“A vehicle to go to church in on a Sunday and which can carry our pigs to market on Mondays” may well be the strangest design brief in automotive history, but it was the one that spawned the development of the “coupe utility” in Australia in 1932. The first example from Ford Australia hit the market in 1934, and the concept was quickly adopted by manufacturers from many countries. Chevrolet’s contribution was the El Camino, a vehicle that first appeared in 1959, and subsequently remained in production from 1964 until 1987. Our feature El Camino is a 1973 SS that presents exceptionally well. Its elderly owner has enjoyed this classic but has decided that the time is right for it to find a new home. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Randy J for spotting the SS listed here on Craigslist in South Daytona, Florida. They have set their price at $17,800 for a classic where the buyer could fly in and drive it home.
Chevrolet released its Fourth Generation El Camino range in 1973, continuing its practice of basing the latest model on its Chevelle Station Wagon underpinnings. Our feature vehicle is a first-year SS that presents beautifully in Medium Red. The seller is honest in their assessment of its overall condition, confirming that as a fifty-two-year-old classic, it does have a few minor cosmetic flaws and imperfections. However, what this El Camino lacks is rust and a body filled with gallons of Bondo. It is as solid as the day it was built, the panels are straight, and the overall presentation virtually guarantees it will turn heads wherever it goes. The trim is in excellent condition for its age, as are the original “Turbine 1” wheels. The seller recently spent $3,200 on a Rhino Liner below the bed’s tonneau cover, protecting that aspect from typical wear and tear.
This El Camino’s interior carries the hallmarks of a classic that has been treated respectfully. Light vinyl trim is prone to becoming “dirty” and yellow with age, but this isn’t the case here. It looks crisp, clean, and free from significant wear. The dash looks excellent, and considering how expensive replacements are, it is a relief that the pad isn’t cracked. I’m not a fan of the Grant wheel, but that is personal taste. Someone has installed a pair of additional gauges in the dash, and the seller added a modern CD player. However, reversing those changes should be possible if the buyer prefers a “stock” appearance. There aren’t a lot of factory options, although potential buyers in warm locations will welcome the news that the entire air conditioning system is new.
Powering this El Camino is a 350ci V8, teamed with a three-speed automatic transmission and power-assisted steering and brakes. We’re flying slightly blind here because Chevrolet offered 1973 SS buyers a choice of two versions of its iconic small-block. It is unclear which this is, meaning that the power and torque figures could be 145hp and 255 ft/lbs, or 175hp and 275 ft/lbs. The seller also doesn’t indicate whether they hold evidence verifying the claimed odometer reading of 86,000 genuine miles. However, what is beyond question is that this SS is in excellent mechanical health. It runs and drives extremely well, with no needs or shortcomings.
I admit a bias towards vehicles like this 1973 Chevrolet El Camino SS because I use a 1996 Australian Ford Falcon “ute” as my daily driver. It is as comfortable as a Sedan but offers greater load-carrying capacity and versatility than a Station Wagon. Compromise is sometimes challenging, but the “coupe utility” pulls it off extremely well. This El Camino is a gem that appears to need nothing. Reversing the few changes to return the vehicle to its factory form would be easy, as would squeezing a few additional ponies from its small-block V8. Have you ever considered owning a classic like this? If so, could this SS be a strong contender?
Love the Caminos Clarkey. You know it, practical, functional, and cool 😎
This looks to be a really nice one, although personally, I never really warmed to this body style. No mention is made of a repaint, but the trim would appear to indicate that it once had a vinyl top. GLWTS!! :-)
I agree with you on the body style. My favorite ‘Caminos are the 59, 60 and the later squared ones that arrived in the late 70s.
This looks really nice. Very clean, very straight. It may have had a vinyl top judging by the chrome trim on the roof. It looks like its been very well taken care of. This looks like a nice buy for somebody.
I thought all SS models had the round sport gauges
If I’m not mistaken an SS should have a vinyl top, round gauges like the Monte Carlo, and a SS badge above the glove box. I think it should have SS stripes too. It is a nice looking Elky that I would add to my collection.
Vinyl top was a free flow option. The base gage package had a Fuel Economy gage instead of a tach. Tach was optional.
GM must have jumped the gun on the El Camino, as it has the energy-absorbing bumper on the rear. Most 1973 automobiles didn’t have the big beam back there. This is a nice example of a classic car/truck hybrid. I’m thinking the engine is the lower output of the two, as that air cleaner looks like it’s hiding a two-barrel underneath.
Terry, I think 73s had a “2&1/2 mph” back bumper. My bumper experience is with Novas, but 73 & 74 had the same bumper, but the 74s had shock absorbers rather than brackets to connect the bumper to the car, making the 74 a “5 mph” bumper. On a 74 Nova the front and back bumper assemblies total weight was about 200 lbs.
This generation of the Elky didn’t use the energy absorbers on the rear bumper. They were bolted on.
Agreed on the 2-barrel, as Quadra-Jet equipped GM Cars had a HUGE air cleaner inlet.
Sharp looking elCamino. I think the restorer took some artistic liberty with this one. The colors are not from the 73 palette. SS models would have had the dual stripe that wrapped around the sides and tailgate and likely a round speedo and fuel gage/tach. The only real SS feature are the Turbine I wheels.
I agree, Nelson C’s correct, not an SS.
The SS package did not come with the stainless rocker panels, but did include a black or white upper body wrap around stripe, a tailgate SS emblem, a black grill with SS emblem, wheel opening moldings and SS emblems on the door panels. This El Camino has the standard straight speedometer while SS’s came with round gauge pods in the instrument cluster, though only a speedometer and gas gauge were included, full instrumentation was optional. The moldings on the b-pillar indicate this Camino previously had a vinyl top, and it’s had a color change because “Dark Red Metallic” was the only red offered in 73 . I order a new 73 SS 454 4 speed but then cancelled it and kept my 71 Camino instead (I still have it). I later bought a new 77 El Camino.
every 73 ss i ever saw had round gauges. i worked with a guy back in the 80s that had a 454 mino ss. not sure what is going on here but i know it’s too bright
The dash emblem above the glove box was different than the 74 thru 77.
So ACZ, it’s the same as the Novas…shocks on 74, brackets on 73. All that said, if circumstances were a little different I’d have this car…and it’s only 50 miles from me.
Had 3 El Caminos – a ’64 I found in my driveway with a note from a car-salesman friend saying “if you want this, $500”; a gorgeous blue ’69; and a black and white ’73 that was my daily driver for many years and which I bought and sold twice. Loved them all.
68 to 72 was a lot better looking vehicle IMHO
dang bumper
Love the Caminos, I’ve had 7 of them. That one’s in beautiful condition
Here is a really nice, real SS for sale right now on EBay.https://www.ebay.com/itm/256819182831
It has the dark red metallic color that gbvette mentions. I like the buckets (swivel for the driver) better than the bench, and the console with shifter looks good too.
That was absolutely gorgeous. And you can see what it looks like with a vinyl top.