Leave Stock Or Modify? 1981 Chevrolet El Camino

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In 1981, there wasn’t really a Ford version of the Ranchero other than the unusual and fairly rare Ford Durango which was built on the Ford Fairmont Futura platform. The other Rancheros had gone bye-bye in 1979 so if you wanted a cruck/car truck, at least from an American manufacturer, you got something like this 1981 Chevrolet El Camino. The seller has this one posted here on craigslist in Lake City, Florida and they’re asking $4,000.

This is a fifth-generation El Camino which was made for model years 1978 through 1987, the last factory El Camino, at least that I know of. Chevrolet started making them for the 1959 model year on a full-sized Biscayne platform to strike back at Ford’s 1957 Ranchero but they only lasted two years. They came back in 1964 based on the smaller A-body Chevelle platform. In 1968, the third-gen El Camino was offered on what is arguably the most famous and valuable design of the series, the third-generation cars when real muscle was involved in these unique haulers that could really haul.

This example can also really haul… pine needles. I’m not sure what’s going on there but seeing that gives me the shivers thinking of wet leaves and pine needles being back there for who knows how long. Especially in Florida where there’s probably no road salt and rarely any snow, but it’s wet and vehicles do rust there from the salt air and just from being in that environment. I once worked with a guy who had an early-80s El Camino that he had nut-and-bolt restored sometime in the 1990s. It had already rusted that badly after only a decade.

The seat looks perfect but the dash is as scary as it gets and the door panels need work, too. The seller says that they bought this one to restore and then reality and life kicked in and it’s too much for them now that they’re in a wheelchair. There is one small rust spot above the driver’s window and that’s it. The seller has SS wheels and trim rings so that’s good news.

The engine is a 350 Chevrolet V8 which from what I understand, wouldn’t have been an option in 1981 according to the GM Heritage website and Wiki. They list that the 350 V8 option went away after the 1979 model year. In any case, this example starts right up, runs good, and sounds great. I wonder what’s going on with the heater core? How would you bring back this El Camino, back to bone stock or something different?

Comments

  1. JCAMember

    Yikes. I’d bring it back to wherever I found it. Save up to buy a cleaner one, they are always around and affordable

    Like 4
  2. chrlsful@aol.com

    nota cheb fan but like all the 3rd & final gen chevelles (as this is) Malabue, Malie Classic, vert, wagon, sedan, coop, ‘mino. The end of the model was cool, on this 1at its curved rear window/head bd. I dont know – something abt the chunky grill, straight lines, dash. Back in the days U could have one of 6 different engines or 3, 4 transmis…

    Like 1
  3. Al

    I wonder if my camper will fit on this, nothing else seems to be available.

    Being closer to the ground, I do not have as many steps to climb.

    Like 4
  4. Buffalo Bob

    The heater core is still hooked up. That’s the A/C evaporator that’s disconnected. All the rest of the A/C appears to be MIA.

    Like 9
    • Scotty GilbertsonAuthor

      Dang, you’re right, Buffalo Bob! Thanks for the correction.

      Like 5
  5. Robbie Davis

    That’s the ac not heater core

    Like 1
    • Terrry

      you can see the heater hoses running to the firewall beside it.

      Like 0
  6. RTRUCK

    Just helped my friend restore an 81 Caballero that started out life with a v6 and now has a nicely rebuilt 350 and th350 in it. It took a while to locate a restorable one. We found that the ones for sale were either already restored and too much $$, or should be dropped off at the junkyard.

    Like 3
    • Claudio

      This thing is anxiously waiting for a new LS engine and c4 front and rear suspension and other goodies

      Like 0

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