If you had a hair helmet and wore your shirt collars outside of your sports jacket in 1980, you may have owned an El Camino. At least in looking at brochures showing the 1980 Chevrolet El Camino Conquista, such as this example posted for sale here on craigslist in East Wenatchee, Washington. The seller is asking $9,000 for this example, and thanks to Curvette for the tip! Here is the original listing.
I get it, I graduated from high school in 1980, and fashions, not to mention hairstyles, back then are laughable today. The fun part is that people today who think they’re so ridiculously fashionable and cool are going to look at least as lame in four decades, so there’s that. Just think how many sagging tattoos there’ll be in 40 years, ouch. “Cool” now, maybe, but when you’re old as H, maybe not so much. That currently-stylish and ever-present nose piercing will create a big, saggy hole in the side of your nostril, and all of those fun things. None of us will be young forever, as much as we like to think we are. I thought the same exact thing, as did the very first caveman.
One of these days, we’ll have to have a Barn Finds readers yearbook photo session: high school pic and now! I love that idea. Now, back to this still stylish Conquista El Camino! It looks a little rough around the edges, but this is likely a car that would be worth tinkering with to bring back to its former glory.
The white and red paint and rally wheels work well together, but you can see some nicks and scratches and other issues here and there. Then there’s the seat. I didn’t realize a vinyl seat was even available on such a high-end El Camino trim level. The fifth-generation El Camino was made for a decade, from 1978 to 1987, and I expected to see power windows at the very least here, given the Conquista trim.
The engine doesn’t show up in the 1980 El Camino brochures or other sources that I researched. The biggest V8 listed was a 305, but the seller says this is a 350-cu.in. OHV V8, which would have been available around 1982 or so. Not to mention a 350 V8 diesel! A bigger fad than your hair helmet. This 350 sends power through an automatic transmission to the rear wheels, and there’s a little “topper” or cap that goes with the sale. This engine has a new Edlebrock carb, a new distributor, alternator, starter, battery, and more. Hagerty’s at $7,300 for a Conquista with a 305 V8 in #4 fair condition, how much would you pay for this one?
I absolutely had a hair helmet and wore my shirt collars outside of jackets in 1980, but I drove a Ranchero (a few years later) instead of an El Camino. So your theory is spot on, Scotty,
Ha, you and me both, sir. I mean, on the hair and collars, I could only dream about having a Ranchero or El Camino in my yout’.
Cool ElCamino. I like the two tone. I’m thinking the 350 is a replacement, or perhaps they’re mistaken and it’s a 305. Love the brochure you included the link to Scotty, Two differen 3.8 V6 engines, the 229 (Chevrolet) and the 231 ( Buick). Read the fine print, remember those days? Only certain engines allowed in California? Due to emissions. I have seen one or 2 3 speed and 4 speed manual transmission ElCaminos, they’re rare as hens teeth, but I think would be kind of neat to have. I think that vinyl seat is original, if it were mine, I’d go with some kind of cloth. This will make a nice driver for someone.
I’m 100% with you on a nice fabric seat for sure, Dave. The two V6 engines were a little strange. I wonder how one was better for California than the other one was? Or, more like, how one was worse for California.
Now I’m thinking I should have made a four-door El Camino of this vintage; maybe I’ll work on that tonight.
DROP TOP ELCAMINO TIME!!!
So, those things that swing open to let people enter & leave the cabin, are Conquista-doors?
Tah boom boom tiss i see what you did there.
Ha, zinnnnnnnng! A tip of the hat, sir.
Danno.. That was good. Now Barnfinds needs a rim shot!!
Without power windows and a vinyl seat makes me think this is not a top of the line conquesta model but a normal el camino. Otherwise it is pretty nice and since it has the rare topper its worth the asking price or close to it to me.
I was wondering about that, CND, but the tailgate has a faded Conquista on it.