1959 Chev Elcamino 348 RED UTE

Up for sale is my 1959 Chev Elcamino 348 (same block as the 409) 250HP 4bbl V8 ute. This is a factory made one of 22000. Upholstery is like new Runs and drives beautifully and the talking point of where ever you take it. This is original down to the hubcaps and hasnt been modified in any way. It is red and these are very collectable and rare to find in this condition. It is eligible for club rego and runs a 2 speed powerglide auto making it very easy to drive. The speedo is in mph. There are some paint chips and the price reflects this. Dont risk importing an unseen rusty car. This is rust free and all the hard work is done. Reday to drive away.

Some facts on the Elcamino

The El Camino was introduced for the 1959 model year two years after the Ford Ranchero. According to Chevrolet stylist Chuck Jordan. GM Harley Earl had suggested a coupe pickup in 1952.
 
Like the Ranchero. it was based on an existing and modified platform. the new-for-1959 Brookwood two-door station wagon. itself based on the completely redesigned. longer. lower and wider full-sized Chevrolet. Highly sytlized. it initially sold 50% more briskly than the more conservative Ranchero. some 22. 00 to 14. 00.
 
1959 El Camino
Unlike the Brookwoods wagon and a sedan delivery variant. the El Camino was available any full-sized Chevy drivetrain. It came in a single trim level. its exterior using the Bel-Air's and interior of a low-end Biscayne. It's chassis featured Chevrolet's "Safety-Girder" X-frame design and a full-coil suspension. both introduced in the 1958 model year. The 119-inch (3. 00 mm) wheel-base was 1. 5 inches (38 mm) longer. and overall length for all 1959 Chevys was up to 210. 9 inches (5. 60 mm). The El Camino's payload rating ranged from 650 to 1150 pounds. with gross vehicle weights ranging from 4400 to 4900 pounds depending on powertrain and suspension. The somewhat soft passenger car suspension of the base model left the vehicle level without a load. in contrast the Ranchero. where standard 1100-pound rated heavy duty rear springs gave it a distinct rake when empty. The quirky Level Air suspension option. in its second and final year. was listed as available. but was almost never seen on any Chevrolet model. much less an El Camino. The 1959 El Camino was promoted as the first Chevrolet pickup built with a steel bed floor instead of wood. The floor was a corrugated sheetmetal insert. secured with 26 recessed bolts. Concealed beneath it was the floor pan from the Brookwood two-door wagon. complete with foot wells. Box capacity was almost 33 cubic feet (0. 93 m3).
 
Among the performance engines offered were a 283-cid Turbo-jet V8 with two- or four-barrel carburetion. several Turbo-Thrust 348-cid V8s with four-barrel or triple two-barrel carbueratorss producing 335 bhp (250 kW; 340 PS). and 250- and 290-bhp 283-cube Ramjet Fuel Injection V8s.
 
Hot Rod magazine conducted a test of an El Camino equipped with the hottest powertrain combination available in early 1959—a 315 bhp (235 kW; 319 PS). triple-carb. solid-lifter 348 V8 mated to a four-speed. Staff testers clocked 0-60 mph times of around seven seconds. estimated top speed at 130 mph (210 km/h). and predicted 14-second/100-mph quarter-mile performance with a rear-axle ratio suitable for drag racing installed.
 
A total of 22. 46 El Caminos were produced for 1959. That bested the count of 21. 06 first-year Rancheros made in 1957 and the 14. 69 Ford sedan pickups built in direct competition for the 1959 model year. But 1960 would be a different story.

Also published at eBay.com.au

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