1959 Chevrolet El Camino 454 BBC Resto-Mod

Just in time for Halloween, HRL is proud to present another BOOO-TIFUL ride from our friends at FSD Hot Rod Ranch: a 1959 Chevrolet El Camino 454 BBC Resto-Mod!

This 1959 El Camino was a two-year build completed by Gary Meyers, a National Hall of Fame Custom Car Builder. A total build from rust bucket to a custom showpiece, it debuted in 2000 and has been featured in multiple magazines including Custom Rodder, Super Chevy, and Car Culture Deluxe. It remained on display at Darryl Starbird’s museum for ten years.

Meyers worked with Elden Titus, a legendary car builder, for over 18 years building complete steel custom cars – no glass here!  Sadly, Elden Titus passed in 2008, leaving behind a legacy of creative builds. His motto was “profile is everything.”  

An all-steel custom fabrication, this build was done with old-school precision and attention to design detail.   While the engine is a 1976 Chevrolet C10 7.4L 454 V8 that absolutely whinnies horsepower, the body began with a 1969 Chevrolet Station Wagon frame modified. The El Camino body was graphed on the frame; from there, the front bumper and roll are from an 80’s Chevy pickup.

Design ideas flowed from every direction with this build – the headlights modeled from Darryl Starbird’s “Predicta”, a custom pancake hood, and shaved doors with custom-designed windows. The rear fender wheel hooks were a gifted idea from Custom Rodder magazine’s editor, Jerry “Weez” Weesner.

The interior was designed to be clean, so the gauges and shifter are hidden in the center console. The seats were from a ‘65 Pontiac GTO upholstered in purple and white vinyl.  Gary and his father built the center console with inspiration taken from a roll-up desk. Add vintage air and radio, and the interior was a deluxe finish. 

Jerry Titus, Elden’s brother, was the brainstorm of the gold layout.  With a Purple Candy and Gold paint job, the build was complete!

You can only imagine the heads that turned when this El Camino hit the pavement.   

Gary Myers is a dedicated custom car builder and is still smoking them out with his rides.  The El Camino featured in this article has a celebrated history online and continues to draw a crowd.  

These kinds of builds do not come along every day as the vision takes years of expertise in design in metal and paint; the number of hours dedicated is unbelievable. Then add mind-blowing horsepower and the vision becomes reality – a working piece of art. 

For more information regarding this incredible, unique truck (and their other inventory!), visit www.fsdhotrodranch.com for a virtual tour, take an actual tour at their Eustis, Florida location, or follow them on Facebook! Tell him HRL sent you.  

Happy Halloween from FSD Hot Rod Ranch!