Photo: Image edited by autoevolution
You want a vintage daily driver that’s mechanically sound, reliable, powerful, practical, and unapologetically badass? Look no further than this one-of-a-kind Chevrolet El Camino from Los Angeles.
Listed on Craiglist for $25,000, the owner spent $65,000 over a period of two years to transform a bucket of bolts into what you can admire in the featured photo gallery. And boy does the Pro Touring treatment fit the El Camino like a glove. Only 1,500 miles have been racked up since the restoration was completed, so you’re looking at an El Camino in like-new condition.
Instead of a 396 cu.in big-block V8 from days gone by, the engine bay is filled with 5.7 liters of LS1 brute force. It’s the same small-block V8 that motivates the fifth-generation Chevrolet Corvette, which translates into 350 all-American horsepower. Understandably, the 4L60-E transmission with a Billet Lokar floor shifter also originates from the C5 Corvette.
Thanks to the addition of Air Ride suspension, this El Camino should be quite a comfortable cruiser. Better still, the tubular control arms with poly bushings should translate into a much better handler than the original second-generation Chevy El Camino. Another welcomed mod comes in the form of disc brakes that are concealed by 20-inch TSW black-painted wheels shod with fresh rubber. As far as the interior is concerned, everything from the headliner to the door panels is brand spanking new.
For people like you and me, an original 1964 Chevrolet El Camino costs an arm and a leg considering that the Chevelle-based utility pickup has become a collector’s item in recent years. A rusty one is a nightmare even for those who exhibit a high degree of mechanical savvy, so there you have it. For a middle-of-the-road solution to owning an El Camino, this example of the breed ticks all the right boxes. And then some.
Instead of a 396 cu.in big-block V8 from days gone by, the engine bay is filled with 5.7 liters of LS1 brute force. It’s the same small-block V8 that motivates the fifth-generation Chevrolet Corvette, which translates into 350 all-American horsepower. Understandably, the 4L60-E transmission with a Billet Lokar floor shifter also originates from the C5 Corvette.
Thanks to the addition of Air Ride suspension, this El Camino should be quite a comfortable cruiser. Better still, the tubular control arms with poly bushings should translate into a much better handler than the original second-generation Chevy El Camino. Another welcomed mod comes in the form of disc brakes that are concealed by 20-inch TSW black-painted wheels shod with fresh rubber. As far as the interior is concerned, everything from the headliner to the door panels is brand spanking new.
For people like you and me, an original 1964 Chevrolet El Camino costs an arm and a leg considering that the Chevelle-based utility pickup has become a collector’s item in recent years. A rusty one is a nightmare even for those who exhibit a high degree of mechanical savvy, so there you have it. For a middle-of-the-road solution to owning an El Camino, this example of the breed ticks all the right boxes. And then some.
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