1987 Chevrolet El Camino
This is a very, very nice last year El Camino. It is said to have less than 70,000 original miles. The previous owner said it had about 68,000 when the printed circuit board on the original gauge cluster shorted out. He had it replaced with a very cool Dakota Digital cluster. Unfortunately, the shop discarded the original cluster.
I inspected the interior and drove the car. It is easy for me to believe his mileage claim. However, there is no proof. It has been driven 724 miles since many improvements were made.
He did suspension work, transmission line replacement, new brakes, new tires on 82 Corvette wheels, complete new A/C system with 134a Freon and a new tonneau cover. The original bed rails were removed, the holes filled and the paint blended. Otherwise, the paint is original and it is nice. These cars were made in Mexico, so the paint is enamel. In my opinion, that is much better than the early GM two-stage finishes that were so problematic.
This car is nicely equipped with the Tu-tone paint, power windows and locks, AM/FM/Cassette stereo, Cruise Control, power steering and brakes, tilt steering column and the Luxury interior with the Custom seat. All features work properly and the A/C is ice cold.
The original 4.3 liter V6 starts, idles and runs great. The 200r4 transmission shifts correctly. With the 2.56 rear gears and the over-sized tires, it just putts down the freeway in overdrive. I would guess the economy is fantastic. Did you know the V6 was only 10 horsepower less than the other available engine, which was the problematic 305 V8?
There is no rust. The paint is very nice. It shined up nicely with a coat of wax. The chrome and trim is in good shape. All is original, so there are a few dings. The glass is all good. The quarter glass was recently removed and resealed. This corrected the typical leak issue.
The rear floors were patched due to the leak issue. The repair is sufficient. The rest of the underside is solid. There may be a bit of surface rust, but no rot. There is grime and oil residue from 30 years of use, but no major leaks.
The bed floor is original and nice. It shows scratches and small dents from use, but it is not beat up or rusty. It has been covered by a rubber bed mat and is now protected by the new tonneau cover.
The exhaust system is recent. It is duals all the way out the back. It sounds throaty, but not obnoxious. It matches the sporty look created by the wheel and tire combination.
This is a great-looking, great-driving El Camino. It has been garage-kept and well-maintained. It has not been driven much and has many miles of enjoyment left to offer.
