1968 Chevrolet El Camino

Description

With the handsome good looks of a Chevelle and the utility of a pickup, the El Camino offers the best of both worlds: performance and practicality. This 1968 Chevrolet El Camino has been built to further blur the lines that separate vehicles: performance, great looks, and a lot of comfort.

The bodywork is nicely finished and the workmanship is shown to great effect thanks to the beautiful metallic red paint, which appears to have been borrowed from a late-model color chart. These vehicles typically led harder lives than your average Chevelle, and finding a clean one, let along investing enough to bring it to this condition, is tough. Gaps are good and a lot of time was invested in getting the body panels this straight when it was repainted about eight years ago. The bed was refinished with Line-X spray-in bedliner, but has seen some work since then, which is perfectly OK, since that's what these cars are all about. Trim is bright and well maintained, with good chrome on the bumpers, a stock grille, and the trim around the bed is very nice, with no obvious dings or damage from use. I applaud the builder who was able to resist the temptation to make an SS clone, and instead presents a clean Elky with no stories that's ready to rumble.

The black bench seat interior is almost entirely new and looks very fresh. Carpets, headliner, and door panels are reproduction pieces that look good and fit right, and the bench seat makes it feel spacious in the cab. The dash is original, with a fat three-spoke steering wheel framing the factory gauges, which have nice, clear lenses and sharp markings on their faces. An under-dash A/C unit was a popular period addition and works well thanks to a modern compressor under the hood and there's a newer Kenwood AM/FM/cassette stereo head unit in the dash. Tilt the seats forward and you'll discover a pair of powerful speakers in custom enclosures that sound great.

The engine is the original 307 cubic inch V8, which was rebuilt about 15 years ago and still runs extremely well. It's got the usual upgrades including an Edelbrock intake manifold, 4-barrel carburetor, and long-tube headers to help build torque. The engine bay is sanitary and clean, with a few dress-up items such as those chrome valve covers and air cleaner and bright Chevy Orange engine enamel on the block itself. The transmission is a PowerGlide 2-speed automatic, likely the car's original transmission, and it snaps to attention when you dip into the throttle. There's a recent dual exhaust system that gives it a great performance sound and the 10-bolt rear end feels like it has street-friendly gears inside. Handsome polished wheels stuff the wheel wells, wearing big 255/50/17 Kumho high performance radials.

With single-family ownership for the past 25 years, this is a good, clean El Camino that's ready to enjoy. Turn on the A/C, crank up your favorite tunes, and enjoy the ride. Call it a truck, call it a car, either way you're going to love this El Camino. Call us today!