Ben Palmer is living the El Camino life and having a blast.

“It many not be cool to many, but it is really cool to me! I purchased it 4 years ago from a 92 year old man, on a flight from Florida to Western NY. He bought it new in Oklahoma, and the following year moved to Florida, where it spent all of its life until it became part of mine.

This El Camino has a 350 automatic with factory air conditioning and much more. The cap or cover has been on since it was new. The inside of the back is as clean as the outside.

I have a number of classic cars, but you’ll often see me traveling around in this El Camino. ‘What are you driving,’ is what I often hear. There are none around due to the deteriorating effects of harsh winter driving.

I’m happy it’s become a part of my life and hopefully it will be for years to come.”

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The post Old Cars Reader Wheels: 1977 Chevrolet El Camino appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

We’ve seen it many times. Even the most compulsive of old car collectors can eventually reach a point where they (or perhaps it’s “we”) realize that it’s time to thin the proverbial herd.

Out in northwestern Montana, Bob Olsen has been collecting the classics since the age of 15. As a youngster, he received his head start into the old car hobby as his father, a minister, owned and operated a wrecking yard, well stocked with older inventory.

Today, Olsen is more than a collector. He’s an accomplished hands-on builder and restorer, as well. With occasional rare assistance from ringers with various specialties, Olsen has created a rather eclectic assemblage, which subtly reflects his personal affinity for early Corvettes — and 1967 El Caminos.

At one time, Olsen’s car barn housed a lucky seven of them. Today, that portion of the aforementioned herd is thinned down to only one, which is extremely special. According to its data plate, it’s a pilot. According to its VIN tag, it is indeed the very first of its kind. This unit’s VIN concludes with 00001.

For Olsen, who’d traveled to collect just another El Camino, this one’s significance came as a surprise. Somehow, its previous owners were unaware that they’d had anything special. Following his purchase, Olsen went on to do some detective work. His earliest hand-written notes date back to 1998 with names, numbers and advice from Chevelle and El Camino gurus.

During his quest for factual information, Olsen managed to determine that his surprise pilot was the product of Fremont Assembly, General Motors’ northern California assembly plant. When the pilot was eventually sold for the first time, the transaction took place at the nearest dealership, Fremont Chevrolet.

Around ’98, Olsen contacted the proprietor of Fremont Chevrolet, who, in ’67, was just a youngster at the family business. Sure enough, though, he remembered this El Camino’s VIN tag — and that it was white with a black vinyl top. Other details, however, weren’t as clear. The proprietor could only speculate that it may have been used as a demonstrator, or perhaps driven for a year by a General Motors executive.

At any rate, if you know your ’60s El Caminos, you might recognize this example’s telltale tailgate as from the ’66 model year. What Olsen discovered beneath stripped-away topcoats was color-wise consistent, as though it had always been right there. Since there’s no evidence of any rear-end crash damage, we believe it could, in fact, be the correct original tailgate for this pilot.

If you know your ’60s Chevrolets in general, you’ll likely know that rally wheels weren’t available until May 1967. This pilot has them. Has it had them all along? So far, we don’t know for sure.

Here among Bob Olsen’s partially liquidated collection there’s still a lot to see. For us, it may be difficult to focus on only one subject, but we’ll give it a go with this one. This, we truly believe, is Chevrolet’s first ’67 El Camino.

Bob’s Corvettes & Classics
406-270-1931
bobscorvettes@hotmail.com

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The post Car of the Week: 1967 Chevrolet El Camino appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

VanDerBrink Auctions, located in Hardwick, Minn., always seems to have some great sales of entire collections in the works, and they have several intriguing events coming up this summer. One of them is the sale of the Paul Aasen Collection coming up May 30 in Spicer, Minn.

About 10 vehicles will be up for bids, along with some other collectibles. One of the cars is this great-looking 1980 Chevrolet El Camino. This isn’t an early muscle El Camino — this baby is outfitted more like a Cadillac. It’s got a beautiful gold and maroon paint job, lots of goodies inside, plush upholstery and it looks like it’s in fantastic shape. It apparently had one repaint about 15 years ago.

We’ll be interested to see how much the winning bidder has to shell out for this nice little hauler. They don’t come much nicer.

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The post Old Cars We’d Buy That: 1980 Chevrolet El Camino appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Dennis Whelen is the proud owner of this all original ,90k miles 1983 Chevrolet El Camino.

He stated that it has electric windows/seats, vinyl roof, a clean and scratchless bed, 305 c.i.d. V-8, leather seats and all gauges in working order.

