For the first time, an AM-FM radio could be ordered from the options list. 1965 saw minor trim updates and the availability of a higher performance version of the Corvette-sourced 327 engine rated at 350 hp that was also available in Chevelles.
The redesign was a huge success and the '64 El Camino outsold the Ranchero by almost 50 percent. Chevrolet initially marketed the El Camino as a utility model "personal pickup" and Chevelle's most powerful engines were not available. The smaller 115-inch wheelbase fit the El Camino's sporty image, yet offered enough payload to do serious work when needed. Alas, the Chevelle nameplate appeared on the front fenders. After a three-year hiatus, the second generation El Camino returned in " 1964", but now shared it's GM A-body platform with the new mid-size Chevelle series.Consequently, GM management temporarily canceled the El Camino at the end of the 1960 model run. Neither Chevy's new compact, the Corvair, with it's rear-mounted air-cooled engine, or the 1961 full-size car platform could accommodate a truck box. The similar but less flamboyant " 1960" model (front and rear-end styling continued to mirror the changes of the Bel Air) was unable to compete with a smaller, Falcon-based Ranchero introduced by Ford in 1960. Payload capacity ranged from 650 to an advertised 1,150 pounds. Suspension was softer than the competing Ranchero, allowing the El Camino to ride level without a load. The El Camino, however, managed to outsell the Ranchero's 14,169 units with 22,246 built in the first year. Built on the fullsize Brookwood station wagon platform, it had the same "cat’s eye" taillights and "bat mobile" rear fins as the Impala which sold in fewer numbers than the more conservatively styled Fords. The 119-inch wheelbase and passenger car chassis ensured a pleasant ride and good handling - something few pickups of the period could boast.
Automatic transmissions were also available-either the Powerglide (a 2-speed automatic) or the Turboglide (a continuously variable automatic).
1985 el camino engine options upgrade#
But there were engine upgrade options, starting with two V8 engines: One offered 170 horsepower (improved to 230 in 1960), with 283 cubic inches and fuel injection the second V8 option was up to 355 horsepower, with 348 cubic inches and three carburetors.
1985 el camino engine options manual#
inline 6-cylinder, with a 3-speed manual transmission. The standard engine was a 135-hp, 235-cu.-in. Although the El Camino wasn't the first vehicle to blend a passenger-car platform with the utility of a truck’s cargo bed, it was ultimately the most successful in the United States. The inaugural El Camino was introduced as the flagship of Chevrolet light-duty truck line. The first-generation GM version of the car-based pickup debuted on Octoas a new " 1959" model.
Two years later, GM answered with the Chevrolet version, christened "El Camino" which is Spanish for "the road" (or "the way"). General Motors was left without an equivalent product, and not responding to the blue-oval threat simply wasn't an option. Relatively popular in the prewar years, car-based pickups had all but disappeared from the American landscape when Ford launched it's 1957 Ranchero in December 1956. The Ranchero was more car than truck (the reverse of the Cameo Carrier) and gave buyers the usefulness of a light pickup truck with the comforts (and familiarity) of an everyday driving car. Although not a big seller, the Camino Carrier, which never made a comeback, did inspire Ford to rethink the pickup concept and set the stage for it's Ranchero. Boasting V-8 power, automatic transmission, two-tone paint, and deluxe interior, the " 1955" Chevrolet Cameo narrowed the distance between car and truck. While it was stylish inside and out and turned heads, in reality it was a well-designed version of the Chevy Task Force generation of pickup trucks. They rolled out a specially designed and fancied-up version of their pickup truck to add style and comfort.
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