An El Camino can be a cool Chevelle alternative...

I've touched on this before but I had somebody ask me about El Caminos the other day, so I thought I'd re-iterate some facts for the general use. The El Camino was introduced in 1959 on the Impala body, to compete with the Fairlane based Ford Ranchero Pickup that had been around since 1957. It was long and ugly, ( '59 Impala tailfins on a truck bed?! ) and was discontinued after 1960. It was resurrected in 1964 on the all-new "A" body Chevelle chassis. Available with six-cylinder, or 283 or 327 small-block motivation they made nice drivers with more utility than a station wagon. Of course '64 was the year that the GTO turned the world on its ear. In late 1965 Chevy built about 200 or so Z16 "SS396" Chevelles, but no big block El Caminos. 1966 was the first full year of big-block Chevelle production. The 396 was available in 325 hp form with a hydraulic cam and a 375 hp form with a solid-lifter cam. Transmissions included 3 and 4 speed sticks and the TH400 automatic. The problem with El Caminos is they are lumped in with Chevelle sales; it's almost impossible to decipher how many of each model were built with what options. Except for the grille-1967 was pretty much the same as 1966. In 1968 the all-new "A-bodys arrived. Many people, myself included, think the 1968-72 El Camino is the best-looking one of all. The venerable 327 gave way to the new 350, and small-block models got the new TH350 if an automatic was ordered, and these were light-years better than the ancient Powerglide they were replacing.  They had every option that the Chevelle / Malibu line had, but again-there's no separate sales figures-their lumped in with Chevelle sales. In 1970 the 454 was introduced, the LS5 producing 360 hp, and the LS6 a whopping 450. There were a few LS6 Elkys built, no one knows how many. 1971 saw compression ratios lowered, and 72 saw the industry change from gross to net horsepower ratings, so it looked like power was down more than it actually was. 71-72 models had single headlamps as opposed to the dual lamps of the 68-70's. Otherwise the body was unchanged. 1971 also saw the introduction of the GMC "Sprint" which was a re-badged El Camino sold through Pontiac / GMC dealers. In 1973 the "A" bodys were redesigned yet again, and federal bumper impact standards hurt. Most people hated the new Collonade hardtops and complained that the '68-72 style was better looking. This sentiment continues today. The redesign didn't hurt El Camino sales however, they remained steady, and cool options like swivel bucket seats became available. However the emphasis became more on luxury than on performance. The 396 / 402 was dropped altogether, and the 454 was down to 245 net hp. Most El Caminos were 350 powered. This body remained basically unchanged until 1977. In 1976 however, the big-blocks were no longer an option. 1978 saw the "A" bodies downsized. About 600 lbs lighter than the outgoing '77 models, a 350 powered '78 El Camino SS was actually a pretty good performer. This basic body remained until the "G" bodys demise in 1988. After 1980 a 305 was the largest V8 you could get. In 1983 the engineers put the Aero nose of the Monte Carlo SS on the Elky, and this helped sales. However, with the SUV explosion, the "Car / Truck" that had been a mainstay since 1964 no longer had a market, and poor sales sealed it's doom. The model was dropped after 1987. They have kind of a "cult" following-( especially 1968-72 models ), but you can find a deal one if you look past the end of your nose. El Caminos are kind of a buy-it-if-you like it-car. I had three of them over the years, liked them all, but they didn't stir the passion in me that my Judge or my Trans-Am did. ( Not even the SS396 model ). But that doesn't mean you can't be happy in one, especially if you save money in lieu of an overpriced Chevelle.  Mastermind