Vehicle Description
It's official, 1980s El Caminos are worthy of collector status.
This 1986 Chevrolet El Camino Conquista was deemed worthy enough to
preserve and restore, and it certainly attracts a lot of attention
on the street. Use it as-is, give it some upgrades, or put it to
work; at this price, what do you have to lose?
Thanks to handsome two-tone black-over-silver paint, this El Camino
looks like a far more expensive car than it is. It appears that the
paint is an older respray, and it's a combination that works
particularly well on the Elky's bodywork, enhancing the length of
the body and highlighting the car's unique features. It has clearly
been properly maintained with no signs of being a work truck, and
seeing anything built in the mid-80s to fit together this well is a
surprise. Sure, it's a full-blown driver with imperfections here
and there, but the curb appeal is great for a driver-grade Elky at
this low price-point. And unlike many of its siblings, this one
doesn't have any questionable modifications or upgrades (sans the
wheels, of course), and it's nice to see all the factory trim still
in place as well. The stainless and chrome trim throughout the
car/truck highlights the otherwise dark paint, and there's a nice
break point for the two-tone colors above the wheel wells and down
the lower portion of the body. The thick pinstripe band surrounding
the bed is pure Conquista style, the bed rails add flash along with
usefulness out back, and the front egg-crate grille has adorned
GM's for decades, and certainly plays the part well here. There's
also a spray-in bed liner out back (although it could use a little
clean-up), so you can still put this one to work on weekends if
that's your plan.
The mostly original interior is a real treat, starting with the
comfortable cloth bench seat and stock=spec 2-spoke steering wheel
atop a tilt column. The instrument panel should look familiar to
anyone who drove a rear-wheel-drive GM product in the '80s, and
this Elky includes an aftermarket temperature gauge to the right of
the steering wheel, which is always a nice find in an old car.
Surprisingly nice gray carpets and smooth vinyl-and-cloth door
panels add to the well-kept feeling inside, and you'll note that
this El Camino is heavily optioned with shoulder-harness seatbelts,
power locks, factory A/C (needs to be serviced), and a tilt
steering column. The original radio was yanked in favor of a modern
Pioneer AM/FM/CD head unit in the dash. You'll be pleasantly
surprised by how much room there is inside and how bright and airy
it feels, despite the close-coupled two-seat body and big bed out
back. This is a car that you could drive cross-country without
feeling like it beat you up, or down to Home Depot to haul away a
bunch of lumber.
The engine is a 305 cubic inch Chevy V8 (aka the 5.0L) topped by an
Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor atop a Weiand performance intake, and
it's making a reasonable (for 1986) 150 factory-rated horsepower.
Most of the engine bay looks fairly stock, and by the looks of
things all the factory running gear is still in place, more
evidence that this car has been well maintained but never modified
or abused. An Edelbrock air cleaner adds some flash to the
all-business engine bay, as does the Chevy Orange on the valve
covers and block itself, and it's full of mostly OEM components for
reliability and easy service. You could spend a few hours giving it
a deep cleaning and really make a difference, but if you just want
to drive, it's ready to go! A TH200-4R automatic overdrive
transmission means this El Camino is an easy highway cruiser, and
it spins the original 10-bolt rear end with highway gears inside. A
stock exhaust system sounds great and still carries a catalytic
convertor for any potential emissions testing (although this Eky is
emissions exempt in the majority of US states), and you'll note
that the floors are extraordinarily solid, thanks to an easy life
spent in the American South (Louisiana and Texas). Flashy 16-inch
wheels add a custom look and carry 225/55/16 blackwall radials with
plenty of tread left.
The day of the El Camino is here, so whether you want to use this
one for fun or work, it remains a great choice. Call today!
