This one’s a surprise! It’s a 1967 Chevrolet El Camino, in excellent shape, sporting a 396 CI engine and living life with a four-speed manual transmission. This would normally be a high-dollar seller – not as much as a Chevelle, the vehicle on which it’s based, but still pricey. Not this one; it has a $16,500 ask, and that sounds very reasonable in my book; maybe too reasonable. That being the case, let’s do a deep dive and see what Curvette has found for us. Chehalis, Washington, is where you’ll find this neat Ute, and it’s listed here on craigslist.
So, to be specific: this is not an SS396 El Camino – that didn’t officially occur until the ’68 model year. This Chevy is an El Camino Custom that just happens to have a 396 CI engine, and it’s the second year for this configuration, one that was first available in ’66. Chevrolet built 34,830 El Caminos in ’67, of which 26,480 wore the “Custom” trim designation. I must say, this example is resplendent in its deep Marina Blue finish! As with the Chevelle coupe and convertible, rust is hardly the friend of this generation Camino, but none is noted in the few pictures that comprise the listing. I’d appreciate a shot or two of the underside – and one of the cargo bed to help with an objective assessment. With what can be viewed, this is one very clean car/truck!
Underhood is a typical big-block engine, but the “long pump” water pump and passenger-side mounted alternator tell me this is not the born-with powerplant. Long pump engines, both big and small block, debuted in 1969. Anyway, for ’67, the horsepower outputs were 325, 350, or 375 gross HP (very rare) – there’s no way of knowing how this engine started life. It looks fairly stock, though it is topped with an Edelbrock intake manifold and what looks like a Holley carburetor. I’m not sure what the driver’s-side billet canister is for – it looks like a vacuum reservoir, as it has a connection to the power brake booster. As noted earlier, a four-speed manual gearbox handles gear changes, and the seller states, “very fun car to drive.”
The compact interior is fantastically clean, and the black vinyl upholstery and carpet show no signs of wear. Also, the seller mentions that a new, uninstalled headliner is included in the sale. A typical steering column-mounted tachometer is present along with an aftermarket steering wheel that, subjectively, does little to enhance this Chevy’s interior – to each his own, of course. The gear shifter is a Hurst unit and not an original Muncie piece, but that’s no surprise, as the Muncies were “loose”, wore quickly, and became problematic. This is a non A/C equipped car.
The listing claims, “Price Drop,” but by how much is not stated. Yup, seems like a heck of a buy, but that old saying “All that glitters is not gold” comes to mind. Interested parties should definitely consider an in-person inspection (interrogation?). What’s your thought: too good to be true, or no, it’s about right?
Sweet looking car, great price. Nice find, and write up.
It’s still available. Maybe it isn’t a scam? I like the steering wheel. I’d rather see that than those cheap a$$ vinyl steering wheel covers with the whip cord tie. I like it but maybe the price of gas is keeping buyers away?
Looks like a great deal. I’d try and make arrangements to see in in person as soon as possible, but by no means send a deposit. I’d let my eyes do the “interrogation”, potentially creating an adversarial relationship is unnecessary and pointless.
Steve R
Great looking El Camino If everything checks out a great buy.
Oil accumulator, provides oil under pressure in case of low oil pressure, and for pre lube start up for storage. Race car stuff, usually, good if car sits for long periods time. Price seems low if none of those ” one other thing” stories.
It is a vacuum reservoir not a oil accumulator. Summit carries them for 137.00.
This one needs a lot of questions answered, the first being “is it real?” Followed by “why such a great price?” and like Steve R said do it in a way that you don’t distance yourself from the seller with a disbelieving attitude.
If the only flaw truly is the headliner this could potentially be gone before the end of the day!
The writer already answered the “is it real” part, and it’s the part worth trusting: long water pump and a passenger-side alternator mean the engine is ’69 or later, so the born-with 396 is gone no matter what the badge says. On a ’67 that’s the only “real” there is left to argue about, since the SS El Camino didn’t start until ’68, so the question is just whether the 396 is the one it left the line with. It isn’t. That makes this a clean-body price with a swapped drivetrain, not a too-good-to-be-true price, and it moves the money question to the metal. On a ’66-67 A-body that means the rear frame rails above the axle, the floor pans and the bed floor, the lower rear quarters, the cowl under the windshield, the rockers, and the bottoms of the front fenders. A mirror and a phone under it before anybody drives to Chehalis. Those photos set the number, not the intake manifold.
Growing up in San Francisco, my neighbor “Steve” (could not pronounce his Polish name) worked for a private Ferrari shop in Marin county. He showed up one day with a black ’67 El Camino 4 speed with a 427, and asked if I wanted to buy it. I was only 15 yrs old so I didnt.
Just like the LS6 Chevelle and the 67 427 /435 HP Corvette. There are more of them now than GM ever made. This one needs a microscope gone over it.
