I found this ’73 El Camino a couple of weeks ago, and threw the pictures in my files. I didn’t have anything pithy to say about it, but I figured over time I’d gain some insight and an article would follow.
After several weeks, I still don’t have much to say about this El Camino, but I had noticed something rather interesting about El Caminos in general. Despite being out of production since 1987, these trucks are EVERYWHERE here in Los Angeles. How common are they? As common as roosters in Kauai.
Don’t believe me? Then this post should provide all the photographic evidence required to convince you.
For our international readers, the El Camino was a car based pickup built by Chevrolet from 1964 to 1987. It typically shared front body panels and doors with the intermediate sedans, and the rear bumper and tailgate with the intermediate wagon, but used unique door glass, as well as a dedicated roof and rear quarter panels.
Chevrolet also built an El Camino in 1959 and ’60, but based it on the full sized sedan. These models are far less common on the streets of LA, and if I ever find one of these X-frame equipped “batwings,” I’ll immediately write up a traditional CC article.
I’m not sure why these trucks are so common here. As you can see from this picture, I’ve found examples from all model years. My photo collection potentially spans from ’64 to ’87 (I can’t nail down the model year for every picture- Late model El Caminos lack year by year trim changes) .
I might be able to put together a similar collection of Mustang pictures, but that’s about it. No other car comes close to being this common. Ford has built over 5 million Mustangs, so it’s not surprising they are everywhere, but Chevy only built about a million El Caminos (including the ’59 and ’60 models), so why are they so ubiquitous?
An obvious reason is utility. Two guys were using this Camino for a building maintenance job a block from my office (note the ladder in the background). I’m not sure if this Chevy was hauling construction debris or hauling tools to the worksite, but the owners were definitely taking advantage of it’s truckish features.
Another option is a stylish ride. I found this black beauty parked outside the Spire’s restaurant on Hawthorne Boulevard. Clearly, this owner rarely used his truck to haul bricks down gravel roads.
Finally, these El Caminos could belong to dog lovers. This owner (who was nice enough to pose his truck for me at the Del Amo Mall) carried a large Husky in the back.
Actually, I don’t think there’s a single reason that explains my frequent sightings. The selling points of the El Camino included utility and flexibility, and it seems clear these factors have helped keep them on the road. To help make this case, my photo collection include plenty of trucks with a patina that reflects a life of hard work, rather than a life of leisure.
I’m sure the Chevy drivetrain under the hood also helps keep these trucks on the road. Although the demands of emissions and fuel economy led to some underpowered engine options over the years, all these trucks can take advantage of Chevy small block power, and there are several million spare blocks inhabiting the local junkyards.
A driveline any idiot can fix also allows these El Caminos to keep on truckin’. Although this example may currently be “waiting for restoration,” I’ve no doubt someone will come along with enough mechanical skill to put it back on the road. Some trim parts may be difficult to locate, but engine, driveline, and brake parts are not only common, but also cheap.
Yep, given some elbow grease and a large pile of money, it’s just a matter of time before that beat up old SS model looks like this (I told you these things are everywhere).
Take some time to check out the backgrounds of these photos- In many cases, these rigs are sitting in a parking lot, rather than someone’s driveway. The folks who own these don’t keep them around for the next weekend car show, they drive them. This well used example is parked in a Silver Spur parking lot pretty much every day, providing the owner’s daily transportation.
Really, besides that SS model in the carport and this mid seventies model with the plastic window covering, all the cars I’ve posted here appear to be fully functional and in daily use.
In some cases, in daily use and in great shape (This is three blocks from my office- These things are down right commonplace).
In 1964, if I had to pick out one car or truck to use for the rest of my life, I doubt I would have gone with the El Camino. But looking at this example, it now seems an attractive choice.
I should also note that these pictures don’t represent a lengthy collection period. Once I decided to document our local El Caminos, I captured all the pictures in about two weeks. For example, I found this car sitting in a convienence store parking lot. In fact, I took five of these pictures Saturday, while teaching my daughter how to drive.
I do find it interesting that I found so many 1964 to ’67 models rolling around town. It’s the oldest generation and had the lowest production numbers among these trucks, but provided me with more picture opportunies than every generation except the final one. I think there’s a couple of reasons for that…
The 68-72 models were sold during the height of the muscle car era, making them a bit different than the other generations. I’ll bet there are plenty of these El Caminos tucked away in Los Angeles garages, all wrapped in bright and shiny paint with Holley and Edlebrock parts mounted underhood.
