2-door Volare' wagon

[Shorty Thompson]

It would be fun but for the reasons I mentioned, the chances of it ever happening are slim and none.

Rampage,,,,,,,completely slipped my mind. Aspenpage? Ramaspen? Hmmmm........

Volrage

 

[AJ/FormS]

Aspeneroage?

 

[Oldiron440]

Aspeneroage sounds like what happens to your but when you get the flue. Lol

 

[AJ/FormS]

olychit, it does! LMAO

 

[valianator]

Just like the other conversions to an "El Camino/Ranchero", all the ones I recall seeing looked off somehow. They used a 4 door wagon and it ends up where the cab and doors look way too short. It would have to be done with coupe doors. Then there's the problem of the vertical rear edge of the door glass. You'd really need glass that slopes in the rear, otherwise it will end up looking to angular (if that's the word to use). All that also applies to building a 2 door wagon. IF I had the time (don't) and IF I had the extra space to do it (I don't) and IF I had the extra money (also a big nope), I know I could build one, it'd be a fun challenge but,,,,,,having 0 of the 3 main necessities, it'll never happen.

I've thought about this alot, too!
If you use the sedan/wagon doors, you end up with an Australian style "ute". Nothing wrong with that, just a more utilitarian vehicle than the ElCo & Ranchero.
I think the secret would be to use doors, B-pillars, and front roof from an 80-81 Diplomat or LeBaron. The B pillars are angled forward on those instead of backward like F and older M coupes.
That would work for a two door wagon, too- anybody good at Photoshop?

 

[Shorty Thompson]

I've thought about this alot, too!
If you use the sedan/wagon doors, you end up with an Australian style "ute". Nothing wrong with that, just a more utilitarian vehicle than the ElCo & Ranchero.
I think the secret would be to use doors, B-pillars, and front roof from an 80-81 Diplomat or LeBaron. The B pillars are angled forward on those instead of backward like F and older M coupes.
That would work for a two door wagon, too- anybody good at Photoshop?

Man I tell you what ! I totally forgot about the Diplomat & Lebaron's body lines . Ya know what ? It would be nice to see 1 done up. I'd only wished I could photoshop something like that together.

 

[Aspen500]

There's one thing that's always been in my mind about doing one is but never checked. I wonder if the dimensions of a '78 and newer actual El Camino are similar. Reason is, a person could use the back of the "cab", rear window and also the bright trim around the bed rails and maybe even the bed floor and walls. Yeah I know, Chevy parts on a Mopar is just wrong but sometime's you have to use what fits and works. If track width is an indicator, the El Camino is a hair less than 58" and an Aspen is 58 1/2".............Might even be able to integrate some of the rear interior trim also. Man, i wish I had the time, space and money to do something like this. I think it would be fun!
Sorry about the Chevy picture, lol.

 

[Shorty Thompson]

There's one thing that's always been in my mind about doing one is but never checked. I wonder if the dimensions of a '78 and newer actual El Camino are similar. Reason is, a person could use the back of the "cab", rear window and also the bright trim around the bed rails and maybe even the bed floor and walls. Yeah I know, Chevy parts on a Mopar is just wrong but sometime's you have to use what fits and works. If track width is an indicator, the El Camino is a hair less than 58" and an Aspen is 58 1/2".............Might even be able to integrate some of the rear interior trim also. Man, i wish I had the time, space and money to do something like this. I think it would be fun!
Sorry about the Chevy picture, lol.View attachment 27486

You'd have to use a "B" body.

 

[Kernel Sanders]

For the back window you could use a 73-76 4dr Dart, no? Looks like the one on the El Camino

 

[Aspen500]

My main idea on grafting sheetmetal and rear glass from an actual El Camino was then you'd have ready made trim to make it look more "factory".

 

[Rattle Trap]

No Elco parts needed. But many of you guys are on the right track. Even down to calling it a Rampage. The B-pillars on an M don't lean forward, they're straight up. But if you swap F' upper B-pillars side for side you get a correct forward leaning look and there's an earlier side glass that fits too. I still got the M roof anyhow because I liked the detail ridge across the B-pillar between the front and rear segment. That helps to make flipping the rear glass inside out along with it's top and bottom openings look nice and factory. Now if I can use the bead roller to stretch the top and bottom trim piece edges to make them fit an inside out window it'll look perfect! Don't tell Slant6Billy, but that's why I bought his 81 T&C in the first place. I wanted ALL the options on the platform and the 78-80 Aspen looking tail lights. I even swung north and picked up the full power coupe doors on the way home.

 

[Oldiron440]

I been thinking about this, ok so you find a cleen rust free wagon body and remove the interior all the glass and the doors, rear hatch, the roof and the center door pillar to the rocker panel.
At this point the people in your life are going to think your nut if they don't already.

