Paul Hinz, is the owner of PDH Automotive (602-589-6292) in Glendale and is a lifelong Car Guy. He’s built several cars over the years, this ‘64 Elky is the latest. There is also a 1973 VW Cabriolet Convertible and a V W Thing (project car) at home. Paul and his adult son Tommy did the mechanical restoration work and installed the modern upgrades required to turn the Elky into a reliable, powerful and comfortable cruiser. The car started out as a fairly straight but very rusty project car. The heart of the modern upgrades is a 477 dyno horse powered 383 stroker small block from Blueprint Engines. The 700R4 automatic overdrive transmission was built by Sun West Transmissions (602-623-842-0806) and has a 2500 stall torque converter. The PDH Automotive shop built the 9” Ford rear end. There is now quick ratio power steering, four-wheel power disc brakes, and aftermarket power door locks and power windows because El Caminos of this generation did not come with those options. Other upgrades include Old Air Products A/C with custom fabricated A/C vent holes and hidden hoses. A Custom AutoSound stereo system with amp and Bluetooth supplies the tunes. A complete Dakota Digital drop-in gauge cluster replaced the original analog gauges. The car now has all new glass and a full custom interior retaining the original bench seat that has been completely rebuilt without springs, now featuring custom foam with bolsters and twin built-in stainless steel cup holders. This El Camino now rides on a fully upgraded suspension with tubular control arms, beefier front & rear sway bars, and rear four-link arms. A complete bumper-to-bumper American Auto Wire wiring system has also been installed.
Paul wanted to give huge credit and thanks to Mark Perkey who basically did the complete body preparation that included lots of professional rust repair. Mark prepped and sanded then prepped some more and did even more sanding, until the Elky was ready for Mark to paint the car in Sonic Gray, a late model Honda color. The car looks great!!! Watch for Paul and his ‘64 El Camino at the local car events or out cruising in his recently finished pride and joy.