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ElCo-What? 1 of 45 1986 Chevrolet Elco Truck

Boasting flared fenders, wide tires and wheels, and a design few enthusiasts will recognize, this Chevrolet-based “Elco” can be yours for the asking price of $15,000. Listed as “1 of 44,” it was called a “Super Stepside Sport Truck” here at hotrod.com in 2003. Designer and entrepreneur Donald Lee Fuselier sold 45 in total as a DIY fiberglass body kit, guaranteeing exclusivity. This particular 1986 Chevrolet “Elco” in The Villages, Florida seeks a new owner here on Ocala, Florida craigslist. Thanks to reader Pat L. for spotting this rare and shiny Chevy.

Chrysler owes the Elco’s designer homage for penning the 2005 Charger R/T front some years earlier. The one-piece design mandates Ninja-like reactions in traffic as a “fender bender” could sideline this car for months while a new front clip is sourced or, more likely, fabricated from scratch. Power that cell phone off before twisting the key on this one.

Here the Elco’s heritage as a 1986 Chevrolet Caprice can be fully appreciated, and a plethora of aftermarket Chevy bow ties more than offset the Elco’s subdued exterior badging. You can almost feel the soft velour, soft suspension, and soft brakes inviting you to settle into a nap-like trance while dozens of cars queue up behind you in the fast lane. Welcome to Florida.

“Slathered” or “entombed” may best describe the headlight mounting system. Aiming the headlights may amount to about a 400-hour operation that includes re-fabricating large chunks of the fiberglass hood. All joking aside, the tidy engine compartment houses a V8 displacing 305 cid (5.0L) and making 165 HP, enough to propel the stock Caprice to 60 MPH in a sedate 10.8 seconds. Thanks to automobile-catalog.com for some details.

Design-wise the the Elco may have saved the best for last. The Corvette-inspired tail-lights and ’50s emblem dress up an otherwise smoothed posterior, augmented by dual insets behind each rear wheel. Overall it looks like a well-executed custom or low-production kit, interesting enough to attract waves from Chevy fans who may even stalk you to hear the vehicle’s story. Stay easy on the gas and no one will know your rumbling V8 packs 100 fewer horsepower than a RAV4. What would you pay for this 1-of-45 Chevy?

Comments

  1. Avatar Rick

    It was always sold as the “Super step side”, never an “Elco”. Neat conversions if done properly.. a different engine could certainly wake the thing up.

    Like 8
  2. Avatar Steve

    Kill it before it multiplies! It looks like something a drunk jr. high kid dreamed up!

    Like 25
  3. Avatar Saul Member

    Funny how the front and rear styling cues from 1986 ended up on performance cars a decade later, re: Charger R/T, Vette. Shame this thing, based on a full size Chevy, blazes no trail in the interior or performance department. PASS

    Like 4
    • Avatar J_Paul Member

      The underlying Chevy is from 1986, but the conversion was done sometime after 2000 (sourced from the linked article). So that would explain why it looks more modern, at least.

      As for the front, I think the designer was trying to go for a 1998+ Camaro look, but had to make do with the Caprice proportions.

      Like 3
  4. Avatar PaulG

    Sorry, wrong number…

    Like 5
  5. Avatar Mark

    No. Just no.

    Like 8
  6. HoA Howard A Member

    Well, I wouldn’t want to own it, but I think it looks really cool. Even the wheel wells look right for a change.

    Like 6
  7. Avatar Will Fox

    Yeesh….a kit car done off of a 2-box (`80-`89) Caprice? No thanks. It was bad enough getting laughed at in HS driving a Pinto. I’m not reliving that nightmare!

    Like 7
  8. Avatar Mark

    Reminds me of the Chevy Trailblazer with the same out of proportion over stretched wheelbase…..they look like they are going to sag in the middle.

    Like 3
  9. Avatar Tirefriar

    I was able to stomach through most of it up until I got to the view of the front end. Have to go, need to clean the computer screen…

    Like 2
  10. Avatar Gene Parmesan

    I had those wheels on my Tacoma in the early 2000s and man, they aged horribly, hah. I can usually find something nice to say about nearly any vehicle, but this is abhorrent on every single level. Pure, unadulterated, internal-combustion-driven garbage.

    Like 2
  11. Avatar Stillrunners

    1970 Challenger T/A hood copied by who ???

    Like 0
  12. Avatar chad f

    I like the ‘idea”: brat, similar Omni off take, esp the ’60 – ’63 (oh, OK, thru 65) chero, a very few others. But not this’un. Glad they tried, tho.

    Thnx for da pic, write-up Todd !

    Like 0
  13. Avatar scottymac

    Like the Consulier GTP, excellent premise, flawed execution. Both should have hired an independent stylist.

    https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/buying-maintenance/a16808794/mosler-consulier-gtp-lx-for-sale/

    Like 2
  14. Avatar Moparman Member

    Would it be asking TOO MUCH to include the WHOLE car in a side profile shot (not chopping off the front/rear ends)??!

    Like 2
  15. Avatar Brian Scott

    The answer to a question no one asked.

    Like 3
  16. Avatar Michael

    This thing is not just fuggly, but utterly useless as a truck. Im annoyed now that i even looled at the link

    Like 1
    • Avatar Steve S

      Did anybody notice the headline says 1 of 45 and then in the 1st paragraph they say 1 of 44 which is it and this vehicle is so ugly and i would say something that would probably upset alot of people so I won’t say it unless someone asks what I was going to say

      Like 0
  17. Avatar George Giese

    Must be really hard to get a working tailgate on these homemade trucks but without one, it’s nearly useless as a truck. I didn’t think it was such a bad design aesthetically, but the “Pep Boys’ steering wheel cover and floor mats seriously devalue the car.

    Like 2
  18. Avatar boxdin

    Better pics would help, these are not so good as far as showing the real shape of the car.

    Like 0
  19. Avatar Jasper

    Quick, hurry, someone wreck the front end…and find a box Caprice doghouse STAT. Those awful, oval Corvette taillights are killing it for me too. Didnt even like them on Vettes! No, they couldn’t have just made provisional cutouts for something sensible and somewhat attractive like Chevy truck taillights. And then there’s all that lumpy crap over the rockers and just aft the cab. Not to sound like a snob, but what a general display of bad taste. Interesting concept, tragic execution.

    Like 0

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