Then, after a three model year layoff, Chevy came back with the intermediate size, 115-inch wheelbase, El Camino from 1964 to 1987, including generations two through six. As for your El Camino, its debut first generation lasted only two years, 19, and was built on a full-size, 119-inch Chevy station wagon chassis.
Jerry K., Bemidji, MinnesotaĪ: Jerry, thanks much for your letter recalling the skilled hands of a former Chevrolet mechanic. Other than the engine, it's original and rare. The car has a 350 with the old camel back heads, stock dual exhaust and Rochester Quadrajet carb, Muncie M-20 four-speed, 12-bolt rear and 3.73 gears. Back in the late ’70s I was racing dirt track stock cars and wasn't driving the "Elke" anymore and pulled the engine for my stock car. Sadly my El Camino doesn't have the original 275-horse, 327 engine in it anymore.
I am the second owner as the first owner bought the car in Washington State and then moved to northern Minnesota after he traded it on a new Dodge pickup. I have attached a few photos of my El Camino that I purchased back in 1974. On our return trip back home we stopped and each got a pop and gas and left a sizable chunk in the cigar box. The son explained that some of the locals take a can of pop sometimes but don't have any money, but then the next time they come they might throw a $5 or $10 in the box.Īfter pleading with the son and his dad to take payment for the work on my car - they wouldn't accept any payment - we left with fond memories. I opened the fridge and there was a cigar box in there with a lot of cash in it. I asked the son if they had any pop and he said it's in the refrigerator and was 50 cents a can. We went inside the station and wanted to get a can of pop but didn't see any around. He didn't just adjust the points with a feeler gauge like I was going to he adjusted the dwell and ignition timing, too. So we walked back to the gas station where the son's dad was just finishing up my car. There was a sign in the door that said something came up for the owners but they would be back in about a half hour. Well, there aren't many stores in Michigan, but we did find a grocery store but it was closed. My wife then said she was hungry and wanted to go for a walk downtown. It was just an old-time gas station that survived from the ’50s or ’60s, with a dirt driveway and a couple of old gas pumps.
I don't remember the name of the station or even if there was a name out front. He asked me if that was my car and that his dad, a retired Chevy mechanic, would probably love to set the ignition points on the old classic. The young man I talked to said to go ahead and take what I needed out of his toolbox.Īs I was looking through his toolbox he noticed my ’66 El Camino sitting in his lot. I had a good guess what was wrong with the car and asked if I could borrow a set of feeler gauges as I was sure that my ignition points had closed up. We were on Highway 2 heading west and decided to pull into the little town of Michigan, North Dakota, where there sat this old-time gas station and we pulled in. It was very low on power and backfiring whenever we had to go up a small hill or anything that put a load on the engine.
My wife and I were taking my 1966 El Camino to the Devil's Run car show in North Dakota when the car started running terribly. I just read your article on nostalgia from the ’50s and ’60s and wanted to share an experience from about five years ago.
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