While the love affair Americans have for trucks remains a strong one, there isn’t much variety in the market. Ford, GM, and Dodge seem to think that a full-size truck is all we need. GM and Ford only produced their latest mid-size offerings begrudgingly. To be fair, it costs a lot of money to tool up for a different sized truck line. However, they can’t seem to recognize that a lot of customers would be happy to make payments on a more car-like hauler. Trucks like this 1984 Chevrolet El Camino, for sale on craigslist in Bedford, Virginia, would still be right at home in the suburbs. Until some enterprising company steps up to offer customers a real option, potential consumers will be forced to look for well kept El Caminos like this one. At least the $5,500 asking price is palatable.
Part of the blame lies with the front wheel drive revolution of the late eighties and early nineties. Nearly every platform produced by domestic automakers was transitioning to front wheel drive. While this seemed like a good idea to the bean counters and the engineers trying to lower each automakers average fuel economy to satisfy the feds, it left those of us who loved rear wheel drive out in the cold. What kind of sick puppy gets a thrill out of a front wheel drive burnout? This transition made it almost impossible for a next generation El Camino to make it off the drawing board. The more weight you put in the bed or on the trailer hitch, the less traction you would have if the vehicle utilized front wheel drive. Dodge and VW made it work with their pint sized car based pickups because they were smaller vehicles. Some would say that the definition of “made it work” is subject to interpretation.
So, 1987 was the last year for these versatile vehicles. Since their passing from Chevrolet dealerships, El Camino lovers eagerly snap up well-kept examples such as this one. With 86,829 miles on the odometer, there is a lot of life left in this truck. The body is straight and well kept, the interior is in good condition, and the drivetrain on these vehicles is about as rugged as they come. It is also a Conquistador model, which was the upper middle trim level positioned just below the coveted SS model.
When you look inside, you see that El Caminos were quite roomy for what would have been considered a “single cab truck.” Built off of a Malibu chassis, they shared a lot of the same interior components. The sills on these were the same height as that of a Malibu or Monte Carlo of the time, so entry and exit didn’t require hoisting yourself up. The car aspects of this vehicle made them very comfortable and easy to drive as well.
Under the hood of this El Camino is the popular for the time 305 cubic inch small block V-8. It is also equipped with an automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, power windows, and tilt steering. An aftermarket radio has replaced the original, and Chevrolet Rally wheels have traded places with the factory steel wheels. By the looks of the bumper sticker, I’d say that this truck is not owned by a retiree. Well, maybe a salty one…
All and all, this is a very nice truck for the price. The body is in great shape and the paint appears to have been cleaned and polished on a regular basis. The drivetrain will give you many trouble free miles, and you can rest assured that these trucks are very comfortable on trips both short and long. They are not trucks to go pick up a pallet of field stones with, but they are perfect for navigating the Home Depot parking lot on Saturdays. Which is, after all, usually the most rigorous task we put our trucks through anyway.
Do you think there is a place in today’s market for car based trucks?
False Wheel Drive is the norm unfortunately I’m surprised ford & gm didn’t sell there Aussie utes over there, I’ve one of a few ford falcon versions sold in the UK in the early 2000s by a company in London.
Which were avl with 4.0 inline 6 (with or without turbo) or 5.0 V8.
Craig, there was talk of GM bringing the Aussie Holden Commodore ute to the USA, badged as a Chevy El Camino, but for some reason it didn’t happen.
A childhood buddy of mine (RIP) had this generation of El Camino and absolutely loved it. It was perfect for doing deliveries for his arts supplies business.
Assuming that this one is as solid as it looks in the pics, it might be good buying.
I wouldn’t say the 305 was popular as much as it was all you could usually get.
Bet that air cleaner is good for 30 horsepower….
No, no, no Elrod! The air cleaner assembly is finished in Rattle Can Red. Add 35hp. The STP decal adds 5hp. Finally, the Summit Racing Equipment decal adds 15hp. No word yet, on if this El Camino is equipped with the highly sought-after chrome pumpkin cover. Good for another 15hp. LOL!
I like it very much !
Ford just dropping most cars to
specialize in no gas mileage SUVs and bigas s trucks.
https://money.cnn.com/2017/09/11/autos/countries-banning-diesel-gas-cars/index.html
I guess they are oblivious to non US builders dropping pure gas engines like Volvo and places like Paris banning gas engines or London .. ahh but we’re Americans we know more 🙃
Fyi i would buy a Camino or Ranchero new like many but again we’re just customers…. besides like my neighbors with 50 k ford trucks who never haul as it would scratch.. besides six to ten mpg is good till gas hits four bucks
Classic Steel our 2016 F-150 4×4 quad cab with the v6 ecoboost twin turbo gets 22 to 23 mpg highway and 16 city which 90 per cent of our driving is highway. We do haul stuff so we had a spray in bedliner done when we bought it. The only problem I have with it is you can’t back up with the tailgate down or the backup beepers go bezerk.
A CNN link ? They still in business ? Wow !
Advise on what you’re investing in ! Paris & London , haha ! Let them ban them ! When they revert back to the stone age in a solar powered bicycle, it will provide more fodder !
Shoot gas is over 4 dollars a gallon here in Hawaii. There are more giant lifted trucks here (most of them Tacoma’s) than anywhere I’ve ever lived
I’m guessing the author is not a fan of the RAM ProMaster vans 😉
Rwd quickly became a deal killer in the snow belt.
These are and were nice trucks! The biggest problem with them was payload! They just don’t handle weight at all! Too much weight and the rear wheels will scrub! This one is very nice tho!
Interesting. I’ve had six of them since 1966 and never had wheels scrub no matter how badly I overloaded them.
I guarantee that unless you have air shocks and you try to put a regular pickup load in it it will scrub! No doubt about it!
All four El Camino’s with the 305 V8 i owned came with air shocks and i believe 14 inch wheels. I pulled heavy loads and a 19 foot boat most weekends in the Summer with no problems and even towed a car more than a few times on a tow dolly.
There is no way those 14 inch wheels would ever scrub.
Car names were so much more interesting and fun back then compared to now. They got Conquistas, Swingers and Marauders; we get Prius and Cruze.
Yes,big market for these I have a lot and flip,before there finished I have usually got contact info for at least 4 buyers.The 67s bring the most money the 71s sell the fastest 78-87 just sell many buyers want v-6 all 73-77 can be crushed as there’s no market whatsoever.Occasionally you’ll uncover a clean 76 ss and it will sell. I buy all I can get ahold of ,good investment great market the GMCs bring a lot more and are more wanted
got any rancheros??,esp 68-72???
I drove an ’86 El Camino for 8 years – would easily haul motorcycles, garden tractors and even snowmobiles – and easy to load with the low tailgate height.
Later models came with air shocks. Rode beautifully – especially with a load on.
Mine had the FI 4.3 V6 – which I believe had more HP than the carbureted 305.
I lust after this ElCamino! I had an 80, had the 229 V6 and I still managed to get speeding tickets. Air shocks took care of the heavy load problem I had to keep a snow shovel in the bed during the Michigan winters but I never got stuck to where I had to call for a tow. Those Michigan winters got to the body faster than I could patch it tho…….
I love the 1 I have, mines an 85 with a 454 big block
Very nice, still like the G body
I had an 84’ Conquista for 10 years. Loved it, don’t know why we parted ways. Had Craegers and air shocks, was silver over black….beautiful truck, but a Packard came into my life and now that Nash Lafayette that was on sale here a couple weeks ago is being awaited on. Just not enough time in a day!