1959 Chevy El Camino

Here’s my version of a parts hauler/shop truck. It’s the AMT kit built pretty much out of the box except for a wheel and tyre change and a set of triple carbs.

I love the impracticality of the ’59 El Camino. Total form over function. I imagine those fins were a panel beater’s nightmare, especially if you consider the harsh reality of life as a working ute…

I had always wanted to try building a venetian blind in 1/25 scale and that huge back window looked like it was screaming out for one. It took a few goes but wasn’t that hard. In hindsight it’s not very clear due to the lack of angle and I would like to try it again on a mid-sixties car with a big sloping rear window. Something like a ’65 Galaxie…

thats one cool looking pickup,like it a lot,well done.

I like the look of this car. An old favourite the El Camino and excellent job with the venetian, what did you make it from?

Yes love it!!! I think those fins were somewhere to put your stubby while you was workin...lol It's good to see you highlight your door gaps too. well done Bryce. This web site just keeps gettin better and better!! Cheers

Perfect build and finish Bryce - looks like the real thing. I agree with Shoey - those fins are a perfect resting place for a stubby or two, or for reading the paper. The venetian blinds were so much a part of the Aussie culture too.

Shunter wrote:I like the look of this car. An old favourite the El Camino and excellent job with the venetian, what did you make it from?

Thanks for the comments guys. I made the venetian out of very thin waterproof paper. It's basically as thin as normal paper but with the properties of plastic. I just cut three vertical pieces with slots in them and lots of long thin pieces and superglued it all together (along with my fingers...)

Another one from the archives...

oh wow, love the blinds, very good-looking! one of my old mates had an old caddy on his farm and the horses seemes to love chewing on the fins great build, awesome foiling job!!!

Ha! Shoey and Tezza both said what I was thinking (although I was going to say coffe mug).
Love the venetian (looks realistically slightly "wonky" - as though someone had been pulling the slats apart to peer through). Did you ever try it on anything more slopey?

Thanks guys.

I have plans to make another one for the back window of the '65 Galaxie I am currently working on - but we'll see...time seems to be getting harder and harder to find these days.

Cheers Tony.

l really like this UTE and one of my favirote body stelys
and you did it justice l can just imanage
towing a early 60's dragster with that
nice job abd really clean build

Ausome job bryce, does anyone know exactly how many elcamino's where built over the years, im a big fan of the "66".......

Good one Bryce Another of my favourites, love El Camino Utes ,and I have one of these in the works , but packed away ,overlooked by other WIP's . Was building mine as a custom. Get back to it one day?

Cheers Ron