Garage Shots from Jay Bernard
Engine change in El Chromeo
(Jay’s ‘69 El Camino)
After 41 years of use on the 396/ 350 engine and not being the original engine (original lost at 9 months old) I made the decision to repower using a GM Performance Crate instead of a rebuild, but stay with my engine scheme of many years. A chromed, polished engine, but with original parts used on most all things and returned to the stock location. In most cases to give it the layout of a factory engine just all blinged out. This El Camino has been with me for 22 years now and is just a part of me.
So, this event like all projects had a dead line, get in and get it done. I did leave a 10 day period for the OOPS and MURPHY's LAW happenings. This was accomplished and I left on the Power Tour with 100 miles on the engine and a bed full of tools. All that was done on the long cruise was change oil twice during the trip with no other problems. I am still looking over my shoulder for Murphy.
There is nothing special about this 69 SS ELKY, except to me, it is just plain fun and all the chrome gives me something to work on all the time to keep it clean and it’s not any more work than most engines if your a clean freak. I have to explain to people all the time that it is not a trailer queen. I really drive it and it has never seen a trailer to go to a show ever.
This years project arrives in a few weeks and that is a family owned 1956 T-Bird since 1960. It is now my wifes. It was a gift from her father. This T-bird will be spruced up to be a weekend driver show car for fun and then passed to the next family member down the road.