Conversly, these 73-77 models are the opposite of the muscle cars. They have too little power and too much metal. While all the intermediate El Caminos have similar bed dimensions, this body of this generation was 15 inches longer than the rest, and it carried an additional 600 pounds. Compared to other generations, this truck was a whale.
Fortunately, the final generation returned the El Camino to it’s roots-
201″ Overall length, 117″ wheelbase, 3,300 pound curb weight, and 5 liter V-8 power.
Based on the popularity of these cars on the streets of LA, I’d say these were the perfect dimensions for the El Camino. It matches the dimensions of the ’63-’67 cars (which helps to explain the earlier models strong representation), and it worked so well in ’78 that Chevrolet built this final generation for 11 years.
Of course, nowadays, buyers will have to settle for recycling existing El Caminos. Good news- For those of us in Los Angeles, there’s still plenty of opportunities to acquire one. They are everywhere!
In closing, I don’t see the El Camino ever returning to production. Even though the basic formula is well defined, many new vehicle options have appeared on the market in the 25 years since Chevy dropped their car based truck.
Compact pickups, minivans, SUVs and CUVs all offer a comfortable interior, quality ride and similar load capacity to the El Camino, so there’s little incentive to further explore this unusual automotive niche.
So enjoy these 20 images, and the next time you visit Los Angeles, see if you can spot your own set of our most common Curbside Classic.
Agreed. I live in Orange County, and Southern California is chock-a-block with far more daily driven classics than I was used to back east, but the El Camino quotient is still very high compared to even other classics.
I wonder if Californians have some historical reasons for liking small trucks? I see LOTS of Toyota, Nissan, and Mazda compact pickups turned into stake bed trucks here, sometimes with dually rear wheels. You NEVER see that on the East Coast. Were El Caminos just more popular out here, just like compact pickups were?
Dave – They are as common on the streets of Cheyenne as they are in LA – in the same variety of condition as you’ve documented. I see mostly the final edition ’78 through ’87 ones, but my eyes are attuned to this iteration.
Did you note many GMCs? The Sprint/Caballero was sold in a ratio to El Camino of about 1:10 so there should be some of those in your spotting.
I have an ’84 Caballero (305) that is a four owner local car and is going to take a load of shrub clippings/tree limbs to the municipal compost site soon.
Had to go fetch this photo off another computer; here is my occasionally driven ’84 Caballero. It is original but for one re-paint.
El Caminos are just cool, that’s all. Don’t know why, they just are. I am not the world’s biggest Chevy fan, but for any given year of Chevelle, an Elky would be one of my top choices for bodystyle.
We did a CC on one of these a couple of years ago. https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1982-chevrolet-el-camino-every-day-is-satyr-day/
On the East Coast they are quite common as we’ll. Where I live in northern Virginia, a neighbor has an 80s El Camino SS semi-factory custom and there are two 80s examples that look like work vehicles. The earlier generations are rarer, but I see one on the road at least once a month. The survival rate of these vehicles must rival that of Mercedes W123 diesels, and their usefulness must be the main reason.
Great post- with all those ElCo’s on the street, you must have had to stop for pics about 3 times a day!
My favorite are the 68-69’s. Interesting that when the facelifted 70’s hit, the bodysides of the ElCo kept the 68-69 style, without the blisters around the wheelwells. I think Chevelle Wagons of that period also kept the older bodyside styling.
As to their ubiquity, perhaps it’s a Southbay thang? Living there myself, I think it’s a ‘tribal’ thing. It’s a marketing buzzword, but in truth groups of people have historically formed tribes around religions, leaders,ideas, etc. Think of music and Deadheads. The rather unique cultural make-up of the Southbay of Los Angeles contains a diverse mix of white and latino and asian. I think what makes this melting pot coexist so peacefully is they see themselves as the honest working class, different from the dreamers and schemers that make up the larger Los Angeles. And I would posit that the El Camino is the perfect representation of their self-image. Honest. Hardworking. American. Cool. Tough.
