As one goes, so does the other, or at least that’s how Ford and Chevrolet used to duke it out with each other. And that’s the case with Ford’s Ranchero vs. Chevrolet’s El Camino, such as this 1964 example – the Ranchero bested the Camino by two model years, so Chevrolet had to play catch-up. Things morphed for both manufacturers, and today’s Bakersfield, California discovery is a first-year example of the gen-two El Camino. It has undergone some modifications, so let’s check it out. Interested buyers will find it here on craigslist where it’s available for $17,500.

Ford’s Ranchero was probably a surprise for many when it debuted in the ’57 model year. The concept of a car/truck “utility” or “Ute” as it is called in Australia, existed down under for some time, and Ford thought it a marketable design for U.S. tastes. Chevrolet followed suit in ’59 but let it go after two short model years. In 1960, Ford saw reason to downsize their Ranchero from the full-size Galaxie-based platform to their new compact Falcon (21K units). Chevrolet? They got nuthin’. They continued with the full-size B-body Camino through ’60 (14K copies – a 36% drop over ’59) and then let it go. If they saw downsizing as Ford did, as the way forward, they had no useable platform until the A-body Chevelle was introduced in ’64. And voila`, our subject truck was born.

To state the obvious, this Chevy has been lowered and painted in a non-original shade—yes, it’s quite—blue. The seller refers to the finish as “decent,” but it looks pretty good. It’s wearing later-introduced rally wheels capped off with ’67-only vintage center caps. The cargo bed is in nice shape, and the deck has been sprayed with a thick protective coat.

Offered originally with two different six-cylinder engines, two different 283 CI V8s, and at mid-year, a 327 CI V8 option, the powertrain of this Chevy is now what is often referred to as a 350/350 – a 350 CI V8 engine and a Turbo-Hydramatic 350, three-speed automatic transmission. It’s a prevalent swap as the components are still manufactured today, are relatively inexpensive, and, in this case, a complete bolt-in swap. The engine is wearing the usual suspects of an open-element air cleaner, aluminum intake manifold, Holley carburetor, and headers. Other observed upgrades include an aluminum radiator and a dual-circuit master cylinder – constantly a welcome change. The seller refers to this truck as a “nice driver“.

Speaking of niceties, the seller uses that same descriptor for the interior. The bench seat environment reveals a clean, compact space that has been reupholstered with non-original-style fabric. Beyond that, it’s very stock, revealing only a more modern replacement radio. The entire shebang is fine, and I’d suggest it needs no attention.

Virtually every Gen-One (’64-’67) or Gen-Two (’68-’72) Camino I discover has been modded from mild to wild. Most are like this ’64—just pleasantly upgraded, and these ’64s seem to be found the least often. I prefer the Gen-Two, but this would be one to consider if one were in the El Camino market, wouldn’t you agree?