1979 Chevrolet El Camino

Description

I'll be the first to say it: I didn't know El Caminos could be this cool. Sure, we all love their unbeatable combination of performance and practicality, but to take one to this level, give it a wicked stance and a bright red paint job, well, that's something you don't see all that often and certainly not at this price.

This car attracts a ton of attention, and suspecting that would be the case, the guys who built it spent a ton of extra time on the details. This isn't your average, run-of-the-mill beater Elky, this one was a super-clean original car that was taken to the next level by guys who seemed to really care about their work. Gaps are excellent, and the two-stage urethane paint is about a mile deep, even up close. Look closely and you'll appreciate the traditional appearance upgrades like the cowl induction hood and hard-shell tonneau cover and the stainless trim that outlines the fender arches looks fantastic. Nice chrome bumpers, a stock grille, and tinted windows blend stock and modified seamlessly and the bed is protected by a heavy-duty rubber mat, so don't be afraid to use it as intended.

It's still pretty stock inside, where a clean factory style Saddle Tan interior is the ideal complement to the fabulous red bodywork. That's the original bench, now wearing two-tone seat covers that are a twist on the original setup. The factory dash was retained, including the stock instruments, but there's a full array of auxiliary gauges stashed underneath. Those are probably the original door panels, but the carpets are newer and protected by a set of heavy-duty rubber mats. Entertainment comes courtesy of a Pioneer AM/FM/CD stereo head unit, and you'll note that this is a factory A/C car, whose system blows cold thanks to an R134a refrigerant upgrade.

A 350 cubic inch Chevy crate motor is the right choice, since it bolts right in and makes big power without a lot of fuss. Nicely dressed with chrome valve covers and a matching air cleaner, it's a great way to bring everything up to date. It isn't over done and it's obvious that the focus was on functionality, but nobody will complain after they take a drive. One look underneath will convince you that this has always been a clean truck, and the 700R4 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission is brand new. A new dual exhaust system gives it a great voice, recent air shocks out back allow it to still haul anything you can throw at it, and the lowered stance looks right. 15-inch steel wheels with spinners are fitted with 215/70/15 Yokohama radials that fill the wheel arches nicely.

You won't find a cooler El Camino anywhere, and you need a dose of practicality with your V8-powered weekend toy, they don't come much more useful or stylish than this. Call today!