60S EL CAMINO WINDOWS

So what happened to the idea of a car-based pickup? By the 1980s passenger cars were no longer able to tow much so vehicle manufacturers began offering more and more luxury options in their pickup models.

On Barrett-Jackson a pickup based on a 1958 Pontiac just crossed the blocks and Joe indicated that there are a few dozen on discussion forums around the country. I’ve seen pickups crafted from a variety of passenger cars including several Corvair-based pickups (not the original Rampside or Loadside, but pickups based on the Corvair Wagon). The idea started with Harley Earle, master GM stylist, who had a car-based pickup on the Autorama circuit in 1957 according to Joe. Joe’s not the only person who’s created an El Camino where there wasn’t one before. Under those parts is a 305 V8 mated to a 350 transmission and Joe describes the car as a great, reliable driver. Whatever was paid, the final result is an engine compartment that can brighten a cloudy day with all the shiny parts. Joe is a master of eBay and he was able to score all those shiny bits at prices he describes as pretty great. Of course all that “bling” you see under the hood is the genuine article. Aragon did the majority of the finishing body work on the car and the paint as well and it’s quite impressive to see it in person - the simulation they did of the chrome is pretty incredible. In fact, that’s a three-dimensional paint effect crafted by Aragon Customs in Clearlake Oaks who did all the paint work. The body itself Joe describes as relatively simple but the pictures might deceive you into thinking there’s elaborate chrome detailing, typical of a 1956 Chevrolet. “This makes the bed like a big hot tub - all you need to do is add pin-up girls and you’re set!” said Joe. While the original idea was to have the tailgate drop down, the original tailgate was such a mess that it was decided to simply finish into place. The turquoise and black upholstery in the bed match the interior and the upholstery is a terrific job completed by Al’s Upholstery in Clearlake. If it appears that the entire bed of the truck is padded, your eyes do not deceive you. The rear window of the cab is actually the glass from the tailgate window of the wagon.īehind the window is a beautifully-finished bed which matches the beautifully-finished interior. Then they put them behind the front doors giving the cab of the truck extra room.

60S EL CAMINO WINDOWS

This is also not the only “El Camino” in his collection of tri-five Chevys and I will feature his other one in the future - it’s completely different from this one.īut to create this one, Joe’s team took the rear wrap-around windows from the wagon and shortened them. Truth be told, Joe has the nicest collection of tri-five Chevrolets that I know of including some beautifully restored originals and some terrific hot rods. While some collectors might have looked at the work needed to create a finished project and given up, Joe saw an opportunity to create something truly unique and went forward. By the time Joe found this vehicle the conversion to a pickup truck had already begun but the quality of the work left a lot to be desired, not to mention the fact that it was very, very incomplete.

60s el camino