The El Camino has always straddled the line between muscle car and pickup, and this 1972 Chevrolet El Camino SS looks like a worthy candidate for revival. Listed here on craigslist out of Edmonds, Washington, this example is described by the seller as a “real SS” equipped with a 350 V8, automatic transmission, air conditioning, and a 12-bolt rear end. The drivetrain has reportedly been rebuilt, the front suspension has been refreshed, and the seller even includes new bumpers to help complete the project. Needing paint and interior work, this El Camino runs and drives but will require cosmetic attention to finish properly. Thanks for the tip Curvette!
Under the hood, the seller states the 350 cubic-inch small-block has been rebuilt along with the transmission. The engine bay shows bright new Chevrolet valve covers and headers, and the refreshed hardware suggests that much of the heavy lifting has already been completed. The presence of a 12-bolt rear end adds further value to those looking for a solid-performance foundation.
Inside, the El Camino will need some attention. The dashboard is in place, but the carpeting is missing and some trim pieces appear incomplete. The seller notes that new carpet is needed, and finishing the interior could transform this driver into a much more pleasant place to spend time.
The bed shows the typical signs of use and some surface corrosion, but overall it looks solid. Rust in the beds of these cars can quickly turn into a bigger project, but what’s seen here seems repairable and doesn’t appear to have rotted through.
At the back, the tailgate and bumper show age, but the seller includes brand-new bumpers with the sale. That’s a nice bonus considering the difficulty and cost of sourcing clean replacements.
The front view shows SS badging and the aggressive look that made these cars popular with buyers who wanted utility and muscle in one package. The paint is tired, with clear coat failure and surface rust, but that also makes it a blank canvas for the next owner to decide on a factory-correct respray or a custom color.
With mechanical updates already addressed, this El Camino looks like the kind of project that won’t require a full teardown to enjoy. Paint and interior will be the main investments, but with the included new parts and rebuilt drivetrain, it’s already well on its way. For the buyer who wants an SS they can finish their way, this Chevy might be the right call.
Would you restore this El Camino back to factory-correct glory, or would you build it into a custom muscle truck?
I did notice a few things. The shifter handle is missing. It says it has A/C in the add but it looks to all be missing under the hood even the A/C box on the firewall. Would like to see more pictures and more clearer pictures of vehicle!
There is no solid evidence this is a real SS, nor that it is numbers matching…only “equipped” No photos of the dash with a tach, no interior photos…does it have a console or column shifted? This will require an in person visit to verify some things. You can slap badges on fenders and drop 350’s in previous 307 vehicles…but that don’t make it legit.
The dash is correct for an SS. All 1970-1972 SS’s came with round faced instrument cluster, tach and gauges were optional. It was column shifted, which was standard on SS’s and has disc brakes, which were too. There is more pointing towards it being an SS than not.
This car did not run when the pictures were taken, there is no distributor. The seller never said it ran or drove, just that the engine and transmission were rebuilt. The heads are aftermarket World heads and it has an Edelbrock intake and carburetor, though no specifics are given.
It has some good parts and has potential, but isn’t necessarily a good deal for what is essentially a $10,000 roller. Anyone interested needs to give it a thorough inspection.
Steve R
There is a pic of the dash with the correct tach.
The tach in the picture is not correct, it’s an aftermarket tach, put in the clock pod. The factory correct tach would be where the fuel gauge currently is in the original “non gauge” dash.
There’s pictures of the build sheet for Pete’s sake.
I wouldn’t say the bed is any quicker to rust out than other pickups- my Camino’s beds came factory galvanized on the undersides.
Why photograph at night? There is a lot to be seen in the light and unseen in the dark shadows.
Back in ‘75 – ‘77, I had a ‘72 El Camino, gold with black vinyl top with buckskin interior, 350 with a 4 speed. It ran really cold blooded until I replaced the “heat stove pipe” set up GM had put on the motors to feed warmed air into the carb off the exhaust manifold. I and the police loved the 4 speed. In a 3 week span of time I had gotten 2 tickets for speeding in 45 mph zones just by going through the gears normally. As I was teaching and had a bus driving license at the time, some anxious moments were in store for me trying to make the court appearances to keep the two speeding convictions off my driving record. I got married in ‘77, ending up selling the El Camino as my wife never got the basics of driving a stick down.
10 G’s for this POS? HA, HA, HA, HA……………..
1) that seems pretty much in line with the market considering the new parts it comes with 2) you always list something a little higher than what you actually want or expect because everyone is going to try to beat you down on the price. Everyone says “$XXX for that POS?? After selling a couple of trucks I’ve had, I learned that. You can list it for half of what it’s actually worth and have a hard time getting it because everyone has to talk you down.
Once again no price or even a current bid . Between the annoying pop up ads and no price it’s getting to be why bother even looking? Peace!
Strip it down and paint it 2007 Corvette Monterey Red, finish the rest of it and drive it.
The shifter handle is “missing” from the column because they put an aftermarket floor shifter in it.
@Hammer – you realize there is a link to the Craigslist ad right? This isn’t a BarnFinds auction on this car.
I don’t think most people click the links here so they don’t realize there are 18 pix of this car/truck.
Sometimes I play a game we call “lazy or stupid?”
Unfortunately there is no winner..
Hey you can name call all ya you want. I’m too stupid and lazy to really care what you think. When I clicked on the link it did not open. Perhaps I was too lazy to try it again?? You may be onto something. But I will assure you that had it not been for us lazy people we wouldn’t even be here discussing this issue. Because us lazy people are the ones who invented wheels in the first place!
AAAWWWWW ~ is somebody butthurt?
A guy that lived in the same apartment I lived in had a 1970 71 El Camino SS with a 396 engine in it. It wasn’t running.He never said what was wrong with it but he wouldn’t sell it. It was silver with black rally stripes. Last I heard he abandoned it. When he moved.His name was Tracy and I forgot to tell him what a fool he was to abandon that car.
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