The El Camino was Chevrolet’s version of the Ford Ranchero. It debuted in 1959-60 and didn’t return until 1964 when the new mid-size platform for the Chevelle was introduced. 1965 Chevelles and El Caminos were little-changed, and this nice example surprisingly has an inline-6 under the hood instead of, perhaps, a 327 V8. Only needing a new home and not in search of an LS restomod, this ’65 El Camino is in Littlerock, Washington, and is available here on craigslist for $15,299.
When the El Camino returned in 1964, it was in the market by itself because the Ranchero had switched to the compact Falcon platform. So, it had a greater payload capacity than its competitor. A 230 cubic-inch inline-6 was standard, which was fine as long as doing the quarter mile was not something you were interested in doing. A “3-on-the-tree” manual transmission was also standard, and the seller’s El Camino was built with both.
We’re told this vehicle has 160,000 miles, and there is no reference to an engine or tranny rebuild. However, much of the front suspension is newer. An HEI distributor replaces the original, and the front brakes have been converted to discs. The truck also has power steering and even an onboard trickle charger for the battery! The seller says this pickup runs great and will deliver 25 mpg (highway, no doubt).
The Tuxedo black paint looks good, and the red interior may reflect newer bench seat upholstery. The bed has a spray-in liner so you don’t have to worry about scuffing up the paint when hauling something. It’s not perfect, but certainly good enough for the Cars & Coffee crowd who’ve never seen an El Camino. This truck is on the market to produce cash to fund other “hot rod” projects the seller has. Low ballers be gone! And thanks to “Curvette” for the cool tip!
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