The original owner took possession of this beauty on December 23rd of ’82 in Zepherhills , Fl. When Dennis bought the car in 2014 it had only 81k miles on the odometer.

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The post Old Cars Reader Wheels: 1983 Chevrolet El Camino appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

At the recent W. Yoder Auction in Wautoma, Wis., approximately 70 vehicles crossed the block and most sold. We noticed that an above-average percentage were Chevrolet El Caminos and realized that the great majority of those were final-generation 1978 to 1987 models. That sounds like a new car-collecting trend to us.

1978 El Camino

Full-size Chevrolet passenger cars were downsized in 1977 and the mid-size cars received the same treatment in 1978. With the new body came other changes — the 1977 Chevelle became the 1978 Malibu and the previous year’s Chevelle Malibu became the Malibu Classic. There was also a shuffling of the El Camino “sedan pickup” line, which had been based on the Chevelle/Malibu since 1964. In 1977, there was the base El Camino, the El Camino Classic and the El Camino SS. For 1978, the base El Camino and El Camino SS option returned and were joined by new Conquista and Black Knight editions. GM was sued over the name “Black Knight” so the package was renamed Royal Knight for 1979.

According to Chevrolet, divisional truck engineers felt that a complete down-sizing of the 1978 El Camino Classic to the 108-in. wheelbase used under all the new Malibus would have over compromised the car-based pickup’s already limited cargo capacity. Instead, the downsized El Camino was given a unique 117-in. wheelbase that was actually 1 in. longer than the previous model. However, the 1978 El Camino was several inches shorter than the ’77. With the shorter body, the weight was reduced by 200-300 lbs. Interior head and legroom were actually increased.

The base El Camino engine was a thrifty V-6. There were several engine options and for this muscle-oriented article, we are only focusing on the more powerful V-8 engines offered each year. Full-frame construction was retained for El Caminos. They also had a standard front stabilizer bar, extensive corrosion-resisting treatments, 14 noise-insulating body mounts (for a quieter ride) and double-panel door, hood and deck lid construction.

The El Camino was Model 80 in Chevy’s W Series and the SS package was Regular Production Option (RPO) Z15. In addition to features of the base El Camino, the El Camino Super Sport (SS) came with a large front air dam, matching sport mirrors, a special black paint treatment around the grille openings, a choice of accent colors on the lower body, decal stripes to accent the paint-break lines, Rally wheels painted to match the lower body color, black quarter window moldings and Super Sport identification via decals. According to figures in “Ward’s Automotive Yearbook 1979,” 40.2 percent had 350-cid V-8s and 47.6 percent of 1978 El Caminos had 305-cid V-8s.

The El Camino SS carried a factory price of $5,022 and tipped the scales at 3,076 lbs. Total El Camino production was 54,286 units with no separate breakout of production for the SS, Conquista or Black Knight, although 1200 of the latter are believed to have been built. The El Camino could be purchased with a V-6 or one of the V-8s.

The top option was a 350-cid (5.7-liter) V-8 that had an 8.2:1 compression ratio and a Rochester M4MC four-barrel carburetor. It developed 170 net hp at 2400 rpm. The El Camino transmissions started with a three-speed stick shift with synchromesh. A four-speed manual gearbox and automatic transmission were optional.

Buyers seemed to like the new El Camino’s longer 117-in. wheelbase and shorter 201.6-in. overall length. The new down-sized El Camino handily outsold the Ford Ranchero, which was in its next-to-last appearance in 1978.

Adding to the strong sales were the Conquista and Black Knight option packages. The El Camino Conquista content was highlighted by a striking stainless molding and paint treatment. The body color appeared on the roof, upper portion of the pickup box, lower body sides and tailgate. The center section of the body side, the hood and the lower portion of the tailgate were set off by an accent color. Also featured were bright paint break moldings along the upper side of the pickup box and tailgate, bright moldings along the lower body sides and wheel opening moldings. A Conquista decal was on the tailgate.

1979 El Camino

The Royal Knight package replaced the Black Knight for the 1979 model year. It featured a distinctive exterior décor treatment like the El Camino SS. Most apparent was a large, bold hood decal. Other content included color-keyed side striping, a large front air dam, matching sport mirrors and rally wheels. “Royal Knight” was on a fender decal.

