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Stored Since ’83: 1973 Chevrolet El Camino SS454

This big block El Camino SS could be your next weekend driver if you take a look at this ad on eBay, but you’d better hurry as it’s almost gone! Bidding is up to $2,150 and there’s no reserve. You’ll have to go to Holden, Massachusetts to pick it up if you’re the winning bidder.

While the body appears to be a patchwork quilt of different colors, most of the body panels appear sound. The seller tells us that there is rust in rear cab section behind the seats with some small holes, that the front section of the bed has some holes and that it’s soft in front of rear wheels in a few small sections. The lower front fenders have had some sections removed to be patched but the work wasn’t completed.
Frame of this car is amazingly clean. Was under coated years back and it now flakes right off. No rot or rust issues anywhere on frame. It is dirty and original, will clean up nice. Never spray paint restored!

The seller also includes a lot of pictures under the vehicle and states that the frame is “amazingly clean” and that “the undercoating flakes right off. No rot or rust issues anywhere on frame.”

I’m guessing the original color was this burgundy you can see on the sill which would match well with the red interior. You can see the “SS” in the center of what presumably is the original steering wheel.

The 454 and TH400 transmission are said to be original, and the engine does run. The vehicle was originally equipped with air conditioning, and you can see the remnants of the system in this picture. The seller believes it only has 61,000 original miles, although I am not confident of that figure at all. What do you think, and do you think this one is a good project?

Comments

  1. David

    I wonder if 73 el Camino ss models were available with the 4 speed too? For that matter the 73 station wagon ss? I know some of the coupes had standard transmissions. In any case, this is a nice one year model car worth restoring.

    Like 0
    • Classic Steel

      They were avail with four and three speeds trannies.
      http://midsizebowties.net/chevrolet-elcamino-specs-1973-1977/

      This car looks like sixty million miles !
      It’s rough but saveable at this price!
      I see black on black interior with old school vette 15×7 rally’s and spinner skinny dishes on black rims .

      Wowser,I remember a buddy with his the 73 model well from HS days with the 350 auto and the abuse the engine would take as well as the auto winding it up thru manual shifts up to eighty in second then go to third.
      It was traded off after two years of abuse and I bet the trans went soon after😟

      I was into 1969 camaro rally z28s back then with four speeds.

      Like 1
  2. bob

    Having owned two of that body style, that one looks like way, way, way more than ten years of use, more like 30+ years of use and many 100s of thousands of miles.

    Like 1
  3. leiniedude leiniedude Member

    Ended: Apr 08, 2018 , 6:59PM
    Winning bid:US $2,533.00
    [ 22 bids ]

    Like 2
  4. ron bajorek

    what’s it worth done? Always liked this body style

    Like 0
  5. gbvette62

    I ordered a new El Camino SS 454 4 speed, in 1973. It was gold with a black SS stripe, and a black swivel bucket seat interior.

    Before it came in, I changed my mind and decided to keep my 71 El Camino. Fortunately, the dealer was a family friend, and had no issue with me cancelling. A few years later, he ended up selling me a new black 77 El Camino instead.

    I’m not sorry that I changed my mind, because I still have the 71…..but not the 77.

    Like 2
  6. Jeff Adema

    This vehicle, used and abused… much better examples out there. Love mine and this body style…This is my original 77 SS with 25,000 miles

    Like 3
    • Bluto

      That’s a beauty!

      Like 0
  7. T C

    On YouTube , the guys on “Roadkill” dug one of these out of a barn that was a drag racer, get it running and go on a road trip with many break downs and eventually throw a huge bottle of N02 in it at a drag strip. Funny stuff

    Like 0
  8. Jimmyj

    My name is earl…..

    Like 1
  9. 4504 Member

    “stored” in an open field for the last few decades.

    Like 0

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