Greetings! I hope my readers remember that this '79 El Camino that I'm working on is FOR SALE. It's getting more and more complete every day and looking like it needs to meet the proud new owner.
I bought a set of aluminum wheels last month and mounted them on the car. It wasn't a simple bolt up. Although the bolt pattern was matching (5X4.75) neither the front wheels nor the rear would fit all the way onto the hub without a stout smack with a mallet. Of course, I didn't smack it - I was afraid I'd never get it back off. Instead, I used my dremel tool and took a small amount of material out of the inside diameter of the aluminum wheel and a bit off the mating surface on the rear axle & front brake rotor. I can barely feel the difference between where I ground the metal and where I didn't. However, it seemed to do the trick, all four wheels fit easily onto the car now. Additionally, I removed the 1/2" spacers that were on the two front wheels. I've heard tire/wheel experts say that they're not safe. The manager at Commercial Tire in Sunnyside told me that he's seen them shear off under high torque (yeah, gimme some of that). The way it fits now, I don't need the spacers anyway. The assembly fits nicely over the rotors & calipers.
I bought all 4 new headlight adjusters, some black sheet metal screws and some speed nuts that were missing from the assembly. The most expensive bag was less than $3, but they helped add uniformity to the grille. I had already painted the headlight pans and spent some quality time with some steel wool cleaning years of dullness off the chrome pieces.
Putting things back together was fun. Each step made the contrast between chrome, black orange more striking. I'm not sure if I'll be able to reuse the parking light/blinker chrome trim, it's got the surface messed up with corrosion. I'll probably have to find a new set somewhere. I have a great source for new parts, and not only for the El Camino. It's called the Truck & Car Shop. You can find them and see their catalogs online at www.truckandcarshop.com. Prices are good and I've only had one product not work as advertised. I've used them for about 10 years and have spent hundreds of dollars with them, mostly for my '50s pickups. Try them out, and thanks for looking today!
I bought a set of aluminum wheels last month and mounted them on the car. It wasn't a simple bolt up. Although the bolt pattern was matching (5X4.75) neither the front wheels nor the rear would fit all the way onto the hub without a stout smack with a mallet. Of course, I didn't smack it - I was afraid I'd never get it back off. Instead, I used my dremel tool and took a small amount of material out of the inside diameter of the aluminum wheel and a bit off the mating surface on the rear axle & front brake rotor. I can barely feel the difference between where I ground the metal and where I didn't. However, it seemed to do the trick, all four wheels fit easily onto the car now. Additionally, I removed the 1/2" spacers that were on the two front wheels. I've heard tire/wheel experts say that they're not safe. The manager at Commercial Tire in Sunnyside told me that he's seen them shear off under high torque (yeah, gimme some of that). The way it fits now, I don't need the spacers anyway. The assembly fits nicely over the rotors & calipers.
After getting the wheels safely mounted I spent some time working on the front headlight panel. I'd already painted it and wanted to detail it before mounting it on the car. While at the local parts store I picked up some Wee Pak products to make the headlight components fit snugly.
Doug
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