BowTie Breakthroughs: The History Of The ’64-’87 El Camino

They’re often referred to as cars, trucks, and sometimes even “crucks,” but we think of them as simply cool. We’re talking about is the Chevy El Camino, a name that comes from the Spanish word defining; “the road” or “the path.” Built on the A-body platform in ’64-‘87, the El Camino was a combination of the raw performance and handsome styling of the Chevelle/Malibu, while offering buyers the utility of a pickup truck in one awesome package.

With the introduction of the Chevelle for ‘64, the El Camino returned from its short-lived Impala-based hiatus of ’59-’60 to help the new midsize coupe compete with Ford’s Fairlane and Ranchero models respectively. What made this an especially exciting time was the fact that it was smack dab in the middle of the birth of the muscle car wars of the ‘60s.

In The Beginning

It was the era of big-blocks, bold styling and flashy striping. The first muscle-era El Caminos were available with all of the same hardware the Chevelles of similar vintage. There was a Super Sport (SS) option, naturally, and its drivetrain range was similar to the Chevelle’s with two entry-level six-bangers (194cui, 230cui), a 283cui V8 in 195hp and 220hp spec, and a selection of either a 250hp or 300hp 327, respectively. Transmissions included; a Powerglide, Muncie manuals, a 3-speed manual, and TH350/400 automatics.

Like the Chevelle for ’65, a revised grille and several engine changes came the following year. Unfortunately, the haloed Z-16 option didn’t make it, but all engines saw a bump in horsepower across the range. The real news didn’t until the following year when Chevrolet not only revised the front end styling of the Elky, but also an updated interior, a new dash and gauge cluster, and last but not least, the big-block 396 was finally available for the first time for SS models!

Packing anywhere from 325hp-375hp, it would rocket the El Camino SS to anywhere from a low-to-mid 14-second quarter-mile time with a trap speed of roughly 95mph, which was quite respectable for the day, and would continue to do so for the following next few years.

While the ’67 did see a few changes in the styling department, this would be the last year for the “box-style” Chevelle/El Camino, as both models would undergo a complete body-style makeover for ’68.

A Brand New Bag

Nineteen-sixty-eight ushered in not only a new styling direction for the El Camino, but also a longer frame thanks in large part to the Malibu wagon/sedan chassis that the ’68 Elky utilized.

Back from a one-year-hiatus was the 375hp L78 396. With the El Camino quickly becoming what the Australians refer to as a “ute,” Chevrolet didn’t feel many changes were needed for the ’69 model year. Apart from a change in a few trim pieces and a new grille, it was basically a carryover year.

Stepping Up To The Big Leagues

With the entire A-body line getting a complete makeover for 1970, the El Camino was no different. It would again get the same front clip as the Chevelle, with the exception of a slightly different front bumper that incorporated the Monte Carlo front parking lights. To complement the awesome fresh styling, the new 454cui big-block made its introduction in either 360hp or 450hp performance levels.

As a result, this would make the ’70 the highest performing Elky ever produced, and its available LS6 454 would become a thing of legend.

But the hype was short-lived, as the following year made the LS6 a single-year option with the new government and insurance regulations cracking down on performance cars. The A-body would receive a slight restyle for ’71 that would hardly change at all for ’72. But to add a bit of quirkiness to the Chevelle body style, a GMC version of the Elk was created for the ’71 season. Called the Sprint, it was a virtual twin to the Chevy version, apart from its obvious nameplate, grille and a few trim pieces. This was badge-engineering at its finest.

As horsepower, compression, and performance continued to drop, so did the Super Sport El Camino’s identity. The SS was now available with any Chevrolet V8 engine by ’72, even the lowly 200hp 307.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Seventy-three would bring the long-overdue revamped body-style; it would continue to use the Chevelle wagon chassis, making it the largest El Camino body-style ever produced. The extra heft and lower-performing engines, would become the theme of all mid-late ‘70s “performance” car; overweight and under-performing.

This theme would continue on through the early eighties, as the SS had become mostly a trim option for ’73, apart from thicker sway bars.

Either the 350cui V8 or the 454cui V8 could be had. Seventy-four would only see the introduction of a new grille, and the El Camino Classic trim level that mirrored the Malibu Classic that year. The 350 became the base engine this year, and a 400 was introduced, while a 454 was still the top engine offering.

The ’75 model carried over with another new grille and performance fell further; with a 105hp 250cui I-6 becoming the base engine. The aforementioned V8’s remained, but even the 454 was only cranking out 215hp by this point. The next year introduced a vertical-stacked headlight arrangement was introduced on the El Camino Classic while the base car carried over style-wise.

The 454 was dropped along with the manual transmission for V8-equipped cars, and a 305cui V8 with 140hp was added to the roster. The Inline-6, the 350’s and 400cui V8 remained.

The final year for the “Colonnade” body style would have all El Caminos sport the vertical headlights like the ’76 Classic. Little else changed with the exception of the 400 being dropped. This was mostly due to the fact that the “downsized” ’78’s were well on their way.

The revamped Elky shared the body style of the new Malibu yet again, and would maintain this body shape until the end of production for 1987. The GMC Sprint was renamed Caballero, and the El Camino SS went on hiatus, initially replaced with a Black Knight Edition for its first year of production, and a Royal Knight Edition afterwards through ’83.

A Little Off The Top…

For the ’82 model year, the El Camino and its GMC cousin would get their final makeover with a new grille and quad headlamp assemblies. Engine options would change over the course of the next nine years, but nothing spectacular was ever developed for the A-body trucks.

The SS would eventually return for ’84 through a joint venture with an outsourced company called Choo Choo Customs, based out of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The cars basically shared the same front fascia with the Monte Carlo SS of the time, and came equipped with the same 190hp 305cui V8. Production was moved from The States to Mexico for the last two model years.

It’s been almost 25 years since the last El Camino was produced for the American public, but with rumors flying around for a new generation for the 2015 model year, we can only hope it becomes a reality. We can only assume that it will be based off of the Zeta platform or something similar, along with an LS ‘plant under its hood. Only time will tell.

About the author

Rick Seitz

Being into cars at a very early age, Rick has always preferred GM performance cars, and today's LS series engines just sealed the deal. When he's not busy running errands around town in his CTS-V, you can find him in the garage wrenching on his WS6 Trans Am, or at the local cruise spots in his Grand National.
Read My Articles

Hardcore Chevys in your Inbox.

Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from Chevy Hardcore, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE!

Free WordPress Themes
Chevy Hardcore NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

Chevy Hardcore - The #1 Performance Bowtie Online Magazine

chevyhardcore

We'll send you the most interesting Chevy Hardcore articles, news, car features, and videos every week.

Chevy Hardcore - The #1 Performance Bowtie Online Magazine

Chevy Hardcore NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

Chevy Hardcore - The #1 Performance Bowtie Online Magazine

chevyhardcore

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...


streetmusclemag
Hot Rods & Muscle Cars
dragzine
Drag Racing
enginelabs
Engine Tech

Chevy Hardcore - The #1 Performance Bowtie Online Magazine

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...

  • streetmusclemag Hot Rods & Muscle Cars
  • dragzine Drag Racing
  • enginelabs Engine Tech

Chevy Hardcore - The #1 Performance Bowtie Online Magazine

chevyhardcore

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

Chevy Hardcore - The #1 Performance Bowtie Online Magazine

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

Loading