Vehicle Description
When I was a kid, I called Chevy's cool El Camino the "truck-car,"
because even my 4-year-old eyes knew it was way cool. This 1972 El
Camino is like a Chevelle with a bed, and it's great news for
muscle car fans because it puts you behind the wheel of one of GM's
great machines with a trunk that'll carry anything you can buy at
Home Depot.
With so many of these being work trucks when they were new, finding
a clean, straight, unabused example like this is no easy task. It
wears shiny Green Metallic paint that looks great, especially when
combined with shiny chrome bumpers and accent trim. Some folks will
note that this one wears a 1970 front clip, combining the most
desirable year with an affordable price tag, but most folks will
never know the difference. The work was finished not too long ago,
and you definitely won't need to make excuses at the next cruise
night where everyone will be digging the fantastic look. Those
massive rear quarters are not so easy to get lined up and flat, so
you know someone really cared about this Elky while it was being
resurrected. The SS badge on the tailgate is the only indication
that a monster may live under the hood, but by the time someone
sees it, it's too late and the horsepower has already left them
behind. Note that the bed has nicely been finished with matching
green paint, so nice in fact that you'll think twice before you
throw any dirty gear back there. First Elky tip is on the house:
buy a rubber mat for the bed.
A flashy and custom leather interior makes this El Camino as sporty
as its Chevelle sibling and every bit as fun to drive. The seats
are a unique bench-bucket hybrid, wrapped in two-tone saddle and
tan interior that is continued into the door panels, dash, and
headliner. Nicely detailed, the leather-wrapped dash is presented
with original gauges surrounded by a wood applique and flanked to
the right by auxiliary gauges installed in the factory idiot-light
locations, and to the left by an aftermarket tachometer integrated
into the A-pillar. This Elky comes complete with a woodgrain Grant
GT steering wheel that rests atop a tilt column, an AM/FM stereo in
the dash, and upgraded R134a A/C refrigerant that flows through the
vents and freezes-out the cab. When you want fresh air instead, the
old GM-standard vent windows do a fine job of funneling air into
the passenger compartment (something sorely missed on today's cars)
and more modern options like power windows and locks work great. In
addition, the headliner, carpet, dash pad, and window weather
stripping are all in great shape, so it feels like a new car inside
with a notable lack of major squeaks and rattles. Nice design and
even better execution in the cab of this Elky make the driving
experience an absolute treat.
The engine is a built-up, numbers matching 355 cubic inch small
block V8, a strong runner that provides more than enough "oomph"
for this "truck-car" to adequately scare the neighbors. Fitted with
a few hot-rod parts like roller rockers, forged rods, a QuickFuel
4-barrel carburetor, a ProComp intake, and a set of long-tube
headers. Dress-up is limited to a low-profile triangular air
cleaner and finned valve covers, but it runs well and pulls the
relatively lightweight Elky around with a real authority. The
chassis is solid, the floors are clean, and the Flowmaster dual
exhaust system has turn-downs that exit on both sides of the car
before the rear wheels and sounds great. It's cool to see the
Chevelle's coil springs under a pickup truck, but they endow the El
Camino with wonderful road manners and a pleasant ride, and all the
upgrades available for Chevelles are virtual bolt-ons. A 700R4
automatic transmission spins the 12-bolt rear-end, 4-wheel disc
brakes bring the Elky to an abrupt stop, and power steering means
you can sit back and leisurely cruise whenever you want. Finally, a
set of American Racing "Old-Style" wheels wear a set of staggered
245/50/16 performance radials.
Old or young, El Caminos are just plain cool. Performance, style,
comfort and plenty of practicality make them as popular today as
when they were new. Call today!