While junkyards are pretty much the saddest place where a car could end up going, there are moments when they become the home of classic gems that are totally worth saving and which could eventually become genuine head-turners with the proper restoration.
The 1966 El Camino that we have here is just the living proof in this regard, as the vehicle has clearly seen better days, but this still doesn’t mean it’s not ready to give up on the junkyard and return to the tarmac with the right fixes.
Needless to say, saving this El Camino doesn’t look like an easy job, though the bigger problem is that we’re provided with very few details about it in the first place. The folks over at Classic Cars of SC (classiccarsofsc on eBay) have only offered us the VIN code and basic info about the engine under the hood, so there’s no word on how original and complete everything still is on this El Camino.
And most likely, the sellers don’t have such details either, especially since it’s a junkyard find, though it goes without saying that a visual inspection would reveal so much more about this mysterious classic.
The VIN code confirms the El Camino was born with a V8, and the dealer indicates there’s a 5.0-liter unit under the hood. If this is indeed accurate, then someone replaced the original engine already, as the 1966 El Camino lineup didn’t include a 5.0-liter V8.
The base six-cylinder engine was a 194ci (3.2-liter) unit with 120 horsepower, while a 283ci (4.6-liter) with 195 horsepower was offered as the standard V8. Optional engines included another 283 with 195 horsepower, a 327 (5.4-liter) with 275 horsepower, and two 396 (6.5-liter) units with 325 and 360 horsepower, respectively.
So at the end of the day, it’s pretty clear this El Camino is as mysterious as it gets, but on the other hand, it looks way better than all the other rust buckets around it and also left abandoned in that junkyard. So if you’re up for a very challenging restoration, be ready to spend around $3,500 for this Chevy.
Needless to say, saving this El Camino doesn’t look like an easy job, though the bigger problem is that we’re provided with very few details about it in the first place. The folks over at Classic Cars of SC (classiccarsofsc on eBay) have only offered us the VIN code and basic info about the engine under the hood, so there’s no word on how original and complete everything still is on this El Camino.
And most likely, the sellers don’t have such details either, especially since it’s a junkyard find, though it goes without saying that a visual inspection would reveal so much more about this mysterious classic.
The VIN code confirms the El Camino was born with a V8, and the dealer indicates there’s a 5.0-liter unit under the hood. If this is indeed accurate, then someone replaced the original engine already, as the 1966 El Camino lineup didn’t include a 5.0-liter V8.
The base six-cylinder engine was a 194ci (3.2-liter) unit with 120 horsepower, while a 283ci (4.6-liter) with 195 horsepower was offered as the standard V8. Optional engines included another 283 with 195 horsepower, a 327 (5.4-liter) with 275 horsepower, and two 396 (6.5-liter) units with 325 and 360 horsepower, respectively.
So at the end of the day, it’s pretty clear this El Camino is as mysterious as it gets, but on the other hand, it looks way better than all the other rust buckets around it and also left abandoned in that junkyard. So if you’re up for a very challenging restoration, be ready to spend around $3,500 for this Chevy.