The term “fancy truck” has always seemed like an oxymoron to me. I mean, aren’t trucks supposed to be for hauling construction materials or sacks of grain and things like that? GMC had their own version of the Chevy El Camino and the seller has this 1978 GMC Caballero posted here on craigslist in Layton, Utah. They’re asking $17,500 and here is the original listing.
Trucks are used for almost everything now, of course. A lot of you commute with a four-door pickup which would have been unheard of two or three decades ago. Even having a four-door pickup would have been rare to see that long ago. The GMC Cabellero was the name for their downsized version of the El Camino. They had previously been called the GMC Sprint and they were made from 1977 for the 1978 model year until 1987.
Both the GMC Cabellero and Chevrolet El Camino were based on Chevy’s Malibu but had a nine-inch longer wheelbase. That made room for a nice-sized storage bed behind the front seating compartment – with an 800-pound payload and the ability to haul 4×8 sheets of plywood – and this example appears to be in outstanding condition. The photo above is all we get as far as seeing inside the box/bed in the back but they say that this vehicle has had a professional repaint several years ago and the exterior appears to be in like-new condition.
The interior appears to be in nice condition, although with some padding loss in the driver’s seat bottom. There were three different versions including the Cabellero as seen here, the Cabellero Laredo, and the Diablo. The Cabellero Laredo had two-tone paint and the Diablo had graphics and special wheels among other features. The rest of the interior in this example appears to be in nice condition.
Sadly, the seller didn’t include an engine photo (I know) but they say that it has a 350 and it would have had 160 horsepower. The seller refers to this one as being “original” but they say that it’s been repainted and they say that it drives “excellent and tight”. It sure looks like a nice one. Hagerty is at $12,900 for a #3 good condition Caballero and $19,500 for a #2 excellent version. Have any of you owned a Cabellero or El Camino from this era?
Really nice! Personally, I’d source a set of the OEM Rally wheels for this beauty! GLWTS!! :-)
I always thought it was a wasted opportunity that GMC’s version of the El Camino was always a baldfaced badge job, when the Buick, Olds and Pontiac front clips were there just waiting to be used.
The Pontiac might work, but the lower-body character line of the Buick and Olds front ends wouldn’t match the El Camino body. I think an El Camino with a Grand Am front clip and a set of snowflake wheels would look great!
I had a ’79 with the 267 V8. Great vehicle, dog motor.
I bought a used ’80 El Camino off a plumber, his work “truck”, it was in nice shape, no rot , no rust, but was hampered by its 229″ V6 & 3 speed stick shift, plus it was painted the most awful color, “Cinnabar” a sort of orange wanting to be red with some brown mixed in. I had to move a piano for my Mom from Manhattan N.Y.C. to her house in the Catskills in upstate N.Y. that little 229 didnt make the trip. It blew all the oil in the pan out the tailpipe and took 3 oil stops to make it home the 100 miles. The next day the drive train got yanked and in went the 350 & a BW Super T10, a couple of weeks later it got a fresh coat of black paint with an interior change over from saddle tan to Dove grey, it was a sweetheart of a vehicle, I hated to see it go.
I have a 78 that came with the 350/350 trans and a 2.41 posi. The first motor went 300k plus and the second motor(“GM Performance” crate motor) is now in the 200k area. I have had the El Camino since August 84 and it now is running a 700R4 and a 3.42 posi. Still looks great with the factory buckets and center console. Still have lots of plans for this fun tru/car. My wife says it is my longest running relationship. LOL!
I daily drive my 87 El Camino. I bought it from the orig owner in 2006 for $1000. I has 112k miles on it and he never drove it. It now has 743k miles on the original untouched 305 4v. I have replaced the Qjet 2 times with units built by Mountainman fuel Systems in Arkansas. I have replaced the 200-4r twice. I pull a 16′ flatbed trailer loaded with building materials. The cruck will hold a 1/2 pallet of sod which i have done a few times. I have added all of the F41 suspension parts.. MCSS steering box.. rear in spring AirLift 1000 bags. The 305 still has 25-40 psi oil and just barely smokes on start-up after sitting overnight. I get 20-22 mpg with 93 octane and the A/C on high. I will never hot rod it because it is a lover.. not a fighter. I’m trying to get 1 million mile on the 305 then i will prolly do a full LS swap.
I have had several El Caminos of different years. Some were really POS and some wer nice. I actually liked all of them for the multi use I was able to get out of them. I honestly don’t know why I have not had for such a long time. If I was going to get another one, this one, would be at the top of the list.
Joe Haska, didn’t I almost trade you my 81 El Camino for your early 2000 Ford Ranger a few years ago? Well, I probably have you confused with someone with a similar name. Anyway, H&H Tire in Fountain, CO has it for sale in their car lot. I would imagine they are asking a hefty $20k for it, but who knows?
Man ‘ War, Wasn’t me ,the only reason I know that for sure is, I have never had a Ford Ranger. If you would have said something else, I would have my doubts. It is easier for me (at my age ) to remember what I haven’t had, instead of trying to remember, all the others. Thanks Joe