The grille went from an egg-crate design in 1978 to more ofa “Mercedes” style grille for 1979 with eight distinct horizontal segments formed by bright moldings that ran horizontally, three across, with a thin one down the center. The grille was surrounded by a chrome molding that was thicker on the top where a six-sided red badge held a gold Chevy bow-tie emblem. The grille was again flanked by large, single rectangular headlamps with the upright parking lamps notched into the body corners. A 267-cid V-8 (not available in California) was new.

In addition to base El Camino features, the SS came with a large front air dam, matching sport mirrors, a special black paint treatment around the grille openings, a choice of seven paint accent colors on the lower body, decal stripes to accent the paint-break lines, Rally wheels painted to match the lower body color, black quarter window moldings and large Supper Sport door graphics. The 1979 El Camino listed for $5,579 and weighed in at 3,242 lbs. Total El Camino production was 58,008 units, again with no Super Sport breakout. Engine installations were: 267-cid V-8 engine (22.2 percent), 305-cid V-8 engine (58.2 percent), 350-cid V-8 engine (3.6 percent); and both V-6s (16 percent).

The 350-cid V-8, the “big” engine for the year, offered 165-170-hp with a Rochester four-barrel carburetor. It had a 4.00 x 3.48 bore and stroke and with the 8.2:1 compression ratio used this year, it developed 260-270 lbs.-ft. of net torque.

1980 El Camino

“You won’t believe you’re in a pickup,” said the 1980 El Camino sales brochure. Chevrolet’s latest car-based pickup had a brighter, vertical-emphasis grille. Larger and bolder headlamp bezels, larger side marker lamps and a new 3.8-liter standard V-6 were the year’s major revisions. A stand-up hood ornament with a red, six-sided badge centered by a gold Chevrolet bow-tie sat atop the header panel.

The windshield washer system worked more precisely than previously and Rally wheels were a new option. The base V-6 and optional 5.0-liter V-8 could be had with a new automatic transmission that incorporated a “lock-up” torque converter.

The 1980 El Camino (SS) had most of the same features as the 1979 version. There was a choice of eight paint accent colors on the lower body this year and smaller Super Sport lettering on the right lower portion of the tailgate. The price of the SS model was increased to $6,128. The weight dropped by four pounds. Production also dropped to 40,952 for all El Caminos despite the fact that its main direct competitor, the Ford Ranchero, wasn’t offered in the 1980 model year. The biggest available engine this year was the 305-cid V-8 that produced 155 net hp at 4000 rpm and 240 lbs.-ft. of torque.

1981 El Camino

El Caminos were mostly unchanged in 1981, but had a minor grille redesign with eight prominent horizontal elements that “veed” outwards in the middle. The word “Chevrolet” in chrome block letters again decorated the lower left-hand corner. The stand-up hood ornament returned.

The major mechanical change was the adoption of General Motors’ CCC (Computer Command Control) system for engine management, particularly of exhaust emission control by electronic means. The base 3.8-liter (229-cid) V-6 with a two-barrel carburetor was available with a three-speed manual or automatic transmission. Only the automatic gearbox was offered with the optional 4.4-liter (267-cid) and 5.0-liter (305-cid) V-8s. California El Caminos received the Buick-based 3.8-liter (231-cid) V-6 or could be optioned with the 5.0-liter V-8; the 4.4-liter V-8 was no longer available in that state. Higher-pressure radial tires were standard for improved fuel economy. Conquista, Royal Knight and SS packages were offered once again.

The 1981 El Camino SS was promoted as a blend of basic El Camino value with a sporty character. The model option included a new “Super Sport” dashboard nameplate, but there was still no SS identification on the radiator grille. The base price jumped more than $1,000 to $7,217. The weight was unchanged. Overall El Camino production was 37,533 units. The 305 was again the top engine option and was rated at 150 net hp this year.

1982 El Camino

The 1982 El Camino adopted the Malibu’s new Caprice-style grille and side-by-side dual rectangular headlamps. The grille had three thin horizontal bars and 15 vertical bars. The Chevrolet name appeared at the lower left side and a stand-up hood ornament was seen again. The bumper was of a simple, straight-across design. Also revised was the seating and instrument panel, and a new “Smart Switch” was added to the steering column. The SS model saw another stiff price increase to $8,244 and its weight changed to 3,300 lbs. The 305-cid V-8 was cut to 145 net hp. A diesel 350 was available for the first time, but developed a reputation for poor service.

1983 El Camino

Styling-wise, the El Camino was little changed. This the last year for the Royal Knight package. There were few revisions to the SS version. Base price was $8,445 and the SS gained 37 lbs. Total El Camino production dropped to 22,429 units.

