This is among the last of the El Caminos produced. It is a shining example of the concept that a vehicle can have the drivability and comfort of a car with the usefulness of a pickup. If that appeals to you, then come on down and check out this modern classic. The Caminos were presented in several forms based on different chassis over the years. These last of the breed models were built on their own dedicated...chassis for the first time, with some sheet metal and styling cues borrowed from the Malibu. A nice shade of Blue looks good with the crisp, clean upper lines of the front fenders which slope down smoothly to a rectangular grill flanked by quad headlights and underlined by a sharp looking chrome bumper. From the side, the roofline flows over and down the sail panels as it blends into the bed. A chrome highlight accents the look by running down the side as well as up and over the wheel wells, with the rocker panel dressed out in a complimentary piece of chrome too. El Camino appears in script on the rear fender and chrome dresses out the top edge of the bed which is nicely coated with Rhino liner. The rear tailgate and bumper are sourced from a Malibu wagon and look great on the back of a pickup. Open the door and you will find the comfort of a car waiting for you no matter what you are hauling in the bed. The door panel is two-tone blue with a pull handle and a long armrest that is comfortable while cruising. The split bench seat has been freshly recovered in blue velour with blue vinyl highlights, has a fold down center armrest, and it is comfortable! A two-spoke steering wheel has an El Camino center button and sits in front of a stock dash. Ventilation controls include those for the A/C system that will keep you cool on those hot summer days and a Kenwood AM/FM/CD and iPod compatible radio for your listening pleasure rests just below them. El Camino floor mats to protect the carpet, look good and are a nice touch. Open the hood and you will find a 305 cubic inch motor set down in the engine bay. Good torque and Chevy V8 reliability are a couple of the nice things about this engine. A couple other nice things are that it has been up graded with an Edelbrock air topper which feeds an Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor and intake manifold. Chrome valve covers add a splash of flash to the engine bay and signs of good maintenance include newer plugs, cap and wires as well as fresh belts and hoses. Power flows back through a 3-speed automatic transmission to the rear axle mounted on coil springs and located with trailing arms and a beefy sway bar to keep car stable even with a load in the bed. Up front, control arms and coils are helped by another beefy sway bar for handling and there are also power disc brakes for good stopping ability. The rubber meets the road through 235/60R14 white letter tires mounted on sharp looking 5-lug wheels. Good looking, comfortable, useful. Come on down and check out this El Camino. You might just decide that it is just the combination that you have been looking for.
|