1986 El Camino

Theres someone in my town selling an 86 el camino. But I don't know if it'd be good to buy because it's a car from the 80s. Could any of y'all tell me what I should know about it?

It's a El Camino

Those cars get my dick hard, but I honestly know nothing of them. Would be nice if some user did, though.

Stock 305 is slow but reliable. Just do a little maintenance here and there and you're good.

Relatively easy to wrench on. More engine a drivetrain options than you can count if you ever want to do swap. And real steel Fuck your shit up bumpers. Although if your in the rust belt, those Bolts holding the bumper had a bad habit of Rusting.

...

Obviously it has the Camino coolness factor, but as a vehicle its reasonably reliable and practical for hauling basic stuff. Look at the frame though, those frames liked to rust and rot.

You probably don't produce enough testosterone to drive an El Camino. Dont bother.

I'll second that. 380,000 km and counting on regular maintenance here. A healthy 305 will haul your shit up a mountain without complaining, but it won't win you any races.

80s Chevy trucks (El Caminos included as they are body on frame) are durable, very easy to work on, and cheap to maintain. All you really have to worry about once you've confirmed that the last owner kept up with regular maintenance is fuel cost and rust.

get it, 350 swap for some power, you'll get a better engine with more aftermarket that is virtually identical from the outside

sexy

keep it stock
don't be a retard

best El Camino is '69 El Camino

Fact.

Buddy of mine has an 87, resprayed orange with a 350 moderately modded. Drove it multiple times and its pretty cool, definately look out for body rust as this era of GM is know for its rust problems. Other big things id check for in this year range is the condition of the ATF. The 700r4 isnt known for its longevity and they fall apart fast under heat. Id earnestly check forums for 80s GBodys for common problems (these cars share many chassis components with the grand nationals and monte carlos). If i were you id check out the coolant syatem rigorously like this:
-while cold check levels in the radiator, look to see if its brownish or there is any oil in it.
-start the car and chat up the seller until the idle settles down and give it some quick revs to at least 4krpm, if it stumbles you are in for fuel delivery problems.
-when driving feel for how aggresively the transmission shifts, if it hits hard eniugh to chirp the tires the trans has had work done and if the seller has no record of it then this is your chance to talk down price "someones worked on this, it could be short for this world..."
-run for at least 15 minutes in mixed driving until the temperature is steady (should hang around 170 degrees).
-let idle for another two minutes and check temps to ensure everything is steady.
-when you shut down the car, if it burbles and seems to kick over a few more times than you have a carb running rich, watch to see if he tries to shut it off in drive.

If all is well go nuts, theyre awesome cars with great aftermarket support, id go for a total brake overhaul with new pads rotors shoes springs and lines to ensure nothing pops while youre hauling down the road at 60mph. Id also suggest replacing/upgrading shocks and springs if they havent been done in a few years. Get ready to drop at least another 500$ on her after you go through everything and lastly dont spend more than 3k if its stock and in good shape, theyre everywhere. Best wishes.

Addendum, leave Veeky Forums. Its full of internet experts who dont actually own cars.

Looks awesome

why not the 58? it has more aesthetic

I want to know more about you, OP. Are you white trash?

The El Camino was introduced in '59, the '58 El Caminos you see online (there are plenty and yes, they do look awesome) are custom jobs.

The '59 is cool but the rear end looks like a wise old Asian man.

>and lastly don't spend more than 3k if its stock and in good shape, theyre everywhere

In Ontario an El Camino in that condition is fucking $4,500 minimum. Rebuilt ones go for $10,000-$20,000.

But yeah plenty of people are still daily driving G body cars. Find a forum and read as much as you can. Learn as much as you can about the car, platform, and other related GM stuff like swapable parts.

>a little bit ago my brother told me about the punk rock band at his school in the 90's having a song where the only lyric was "Is it a car? Is it a Truck? It's an El Camino!" and now every time I see one I have to yell those lyrics.

Ouch, sorry to hear that. We make a yearly pilgrimage to Syracuse NY for the NHRA nationals, where many canadians attend and its remarkable the premium they pay for american muscle of any antiquity!

>The '59 is cool but the rear end looks like a wise old Asian man.

Whelp you ruined it for me. Thanks for that.

G bodies are the tri fives of the 80s.

>that pic
all the important thing all in one place
perfection

It's okay, Team '69 is right here waiting for you.

Thanks mate, glory to machines that are cheap, simple, and can take a serious beating.