1978 Chevrolet EL Camino

I purchased this Elco Xmas time 2011 from Sydney Chevrolet collector John Debrincat. He had it sitting in a shed for 3 years after purchase from original. elderly owner in the California hills.

It would seem this car has been in a dry. warm climate its whole life and has never had any rust. Was originally camel/light gold in colour but has been repainted in a nicer bronze shade with rallye wheels done to match. SS bonnet stripes have also been added.

Three speed auto with numbers matching 350 v 8/4 barrel carb. Top engine option for this first year of 5 th gen elcos - big block was lost with the 4 th gens. Also has AC. power steer and power windows.

$6500 spent since purchase on all new bushes. upper & lower ball joints. drag link refurb. brakes. steering box adjustments. wheel bearings. fuel pump. starter. dizzy cap. battery (5/2013). white walls. rubber bumper strips. badges. ashtray. headliner and compliance for Australian roads.

Interior mostly original except for split bench seat seems to have been recovered at some point. Carpet has been replaced in dark brown. Original plastics (around headliner. seltbelt mounts and kick trims) have been resprayed in original camel colour. Dash hasn't been resprayed but looks good bar about 3 cracks from sun. I have just left the dash mat on (custom designed for this vehicle) and not worried about it. Headliner has been recovered in lowrider style button tufting. Door trims are complete but faded. Replaced easily through Ecklers El camino parts. CD player in dash.

Comes with -Broadcast sheet (70% in tact or so)

-Owners manual

-New hayman reece tow hitch

-New rubber bumper strip for rear.

-New air cleaner filter (very hard to find in Oz)

-New gearbox mount

-New Brake pads

-Original Cali plates

Perfect base for lowrider or cruise as is. Make good work ute. This ute is HQ size but alot more stylish than HQ – WB range in my opinion. We all know Holdens with Chev badges are lame so you'll get a warm fuzzy feeling knowing the tailgate bowtie is factory. 0)

>>Currently on Qld club rego so if sold in Qld probably easier to sell unregistered

Contact Tom on

to talk turkey. No pay pal or you pay 2% extra.

May be open to trades/part trades for following -1983/1984 KX 500 MX bike

-HK/T/G factory v 8 station wagon

On 01-Jul-13 at 05:44:26 AEST. seller added the following information:

Fifth generation (1978–1987) The 1978 through 1987 El Caminos were produced in four trim levels: Classic. Black Knight (1978)/Royal Knight (1979–83). Conquista and Super Sport. and shared chassis components with the Chevrolet Malibu. Chevrolet 90° V 6 and Buick V 6 engines were used for the first time. The optional 305 cubic-inch small block V 8 was rated at 150 or 165 horsepower (123 k W). and from 1982–1984. the Oldsmobile-sourced Diesel engine was also optional. A new. trimmer El Camino was unveiled in 1978. adopting the new. more sharp-edged Malibu styling. and a one-inch longer wheelbase of 117 in (2. 72 mm). The front end sheet metal was shared with the Malibu. the doors with the Monte Carlo. and the rear tailgate and bumper was shared with the Malibu station wagon. For the first time. though. the El Camino had a unique chassis - it was shared with no other Chevrolet. The front end featured a new single rectangular headlight design. The base engine was a 200-cubic-inch (3. 3-liter) V 6 that developed 95 horsepower (71 k W). except in California where. to meet emissions standards. the 231-cubic-inch Buick engine was the base engine . Two upgrades could be ordered: a 305-cubic-inch V 8 with 145 horsepower (108 k W). or a 350-cubic-inch V 8 with 170 horsepower (130 k W) that was only available in El Caminos and Malibu station wagons. It was not available on Malibu passenger cars. Among GM makes. at least. the era of bigness was fading into history. overtaken by a new age of efficiency and economy.

The 1979 model got minimal changes following its debut as a redesigned "new-size" model in 1978. Alterations to the 1979 El Camino amounting to little more than a new divided grille. However. a "small-block" 267-cubic-inch (4. 4-liter) V 8 joined the options list and slotted between the standard 3. 3-liter V 6 and the optional 5. 0-liter four-barrel V 8. The 350-cubic-inch (5. 7-liter) V 8. developing 170 horsepower (130 k W) was again available. Both three- and four-speed manual transmissions had floor shifters.

The 1980 El Camino started out the 1980 s with few changes. though engine choices were shuffled a little. The base V 6 displaced 229 cubic inches. up from 200 the year before. Horsepower increased from 94 to 115. Optional again were a 267-cubic-inch V 8 with 125 horsepower (93 k W) and a 305 V 8. now with 155 horsepower (down five). The 350 with 170 horsepower (130 k W) offered in 1979 was dropped. A three speed floor shifted manual transmission was standard. but most got the optional three-speed automatic.

The 1981 models received a new horizontal tube grill. The 1981 engines mostly continued from 1980. but now used GM's Computer Command Control (CCC) emission system. The base 229-cubic-inch V 6 made 110 horsepower (down from 115). as did the California-only 231-cubic-inch Buick V 6. Optional engines were the 267-cubic-inch V 8 with 115 horsepower (86 k W) and The 305-cubic-inch V 8. now with 150 horsepower (110 k W). The three-speed automatic added a lock-up torque converter to aid highway mileage.

The 1982 (through the final 1987) El Camino sported a frontal appearance with a crosshatch grille flanked by quad rectangular headlights. New under the hood for 1982 was a 105-horsepower 5. 7-liter (350-cubic-inch) Diesel V 8. which was also offered in Chevy's full-size cars. Though mileage with the diesel was commendable. it was an expensive option and would eventually amass a dismal repair record. Gasoline-engine choices were unchanged. except Chevy's 229-cubic-inch (3. 8-liter) V 6 was now standard in California-bound cars. replacing Buick's 231-cubic-inch V 6. In 1983. the 4. 4-liter V 8 was gone. leaving the 5. 0-liter version as the only optional gas V 8. The standard engine was again Chevy's 3. 8-liter V 6 with 110 horsepower (82 k W). though California cars. once again. got a Buick V 6 with similar specifications. Continuing on the options list was the 5. 7-liter V 8 Diesel with 105 hp (78 k W). The sister Malibu sedan and wagon were discontinued after the 1983 model year. The 1984-87 El Camino SS was offered as a conversion (completed by Choo-Choo Customs Inc. . of Chattanooga. Tennessee) to include the aerodynamic front end similar to the Monte Carlo SS. but did not receive the L 69 engine package. For 1985. GM shifted El Camino production to Mexico. and the new 4. 3 L was standard through 1987.

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