Jump on it or keep looking? CAM-T El Camino...

As none of you will remember I am looking to retire MY Grand Prix from auto-X and move into CAM-T. CAM is a very soft class in my region, and I just love the idea of flogging a muscle car rather than a miata or some other forgetable sports car.

I've settled on a GM G-body, and I'm looking specifically for an El-Camino or GMC Caballero. The added wheelbase will be a bit of a handicap, but the convenience of having the truck bed will offset that somewhat. That and I owned one once before that I was forced to sell long before I ever got to drive it.

I was looking for a challenge budget project (mods not included), and currently have about $2300 to throw at it. This narrowed my options somewhat. Anything much cheaper than this is usually non-running and anything above this price is too nice to race.

That said I found this:

This is a 1978 El Camino with an '82+ front clip and a metal roll pan. it has a '75-ish truck small block with a perfomer manifold and a turbo 350.

I stopped by and looked at it, and drove it. It starts, stops, shifts, turns left and right. It's a heat only, no-ac car (a huge bonus for me) and it has a tilt wheel. It has no rust.

Here's the bad:

It's exhaust system consisted of downpipes welded onto the cast manifolds and terminating somewhere under the car in super-turbo mufflers that are super-loud and hit on every speed bump. This car will need a complete exhaust system to meet the SCCA's 100db rule.

Electrical issues, the turn signals work... sometimes, the guages don't light up and there are no interior lights. the wiring harness up front was not updated to the '82+ so only two of the four headlamps work. the wiring is chopped together in places.

It's a '78 so it only has lap belts.

Now I live in an apartment and don't have a garage. I can do small repairs in my parking spaces, but large projects must be completed, In one day, in a borrowed garage. I have until May to have a race ready car.

The owner is asking $1750 for this truck. I figure it needs a grand or more in repairs to make it ready to mod.

I'm looking for advice here. should I jump on this and fix what needs fixing? or should I pass and keep saving?

What would you do?

If I was you, and I had a buddy with a garage or a U-Store place that lets you work on cars, I'd do it.

Yup. Do it. Headers and side pipes are cheap and simple. The electrical is probably grounds and a turn signal switch.

Do it. I don't see you hitting much closer to the dream for the cash you're talking.

Also, the things wrong with that seem like the kind that could be done in a day in a borrowed garage. Get hi/lo bulbs for the outer lights, make mesh ram air vents for the inners.

I would jump on that. If it runs and drives with only the issues you mentioned it sounds pretty good. I think eBay headers and a Summit exhaust system would fix you up for well under a grand. I assume you don't have emissions down there in Pierce?

No rust and driveable means buy it at that price!

No emissions over 25 years old.

the exhaust is no problem, since I can't weld that would have to happen at a shop anyway. It's the electrical that is beyond my skills.

plus the only guy I know around here with a garage is Hungary Bill and he's got some Italian rust taking up all the space in his garage.

Check to see if the extra storage spaces allow you to work on cars. Some do, at least around me.

a complete wiring harness from painless isnt that expensive.

If you really want an elco I would say that one is as nice as you are going to find in your budget.

Every car guy should have some electrical skills. This would be a good one to learn on because it uses simple circuits instead of running everything from the cig lighter to the glove box light through a module. Learn the basics of electrical and how to read a schematic and get to work. Its a great feeling when you can look at a diagram and know how to troubleshoot with confidence. That is stuff you can do in your parking lot.

Thats a good deal.

The exhaust is a trip to a muffler shop, seat belts are probably a bolt-in from a later elko or g-body.

You may get away with working on the wiring at the apartment. You're not jacking up the car, painting, or getting fluids on the ground so they may let it pass.

go get it, its a good deal.

The wiring IS well within your skills, you just don't know it yet. A multimeter, a wiring diagram and a willingness to track things down gets you 98% of the way there. The other 2% you'll learn as you go along. These didnt have that many wires to go wrong. As far as belts, a lot of cars of that era had provisions for shoulder belts built into the car even if they didn't put them in, especially on the lower trims. That may not be true for the Elco, but it's something to check.

I also vote to buy it. Seems solid for the price.

That's a $3000 car down here in North Florida , I see no reason not to buy it.

06HHR wrote: That's a $3000 car down here in North Florida , I see no reason not to buy it.

Same here, easily a $3k car. I've been thinking an elky would be the perfect car to do the various things I want to do. Namely RallyX/autoX in CAM.

I thought it was a little overpriced...

I paid $1000 for this rust free runner in FL

The $1000 one is needle in the haystack territory

I once paid 400 for a running driving rust free 76 f150 in ohio. I still kick my ass for selling it because it will never happen again. Late 70s and early 80s stuff is going up in price as they get harder to find.

They are thin on the ground around here. Every one that hasn't been scrapped is either donked or in pieces. This guy wants 2500 for one in pieces http://valdosta.craigslist.org/cto/5865887165.html This one is right at 3k, in one piece at least http://panamacity.craigslist.org/cto/5832370471.html IIRC you were down in Central FL, different world down there from up here. I think you got a good deal considering.

Here in S FL they're 1000-3000. $2250.00 for this one, looks nicer but needs a fender due to damage. http://sarasota.craigslist.org/cto/5837634584.html

As a fellow GM - GRM'r I approve this purchase

OT: I have never in 47 years heard of a GMC Caballero. Looking at the picture, I probably have seen one on the street but didn't know it wasn't a Chevy. I have never seen one advertised or discussed anywhere before here. Which is weird for a car nut like me. If you had asked me yesterday if GMC made a version of the El Camino, I would have said no. Learn something new on this forum all the time!

And look at that, one on my local CL:

Caballero

Is it Cab-A-Lair-O or Cab-A-Yero?

As another Elky owner, I'd say it looks like a good deal! Mine is a classic A-body, which handles pretty terribly. Your G-body should be much better, plus you have the vast circle-track aftermarket to help you out.

Plus, everyone loves an El Camino