There are varying types of weirdo projects to be found on eBay. There are the junk piles that are both weird and crappily constructed, the well built but totally misguided abominations, and then the third category of stuff which are cars that are seemingly well built and engineered and just make you go, “Hmmmm”. Consider this El Camino in the third category. BS contributor Scott Liggett found this car for sale on eBay and we’ve never seen anything like it before so it was ripe to share.
We don’t know why the El Camino was chosen outside of the obvious reasons of having an open bed to fit the engine and trans axle into. The owner has thus far assembled an LS1 to a Porsche transmission and mounted it in the aft of the Elky. From the photos it appears that the half shafts have not been connected to the rear wheels, although the custom fabbed independent rear suspension is present and accounted for. The bed has been shortened 18″ and the frame has been braced for stiffness and to accommodate the new location of the engine. The photos do not go into a ton of detail, but the fabrication work seems to be pretty good.
The seller ran out of gas on the project and is looking for someone to scoop it up and finish it. Sure, it would be an oddball at local cruises, but will it really be good as a corner burner? Just eyeballing it, we’re thinking that the damned thing will push like a dump truck with minimal weight on the front end. What say you?
Scroll down past the photos to hit the link and see the ad.
eBay Link: Mid-Engine El Camino
***IF*** you set the suspension up right it would make a good corner burner but considering almost all the aftermarket support for that chassis is designed for a front heavy Chevelle (even the Global West or knockoff pieced installed) it’s going to be a lot of trial and error to keep it from understeering like mad (uneducated conjecture).
I’d buy it though if I had the money and the space to work on it. If nothing else it’s a lot of good parts that are probably being brought down in value by the way they were put together and a chopped up Elky body wrapped around it.
Would it be cooler if it was in a Corvair Greenbrier van/truck thing or an early Econoline?
Odd proportions. Hideously ugly mill. Would the mullettman behind the wheel put the Astroturf and pit bull under the hood because there’s no bed?
Perhaps this could be saved with a Toronado/Eldorado transaxle and a second powerplant under the hood (ala the Hairy Hurst Olds).
As for handling, wouldn’t more weight in the back result in a greater tendency toward oversteer? I don’t recall Porsche 914 and 911s “pushing” because they’re light on the front.
Not enough weight on the front end might cause it to not have enough authority over the steering and if it was oversprung it might wheel hop.
You are right about the Porsche’s tendancy to oversteer but they started out with a front end designed to have no engine in it.
Look in an automotive glossary under Answer: To Question That No One Asked, and you’ll find a picture of this El Camino.
hmmmmm,i’m thinking the front must be where he figures the gas tank will go—keep it full all the time,and that would help the weight distribution—of course,i think it would have been a little more neutral if he wouldn’t have shortened it—and you could always add weights to the front(i recall some toyota vans that had a pack of weights in them from the factory)
As this experiment nears completion(I have used #4 cheap digital scales to rough in set up)It works like a champ on lighter projects,Karts and other uni-directional steered projects like this one.Still not a very good looking piece!
Don’t think the handle would be that bad. Remember the “Crown Kit” conversion to put a small block V8 into the backseat of a Corvair? That provided a mid-engine platform in a light package and the handling was awesome. The front “engine” compartment will house the fuel tank, radiator and probably the battery and spare tire, which should help keep it pinned down. The proportions are a bit awkward. I would not have shortened the bed.
Yes, early 911’s were very prone to snap oversteer if you were to get into the long skinny to early (or lift off for that matter) much to the chagrin of many would be Saturday night racers. However, this design gets more of the weight in front of the rear axle than those early Porsche models. My interest is piqued to say the least. I have to agree though. That bish be uglee!!!!!
Yeah, the engine/tranny is pricey, why he’ll sell the car and keep the power.
Right about the Corvair too, a very cool power train if you like having an engine in the car with you.