A big-block-powered hybrid hauler examined
El Caminos have taken a beating on the internet over the past 20 years as a lazy punchline for mullet jokes. But we wonder: How many snarky car pundits have ever actually driven a big-block powered El Camino? They’d likely be impressed by the power—even on a short trip to the coffee bar to write that day’s clickbait listicle. When the chassis is in good condition, 1968-’72 El Caminos aren’t a chore to drive, either. They have surprisingly modern road manners.
Not that we’re biased or hold grudges, but just to be clear, in SS trim, an El Camino is not the automotive equivalent of a mullet. (All business in the front and a party in the back! Ha!) It’s actually all business in the back where you can haul stuff (repair parts for cars favored by bloggers, for instance), and a party in the front, where the gas pedal and Mark IV engine coexist in tire-burning harmony.
As of this writing, we counted more than two dozen 1970 El Caminos on Hemmings.com awaiting adoption. Prices ranged from $5,200 for a roller/project with new quarters (and an owner-described “cheap paint job”) up to $55,000 for what appeared to be a show-ready SS 396. Literally something for every budget.
