Hellcamino! 1966 Chevrolet El Camino 4X4
Oh, Brother! This is a tough one for me. If you follow my rantings you’ll know that I like Chevrolet El Caminos, especially the ’66 to ’72 variety. I’ve never owned one but constantly swear, “One of these days…” Yeah, yeah, yeah, the road to hell is paved with positive “One of these days” intentions. Or…maybe it should be paved with a Hellcamino intention like this world’s greatest extrovert example of a 1966 Chevrolet El Camino. Distraught, I am a bit but I’ll grin and bear it and commence with the review. This most modified of Chevrolets is located in Bel Air, Maryland and is available, here on Facebook Marketplace for $6,500. Thanks to Chuck F for this outrageous find!
Now you probably are thinking “That’s a ’67 El Camino, not a ’66” but the seller advises that he has grafted a ’67 Chevelle/El Camino fiberglass front clip to a ’66 body. Regardless, I don’t know whether to label this thing as heresy, blasphemy, or just roll with it and go for a laugh. After all, it’s not mine and I didn’t participate in its highly altered birth so I’ll just enjoy it as is.
Examining its bones, the Hellcamino is sitting on top of a ’77 Blazer chassis that has been lengthened. The seller states, “Truck suspension is mocked up 4 link not finished“. I’m not exactly sure what that means but the front suspension is secured with some seriously arched leaf springs. I can’t tell with certainty what’s going on under the rear though it looks like a primitive trailing arm setup. There’s no mention made of the source of the axles but it’s logical to assume they came from the chassis donating Blazer, or some other GM vehicle.
This one’s not a rollover, it’s a roller as it has no engine or transmission. El Camino buyers had eight different engine choices in ’66 including the fairly new 396 CI “Turbo-Jet” V8 as it was first made available in the Camino that year. Regardless of its past powerplant, one could probably drop in whatever powertrain would be most appropriate for mudding it.
Not much to talk about inside. A full roll cage has been installed and a whole lot of detritus is piled up on what appear to be strato-bucket seats. It would be interesting to see how the dash and instrument panel has been “affected” along with the necessary minimal wiring. From what can be spied, the dash and instrument panel appear to now be just a piece of formed aluminum sheet metal.
What’s done is done, this Hellcamino is never going to be an El Camino again – so sad. Nevertheless, I still must admire the skill that it took to take this whole thing apart and graft it back together, on a different chassis, while incorporating all of the necessary metal fabrication – it’s a skill that I don’t possess. The image above shows this former Camino under power so it is, or was at one time capable of mud bogging. The question is, can it have that capability again and does anyone want to rise to the substantial task of undertaking the challenge?
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Comments
To CC,,now THIS is too much testo,, :)
So why?
“bithlo”
Sometimes the folks who (very kindly) find cars for our enjoyment stumble upon several similar listings, like Buick GNs or even Blazer Chateaus. Seems they have discovered ruined El Caminos as of late.
Come on guys . Go easy . This ain’t as bad as some of Franken4X4’s that have shown up here lately . At least it is a pickup . I kind of like it .
Hey Bud, I agree, see that ’57 Chevy/ElCamino post for more,,,,
“Hey Maynard, how the hell are we suppose ta haul fertilizer in that pick-up?”
This Hell Camino has ACDC songs running thru my head from Hells Bells, Highway to Hell or even
The country song Elcamino from
A Elizabeth Cooke welder album 😎
“I know this guy, he’s all wrong for me
He wears shirts that are trippin on LSD
I must be high as a kite on diesel fumes
He got me sportin’ bell bottoms and braids to school
I never thought he’d get this far
Certainly not in THAT kind of funky-ass car
He’s been pickin me up everyday at the curb
In his nineteen seventy-two refurb
EL CAMINO (Brown and Tangerine)
EL CAMINO (Drinkin gasoline)
CAMINO (Lean and obscene)
EL CAMINO
I told him your car is CREEPY man
And not in a gangsta kinda way
But in a PERV kinda way
You got a lot of nerve drivin that kind of car
And takin me fishing out to the park
You’re like some dude on blow in that movie Boogie Nights
And this Friday night you wanna go to the fights in your…”
Good luck on the sale 👍
The guy destroyed a blazer and an ELcamino to make this ,nice🙄
Is this the inbred cousin of the elcamino belair train wreck ?
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Jim O Donnell its only $6500 bucks just buy it then you will have 3/4 of a el Camino what is the worst that can happen with it? This looks like a fun toy
Ummmmmm…… No.
I don’t know why Barn Finds wastes the space for crap like this.
Hey Jim… you kinda blended two very different “varieties” of Elcos. 64-67 were the second gen then 68-72 was the third gen. And just one person’s opinion but that’s where I feel the real Elcos ended! A high school buddy had a ‘68 which I loved, but when I finally started looking for one the prices were out of reach. So now I have a a sweet ‘64 and I love it!
I did that because the ’64-’67 variants ride on the same 115″ wheelbase chassis. The ’68-’72 use the four-door/station wagon 116″ chassis. Also, the rear axle width is the same for the ’64-’67 version while ’68-’72 is just slightly wider. Finally, the ’64-’67 greenhouse and B-pillar is very similar among the four years just as the ’68-’72 used the same piece.
Thx,
JO
I thought 64 65 was first gen
66 67 second 68 69 third
70 7? was forth
Gen 1 ‘59-‘60
Gen 2 ‘64-‘67
Gen 3 ‘68-‘72
my bad I was thinking about chevelles not El cos
Swap the Hell Camino and the Bel Camino bodies and you now have two sellable vehicles!
The front clip on that is a 67 Chevelle, not a 66.
As I wrote:
“Now you probably are thinking “That’s a ’67 El Camino, not a ’66” but the seller advises that he has grafted a ’67 Chevelle/El Camino fiberglass front clip to a ’66 body”
JO.
i would make it street legal (just barely) and drive the balls off it, i would take it offroading to, put some 44s on it, if that not whats already it, would be fun and would get alot of looks.