This 1987 Chevrolet El Camino SS Choo Choo Custom is located in Rockford, Illinois just west of Chicago. This car left the factory with the run of the mill standard Chevrolet 5.0 liter V8 engine and automatic transmission. The car is listed here on Craigslist for $2,000. The seller states that he is firm on this price and not willing to accept a lower offer. While the car is rough and will need a complete restoration, these car are rarely seen on the street today. Chevrolet dealers sold the Choo Choo Customs, Inc. version of the El Camino SS from 1983 to 1987. The conversion by Choo Choo Customs, Inc. of Chattanooga, Tennessee included a special front end, aerodynamic side skirts, hood bulge and SS graphics.
The gray interior is trashed and based on the only clear picture, the door panels are missing and the dash is beyond repair. Fortunately, this day is the same as the Monte Carlo, of which thousands were produced. The El Camino SS should have been equipped with tilt wheel, power windows, power locks and a full gauge package in the dash. This El Camino SS may need some wiring work based on the pictures. There are a lot of parts that are included in the bed which include trim pieces and some of the air conditioning ducts.
All Chevrolet El Camino SS cars were built with the peppy but under powered LG4 305 cubic inch V8 engine. However, this is not the same L69 190 horsepower engine that was installed in the Monte Carlo SS. The LG4 305 cubic inch V8 was designated by an H in the VIN and the output in 1987 was 165 horsepower and 250 lb ft of torque.
So this car is going to need body work, paint, interior work and engine work. The seller states that the motor is non-operable and will need a trailer. What is the market for these cars? Will this end up as a parts car?
Looks like this Choo-Choo derailed! The low price of admission makes it viable for someone in the local area, but a headache for anyone out of state/far away. GLWTS!! :-)
This Choo Choo is a train wreck
One can get one nicer cheaper sadly
I’d want to examine the frame closely. These were notorious for rot, particularly at the front of the trunk floor, but also the trailing arm mounts and sometimes under the cowl.
If it’s solid then the price isn’t too crazy; it would be a nice candidate for upgrades like an LS swap.
If the seller is firm on his price I wonder if he would be willing to clean out the dumpster called a bed?
This looks like quite a project that will keep one chasing parts for quite awhile. Think I would pay more for something that I could at least drive.
Doing detail work is easier than replacing common wear items,door locks,ignition cylinder,gauges,dash, engine, trans, wheels and on and on.
the only el camino’s worth owning were built before 1970, such as the 69 SS as far as I’m concerned general mistake haven’t built anything worth buying since 1970, they build something good and next year screw it up or drop it for the next heap! look at the new cadillac, pug ugly! new buicks? they have the balls to call them buicks? oldsmobile was a 100 time better car than buick! but no kill it!
I agree 100% the 69 was worth it after that was a waste of sheet metal
Midwest G body cars are bad for frame rot especially where they kick up over the rear axle, I have owned a half dozen G bodies including turbo Buick regals, all had frame rot, very strange because the Sheetmetal wasn’t rust at all