Hellcamino! 1966 Chevrolet El Camino 4X4

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Oh, Brother! This is a tough one for me. If you follow my rantings you’ll know that I like Chevrolet El Caminos, especially the ’66 to ’72 variety. I’ve never owned one but constantly swear, “One of these days…” Yeah, yeah, yeah, the road to hell is paved with positive “One of these days” intentions. Or…maybe it should be paved with a Hellcamino intention like this world’s greatest extrovert example of a 1966 Chevrolet El Camino. Distraught, I am a bit but I’ll grin and bear it and commence with the review. This most modified of Chevrolets is located in Bel Air, Maryland and is available, here on Facebook Marketplace for $6,500. Thanks to Chuck F for this outrageous find!

Now you probably are thinking “That’s a ’67 El Camino, not a ’66” but the seller advises that he has grafted a ’67 Chevelle/El Camino fiberglass front clip to a ’66 body. Regardless, I don’t know whether to label this thing as heresy, blasphemy, or just roll with it and go for a laugh. After all, it’s not mine and I didn’t participate in its highly altered birth so I’ll just enjoy it as is.

Examining its bones, the Hellcamino is sitting on top of a ’77 Blazer chassis that has been lengthened. The seller states, “Truck suspension is mocked up 4 link not finished“. I’m not exactly sure what that means but the front suspension is secured with some seriously arched leaf springs. I can’t tell with certainty what’s going on under the rear though it looks like a primitive trailing arm setup. There’s no mention made of the source of the axles but it’s logical to assume they came from the chassis donating Blazer, or some other GM vehicle.

This one’s not a rollover, it’s a roller as it has no engine or transmission. El Camino buyers had eight different engine choices in ’66 including the fairly new 396 CI “Turbo-Jet” V8 as it was first made available in the Camino that year. Regardless of its past powerplant, one could probably drop in whatever powertrain would be most appropriate for mudding it.

Not much to talk about inside. A full roll cage has been installed and a whole lot of detritus is piled up on what appear to be strato-bucket seats. It would be interesting to see how the dash and instrument panel has been “affected” along with the necessary minimal wiring. From what can be spied, the dash and instrument panel appear to now be just a piece of formed aluminum sheet metal.

What’s done is done, this Hellcamino is never going to be an El Camino again – so sad. Nevertheless, I still must admire the skill that it took to take this whole thing apart and graft it back together, on a different chassis, while incorporating all of the necessary metal fabrication – it’s a skill that I don’t possess. The image above shows this former Camino under power so it is, or was at one time capable of mud bogging. The question is, can it have that capability again and does anyone want to rise to the substantial task of undertaking the challenge?

Auctions Ending Soon

Comments

  1. Howard A Howard AMember

    To CC,,now THIS is too much testo,, :)

    Like 2
  2. CadmanlsMember

    So why?

    Like 1
  3. 370zpp 370zpp

    “bithlo”

    Like 0
  4. Mark C

    Sometimes the folks who (very kindly) find cars for our enjoyment stumble upon several similar listings, like Buick GNs or even Blazer Chateaus. Seems they have discovered ruined El Caminos as of late.

    Like 0
  5. Bud Lee

    Come on guys . Go easy . This ain’t as bad as some of Franken4X4’s that have shown up here lately . At least it is a pickup . I kind of like it .

    Like 11
    • Howard A Howard AMember

      Hey Bud, I agree, see that ’57 Chevy/ElCamino post for more,,,,

      Like 4
    • Steve Clinton

      “Hey Maynard, how the hell are we suppose ta haul fertilizer in that pick-up?”

      Like 0
  6. Hell Camino Drinking Gasoline Tripping on..

    This Hell Camino has ACDC songs running thru my head from Hells Bells, Highway to Hell or even
    The country song Elcamino from
    A Elizabeth Cooke welder album 😎
    “I know this guy, he’s all wrong for me
    He wears shirts that are trippin on LSD
    I must be high as a kite on diesel fumes
    He got me sportin’ bell bottoms and braids to school
    I never thought he’d get this far
    Certainly not in THAT kind of funky-ass car
    He’s been pickin me up everyday at the curb
    In his nineteen seventy-two refurb

    EL CAMINO (Brown and Tangerine)
    EL CAMINO (Drinkin gasoline)
    CAMINO (Lean and obscene)
    EL CAMINO

    I told him your car is CREEPY man
    And not in a gangsta kinda way
    But in a PERV kinda way
    You got a lot of nerve drivin that kind of car
    And takin me fishing out to the park
    You’re like some dude on blow in that movie Boogie Nights
    And this Friday night you wanna go to the fights in your…”

    Good luck on the sale 👍

    Like 3
  7. Don H

    The guy destroyed a blazer and an ELcamino to make this ,nice🙄

    Like 4
  8. Claudio

    Is this the inbred cousin of the elcamino belair train wreck ?

    Like 2
  9. Bill W.

    Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

    Like 3
  10. Troy

    Jim O Donnell its only $6500 bucks just buy it then you will have 3/4 of a el Camino what is the worst that can happen with it? This looks like a fun toy

    Like 1
  11. Lance

    Ummmmmm…… No.

    Like 0
  12. Steve W

    I don’t know why Barn Finds wastes the space for crap like this.

    Like 1
  13. Daniel Torres

    Hey Jim… you kinda blended two very different “varieties” of Elcos. 64-67 were the second gen then 68-72 was the third gen. And just one person’s opinion but that’s where I feel the real Elcos ended! A high school buddy had a ‘68 which I loved, but when I finally started looking for one the prices were out of reach. So now I have a a sweet ‘64 and I love it!

    Like 0
    • Jim ODonnellAuthor

      I did that because the ’64-’67 variants ride on the same 115″ wheelbase chassis. The ’68-’72 use the four-door/station wagon 116″ chassis. Also, the rear axle width is the same for the ’64-’67 version while ’68-’72 is just slightly wider. Finally, the ’64-’67 greenhouse and B-pillar is very similar among the four years just as the ’68-’72 used the same piece.

      Thx,

      JO

      Like 1
    • L hyatt

      I thought 64 65 was first gen
      66 67 second 68 69 third
      70 7? was forth

      Like 0
      • Daniel Torres

        Gen 1 ‘59-‘60
        Gen 2 ‘64-‘67
        Gen 3 ‘68-‘72

        Like 0
    • l hyatt

      my bad I was thinking about chevelles not El cos

      Like 0
  14. SDJames

    Swap the Hell Camino and the Bel Camino bodies and you now have two sellable vehicles!

    Like 1
  15. Don

    The front clip on that is a 67 Chevelle, not a 66.

    Like 0
    • Jim ODonnellAuthor

      As I wrote:

      “Now you probably are thinking “That’s a ’67 El Camino, not a ’66” but the seller advises that he has grafted a ’67 Chevelle/El Camino fiberglass front clip to a ’66 body”

      JO.

      Like 0
  16. piston poney

    i would make it street legal (just barely) and drive the balls off it, i would take it offroading to, put some 44s on it, if that not whats already it, would be fun and would get alot of looks.

    Like 1

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