The H'ell Camino

[Greg]

Bad ass! Nice work!

Appreciate that, Mike!

 

[stimmie]

Are you planning on keeping the bench? Because I feel like it needs buckets.

The song says keep the bench seat.

 

[Magerdgr]

Freaking sweet @Greg! Huge milestone man, congrats. Also, leave the bench, like manual trans’s they are a dying breed, and it’s awesome to have your lady next to ya on a cruise. That song is one of my fav’s by the way @stimmie, good choice!

 

[Greg]

Good day for a car wash, needed to clean off 2 years of shop dust! The pearl in the White paint looks awesome.

The El Camino is looking damn good, took it for a quick rip around the neighborhood before the wash. Still has some issues to work out, but its getting there.

 

[J-mobzz]

I love it so much! You have done just a fantastic job of putting together an aggressive and tasteful classic car. Very nice work!

 

[Greg]

I love it so much! You have done just a fantastic job of putting together an aggressive and tasteful classic car. Very nice work!

Thanks, I appreciate that!

 

[burke]

Sweet!

 

[Greg]

The L33 pulls pretty hard!! Still no more than 1/2 throttle and backing off at around 5k RPM... with PLENTY more to go!

 

[Greg]

I took my wife out for a drive in the El Camino yesterday, it was the first time she had ridden in it! We've had the car over 2 years now and she didn't get a chance to ride in it on the way home when I bought it and it was taken apart 2 days later.

I may have gotten on the throttle a few times, helping her get a feel for the car. She mentioned the force pulling her head back under throttle. I don't think she has really ridden in a quick car before. Again, I was trying to be easy on the new engine, but it's just too tempting to run it up into the higher RPM's. After we got back from the ride, I asked her what she thought.... she thought it was pretty.... raw.... loud, powerful and almost out of control. She mentioned that she thought the rear end was going to slide out a couple times (there may have been some tires spun, but it's still open diff).

Now I'm not claiming this thing is a 12 second car, but it sure is fun to drive and seems to have a great balance of power. Hopefully as the engine gets some more hours & miles on it, it'll loosen up and make a little more power. A proper tune will help with getting more power out of it as well. Still haven't opened it up all the way.

Here's a quick run from a stop, during our drive yesterday. The 1-2 shift at more than 1/2 throttle is violent, the camera doesn't do it justice. It hits HARD, but is smooth under normal driving. I rolled into the throttle, not quite 3/4 open at the most.

(Turn the volume UP!!)

It feels like the transmission tune could use some tweaking, under normal driving it seems like it shifts early to me. Running around the neighborhood up to 30 MPH, it'll get into 3rd pretty quick.... and at 40-45, it'll shift into OD and feel like the engine is lugging. Hopefully I can get it to a local shop, fine tune the engine and trans next week.

 

[kmboren]

I took my wife out for a drive in the El Camino yesterday, it was the first time she had ridden in it! We've had the car over 2 years now and she didn't get a chance to ride in it on the way home when I bought it and it was taken apart 2 days later.

I may have gotten on the throttle a few times, helping her get a feel for the car. She mentioned the force pulling her head back under throttle. I don't think she has really ridden in a quick car before. Again, I was trying to be easy on the new engine, but it's just too tempting to run it up into the higher RPM's. After we got back from the ride, I asked her what she thought.... she thought it was pretty.... raw.... loud, powerful and almost out of control. She mentioned that she thought the rear end was going to slide out a couple times (there may have been some tires spun, but it's still open diff).

Now I'm not claiming this thing is a 12 second car, but it sure is fun to drive and seems to have a great balance of power. Hopefully as the engine gets some more hours & miles on it, it'll loosen up and make a little more power. Still haven't opened it up all the way.

Here's a quick run from a stop, during our drive yesterday. The 1-2 shift at more than 1/2 throttle is violent, the camera doesn't do it justice. It hits HARD, but is smooth under normal driving. I rolled into the throttle, not quite 3/4 open at the most.

(Turn the volume UP!!)

It feels like the transmission tune could use some tweaking, under normal driving it seems like it shifts early to me. Running around the neighborhood up to 30 MPH, it'll get into 3rd pretty quick.... and at 40-45, it'll shift into OD and feel like the engine is lugging. Hopefully I can get it to a local shop, fine tune the engine and trans next week.

