1985 Chevrolet El Camino

1985 Chevrolet El Camino

Rumor has it that Mattel’s Elliot Handler, (the ’el’ in Mattel), spotted designer Harry Bradley’s El Camino in the Mattel HQ parking lot and commented, ”Those are some hot wheels,” coining the new name for Mattel’s line of toy cars, Hot Wheels. In fact, Elliot was so impressed by Bradley’s custom El Camino, he insisted that Mattel use it as a model for the first line of Hot Wheels toy cars, (The Fleetside). And the rest,as they say, is history.

For consignment, a 1985 version of the El Camino in very good condition. Nice two tone color combo exterior and interior. It runs well, has had a slew of maintenance recently performed, a few faults here and there, but a car you can haul hay during the week, and take to church on Sunday. Dual usage for this car will definitely show you ”the way”.

Exterior

Finished in a wonderful hue of Medium Blue Metallic, the side slabbed steel remains fairly straight, all rust free, and retains its shine. The lower rockers, toppings of the bed and roof are finished in a complimentary silver and creates an overall fab look. Some shiny chrome trim for the lower rockers, wheel wells, and the delineation between the silver and blue add to the allure. Also some nifty trim in chrome to highlight the top of the bed sides along with a red and silver pinstripe running across the beltline with a red bowtie above the door handles completes the package. The bed is blue with a black rubber fitted mat and is presenting as nearly showroom new..this is good! Refurbished Chevy 14-inch honeycomb mag wheels with new center caps are on all 4 corners and are wrapped with black wall rubber from the 33rd week of 2021. Interestingly enough, there is the Conquista badge on the rear tailgate, which gives the customer the two tone paint, and extra trim on this car...uh truck...uh car!

Interior

Nicely preserved blue vinyl adorns the doors along with a bottom panel of blue carpet, and shiny chrome bezels for the power window and lock switches. A large comfortable but slightly faded split bench in a mix of dark blue broadcloth and even darker blue vinyl stretches between the doors and an ultra puffy armrest resides in the center that folds up and down. We note slight tearing of the driver’s upper bolster at the outboard piping seam, but all else remains intact and comfy. The iconic square design is present for the dash, with major usage of rectangles and squares, holding the gauges, knobs, and radio, and is making use of some rag rolled brown appliqué. A blue carpeted dash cover is now on and blue carpet floods the floors. A blue headliner floats above the seats and remains tidy and tight.

Drivetrain

The original to the car 4.3 Liter V6 sits within the original but lightly patinaed engine bay. It sports electronic fuel injection and has a TH350 3 speed automatic attached to the rear. A 10 bolt differential takes the power from the mill/transmission setup and punts it to the rear wheels. Our consignor notes that a new thermostat, coolant flush and windshield washer pump have all been installed within the last year.

Undercarriage

Just surface rust here and slight at that, the tubs are sturdy, and some scratching off of the paint on the rockers, and areas of dulling of the paint can be seen throughout. Independent coil spring, and a 4 link with coil springs are on the front and rear respectively for the suspension. Brakes are power disc up front, and power drums on the rear. A relatively rust free exhaust snakes its way rearward from the mill.

Drive-Ability

A quick starter and decent driver. Typical for an 1985 El Camino with good acceleration, bias free braking and all functions working as they should. We did note a bit of softness to the suspension which is backed up by our consignor’s notes stating that the truck could use new springs and shocks.

Here we have a good example of the El Camino in Conquista badging. Well running, and in overall good condition. Look, it’s a car, no it’s a truck no it’s an El Camino! Come into Classic Auto Mall and we will show you ”the way” to see this!

3GCCW80Z8FS920405

3-Mexico

G-General Motors

C-Chevrolet Truck

C-Hydraulic Brakes (GVW 4001-5000)

W-El Camino/Caballero

80-2 Door Sedan Pick Up

Z-4.3L V6 LB4

8-Check Digit

F-1985

S-Ramos Arizpe Mexico Assy Plant

920405-Sequential Unit Number

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 850 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display. This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is [hidden information] and our phone number is [hidden information]. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.