LED/swirly fluorescent light bulbs

44 to claim LED and fluorescent bulbs will kill you.

36 People to post pics of their own light bulbs.

15 People to post "I can't see S$%^!" and use their own light bulbs.

6 to report the post or PM an admin because someone said "f÷×$"

4 to say "Didn't we go through this already a short time ago?".

13 to say "Do a search on light bulbs before posting questions about light bulbs".

1 to bring politics into the discussion by adding that (insert politician of choice) isn't the brightest bulb. This usually takes place within the first three comments.

50 more to get into personal attacks over their political views.

5 admins to ban the light bulb posters who took it all too seriously.

1 late arrival to comment on the original post 18 months later, and start it all over again.

I dunno. I replaced all of my lightbulbs with Sugru.

No chance. If I post pictures of my Sugru headlamps, somebody will notice I've used the wrong washer on a windscreen wiper motor mount in the background of the photo, and all hell will break loose.

How did you wreck your tranny?

You get a sticker saying "I ravaged a Tranny"

Hahahahaha

I don't think I actually have, to be honest, but I certainly think I found the point where an unknown, untested, unserviced stock TH350 decides it can no longer play turn the wheels with a 383 stroker.

I took it out yesterday and had a really good blast around. Then I absolutely nailed it up a really steep hill on Devil's Dyke and when I pulled up at the roundabout at the top a gigload of smoke suddenly plumed out from under the hood.

The tranny dipstick tube had puked all over my engine and headers.

I let it cool down and it drove home okay, but I'm actually itching to get the transmission sorted now. It's hampering my fun flaps.

massive tranny cooler needed ?

I don't think so. The tranny is an unknown element of this car. As far as anybody knows it's totally stock, had a 383 strapped to it in the USA and who knows what was thrown at it. The bloke I bought it off told me it was an unknown quantity and that it worked but wouldnt do too many passes at Santapod before giving up.

It cane with a spare. I really ought to have sorted out a rebuild upgrade of the spare. But I didnt because I've been thinking about whether I'd rather invest in a manual gearbox conversion.

So I've just stuck with this even though something isnt right. It works. It probably has the wrong TQ in it, worn out clutch packs etc etc.

Time will tell.

I was secretly quite excited about the possibility I had killed it, but it drove me home so I don't think it's dead just yet.