The price doesn’t reflect someone trying to pass this off as a factory big block 4spd. If the pictures are an accurate representation of the cars true condition and the ad is legitimate, it’s a good deal.
The trim tag will go a long way towards verifying how this car left the factory.
Steve R
The trim tag will go a long way towards verifying how this car left the factory.
But it won’t. GM/Chevrolet trim tags from pre-’72 are not informative. The tag will tell you the model (including six-cylinder or V8 – but not which one) and that designation also reveals the trim (Standard or Custom), body style (only one in this case), assembly point (one of about five or so), and exterior/interior color. You really need the build sheet to know how this car/truck was assembled.
JO
Jim, Google 1967 Chevelle trim tag decoder. Take a look at the results, not the AI generated one. In general the trim tags don’t give much information, the exception is 1967 Chevelle’s and El Camino’s, possibly Camaro’s.
Steve R
https://chevellestuff.net/1967/trim_tag.htm
Steve:
Note the attached hyperlink for the ’67 Chevelle/El Camino trim plate decode. The plate’s comprehensiveness is stated as being “depending on assembly plant“. While some options may show, again, depending on where the vehicle was assembled, the plate never provides an RPO code for the engine – and that’s the root of this matter. I’d like to know about the rear axle. If it’s a ten-bolt, we know this was never a 396-equipped Camino. If it’s a twelve, then it probably, but not necessarily, was.
Thx,
JO
Jim, the plate is more useful on a ’67 than on most pre-’72 years, and it’s worth being exact about where it stops. On a ’67 Chevelle or El Camino the Fisher plate carries four things: line one is the build date (06C is June, third week), line two is the year plus series, body style, plant and the Fisher unit number, line three is trim and paint, and lines four and five are the option group codes, like the W 2LG on the page you linked. So Steve’s right that ’67 is the year the plate got talkative, and wrong only if he’s reading the series number as an engine code. The series on that plate is trim level, not engine type: it tells you the car was built as a 300 Deluxe or a Malibu or an SS396 series car, and which option groups it left with. It can’t tell you what’s between the fenders now. On a ’67 that matters more than usual, because the pad on these carries the engine code and the assembly date, not the car’s VIN, so the only tie left is the date window: block casting date and pad date against the build date on line one of that plate. Which is why 19sixty5’s question about under-car photos is the right one. The tag dates the car. The metal and the block dates are what somebody is actually buying.
Nice El Camino here and the price is right original or not.
Would love it if it had the manual 4 speed and the 283 motor.
No A/C = low price.
There are many classic cars with no air that have sold for six figures plus. Some people actually prefer no AC for the cleanliness of the engine compartment and the added perk of ten minute plug changes. It takes me four times as long to change plugs in my GN versus that of my no air 442.
In any case, if this Camino is free of heavy corrosion, and mechanically it checks out, it’s a solid buy at this price – regardless of whether or not it left the factory with a big block.
Honestly at this price point if it’s real take it as it is, don’t worry about how it was born. Sweet looking car!
It’s a truck. Not a car
Price has been increased – by $300.
This is a nice appearing 67, and judging from the interior and under hood photo’s seems to be well done. The seller apparently has a lift, or access to one, why no under the car photo’s? No mentions of the rear axle, it should be a 12 bolt if the car was indeed a 396, and would also have the lower frame reinforcement brackets I believe. I just sold my 70 SS396 Elco, if this was closer I would be going for a look…
People from areas that are not prone to rust tend not to think of taking undercarriage pictures, especially if they are selling into the local market. You are right, if it had a 12 bolt you’d think they would have mentioned it, I’d also want to check the transmission to make sure it wasn’t a Saginaw.
Steve R
The vacuum storage canisters are for engines with big choppy cams. They have little vacuum at idle and not enough to operate the power brakes. With an extra canister which I have installed on cars with big cams as well as electric vacuum pumps, theory is there’s enough extra vacuum storage to let the brakes work a couple times at idle. Based on what I see, I would pay that for this car if it were close enough I could go check it out. I think I’d enjoy it enough to get a return on the dollar. Probably a closer inspection would reveal issues underneath that would break the deal, but who knows?
Those of you that posted before me know much more about Chevy numbers than I ever will. From my prospective I’m just looking at the car as a fun hotrod regardless what drive train change it’s had. It looks like a fun car for the price if it isn’t full of rust
I had one of these in 1969. Brownish bronze in color. 283 and 3 on the tree with no A/C. Absolutely loved it back then. The first automobile that we had when we got married. We were stationed in Biloxi, MS. We could get a free trip to Pensacola every weekend. Guys from Keesler would pay all expenses if we would let them ride in the back. Great days. Thanks for the memory. I am almost interested, except I’d have to sell the GTX to make room – that ain’t happening.