Malibu vs El Camino

I know the G-body Malibu and El Camino are very similar. I heard everything forward of the windshield is the same bodywork wise. Could I if I found a Malibu with for super cheap and a El Camino body could I combine the two?

Off the top of my head the Malibu Wagon and the El Camino use the same frame and front clip. I don't know about the sedan. I would assume the front of it would be the same.

Depends on what parts of the cars you want to combine.

Combine the two to make what?? Something bad will happen if you combine Malibu Barbie and Larry the Cable Guy.

I'm not sure if the Malibu trunk deck lid will fit on the El Camino or not.

I have seen a number of Malibus for much cheaper then El Caminos and I have seen the truck bed for El Caminos for cheap. That would just leave me with finding the cab. However a mid-engine Malibu wagon would be cool too.

I would love to find a wagon. No luck so far. They either rusted to oblivion or went to the crusher around here.

About once a week you see an El Camino on the Memphis CL, for some reason, the sedan and wagon Malibus aren't even advertised....just junked. At different used car dealers in the no-so-good parts of town there are wagons sitting WAAAAY in the back of their lots. At my CU, someone has a '78 or '79 Malibu Classic 2 door, it's kind of beat up looking, but still worth saving.

So the sedan chassis is different then the El Camino chassis right?

I would say if anything the el camino chassis would be most similar to the wagon platform.

El Camino chassis = wagon chassis.

Many even have the recessed area in the floorpan (for feet) under the bed where the rear seat floor area would be if it was a wagon.

96DXCivic wrote: I have seen a number of Malibus for much cheaper then El Caminos and I have seen the truck bed for El Caminos for cheap. That would just leave me with finding the cab. However a mid-engine Malibu wagon would be cool too.

Uhh..

You do know that the "cab" "box" and "front clip" are all one piece excluding the fenders, doors and frame, right?

Seems like a hell of a lot of work for a vehicle that can simply be purchased complete.

Shawn

Does the suspension stuff interchange between Elkys and Malibus? I've been thinking about this every since I heard of the glories of roundy-round parts...

In reply to Trans_Maro:

Nope didn't know that which is why I was asking to see how dumb an idea that was. GRM forum comes thru again.

alex wrote: Does the suspension stuff interchange between Elkys and Malibus? I've been thinking about this every since I heard of the glories of roundy-round parts...

yeah that is all the same across the board from grand national to the ugly 4 door cutlasses.

I'd rather have an El Camino....

I'd rock this one: http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/1657036393.html

If we can find a Elky, our plan for the suspension includes roundy-round parts

You can do the poor man's roundy-rounder parts. These are stock Malibu rear axle thingies that are three sided pressed metal. Cut metal to cover the fourth side and weld it in, then apply new bushings.

I don't know what they're called, they go to the top of the differential and prevent twist.

Dan

Alex,

If you find a good deal on a Malibu 2 door or Wagon ('78 up) in your neck of the woods, keep me in mind. I'll do the same here if I see an El Camino.

My first car was an '80 El Camino...lots of good memories, but I'd rather have a back seat these days.

Clem

Here's a thread where this was discussed. I posted the wrong thing first but then clarified it on page two: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/el-camino/8206/page1/

The El Camino seems to have a longer wheelbase than all other g-bodies. All the rest of them shared a wheelbase, the best I can tell (this is NOT from first hand experience, but internet lore...probably good enough for the sake of this thread )

I think the Original quesiton has been proven moot by this point anyway, though...since there is no separate "Cab" and bed on an El Camino. Regardless, an el camino body won't directly swap onto a malibu/cutlass/monte/regal/prix body or vice versa.

It would be coold if you could make a Grand Nationalmino or a 442mino or such. but I don't think the bodylines match up to let that happen easily [paging RebelGTP...he knows a bit about this subject, I believe].

Clem

I think on E-Bay a few years ago I saw a Pontiac LeMans that had been "El Caminoed".....or should I say an El Camino that had been LeMansed? It had the front clip of a LeMans and the complete dashboard of the LeMans/Grand Prix. It was done up in that caramel brown that GM used alot of in the late '70s (a medium brown metallic color).

Along the same lines.

I've seen a pinto wagon turned into a "Pinchero" it had a 302 shoehorned in as well.

Shawn