Photo: Veit's Vettes
For some people (granted, very few), American-made coupe utility vehicles are some of the greatest machines ever made. These quirky builds of Australian inspiration were born stateside with the Ford Ranchero in 1957, but it was its nemesis, the Chevrolet El Camino, that rocked the sales charts.
The bowtie may have been a pickup truck in name – the official and legal designation of the thing in the U.S. - but it looked nothing like the ones Chevy or all others were making at the time. Its muscle car front end morphed into a true pickup at the rear, blending cargo carrier capability with the style of a passenger car.
Because so many of them were made until production ended in 1987, there are plenty still doing the rounds on the pre-owned market or at auctions. Sadly, many of these El Caminos lie abandoned, waiting for someone to rescue them and turn them into incredible builds.
Yet, it seems few people are interested in custom El Caminos, and that’s why there aren’t so many of them out there worth a closer look. The ones that are usually get sold for much smaller sums than, say, full-grown pickups. There are exceptions, though, and the one you see here is one of them.
Having undergone a restoration process that ended last year with a full respray in red, the pickup looks as shiny as new. It sits on 15-inch wheels wrapped in raised BFGoodrich white-lettered tires, while the interior comes with black vinyl bucket seats and a chrome steering column.
Under the hood, there’s a rebuilt 454-ci (7.4-liter) engine, bored to a larger displacement of 462-ci (7.6-liter). The output is not known, but we are informed the powerplant is controlled by means of a 5-speed manual transmission.
This El Camino sells for $29,900, but the dealer offering it is also accepting trades.
Because so many of them were made until production ended in 1987, there are plenty still doing the rounds on the pre-owned market or at auctions. Sadly, many of these El Caminos lie abandoned, waiting for someone to rescue them and turn them into incredible builds.
Yet, it seems few people are interested in custom El Caminos, and that’s why there aren’t so many of them out there worth a closer look. The ones that are usually get sold for much smaller sums than, say, full-grown pickups. There are exceptions, though, and the one you see here is one of them.
Having undergone a restoration process that ended last year with a full respray in red, the pickup looks as shiny as new. It sits on 15-inch wheels wrapped in raised BFGoodrich white-lettered tires, while the interior comes with black vinyl bucket seats and a chrome steering column.
Under the hood, there’s a rebuilt 454-ci (7.4-liter) engine, bored to a larger displacement of 462-ci (7.6-liter). The output is not known, but we are informed the powerplant is controlled by means of a 5-speed manual transmission.
This El Camino sells for $29,900, but the dealer offering it is also accepting trades.
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