This was still the malaise era, so the outputs hadn’t rebounded to respectable levels yet. The El Camino could be had with a 4.3L V6 or a 5.0L V8, and in both cases, the horsepower rating was far lower than you might expect for engines with those displacements. That is, the looks were meant to convey that this was a mean street machine, but reality told a different story. The “SS” badging was a bit of a misnomer, as the Choo Choo team didn’t add any real horsepower beyond the perceived type. As you can see inside, this El Camino has been looked after, with a spotless interior and original details throughout – right down to the factory radio. The Choo Choo treatment only added to the allure, giving it visual enhancements to take advantage of its muscular looks. To some extent, the El Camino may be seen as our best attempt at making the ute a reality in the states, even though it didn’t survive long-term. Australia, on the other hand, has embraced the half car, half truck configuration and even produced some serious hot rods in this segment. There’s certainly a lot of appeal in the “ute” bodystyle that still holds true today, even though the segment didn’t exactly take off in the U.S. The ‘ol business in the front, party in the back routine. The El Camino by itself may have been perceived as a collector car just owing to the novelty of its packaging. This 1986 model year example has under 30,000 miles and is listed here on craigslist for $24, 500. While pace cars of every stripe, the Grand National, and the C4 Corvette would dominate car bingo boards, it seems the Choo Choo designation made many El Camino caretakers see potential dollars signs down the road. If you were asked to assemble a list of 20 domestic vehicles that more than a few enthusiasts socked away in the 1980s in hopes of a payday after a few decades of sporadic use, the Chevrolet El Camino SS “Choo Choo” edition might make its way onto more than a few lists.
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