In fact, one of my favorite cantinas makes a killer Margarita. Across the country, the top shelf Margie is usually called the Cadillac Margarita. This bar calls theirs the El Camino!
These were popular but are now rare in rust country. I do have a relative in a rural area that has a final gen model that is in pretty good shape. He was hoping his collage age sons would appreciate it – but they are far more smitten by their Mom’s late model Mustang.
I agree there is a Latino / working class ethos to these and given how many are involved in the trades or are doing work independently, they make a practical ride while standing out with their vintage looks. A practical car for guys that can wrench their own cars.
+1 El Camino owners are the polar opposite of those swarms of LA douche bags in their shiny new Porsches and BMWs.
The EC owner is in it for keeps and would no sooner sell his car than he would his dog. You rarely see these change hands but they do get handed down to the younger generations. Fewer changes of ownership (more love) means more units still in operation.
Re The bodysides-All these years and I never noticed that! A quick comparo of brochure pics confirms this-Here I was thinking that ’70-’72 Elco & wagon fenders were the same as the others.
Pretty sure it’s “South Bay”, but no matter. It might be interesting to note that the local two-year college is called El Camino, and that El Camino Real (The padres’ “Royal Road”) runs along the coast through the South Bay.
Chevrolet learned how to build a ute in NA, very clever, they’ve building them since the 30s in Australia top of the ute range for GMH. I actually see ElCaminos locally along with most Chev pickups ever made they are not in short supply here,
Theoretically we have been making them here since the dawn of the last century. Every early light truck was based off a car chassis. They just didn’t have unitized beds in most cases.
Being a ElCamino/Caballero owner I can tell you one of the reasons they are so popular is the fact that they can do more and usually do it better than your average mini truck built in the same years. Why settle for a wheezy 4 banger that rides like ……well a truck when you can have a some what anemic V-8 truck that hauls the same and rides and handles like a car. Than there is the cowboy Cadillac aspect of it. A way more classy ride IMO.
I don’t know about that “A driveline any idiot can fix also allows these El Caminos to keep on truckin’” statement. I’ve seen my share of idiots who couldn’t fix anything. Well I had a more colorfull metaphor but you get the idea.
Everybody made pickups/flivvers/what have you. The last sentence of your second paragraph is the reason the Coupe Utility was created in the first place.
Dave’s outline of the essential El Camino traits of 201″ Overall length, 117″ wheelbase, 3,300 pound curb weight, and 5 liter V-8 power is remarkably close to an Australian ute albeit a bit larger in external dimensions at least.
I live on the West Side and I see them all the time as well. My guess would be that people originally bought them for style and current owners keep them for their utility. When these were new (at least until the ’80s), they were more expensive but also a lot more civilized than most pickup trucks. If you needed a reasonably wieldy light-duty hauler for, say, the gardening businesses of which L.A. has an abundance, they made a lot of sense. They still serve fairly well in that capacity, which may be why some of these clapped-out examples are still running (if barely) when their sedan, coupe, and hardtop contemporaries have long since gone to the junkyard.
I also live in the South Bay area of Los Angeles, and I can vouch that there are El Caminos everywhere around here! Our local community college is even called… El Camino College! (Pure coincidence, of course, but funny.)
There are two of the later-gen models I see in my gym’s parking structure on an almost daily basis, both light blue.
The girl who cuts my hair, a tatted up girl in her early 30s from San Pedro, told me once how she bought an El Camino a few years ago only to have it stolen almost immediately. Apparently they are in high demand.
Below is a picture I snapped about a year ago of the back end of a pristine El Camino in Manhattan Beach:
Curiously, I have quite the family connection with El Camino’s, even though I’ve never been a fan because 1) I tolerate Chevies by exception only, and 2) I’m not a ute fan; if you need a truck get truck, if you want car get a car. Full disclosure, I grew up in LA.
My paternal grandfather bought one new in ’66, the year of my birth, w/ a 327 and auto. He worked that vehicle mercilessly for the next 35 years, until he had stroke or heart attack in the driver’s seat after driving home from the post office at 93 years old. My Dad being far more sentimental than grandpa was toward the old lump, has kept it in the suburban backyard of the house where I grew up. Its so wore out, it would cost much more to restore than it will be worth, but Pop can’t give it up. It’s also true that I come from strong hoarder stock!
