As nice as these rides are,...
As nice as these rides are, they are the only means of transportation for the DeMarco brothers.
The El Caminos black...
The El Caminos black vinyl and gray cloth interior really brings out the yellow.
Its the attention to...
Its the attention to detail on Louiss Chevy II interior that makes this car look so good.
When was the last time you...
When was the last time you saw a daily driven El Camino engine compartment this detailed?
If you plan on your daily...
If you plan on your daily driver doing double duty as both a driver and a show car, you can expect weekly engine cleanings.
These rides are capable of...
These rides are capable of winning a trophy from any angle.
Dominic and Louis DeMarco have to be two of the luckiest brothers around. When most kids were riding bikes around the neighborhood, these two were under the hood of a car helping their father work on his hot rod.
Dominic is a year older than his brother, so at the age of 14 it was up to him to convince his father to help them find cars with hot rod potential. Their father Phil was so excited that his boys wanted to share his hobby, he made a deal to get each of them a car and teach them how to restore it. The DeMarco brothers wasted no time scouring local neighborhoods. Dominic turned up a rundown 65 El Camino that was sitting in his neighbors backyard, and Louis found a sweet little 65 Nova. Because Dominic would be the first to drive, the El Camino had priority.
The DeMarco trio removed the El Caminos original 283ci and Powerglide and blasted the undercarriage free of grime. Phil had been experimenting with bodywork for a good portion of his life, so for paint they transformed a room in the garage into a spray booth. They prepped the El Camino several times until they felt it was worthy. The 283 received a rebuild and was bolted to a Muncie four-speed where it transferred power to a 2.73-geared 10-bolt. Once the chrome was straightened, polished, and reinstalled, Dominic was on the road.
Several months later, the 283 developed a problem. Dominic located a 350 and rebuilt it with a 9.5:1 compression ratio, a Pete Jackson geardrive, an Isky 292 cam, World Products Sportsman II heads, and a Weiand Stealth aluminum intake manifold. The El Camino was back on the road for several more months until Dominic smashed the front end in an accident. The DeMarcos halted restoration of Louiss car and went to work fixing the El Camino. While the front end was being straightened, Louis designed the flames on the front end and had Mr. Ds Autobody apply the paint.
Meanwhile, Louiss car was completely disassembled and ready for restoration. They again made use of the makeshift spray >> booth, and the Nova received several coats of Sherwin-Williams red paint. The DeMarco boys also restored the interior to show-car quality with a top-of-the-line stereo system and white-faced VDO gauges. Louis rebuilt the 350 with 8.5:1 compression, a Summit geardrive, an Isky camshaft, 1.6 Summit rockers, and a Weiand Stealth intake manifold topped off with a 600-cfm Carter AFB carburetor. Louis installed the engine and connected it to a TH350 backed by a set of 3.55 gears in the stock 10-bolt. They finished the Nova just in time for Louis and his friends to enjoy the musclecar during his last semester of high school.
Currently, Dominic is a draftsman and his brother Louis is attending Fullerton College as an art major. Both brothers are involved in their hometown car club, Local Finesse, and enjoy showing their rides as often as they can.