1984 El Camino

For 1984, Chevrolet dropped the mid-sized Malibu, which had shared many interior and exterior components with the El Camino since 1964. However, Chevrolet continued producing the relatively low-production El Camino sedan-pickup. The 1984 El Camino remained rather luxurious for a truck. The 5.7-liter 105-hp diesel V-8 also remained available.

Beginning this year, the El Camino SS was built via a joint venture with Choo-Choo Customs of Chattanooga, Tenn. The Choo-Choo Customs El Camino SS featured the same front clip as the Monte Carlo SS coupe, but didn’t get the hot Monte Carlo SS “high output 305” engine. Instead, a 305-cid 190-hp V-8 was used. The annual price bump brought the El Camino SS to $8,781 and the weight went down a tad. Total output was up slightly to 24,244 El Caminos.

1985 El Camino

By 1985, the El Camino was living on borrowed time, but must have been considered an important part of Chevy’s truck arsenal. The Malibu that the sedan-pickup was based upon had been dropped after 1983, but Chevy kept making the El Camino because it was a unique product. After all, sales of the El Camino and Suburban were helping to keep Chevrolet ahead of Ford in the all-important race for the title of America’s number one truck maker. In addition to last year’s standard equipment, the 1985 El Camino had a new 4.3-liter V-6.

The latest Choo-Choo Customs El Camino SS also shared its aerodynamic-style plastic nose cap with the high-performance Monte Carlo SS. The package also included dual SS decal striping, “Super Sport” decal identification on the doors above the lower body feature line and Rally wheels. A non-functional blister hood, dummy side pipes and pickup bed rails were optional. The SS came in one of five distinctive two-tone paint combinations.

The Choo-Choo Customs El Camino SS was now base priced at $9,198 and tipped the scale at 3,263 lbs. A 305-cid 165-hp engine with a four-barrel carburetor was the sole V-8 and 77.3 percent of El Caminos received it. Total production was 25,482 units.

1986 El Camino

The 1986 El Camino featured a new instrument panel and revised gauge cluster graphics to modernize it. It continued to offer 35.5 cubic feet of cargo capacity and a 1,250-lb. payload. The Choo-Choo Customs-built El Camino SS still shared its aerodynamic-style plastic nose cap with the Monte Carlo SS. The SS package also included dual sport mirrors, SS decal striping, “Super Sport” decal identification on the front air dam and doors above the lower body feature line and rally wheels. A non-functional blister hood, dummy side pipes and pickup bed rails were optional. Five distinctive two-tone exterior color combinations were again offered.

At $9,885, the El Camino SS was getting expensive. It weighed 3,239 lbs. No wonder only 16,229 El Caminos were built in total. An even 76 percent of them had the gasoline-fueled 305-cid 150-hp V-8. The other 24 percent had the 4.3-liter (262-cid) 140-hp V-6

1987 El Camino

The 1987 El Camino still combined the utility of a pickup with the beauty of a sport coupe. Apparently, this was a combination that was no longer in great demand, as 1987 was the last full year for El Camino production. A few hundred were built in the first four months of 1988 before the model was dropped. Chevrolet’s separate sales catalog for the 1987 El Camino said, “The end product makes a uniquely bold, personal statement.” The El Camino’s trim lines and sleek good looks were still offered in three ways: base, Conquista and SS.

The “no-holds-barred SS Sport Decor model” again incorporated a front air dam, dual aerodynamic mirrors, a lower body accent color emphasized by a pin striping decal, Rally wheels and blacked-out trim. They came in a limited number of two-tone color choices.

Shown on back of the 1987 sales catalog was the optional El Camino SS in white with a decorative hood treatment, aero-style front fascia, non-functional side pipes and box side rails. The upgrades were again provided by independent supplier Choo-Choo Customs that marketed this package through authorized Chevrolet dealers.

Pricewise the last El Camino SS started at $10,784 for a 3,244-lb. vehicle. Chevy built 15,589 El Caminos for the model’s last year, but the SS portion of that number isn’t available. The top engine for the year was again the 5.0-liter (305-cid) V-8 good for 150 hp at 4000 rpm and 240 lbs.-ft. of torque. This engine was used in 84 percent of all 1987 El Caminos.

The El Caminos sold at the Yoder auction referenced earlier include the following examples:

Lot 1010: 1978 El Camino Custom. Mileage: 95,000. Color: Silver-Blue. Engine: 350-cid V-8.

Options: Automatic transmission. Floor shift. Power steering. Power brakes. Power windows. Power door locks. Tilt steering. Cowl induction hood. Custom interior. Runs and drives great. Soft brakes. General condition: No. 3. Sold: $4,000.

