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Since high school, I had longed for two things. A 1957 Chevy convertible was number one and number two was an El Camino. The ’57 Chevy came first, and the search for an El Camino came later. I started with a ’71 then sold it and bought a ’77, then ’80 SS. My desire still had not been fulfilled, much to my disappointment. The sun did shine on me however the day I stood looking at this ’67. My heart skipped a few beats when it dawned on me that this car had a lot of potential. After much discussion with my wife regarding my vision for purchasing this El Camino and doing a restoration, the car became a reality. That was in April of 2006.

Who says you don’t see many El Caminos at the car shows? We have proof-positive that’s just not so. Our favorite truck-car may not get quite the love the Chevelles get, but they’re still a force to be reckoned with when it comes to looking pretty on the show field. And, they go fast. And, when properly equipped, can tow a Chevelle if necessary. So there!

1959 El Camino: The Beginning of a Legend. Edward Plazek is a Chevrolet enthusiast who lives in a family of mixed make and model loyalty. He was raised in a Ford environment so when he showed his first interest in Chevrolets, his father was a bit distraught! In his youth, Edward was prohibited from purchasing a Chevy because of lack of storage space in his parent’s garage. Edward not only liked Chevrolets, his greatest want was to find his favorite model; an older El Camino – preferably the very first year – a 1959 model. After all, this year marked the beginning of a legend. Oh sure, the El Camino would take a three year hiatus after only two years of production, but then it would resurrect in the Chevelle body style for 1964.

The El Camino was introduced on October 16, 1958 to compete with Ford’s popular Ranchero. While the El Camino was radical in design, it was a new play on an old idea. For years, farmers in Australia had been using vehicles called Utes to tote goods and equipment back and forth from farm to market. Allegedly this came about in the 1930s when a woman wrote a letter to Ford Australia asking for a vehicle that could “carry them to church on Sunday and take the pigs to market on Monday.” This simple request eventually led to Ford’s creation of the Ranchero for U.S. markets, and the El Camino followed two years later.

While I have always loved vintage cars, I had not actively pursued acquiring them due to time constraints. In 2001, my wife took notice of a 1969 Mustang Fastback, thought it was attractive and jokingly asked the owner if he’d like to sell. She was surprised when he said, “Yes” and thought his selling price to be very agreeable. She informed me, I purchased it, made it better, and have been hooked on procuring and rebuilding classic automobiles ever since.

Become an online El Camino Store advocate!

Here is something you can do from the comfort of home. Work part time and become an El Camino online advocate! Help other customers shop for parts at ElCaminoStore.com. Earn cash, accessories and parts for your El Camino!

We’re looking for knowledgeable people, people who know El Caminos inside and out. People who have worked on them, restored them, customized them, people who live them!

I’m at a car show drooling over a drop-dead gorgeous ’69 Chevelle SS 396. I had one when I wore younger man’s clothes. I want one… trouble is they’re priced way out of sight. While wiping my drool from his car, the Chevelle’s owner tells me that a friend has an El Camino for sale. Sounds interesting. I always liked the El Caminos and there are not a lot of them left.

This ’69 El Camino was a five-year project that tested my patience and commitment to the auto restoration hobby. I purchased the body from the owner in Nevada in 2005. The intention was to build a pro-street truck unlike all the others seen at car shows. Even though I own seven cars (all Chevy products), I wanted something different. Something I could build without all the high tech electronics, something like we did when we were teenagers.

It seems that all our old cars have a “Story”, and my ’65 El Camino story really starts back in 1964. Fresh out of high school, I had read in the September ’64 issue of Motor Trend that the Malibu was to be made available with the optional L79 327 Corvette engine, 12 bolt rear end and a 4-speed. I took the plunge, borrowed some money and ordered a Danube Blue ’65 Malibu with those aforementioned options. I had it by Thanksgiving. I had to sell that car a year later for cash to start college and have regretted losing it ever since– even though it was the certainly the right thing to do at the time. 

Russ Almand built this class-winning ’67 El Camino his way, by himself

My El Camino was purchased in March, 2008 as a project truck for $2700. The guy that I bought it from had shipped it from California but had lost his job and had to sell it. It had been built in the Fremont, CA plant.