NEW PRICE! Spectacular big block El Camino SS. Fresh paint and interior, rebuilt 461-inch big block, new TH400, ice cold factory A/C, tilt column. Great color over laser-straight Texas sheetmetal. Just beautiful in every way.
Hailing from warm, dry Texas, this laser-straight Elky has been treated to a comprehensive restoration that has turned it into one of the finest we’ve ever seen. It is wearing 100% of its original sheetmetal with zero patches, repairs, or filler, and the results speak for themselves. The sizzling red paint is beautifully done and accurately replicates Garnet Red, although this one was originally code 65 Olympic Gold with a code E Parchment top. Sight down the sides and you’ll find no ripples, no signs of botched bodywork, and a shine that’s so deep you can swim in it. It’s also quite stock, with nothing more than the black side stripes and some badges to denote the SS model. No cowl induction hood, no chin spoiler, just clean OEM lines. You’ll also note it’s correctly detailed with a black SS grille, proper ‘SS396’ emblems, and the black insert on the tailgate. All the chrome is exceptionally nice, with beautiful bumpers, polished trim around the bed, and correct wheel arch moldings. Fit and finish are exemplary and even the bed is beautifully finished with no signs of use since it was finished (a heavy-duty rubber mat is included).
The all-new interior is full of correct reproduction equipment, including a fresh seat covers, accurate SS door panels, and a restored dash with new dash pad. Plush black carpets make you forget that there’s a bed out back when you’re behind the wheel and the view out the front is pure Chevelle. You’ll also note this Elky has some great options, including ice cold factory A/C (fully rebuilt and still using R12 refrigerant) and a tilt steering column, which wears a correct SS wheel. Factory gauges cover only the basics, so a trio of aftermarket dials was added under the dash, but even the original AM radio is in place and yes, it still works.
This is a factory big block El Camino, but the original 396 has been replaced by a built 461 cubic inch big block V8 with all the upgrades. On the bottom there’s a steel crank from an LS7 crate motor, reconditioned rods, and fresh forged aluminum pistons with 10.75:1 compression to be friendly on pump gas. The entire rotating assembly was balanced and installed in the seasoned block, along with a Comp Cams hydraulic roller camshaft, roller rockers, and a pair of 990 square port heads by Michael’s Racing Engines. On top you’ll find a Winters aluminum intake from a 427/425 as well as an 850 CFM AED carburetor and a Pertronix electronic ignition system to light it up. For durability, there’s a new high-flow water pump and a giant new radiator, and the engine itself has been disguised as an L78 396/375 (although we all know you couldn’t get A/C on the 375 horsepower engine—this was a 325 horsepower car originally). Everything was finished with Chevy Orange paint, there are correct hoses and clamps, a new wiring harness, and a brand new Frigidaire A6 compressor and new lines for the A/C system. Hooker long-tube headers with 2-inch primaries were ceramic-coated and lead to a 2.5-inch exhaust system that sounds wicked but never annoying. Key it up and it starts easily, although this is a man’s engine, so there’s a lope to the idle that’s sure to attract attention, and with only about 200 miles on the build, it’s still extremely fresh. It never gets cranky, never gets hot or fussy, and is happy to idle in traffic with the A/C blasting—that’s the result of careful tuning by guys who know their stuff.
Underneath, it’s nicely detailed and shows off more of that super clean steel that came from the desert. Obviously the suspension has been fully rebuilt, the brakes are all new, and all the components have been painted to look their best. The TH400 3-speed automatic transmission was rebuilt with a 6-bolt factory torque converter and a modest shift kit feeding a fresh Strange drive shaft and heavy-duty 12-bolt rear end with 3.36 gears inside. There’s a new gas tank out back and it sits on fresh Magnum 500s with staggered Firestone radials that give it a bit of a rake.
This is a spectacular car in every way that matters, and it’s about 30% cheaper than it would be if it were a garden-variety Chevelle. I don’t know how that makes sense, but the bottom-line is that this El Camino delivers in every way that matters. Fast, fun, comfortable, and beautifully finished, it is ready to enjoy without an extra moment of work required on your part. If you don’t know how rare that is, you must not have been in this hobby very long. Cars this good rarely show up on the open market. Call today!
For more details and photos, please visit www.HarwoodMotors.com