Lot 1023. 1978 El Camino Custom. Mileage: 90,000. Color: Light Brown/Tan. Engine: 305-cid V-8. Options: Automatic transmission. Power steering. Power brakes. Engine rebuilt at 82,000 miles. Original paint. New front tires only. Said to run and drive like it should. General condition: No. 3. Sold: $3,900.

Lot 1030. 1985 El Camino Custom. Mileage: 8,671 (showing). Color: Black. Interior: Gray. Engine: 350-cid V-8. Options: Automatic transmission. Power steering. Power brakes. Power windows. Power door locks. A rubber bed mat was installed to protect paint underneath. Tonneau cover. Said to run and drive well. Brake line leaks. General condition: No. 4. Sold: $3,100.

Based on collector pricing estimates and auction results, it appears that a down-sized El Camino in No. 3 to No. 4 condition could be bought from local private owners or local auctions for as little as $3,000-$4,000. After a bit of upgrading with a fix-up job or complete restoration, the same model will net about $6,500 to $14,100 at larger collector car auctions (eliminating highest and lowest prices). This seems to agree with the “Collector Car Price Guide” book that indicates a price range between $2,700 for a No. 4 El Camino and $14,500 for a No. 1 example.

So, should you buy an El Camino?

These down-sized El Caminos are models to keep an eye on in the marketplace. Things to look for are the SS package (or Conquista or Royal Knight packages). Examples with a factory-original 350-cid V-8 are also more desirable. The Choo-Choo Customs Super Sports are probably worth a bit more than the “Collector Car Price Guide” suggests. Naturally, the more factory options any model has, the more it will be worth.

From the W. Yoder descriptions, you can tell how much condition and especially mechanical problems (such as brake line leaks) negatively affect prices. The cost of repairs — especially serious or numerous small repairs — can quickly add up and then eclipse the vehicle’s value, and most buyers know that.

We’re in the “purist” camp and feel that original cars with 100 percent original equipment have a certain charm that modifieds give up. At the same time, we’ve noticed that many of the down-sized El Caminos we see have been customized or hot rodded, and there doesn’t seem to be much of an affect on their value. In fact, there are certain cases where a bigger engine, fatter tires or aftermarket goodies in general might actually increase an El Camino’s value. Let’s face it — some people like vehicles that look sportier or go faster than they did when they were new.

El Caminos have always been special whether they are full-size, compact-size, mid-size or down-sized. Historians trace the concept to Australian Utes, but we’ve always thought that they look more like station wagons that someone cut the rear roof off of to create a custom pickup. To us, they are All-American cool and Made-in-the-USA practical for U.S. highways. And a lot of collectors seem to agree with us.

The post Hauling interest: final-gen El Caminos are picking up steam appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

“Two New Models Combine Retro Appearance With Twenty First Century Automotive Technology”

Checker Motor Cars has announced plans to produce two second generation Checker vehicles. The Sport Pick-up Crossover model will combine the usefulness of a pick-up truck with the fun of a full size vehicle, reminiscent of the El Camino or Ranchero of days gone by. The Aerobus model will offer features of the iconic Checker sedan, as well as from a sport pick-up body and the early generation Aerobus V1 (A six-door, twelve-passenger sedan). The A888 will offer four full rows of seating through four standard length doors and two extended rearward doors. The 3rd row seat will fold to allow for additional leg room when not in use.

FEATURES
The Checker Motor Cars goal is to offer the features below with new models, as well as to offer retrofit kits to compliment Checker automobiles currently on the road.

• Vehicle will accept a V8 Flex-fuel engine
• Fuel injected or Diesel option
• Full steel frame
• Standard rear wheel drive
• Electronic instrument panel
• Power windows and door locks
• Tilt adjustable steering column
• Composite body panels
• Four wheel disc brakes
• Rack and pinion steering
• Heavy duty climate control
• Four wheel coil springs
• Composite fuel tank
• LED lights all around
• Right hand drive option
• All-wheel drive option
• Service lantern
• First aid kit
• Built-in 120 volt AC inverter
• On-board jump power pack with air compressor
• Seat belt cutter combination rescue tool

Both new designs will offer second generation technology with a 1980’s retro appearance. Checker vehicles will be fully manufactured in the United States with anticipated build scheduled to begin in the fall of 2018. To learn more, visit www.checkermotorcars.com or call 978-423-3770.

The post New Checkers to be made in USA appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.