In these strange times of global conflict and economic uncertainty, people need heroes. No, not those idiots in tights from Marvel or DC, no not at all. The hero we are looking for is the builder of custom El Caminoized things all of all kinds. Like this next thing, which is a Mercedes-Benz W123 chassis […]
The Type 3 was a compact offering from Volkswagen that was sold from 1961 through 1973 in Notchback, Fastback, Squareback, and Sedan Delivery (like a wagon, but no windows) variants. Volkswagen never sold a pickup truck version (the Caddy pickup didn’t arrive until the 1979 Rabbit/Golf platform) but that didn’t stop this next builder from […]
This next car came in as a tip from Cory and I was excited to see a Volvo that had been modified so you can haul around your old rusty deck chairs, used wheels, 55-gallon drum lids, and other assorted flotsam AND it keeps the back doors/seats for you kids. But wow the kids are gonna be disappointed when they find there are no rear seats, just some old wood/rope/algae on top of rusting metal. Find this 1983 Volvo 240 Ute offered for $1300 on the Faceute Elcaminobook in Easton, MD.
der of this next car had a moment of clarity when he put down the blow torch and said; you know what most custom El Camino conversions are missing…a landau top and windows to see into the bed. He likely when took another sip from his moonshine jug and got back to fabricating one of the best looking Eldoradaminos I’ve ever seen. Find this 1978 Cadillac Eldorado offered for $14,750 in Ft Lauderdale, FL via craigslist. Tip from Bobby.
A Dodge Caravan El Camino, an Excalibur and a ’51 Ford Ranchero walk into a bar. The bartender says…I picked the wrong week to stop huffing paint. Wow. Tipper Matt C (who found this by searching for who knows what) put a crisp summary of the seller’s faceplace marketbork listing here: A Dodge Caravan pickup conversion for $9000, looks fairly well done. A ’51 Ford also converted to a pickup for $12000, looks like more of a hack job. And wait, there’s also an Excalibur kit car for $13000, looking like a prewar Mercedes that has put on a considerable amount of weight and been stuffed full of seriously downmarket interior. In other words, like a typical Excalibur.
I saw this next car in the tips inbox and instantly seethed with indignant rage; How dare someone send in this offense against taste and decency? What do you think this site is? Do you think this is the kind of site will post any sort of El Camino’d Cadillac with an LT1 V8 under the hood? Well, let me tell you…you’ve got the…well…you’ve got the right place. This is a go for posting. Find this 1984 Cadillac DeVille El Camino offered for $15,000 in Oakland, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
This next car came as a tip from Jim who writes; This car is like a mullet with a tuxedo. Yes, like Pabst Blue Ribbon in a champagne flute. Like roadkill served on fine bone china. Like a Raider’s linebacker in full uniform heading to Centre Court at Wimbledon. Like an expensive car featured on Daily Turismo. Find this 1997 Cadillac Seville flower car offered for $6998 in Norwalk, CT via craigslist.
Colin Chapman’s motto for car performance was; “simplify and then add diamond plate.” No. Wait. That wasn’t Chapman. That was a young Elon Musk — he was building his first electric car, a canvas backed quasi-camino and he needed a lightweight, space-age material to use for the front valence, rear bumper, bed liner, seat cover, and tail light surround…and he thought “I can’t afford anything light, so I’ll hack the roof off, add 2 tons of lead-acid batteries and use diamond plate wherever I can”. Diamond Plate Motors was a total failure, but he joined the guys at Tesla Motors when they were converting lightweight Lotus Elises to electric and the rest is history. Find this 1980 Datsun 310 offered for $1500 in Santa Cruz, CA via craigslist.
Folks into trucks are always arguing about which kind of drive system is better — many say 4-wheel-drive trucks are the best because you can drive through anything, while others say the basic rear-drive pickup is the best because you get to fish tail in the dirt…but, naturally, they are both wrong. The best kind of pickup is the front-wheel-drive pickup, particularly one built on a Cadillac chassis. Find this 1974 Cadillac Eldorado Pickup offered for $9995 in Edgewater, FL via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
The second generation (N120/N130) Toyota 4Runner is known around the globe for its legendary reliability, ruggedness, and durability. Equipped with Toyota’s 22R inline-4 or 3VZ V6, it was also known for going to distance with basic maintenance and isn’t a bad looking SUV from an aesthetic perspective, unless you hack the rear tailgate off and turn it into a Ridgeline looking El Camino thing…and then…uggg. Don’t get me wrong, usabiliy will be great for tailgating, throwing your boogie boards in the back, or setting up a tarp-tub…but…it isn’t going to win any design awards. Find this 1991 Toyota 4Runner Pickup offered for $5,000 in Canoga Park, CA via craigslist.