Four years ago, after my son turned 16, my folks were making their annual visit to see us in Virginia. On the afternoon they were to arrive, a sharp looking, gloss black, 1983 El Camino with 17″ wire wheels shows up in the driveway. WTF? Pop had found it on service call, cut a deal, then had the engine, tranny and suspension rebuilt. Hell of a lot better than I got for my first car!
My folks next door neighbor grew up in that house, and we used to hang together from grade school through high school, but we had gone our own ways for the past 25 years. When he saw the El Camino, and heard my dad’s intentions, he said “You know Charlie hates Chevies, right?” Much to my chagrin, the El Camino has gotten pride of place in our garage since then! Its rarely driven since the boy left for college, and he’s much more, ahem, risk averse, than I was at that age.
I have a ’71 GMC Sprint ( the El Camino’s twin sister ) sitting in storage awaiting restoration. I even published a full-length article on it here a few weeks back.
Dave and SCKid- I myself am a South Bay resident, and also a graduate of El Camino College. I also worked as a mechanic at both Champion and Martin Chevrolet. The warranty clerk at Martin had a gorgeous ’80-’84 Elco in that two-tone gold / champagne color. He later sold it and bought an Aveo.
Have you guys ever gone to the cruise night at Ruby’s Diner in Redondo Beach? If you ever see either a white ’75 Corvette or a pale yellow ’72 Olds Delta 88 convertible, that’s me 🙂 . You guys ever wanna hang out, gimme a holler.
I also grew up in Redondo Beach and still live here much of the time. In ’93 we bought a new truck at Martin. The Karmann Ghia hasnt been on the road for a couple of years but I have taken the Thing down to Ruby’s a few times the last two years. Its great because you see a lot of unusual stuff, even if it is “officially” for old hot rods.
The Thing is down for fuel system repairs, but I’ll be down there anyway, camera in hand.
I forgot to mention- due to their overwhelming popularity, finding replacement body, trim, and interior bits for these rides are a snap. Companies like Original Parts Group, Year One, and National Parts Depot make and sell absolutely everything for El Caminos and their Sprint / Monte Carlo / Chevelle siblings.
There is a late 70’s era Elkie in my neighborhood here in Seattle. It’s burgundy, and a Conquista as well.
It looks to be an early 80’s variant, due to the original radio it has in it still.
There is a more modern 6×9 2 way speaker sitting on the drive hump. I can’t recall if an aftermarket deck (CD unit most likely) was added under neath the radio, but is stock otherwise.
Don’t exactly consider myself the archetypal El Camino Fan, but I REALLY loved this post, thanks!!!
Ditto. I don’t have time at the moment but I feel an article on the different sub-species of ute might be entertaining.
As far as the “best” El Camino goes it’s hard to pick between the 68-72s and 78-87s. The photos of the Colonnade years remind me how awful those were. I can’t think of any in my town which is littered with the late 60s and G-body models.
No one would compare a ’68 Chevelle hardtop coupe to a ’78 Malibu 2-door sedan for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the hardtop’s styling advantage on the Chevelle. The El Camino takes away that advantage and it becomes more of a draw.
I attribute the longevity to the BOF construction, styling, good driving characteristics (including comfort) and “good” demos. Probably more of a guy’s car than even the Corvette, more often than not a blue collar guy who took pride in keeping his car in top shape and doing his own work. ECs weren’t worked hard enough to wear out like an old pick up. Imagine a favorite pair of jeans that never wear out, that’s an El Camino to me.
Highly coveted and yet rarely stolen, no real man would take another guy’s El Camino. Great finds Dave.
“In closing, I don’t see the El Camino ever returning to production.”
The Pontiac “Sport Truck” was so near, yet so far… Whether it would have succeeded is an open question. The ‘traditional’ El Camino model would be a pickup version of a Malibu – I’m not sure that would be any better!
Be kind to the 4th gen whales. Yeah, they’re fat and not going to set the world on fire with performance, but they ride really good thanks to all that wheelbase and weight, and the interior is huge. My 1973 accommodates my 6’2″ frame very comfortably and I have almost as much storage space behind the seats as a subcompact hatchback’s cargo area.