My 98 LS1 Camaro does the same thing on shifting. I often run it in 3rd around town because I can't stand it shifting so early. When I am on the throttle it waits until it is nearly at red line to shift it. Love it when it shifts into 2nd in an automatic and still spins the wheels a little.

 

[Greg]

My 98 LS1 Camaro does the same thing on shifting. I often run it in 3rd around town because I can't stand it shifting so early. When I am on the throttle it waits until it is nearly at red line to shift it. Love it when it shifts into 2nd in an automatic and still spins the wheels a little.

That makes sense, I'm still running the stock 4L60E trans programming and I'm sure in a stock car, that's what GM wants... maybe for fuel economy? I'd bet the shift tables can be tweaked and raised up a bit. We will see, once I get it to a tuner.

 

[kmboren]

That makes sense, I'm still running the stock 4L60E trans programming and I'm sure in a stock car, that's what GM wants... maybe for fuel economy? I'd bet the shift tables can be tweaked and raised up a bit. We will see, once I get it to a tuner.

Maybe. I am fine with it. Last calculated gas mileage was 21 MPG. As it is my daily driver.

 

[UNSTUCK]

There's lots of tuning that can be done on these transmissions. If you can't do tuning on a dyno, see if you can find a guy that will do a ride along with you. I have a guy locally that has done this for me in the past and has been real nice. Do a 1/4 throttle run and pick when you want the trans to shift each gear. Then adjust on the fly and do it again and repeat the run. You can really dial it in. Then move to 1/2 throttle and repeat up to full throttle.

I know it's temping, but I wouldn't run much without proper engine tuning. With that cam I'm sure the computer is really fighting trying to keep the engine fueled and not leaned out. Melted pistons don't work well.

 

[Greg]

There's lots of tuning that can be done on these transmissions. If you can't do tuning on a dyno, see if you can find a guy that will do a ride along with you. I have a guy locally that has done this for me in the past and has been real nice. Do a 1/4 throttle run and pick when you want the trans to shift each gear. Then adjust on the fly and do it again and repeat the run. You can really dial it in. Then move to 1/2 throttle and repeat up to full throttle.

I know it's temping, but I wouldn't run much without proper engine tuning. With that cam I'm sure the computer is really fighting trying to keep the engine fueled and not leaned out. Melted pistons don't work well.

Yeah, a good trans tune would make driving a much better experience. I've already talked to the shop that I'm going to have tune it, the plan is to drive the car and tune as we go. Should make a lot of difference for both the engine and transmission.

I'm going to get the tune done soon as I'm back home again, heading out of town for the next 9 days.

 

[Greg]

Still no tune done, the shop I was going to have do it lost their tuner... the owner doesn't feel comfortable tuning a customers car on his own. There is another shop in town that can do it, but they don't have the best reputation.

That said, I'm still driving the car and breaking in the engine. The quick ratio steering is very noticeable, it makes a big different in road feel with this car. I do remember how 'lazy' the steering was on the drive home when I bought it, now it's quick to react and really helps make it feel like a proper muscle car.

The exhaust is too loud, there is a lot of resonation and 'tinny' sound in the cab of the car, so eventually it'll be getting tailpipes. It has a pretty raspy sound under throttle at high RPM's, too... I think it's just the very open exhaust, Flowmasters and short amount of pipe.

Today I did my initial oil change, there are probably 100 miles on the engine at this point. I did a engine health check, I checked the magnetic drain plug, cut open the K&N oil filter and checked for material in the folds. Everything looked normal for a brand new engine! Filled the engine with 6 more quarts of Amsoil 30W Break In oil to keep it clean. I'll put 500 miles on this next round of oil, then start running regular oil.

Here's pics of the oil checkup...

 

[Greg]

Took a pic with the Gladiator behind the El Camino... I need to work on doing a walk around, get some good footage driving the car and put together a video.

 

[JeeperG]

Like two peas in a pod?

 

[Greg]

Quick cruise around the valley this afternoon, I can verify that it'll run over 100 MPH with ease.... 😲😈

 

[zgfiredude]

Under controlled circumstances on a closed road, do not try this at home!

 

[Greg]

Under controlled circumstances on a closed road, do not try this at home!

Professional driver, closed course... yes, of course!