Like some 115 other people, I’ve been watching this 1959 El Camino here on eBay for quite a while. It has a great look to it, although I’m a bit nervous about the rust. Five thousand dollars seems like a decent deal for a first year V8 powered El Camino, but it appears no one is quite willing to take the plunge and hit the Buy It Now button. If the engine were complete and running, I have a feeling this one would have sold a long time ago. The seller does give the option to make an offer, so perhaps they would be willing to drop the price a could thousand. If the engine is free, it shouldn’t be hard to find parts for and get running, but that’s a big if. I would want to inspect this one carefully before spending much on it, as the rust could be a serious issue. So would you leave this truck with its original “patina” or would you give it a proper paint job?
“El Camaro?” Now there’s an idea for a custom…
Haha wouldn’t that be a killer custom? Thanks for catching that! Since getting my Fiat to Boise, I’ve been a bit sleep deprived.
Aww, and I was looking forward to seeing what a ’59 Camaro would look like! ^_^
For those folks that think the ’58 Edsel was ugly, I offer the ’59 Chevy. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Not sure the ’59 Brookwood 2 door wagon ( which this car was based off) tailgate will work on these. Probably why this one’s missing. Worth more than the car. Personally, I liked the ’58-’59 Chevy styling. ’60, not so much. Sorry, too much work here with the one piece body.
Pretty rusty..minus…no gas cap..minus..no oil rag in filler tube (ala Farm Truck) well…that’s a plus. I did have a ’59 Biscayne with the 235 and a 3 on the tree my senior year.Drove the wheels off of it. Might have been a ’60
Being from the southwest this thing is worse than a lot of the Midwest rustbelt cars I’ve seen lately on ebay & craigslist. Not worth over $500. JMHO !!!
Always wanted a ’59 but couldn’t find one that was reasonable. This truck is worth what he’s asking if you look at the market.
That A/C option is unusual. Must be aftermarket?
Ouch. I owned one of these (and a 60 El Camino too)..mine was set up with a 350/350 with power steering. Great truck for hauling motorcycles. This one looks like a huge project. If you can’t do your own metal work, run away from this one!
Way too needy to bother with; even if you were a skilled welder/fabricator and autobody tech and could do most of the metal repairs yourself you’d still probably be upside down on this one for at least the next 20-30 years. About the only thing I could see this poor ole thing being good for is a late ’50s-early ’60s style full custom nostalgia build, and again you’d either have to have a spare $100K to sink into custom metal fabbing or be a talent metalworker yourself. Pass!
Where are the good pictures —Mr. Gorbachev — Crush This Car—and the 37 chev truck
I have been around these 59 El Caminos for more than 30 years. This one might NOT even be a decent parts car. I agree with most of the comments except Steve Yorks, totally disagree with you sir. There is hardly a short list to talk about good things going on with this car. To get this car to a nice driver level will easily cost twice, maybe 4 times what the car is worth. Look hard at the market. You can find one of these for 25 – 50K done, and done well. If you have ever restored a car like this, you know, this car is again a parts car at best. $500, maybe $1000 MAX. I had to sell my last one during the recession and I let it go for $12K and I am sick to my stomach. It was a rust free CA car, very clean, very solid, very unmolested and it was drive-able. if you know anything about 59 El Caminos you will know that they have a very weird market. They are 5-10K junk with a tree growing through it or show ready restored for 40K give or take 15K. This car has had this market around it for 25 years. there are very few between the condition of this car and already restored. You can buy a nice 59 for way less than this would take. No gate, no drivetrain, interior, swiss cheese…..good luck.
Tom,
I too have been around the ’59 El Camino for many years and I have to agree with you on the market for these. I watched the price go up on these over the last twenty years and it is just crazy IMO. I sold my nice driver ’59 about 5 years ago for $13k it was an original NorCal car with no rust, (bought in ’99)
I still have my first rust free ’59 under cover I bought in ’94. Also from NorCal, I have best of everything for car, swap meet finds over the last 20 years. Thinking I will one day soon start the restoration. I have to agree that you are better off buying one done in today’s market than buying a rust bucket and spending $40-50k
As far as tailgates for these they are not impossible to find, I sold my extra less than a year ago for $200, looking at the car price today maybe that was giving it away.?
Gary :
I am restoring a 59 Camino myself and am having a hard time finding a drivers side rear valance and an Armrest for my interior ! If you have either of these as a spare would you let me know my e-mail is joereimers@yahoo.com
There’s a reason the car wasn’t restored by the owner. If it was in a serious wreck, the frame might have taken on unrecoverable damage & thus would never drive right … especially at high speeds! I’d have to inspect that frame & wheel well/floor bed rust to better know what I’m getting into.
Wait, NO TAILGATE?!?? Talk about hard to find… -_-
I came really close to buying a 1960 El Camino in college. Way less rust than this one, all the trim was present but had been removed. Three-on-the-tree and no reverse(!!) all for only $125. Ah the ways I could have used my student loan instead of for classes… ^_^
Houston, TX car originally….so most likely where the rust came from – Mohr Chevy was a big dealer back in the day….also had a dealership in Dallas – that got gobbled up…..
I was 10 years old in 1959 and I remember getting an AMT model of a 1959 El Camino for my birthday. I built lots of model kits in those days. My brother and I blew lots of them up with firecrackers. :)
Having said that, that’s just a little more than patina!
Hate to say it….JUNK.. Put it to sleep.
Lose those goofy wheels and damaged w/s and you’d have a pretty decent car.
For me the $5,000.oo is not t0 bad but it is the top price for the truck that looks at about 85% but I’d have to open the hood & if it does not have the 327 with roller bearings & the fuel injector on it then it’s been changed & that $5,000.oo is way steep . . . too steep. The body & chrome looks good but I have not kicked the tires so I don’t know. If 1 does buy keep in mind that with the 327 rollers & the Fule Injecter you may be have a true classic but without Its way overvalued. Only 2 GM goodies ( other than the police pack Impala ) had the Fuel Injector on the 327 The ”59 Grand Sport Corvette & the ElCamino.
The rust is not true rust its sunburn of the paint if it was rust & this old it would have a bad pitting problem.
Yes the aftermarket wheels are a problem but if you had factory steel or classic 1960’s era mags you could pull it off
I have a ’59 El Camino with 45,000 original miles. I am the 3rd owner and have lots of bills and receipts. The car has nearly every extra and piece of ginger bread available except factory a/c. Still has the original motor but now runs a T-350 instead of the non-stock stick it had when I got it. Mostly original paint too, so they are around if you are lucky enough to stumble on one that the owner will allow you to pry it from his grasp.
Do not be too hard on these 59, this is mine, built it in 1981, still going strong.
Was a 348, tri power, 4 speed with factory power windows–including the vents– I changed it to a 427, Richmond 5 speed and a 6-71 blower. Morley
I love the styling of the 59 over the 60 as the 59 has more curves to the body where the 60 seems more straight with sharp edges. Nice car Morley.
Thanks JW, could not agree more.
Car needs way more than it’s REALLY worth. Sorry to say if look around you can find a turn key driver for a lot less then you will have in this vehicle by the time you are finished. It would be alright as a donor or parts car. Unfortunately in my opinion and I have a59 El Camino walk away actually at that price run away from this one. TO MUCH for TO LITTLE.
How to buy this car let me no
I don’t get how to make a price offer or how to contact the seller. It would be nice to see all 4 sides & interior.