FEATURE
InTheGarageMedia.com



Dana looks at the Elco as the original crossover vehicle. “My dad used them for work, took us to school, filled the bed with trash and hit the dump, went on hunting trips, and even used them to tow our boats and snowmobile trailers,” Dana says. “They were rugged enough to handle Alaska’s extreme weather conditions–60 degrees below 0 in the winter and 80 degrees in the summer. I took my driver’s test in Dad’s El Camino, and in the summer, I’d wash it on Saturdays in hopes he would let me drive it on dates.”



Schwichtenberg informed us that pretty much every piece of sheetmetal had to be replaced. The floors, the bed, the quarter-panels, and both fenders were toast. With that said, it was an original big-block SS, so at least there was something positive about the car.



Dana’s unrelenting fondness for big-bock–like power led to an LSX 454 underhood. GoodFellows sourced a Holley Sniper injection system and let it breathe via an old-school open element air cleaner and a set of 1¾-inch GoodFellows custom-fabbed stainless headers, stainless 3-inch exhaust, and a combination of Spintech and Flowmaster mufflers. The engine was then dressed with a Dirty Dingo serpentine drive system. Engine cooling comes by way of an aluminum piece from PRC, and those black-finished Eddie Motorsports hood hinges lurking in the background add a good bit of style.
A TREMEC Magnum T56 trans provides a great combination of performance and driveability as the famous overdrive is a muscle car favorite for those who prefer manual shifting and exceptional highway driving behavior. Dana went with a McLeod twin-disc clutch for crisp high-rpm gear changes for those days when he needs a good adrenaline rush. A Strange 9-inch rearend outfitted with limited-slip posi and 3.70 gears accepts every bit of the LSX’s 627 hp without breaking a sweat.

Wilwood binders equipped with 14-inch rotors and six-piston calipers tackle the braking chores up front, with a set of four-piston units taking up the rear. The custom Boze five-spoke Race wheels (18×11 front, 18×12 rear) fit the look and host Michelin Pilot Sport rubber (275/35R18 front, 335/30R18 rear) for optimum grip.




Dana can’t help but crack a huge smile every time he gets behind the wheel of his freshly built ride as it takes him back to all the time spent in his dad’s El Caminos. “The car is just a pleasure to drive,” Dana reports. “The performance and handling qualities are absolutely amazing, but the icing on the cake is that my daughter thinks it’s a very cool car and has even offered to wash it on Saturdays.”
Sounds to us like déjà vu all over again.
TECH
Vehicle: ’70 Chevy El Camino SS
Type: GM LSX 454
Displacement: 454 ci
Compression Ratio: 11.0:1
Bore: 4.185 inches
Stroke: 4.125 inches
Cylinder Heads: Aluminum LSX-LS7 port, with “as cast” 70cc chambers
Rotating Assembly: 4340 forged steel crankshaft, forged steel rods, forged aluminum pistons
Camshaft: Hydraulic roller cam
Induction: GM intake, Holley Sniper EFI
Assembly: GM
Exhaust: GoodFellows custom-built 1¾-inch headers, 3-inch stainless exhaust, Spintech and Flowmaster mufflers
Ancillaries: Dirty Dingo accessory drive kit, PRC aluminum radiator, New Port Engineering wiper motor, Eddie Motorsports hood hinges, MSD plug wires, Delco Alternator
Tuning: GoodFellows
Output: 627 hp and 586 lb-ft
Transmission: TREMEC Magnum
Clutch: McLeod twin disc
Rear Axle: Strange 9-inch, Eaton Truetrac limited-slip differential, 3.70 gearset, 31-spline axles
Chassis: Art Morrison
Front Suspension: C6 spindles, Strange coilover shocks, 550-pound springs, 1¼-inch hollow sway bar
Rear Suspension: Four-bar suspension, Strange coilover shocks, 250-pound springs, 7/8-inch solid sway bar
Brakes: Wilwood 14-inch rotors, six-piston calipers front, 14-inch rotors, four-piston calipers, Wilwood master
Wheels: Boze GoodFellows Custom (18×11 front, 18×12 rear)
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport; 275/35R18 front, 335/30R18 rear
Upholstery: OPGI black loop carpet, custom suede leather door panels and dash by GoodFellows
Seats: Bucket suede leather
Steering: Flaming River steering column, Billet Specialties steering wheel
Shifter: Clayton Machine Works
Door Handles: Clayton Machine Works
Instrumentation: Auto Meter
HVAC: Vintage Air
Bodywork and Paint: GoodFellows
Paint: PPG black, PPG white stripes
Trim Pieces: OPGI
Mirrors: Billet Rides (St. Petersburg, FL)
Front Bumper: Stock, trimmed
Rear Bumper: Stock, trimmed
Taillights: LED
Hood: AMD cowl
Plating: Royal Plating (Tuscon, AZ)