1971 Chevrolet El Camino

The third generation of Chevrolet's El Camino ute debuted for 1968 and would be replaced by the fourth gen for 1973, so that makes this '71 example the second to last year for them.

From the A-pillar forward it was basically a Chevelle and, like the 1971 Chevelle, single large headlights on each side had replaced the previous year's smaller dual lamps.

The El Camino came in base and SS trims and the base motors were the 250 cubic inch Turbo-Thrift inline six or the 307 cube Turbo-Fire V-8. Optional choices included two different 350s making either 240 or 270 horsepower, a 300hp 400cid big block, and the 454 cubic inch big block in either 365 or 425 horsepower flavors, although the 454 could only be had with the SS package.

The Tuxedo Black example in the photo has the four-barrel, dual-exhaust 270hp 5.7L V-8 and was photographed with a Nikon Coolpix P7000 in New Hampshire back in April of 2015.

1976 Chevrolet El Camino Classic

For the 1976 model year, the higher-end El Camino Classic got the stacked quad rectangular headlights like the Chevelle and Monte Carlo. The Classic also had a crosshatched mesh grille rather than the plain plastic rectangular grille of the base model, which also retained the plain dual round headlights from the previous year.

The one in the picture has the Conquista trim package, which came with two-tone paint...in this case Firethorn over Mahogany...divided by bright chrome molding on the sides. This one also has the optional 15" Rally wheels.

The 250cid OHV 105 horsepower inline six was the base motor. Optional engines were the 140hp 2-barrel 305, the trusty 350 in either two- or four-barrel form, and the top-of-the-line 400 small block, now only rated at 175 horses.

This one was photographed with a Canon EOS-1D Mark IV and EF 24-105mm f/4L IS zoom lens in October of 2022.

1964 Chevrolet El Camino

Revamped along with the Chevelle from which it was derived, the '64 El Camino was essentially a 2-door Chevelle 300 2-door wagon with a pickup bed where the load area would be. It even came with the same 115" wheelbase and carried "Chevelle" badges on the front fenders to complement the "El Camino" ones on the rear quarters. It came with either the Hi-Thrift 194 cubic inch inline six as the base motor or the optional Turbo-Thrift 230cid inline six, producing 120 and 155 SAE gross horsepower, respectively.

Also available as options were two flavors of the 283 cube Turbo-Fire V-8, in either two-barrel 195 horsepower form, or with a four-barrel carb and dual exhausts for an output of 220 horsepower. The "V" badge on the fender and the left-side exhaust outlet visible at the rear would indicate that this one's got the hotter of the two small blocks.

Grumbles in the press of the time complained that the midsize Chevelle and its hybrid El Camino cousin lacked really powerful engine options so halfway through the model year Chevy added two flavors of the new 327 cubic inch small block: A 250hp two-barrel motor and a high-compression four-barrel with dual exhausts and a rating of 300 SAE gross horsepower.

This super-straight Ember Red example has the "V"-badges on the fender denoting a V-8 and dual exhausts, so it has one of the spicier powertrains. It was photographed with a Nikon D700 and a Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-D "street sweeper" zoom lens in June of 2019.

1979 GMC Caballero

While the Chevrolet El Camino dates all the way back to 1959, when they added an open bed to the 2-door full size Chevy Brookwood station wagon, it wasn't until the 1971 model year that GMC began offering their own version of it.

Christened the GMC Sprint, it shared the platform of the Chevelle sedan & wagon, just like its Chevy sibling.

For the 1978 model year, the Sprint name was changed to Caballero, Spanish for "gentleman" (literally "horseman") possibly to reflect the Spanish themed name of the Chevrolet original.

Riding on the Malibu chassis with the wheelbase stretched nine inches (to 117"), the Caballero had a bed that was a bit over six and a half feet long, capable of swallowing the standard 4'x8' sheet of plywood, if you didn't mind some of it sticking up over the tailgate.

The original '78 Caballero had an eggcrate type grille, while the horizontal bars and single headlamps on either side of the one in the photo identify this Beige-and-Camel Metallic two-tone example as a 1979 model. 

Standard under the hood would have been the L26 3.3L pushrod V-6 with a 2-barrel carb, rated at 95 SAE net horsepower. A buyer dismayed at the thought of trying to drive a pickup loaded with up to 1,250 pounds of cargo using such a dismal little motor could instead opt for either the 2-barrel 4.4L L39 V-8, which put out 120 horsepower, or the LG4 305 V-8, which made 160 horsepower with a Rochester Quadrajet carb.

This one was photographed using a Hasselblad Lunar and a Sony Zeiss T* 16-70mm f/4 OSS zoom lens in August of 2021.

1984 Chevrolet El Camino SS

The fifth (and final) generation of Chevrolet's El Camino ute debuted in 1978 as a downsized version of its predecessors and received a fairly heavy mid-cycle styling refresh for 1982. It had been styled to resemble the Malibu midsize sedan, but after the refresh it took its cues from the G-body Monte Carlo personal luxury coupe.

Gone were the hairier engine options from yesteryear, as the more fuel-conscious "new size" truckette came with an assortment of V-6s, a tame 305 small block, or the execrable Oldsmobile 350 diesel.

Chevrolet did offer a factory SS option, RPO Z15, that came with some trim & paint detail differences and an air dam. It also came with big SS decals on the doors and tailgate up through '83, but that stopped because Chevrolet started contracting through Choo Choo Customs of Chattanooga, which had mostly been known for its luxo conversion vans, to do an SS appearance package for the El Camino.

Choo Choo customs essentially fitted a Monte Carlo Super Sport snout and ground effects to the El Camino. In addition to the nose job, various options were available, like a "cowl induction" style hood bulge and functional side pipes.

Unlike the Monte Carlo SS, though, the El Camino SS was all bark and no bite. Whereas the Monte could be had with the L69 305 H.O. small block, which came with better-flowing heads, gnarlier camshaft, low-restriction exhaust, flat top 9.5:1 pistons, and a 750cfm Quadrajet, all of which added up to 190 horsepower, the Choo Choo Customs El Caminos still had the basic LG4 4-barrel 305 taxi motor from the regular El Caminos. While the lower compression ratio meant it'd run happily on regular gas, it also meant it only put out 150 horsepower.

The top and bottom photos were shot with a Nikon D1X and Nikon's excellent 35mm f/1.8 DX prime lens in November of 2021, while the middle one was snapped in October of 2020 using a Nikon D7000 and a 16-80mm f/2.8-4E VR zoom lens.