Vehicle Description
El Caminos, love 'em or hate 'em, are a unique piece of the
American landscape. With decades of tradition behind it, this 1981
Chevrolet El Camino is a cool street cruiser from the '80s and
presents in remarkably well-preserved condition. If you've been
looking for one that hasn't been worked to death or modified beyond
recognition, this might be your last chance.
El Caminos really were trucks, and most of them were used like
trucks and left for dead when they gave up. Fortunately, this
nicely preserved original example has most likely been a cherished
toy for most of its life, and thanks to life down south where the
roads are warm and dry, it doesn't suffer from the dreaded tin
worm, either. The original two-tone paint scheme is tasteful and
actually quite handsome, which, considering the age in which it was
built, is remarkably all by itself. It was repainted at some point
and shows some signs of use, but fit and finish are above average,
especially for a GM product of this era. A steel cowl-induction
hood was added during the restoration and we'll admit we love the
look with the blue SS stripes on top. And if you want a nice one,
just take a look at the bed, which looks like it hasn't carried
anything more substantial than a few sacks of groceries and looks
almost completely unused today.
The plush blue fabric interior is a fantastic reminder that this is
no ordinary pickup truck. Upscale luxury was a sharp contrast to
the working-class pickups and from behind the wheel, it's almost
impossible to tell that there's a bed out back. It's extremely
nice, with few signs of wear and no notable damage to the seating
surfaces, which look very correct for 1981. The matching door
panels are equally sharp, with no UV damage or cracking like you so
often see on cars from the '80s. The El Camino was a bit sporty
inside, too, with a full array of gauges plus aftermarket gauges
built right into the dash, an aftermarket speedometer down low, and
a tachometer perched above the radio where it's easy to see.
Speaking of the radio, it's the stock AM/FM stereo head unit that
works just fine today and a tilt steering column makes it easy to
get comfortable behind the wheel. This is definitely not a bad
place to spend some time.
You can forget the original wheezing 305, it's been replaced by a
thundering 400 cubic inch small block V8. Smooth and torquey, it's
a great companion in the El Camino and as a small block Chevy, you
know it'll run this well practically forever. As you might expect,
the engine bay has been freshened with the arrival of the new
engine, which is equipped with a Holley 4-barrel carburetor,
center-bolt heads and a high-rise intake manifold. There's plenty
of torque on tap, yet it loves to rev and feels like it could pull
forever. It's backed by a TH350 3-speed automatic spinning a
standard 10-bolt rear end, and if you're looking around underneath,
check out the healthy dual exhaust system with Flowmaster mufflers
and oversized pipes. Handsome Weld wheels finish the sporty look
with 245/60/15 front and 275/60/15 rear blackwall radials.
So El Camino fans rejoice, this clean late-model has been preserved
for your enjoyment and is ready to go today. Call now!