El Camino/Ranchero type 86 Grand Marquis LS?

[Neohippy]

Has it been done? Can it be done?

I love this car, but I need a truck. Can I possibly have the best of both worlds?

Mine is a 2 door 5.8L. It could do with a box, instead of a back seat.

Anyone with ideas/opinions?

[johnunit]

It's been done, but perhaps not at a high level of finish. Cutting the top half off of the body off, and putting some material between the front seat and the new "bed" is easy. Getting a nice tailgate, bed top, flat floor, etc. is very, very advanced bodywork. Hundreds if not thousands of hours of work for a skilled craftsman.

[pantera77]

It's been done many times. It's the epitome of white trash.

Sell it and buy a cheap beater truck instead of running a 2 door.

[johnunit]

Pretty much^

Especially ruining a 351W Grand Marquis 2 door. That's about as rare as you can get without getting into weird trim packages and stuff.

[zoomie]

yeah its been done, i have a certain soft spot for customs that noone else has, if that what you want dooo itttttt! there is a lincoln towncar that got converted into a flower car thats fairly decent, ive actually considered doing this myself as well at soem point with another townie.http://jalopnik.com/5808523/lincoln-...e-a-luxury-car

[87gtVIC]

There is a whale near me that has been converted in this manner.

[zoomie]

There is a whale near me that has been converted in this manner.

oooo i seen a aero before not a whale version get pics please.

[sly]

"flower car" 1989 Mercury "Ranchero" on ebay... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...21#description

very well done.

[Neohippy]

Very cool stuff. Are they using any stock items past the front doors? If I were to go through with it, I would (of course) like to reuse any parts I could. I had a vision of cutting off the back end and somehow form it into the tail gate, stock lights and all, crap like that.

As far as white trash? You bet! My redneck ancestors would be proud. I came from a long line of mullets and t-shirt tan lines.

2 door is rare, if anything, I think it will mean a shorter box in the short term.

Also, my car is named Moby Dick, due to being white and huge. I would like to figure out how to create a 'spoiler' that looks like a whale tail as a result. I am like Ahab, as right now the car is dead due to bad alternator, and I want nothing more than to take revenge on the car for forcing me to get back into shape by walking to work. I'm sore.

I live in a pretty small city, a horrendous monstrosity like that would be perfect at the summer show and shines.

[DuceAnAHalf]

Very cool stuff. Are they using any stock items past the front doors? If I were to go through with it, I would (of course) like to reuse any parts I could. I had a vision of cutting off the back end and somehow form it into the tail gate, stock lights and all, crap like that.

As far as white trash? You bet! My redneck ancestors would be proud. I came from a long line of mullets and t-shirt tan lines.

2 door is rare, if anything, I think it will mean a shorter box in the short term.

Also, my car is named Moby Dick, due to being white and huge. I would like to figure out how to create a 'spoiler' that looks like a whale tail as a result. I am like Ahab, as right now the car is dead due to bad alternator, and I want nothing more than to take revenge on the car for forcing me to get back into shape by walking to work. I'm sore.

I live in a pretty small city, a horrendous monstrosity like that would be perfect at the summer show and shines.

the tailgate and tailights are from an F-150

[t65neon5]

the tailgate and tailights are from an F-150

i thought they looked like ford ranger taillamps.......

[88Vic]

I think they look retarded, you can find old Rangers dirt cheap, just go that route.

[CheeseSteakJim]

It's been done, but perhaps not at a high level of finish. Cutting the top half off of the body off, and putting some material between the front seat and the new "bed" is easy. Getting a nice tailgate, bed top, flat floor, etc. is very, very advanced bodywork. Hundreds if not thousands of hours of work for a skilled craftsman.

I wouldn't say thousands... it's actually not as difficult as it seems. It's easiest if you source the top rails, bed, and tailgate from a truck and morph it into the rear of the car. It'd take a lot of work making the car's body flat enough to have a bed. You'd have to relocate the tank and severely cut the arch that goes over the rear end in order to get as much bed depth as possible, but it's doable. I'd be kinda interested in doing such a job if I didn't have a ton of projects already.


Oh, and if by epitome of white trash you mean just as awesome as an El Camino, then as the owner of two El Caminos, yes it is!

[zoomie]

I wouldn't say thousands... it's actually not as difficult as it seems. It's easiest if you source the top rails, bed, and tailgate from a truck and morph it into the rear of the car. It'd take a lot of work making the car's body flat enough to have a bed. You'd have to relocate the tank and severely cut the arch that goes over the rear end in order to get as much bed depth as possible, but it's doable. I'd be kinda interested in doing such a job if I didn't have a ton of projects already.


Oh, and if by epitome of white trash you mean just as awesome as an El Camino, then as the owner of two El Caminos, yes it is!

i agree not too hard..... nothing a plasmacutter and some creativity with decent sheetmetal wont fix(sheetmetal being like a bed from a pickup and welded in.)

[Neohippy]

I love this forum more and more, everyday that my car starts.

I wish to read more! Anyone have any references or guides? Or even stories of car gone truck awesomeness from your past?

One point is, if I wanted a truck (which I do) and wanted to get rid of this car (which I don't) then yeah, great idea.
Also; two el caminos?! And I don't even have one! That hardly seems fair. I can send you a shipping address and you could even it out in my favour perhaps?