I can’t stop looking at El Caminos! Every time I come across one, I check it out. While I like the ’67, my preferred is the ’68 to ’72 variation. It is rare to find one in original condition and not somehow modified. And the modifications are OK as long as they are well executed. In continuing with this quixotic El Camino exercise, here is a ’71 example to review. It is located in Thousand Oaks, California and available here on eBay for a BIN price of $8,500.

So what exactly do we have in this El Camino? It has been modified but understanding its origins can be helpful. The 1971 model year was the last use of Chevrolet’s “old” VIN format so there is limited information to be gleaned from it. What can be verified that this is a ’71 model year, originally equipped with a V8 engine and produced in “L” which is Los Angeles, specifically at the Van Nuys plant as opposed to the Southgate assembly plant. The trim tag lists the production date as “8B” so that’s the second week of August but it is uncertain if it is ’70 or ’71 so it could have been built either very early or a very late in the model year (there is usually another label in the door jamb that will state specific month/year manufacturing date but there is no included image).

Under the hood is a 454 CI, big-block V8 engine. It is not original to this vehicle. The seller states that its alpha code is CXX which places it as a ’76 passenger car version motor. It does start but the seller adds that he did not put it into gear or test this Camino’s movement ability. The seller advises that this truck should be considered as a non-runner. This Chevy is equipped with a Turbo-Hydramatic 350 three-speed automatic transmission which is wrong for this engine and was never produced as such. Under the backside, it gets even more interesting as the differential is a B-O-P (Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac), 8.2″ ten-bolt unit – I have never seen one of these under a Chevy of any ilk so it could be unusually original or it could have been the result of a drum to drum swap. How will all of this work? Probably not well if the engine is as strong as a 454 should be; neither the transmission nor the differential will be adequate for hard use. What is found here is rather typical though, based on my searches of this generation El Camino. They have a tendency to be a bit of a Frankencar.

This El Camino’s body as-found condition is pretty standard. The good news is that it is a life-long California vehicle. The seller claims this Chevy to be a “barn find” and it has been sitting for a lengthy period of time on concrete (concrete pad find?) and under a tarp. The previous owner was working on it but passed away before it got beyond its current condition. There is rust in the lower fenders, which almost seems unavoidable for one of these regardless of where it has resided. The rest of the body, however, looks pretty straight and solid. The bed has some surface rust but it doesn’t seem to be anything serious; same with the floors. There are included images of the underside too, again some light surface rust but nothing invasive. The finish would seem to have a peeling clear coat so perhaps this Camino was repainted somewhere in its past with a more modern two-step application. Whatever the case, it is worn looking.

Inside is a telling view. First up, the center console is wrong, it’s from a ’68 or ’69 Impala – it works, it’s not that different but it’s not original. So what, right? Basically yes, it just makes me think this Camino was originally a bench seat equipped truck. Speaking of seats, they’re included, they’re just not in their rightful location. They look OK though, no issues with the upholstery material but they don’t look original for this vintage El Camino. The sans-carpet view reveals that the floors appear to be sound, again, just some surface rust.

This El Camino is so similar to many that I review, it has some real possibility but it’s going to need a lot of work. Even so, I find the seller’s warning, ” STOP please don’t hit the buy it now ask your questions first !!!!!” to be a bit humorous, there’s some wishful thinking going on. Nothing wrong with positivity, of course, there’s just a lot here to consider and as is usually the case, a lot of unknowns. So what do you think, if you have become an El Camino-head the way I have, would you take a chance on this example or are there too many unknowns?

BTW, we covered a DeTomaso Pantera last week here on Barn Finds and of course, I said something silly like, “You don’t see these much anymore”. Well, this seller has one, you can spy its small bumper rear end in the above accompanying image and the Camino listing states that it’s for “liquidation sale” too.