 

[Aspen500]

The people that know me wouldn't think anything of it!

 

[Shorty Thompson]

I been thinking about this, ok so you find a cleen rust free wagon body and remove the interior all the glass and the doors, rear hatch, the roof and the center door pillar to the rocker panel.
At this point the people in your life are going to think your nut if they don't already.

 

[Oldiron440]

While a two door wagon would be difficult because of the side glass a two door panel delivery would spark some interest.

 

[Rattle Trap]

You're only nuts if you go into a customizing project without a clear plan and the experience to carry it through. Something always requires a change and you have to be able to make it without altering the build. The build itself always tries to snowball and you have to have the discipline to control it or spend five years throwing money into a black hole that ends up just as cool as it would have been on 20% of the budget used.
I approached it like anything. 1. Consider the potential base models and modifications required. I chose a LeBaron wagon based on the tail lights. 2. Draw the vision of finished product, subject to parts availability and revisions. The availability of a Diplomat 2dr roof became a happy revision. 3. List the parts needed, noting what I have and need, and the cost of what I need. Just a few pieces to go. 4. Identify from the list, the sticking point where the whole thing falls apart without it. Resolve that make or break issue before worrying about the rest. For me that was the door glass. 5. Show my wife the plan and get feedback. 6. Find an acceptable platform car and take her on a weekend trip to bring it home!
I'm not nuts.
I'm just Sick. Lol!

 

[Shorty Thompson]

While a two door wagon would be difficult because of the side glass a two door panel delivery would spark some interest.

In that lies the difficult decision on which 1 to build.

 

[Shorty Thompson]

You're only nuts if you go into a customizing project without a clear plan and the experience to carry it through. Something always requires a change and you have to be able to make it without altering the build. The build itself always tries to snowball and you have to have the discipline to control it or spend five years throwing money into a black hole that ends up just as cool as it would have been on 20% of the budget used.
I approached it like anything. 1. Consider the potential base models and modifications required. I chose a LeBaron wagon based on the tail lights. 2. Draw the vision of finished product, subject to parts availability and revisions. The availability of a Diplomat 2dr roof became a happy revision. 3. List the parts needed, noting what I have and need, and the cost of what I need. Just a few pieces to go. 4. Identify from the list, the sticking point where the whole thing falls apart without it. Resolve that make or break issue before worrying about the rest. For me that was the door glass. 5. Show my wife the plan and get feedback. 6. Find an acceptable platform car and take her on a weekend trip to bring it home!
I'm not nuts.
I'm just Sick. Lol!

Thus lies a well placed format with an outline everyone can adhere to

 

[Rattle Trap]

While a two door wagon would be difficult because of the side glass a two door panel delivery would spark some interest.

It's not as hard as it seems. Look at the platform choices and look at other Mopars.

There's an F wagon, and an M wagon. What is Different?
See that thick C-pillar and shorter rear window going to the D-pillar on the M? the C is 9" at the base and five at the top. But the actual steel below is the same as an F. There's still a two foot gap forward to the door glass and you need to replace the B-pillar with a new one too. You don't need a whole two feet of glass, but you could imitate the M's factory C-pillar for filler if needed. You have to figure what glass to fit in the door first, and I'm not giving that one away easily. An observant person will figure it out, and how to make it work since it doesn't naturally. So you've got two feet to fill between that door glass and the factory wagon C-pillar. What curved side glass would fit in there? Ever look at a J-body? Obviously the doors are too long to use their windows, but what about those quarter windows? Sure looks to me like they'd fit right in between a custom B & C pillar. Just depends on how they fit in there as to whether you'd use the long F-body C-D glass, or the shorter M' C-D glass from there back. A proper looking 2dr wagon is less of a challenge than making a Rampage with a custom roof, rear cab section, and bed. But it'd be super Cool and I just gave away 95% of the hard part since that's not what I'm doing. Get building!

 

[76SassyGrassVolare]

Ya it would be nice to see a 2 door wagon or car/truck done RIGHT, I think it may have to be made out of a coupe or maybe combine a coupe and a wagon lol Would be quite an undertaking thats for sure, would need a lot of ambition to create it. I've only seen a pic of a 2 door wagon once and it was a bit of a hack job made out of a 4 door wagon. Its too bad Chrysler didn't produce them from the factory along the lines of the Pinto sport wagon..the Pinto was a bit smaller than an F body, but you can see they designed and created the 2 door wagon with the panel sides instead of windows and it was a cool 70's creation (wow never thought I would use the words Pinto and cool in the same sentence).
I'm sure many have seen this 4 door that is a psuedo-2 door wagon, going for the 2 door wagon idea...anyone on here own this green car? Also the pic of the Dodge Demon A Body creation of a car/truck ...DemonCamino i guess lol