This 1970 Chevrolet El Camino has a southwestern special look about it as the seller says that it has been in the desert and spent quite a bit of time outdoors, though it has called a garage, home, for the last six years. This car/truck belonged to the seller’s father, apparently one of his favorites, and now it is part of his estate sale. Being an SS 396 model makes it rather special, so let’s look it over. This Camino is in Bishop, California, and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $26,000 with 46 bids tendered as of this writing.
Right off the bat, there is an old, oh-so-’70s graphic rendering displayed across the hood but the sun has worked it over so it’s pretty faded. The diminished artwork continues in a Starsky and Hutch fashion as it swoops down the side and up over the roof, via the B-Pillar. The color is a bit hard to make out in the included images but it looks like code 28 Fathom Blue. There is noted surface rust but nothing more serious than that and the body appears to be free of crash damage. To preserve the “patina”, the exterior has been clear-coated. Standard SS equipment Magnum-style steel wheels are supporting all four corners and always look just right.
The cargo bed, unfortunately, is covered with a rubber mat so the condition is unknown. The seller adds that the underside and frame are rust-free, however.
Under the hood is a surprise in that the 350 gross HP, 396 CI V8 appears to be stock – someone avoided the temptation to mess with it! The seller claims that it runs “great” and is backed up by a Muncie four-speed manual transmission. The original transmission, for some undisclosed reason, has been replaced with a similar unit but the original is included in the sale. Also thrown in is a replacement Hurst gear shift. The mileage is recorded as 26K miles but the seller makes no claim to that being accurate.
The bucket seat interior shows well, and the seller states as much with a claim of, “The interior is in really good shape, headliner, door panels, etc., doors are tight windows great“. There are no spied upholstery rips or obvious wear and the interior appears to be, like the engine, in stock form. There is, however, the minor addition of below-the-dash auxiliary gauges that have been added. This Camino is A/C equipped but its operating prowess is not disclosed.
While not exactly on the “patina” bandwagon, the naturally worn look of this El Camino has a certain appeal. It’s certainly not an exterior presentation where one’s going to worry about nicks and/or scratches. This example appears to be structurally sound and the powertrain is certainly a desirable one – all good marks. So, what do you think, too faux or good to go?
I’m surprised it’s bud so high. However, it appears to be free of significant rust and a “matching numbers” 4spd, bucket seat car with air conditioning that looks like it’s capable of being driven with only minor maintenance.
It was listed and “sold” last week with an asking price of $14,500, whoever pulled the trigger then, is probably kicking themself for letting it get away.
Steve R
why are you surprised????
Until recently a real 1970 SS 396 Chevelle in this condition would have had a hard time attracting this much money, El Camino’s have always lagged behind in pricing and still do. That’s why I’m surprised.
Steve R
My 2 cents – clear coating surface rust looks stupid. Of course if I could have shot clear over it instead of wearing out DA’s and thousands of stick on 80 grit years ago I’d probably see it differently.
Recently in missouri there was a pristine silver with black stripes completely original and car show ready 28,500 asking price