Yes, thank you. One of the most comfortable & smoothest-riding vehicles I’ve owned was a ’77 SS with the notch bench seat (armrest). There wasn’t much SS left other than the slightly strangled 350, 8″ Rally Wheels & round speedometer setup but the A/C would freeze you out and the 2.56ish rear axle made high-speed cruising a pleasure.
My favorite El Nino is the ’68 model…the ’73-’77 are my #2 favorite.
Interesting thought on that strong a/c. I always wondered if these came with the same systems as in regular Malibu sedans, or if they offered special parts with reduced capacity for a car with a half-sized (or less) interior. Manufacturing efficiency would seem to be in favor of using the same system in the Elky. If so, there is probably no better vehicle to be in on a blistering hot day.
The El Camino has also had a busy film and TV career, with Hollywood’s hottest leading men at the wheel.
“The Mexican” starring Brad Pitt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJsX0d_FIqk
“Archer” – the title character’s car: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCZ-SVX1BFM
Quite frankly I am surprised the Holden SS Ute is not sold in the US as an El Camino, I thought there would be market for it, especially when you consider what people pay to restore an old El Camino, but hey, what do I know 🙂
You and me both. I recall seeing a Holden ute tricked out as an El Camino SS at the Carlisle GM Nationals a few years ago. It had a crowd at least five deep around it the entire time it was there. Maybe GM got cold feet after its other Aussie import experiment (the GTO) went over like the proverbial lead balloon?
I’m late here, but like Bryce said, there are a variety of El Caminos here in NZ too -and we never even got ’em new lol! Most are the ’78-’87 shape, but older ones are around – a close friend’s partner had a ’68 that they just sold locally. There was a glorious black ’82 near my place from the mid-90s until a year or three ago – it looked fantastic as the cladding below the rub strip was chromed. El Caminos aren’t a daily sighting here, but i’d still them most weeks.
Personally I like the concept of carlike ride/handling and economy, and a lot of other folks must do too as car-based Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon utes are still available new and sell well. The Falc now has a non-unitised tray, but it’s still all sedan until the B-pillar. The Falcodores are far more practical than many other new pick ups as they don’t need step ladders to reach the bed. For many people that makes them far more usable on a daily basis than the new (and very tall) Colorado or Ranger.
So in Aussie and NZ at least, the El Camino and Ranchero live on in spirit via their Commodore and Falcon cousins.
El Caminos used to be standard equipment for the pool guys cruising the neighborhoods of L.A. with chemicals, brushes, and poles in the back. They were the perfect vehicle for the task.
I had a 78 SS. It came with 350 and a Borg Warner 4 speed. Rebuilt the motor including and Edellbrock performer cam and manifold along with a 600 holly. Broke the Borg Warner and put in a Muncie M21 with a Hurst super shifter. Took out the 3rd rear end grabbing 3rd gear drag racing the night before I was supposed to sell it to my brother. If I had not moved to California with their SMOG test I would probably still have it 30 years later.
Hi guys. I live in the south bay as well and I see a lot of el caminosis from all different model years all the time. I read in one car magazine that having an El Caminos today in So Cal is like making a fashion statement of “cool”. And, to some, EC’s is a daily driver/ work horse to others as well as an affordable way enter the classic car experience. I own a 1971 El Camino. It was in rough shape, but over the years I was blessed to turn it into a crowd pleaser. ( most of the interest was because I did a rattle can paint job in my backyard that featured hand drawn Graphics throughout the entire racestripes that I did with sharpie markers and clear coat). I’ve gotten parts from many of the suppliers mentioned here in this sight. I’m running a SB 350, bored .30, comp cam, Edelbrock 600 carb, high pro rockers & rollers, 12” rear, SS dash, B&M floor shifter, shirt Hedders, dual magma flow exhaust system, lowered with 18” staggered F/R tires. The suspension is a total restomod touring package for strip or road courses. Like one of your readers said,. I too, work hard to earn an honest living and I do whatever I can to my EC based on my skill level. And being able to do some work myself has also contributed to the pride of owning an entry level hot rod that I can also haul my bike and beach chairs to the beach. I want to share some pictures with everyone.
Well done Gary! Great to see you enjoying your ElCo.
I just love good looking, practical, multi faceted vehicles that can be maintained by the owner… your pride in yours seems well justified- any chance of a couple more photos including a close up of those hand drawn graphics?