Dave's 1967 El Camino

The Chevrolet El Camino was introduced in 1959 to compete with the Ford Ranchero. The Ranchero, introduced in 1957, offered the functionality of a truck but was based on a passenger car chassis for improved comfort. Referred to as a coupe' utility, the concept has been around since the 1920s and 30s. Examples include the Model A (1928-1931) and Studebaker Coupe' Express (1937-1939). The El Camino was produced by GM from 1959 - 1960 and from 1964 -1987. Overall, over 500,000 El Caminos were manufactured during its 28 year production run.

The 1967 El Camino has always been a favorite of mine and also apparently caught the attention of Dave Sellards' grandfather who purchased one new in 67. The car was blue and equipped with a V8. The Sellards' El Camino is special for a number of reasons - First, it is a true California car. Secondly, the car has remained in the Sellards family for three generations (a trend which is likely to continue) and third, this amazing vehicle recently received an "Overhaulin" style makeover, an absolute dream come true.

Dave Sellard's grandfather owned the El Camino for 21 years. Dave's dad owned the car for 13 years and Dave has been the proud owner for 23 years and counting. During a portion of its 57 year life span, the El Camino sat outside, under a cover, but subject to the weathering effects of wind and rain. In 2017 the El Camino was placed in a 20,000 square foot warehouse in the Bay Area for safe storage. Dave's intent was to restore the El Camino, especially given the family history of the car, but the timeframe was unknown.

Enter Dave's wife Terri and boss John who pulled off a secretive 22 month restoration/restomod on the family treasure unbeknownst to Dave. The end result is stunning. The car was "taken" in November 2019 and presented to Dave in Angels Camp in November 2020. With tears in his eyes, Dave turned the ignition key for the first time in over a decade to hear the machine come to life. What a transformation! The originally blue car is now a vibrant red with all new trim/chrome. The Werkshop LLC in Burlingame orchestrated the flawless restoration with the guidance of John and Terri.

The restomod Sellards' El Camino is now equipped with a potent LT4 motor pumping out 650 horsepower. The LT4 was introduced by GM in 2014 for the Corvette Z06 and is a popular performance crate motor for a variety of applications. The LT4 is supercharged with a 1.7L blower producing about 9lbs of boost. Torque is in the range of 650lb feet so in order to keep the 10 bolt posi rear on the pavement the builders incorporated a UMI Performance Handling Kit - a necessity with the light El Camino rear end. Other upgrades include a beefy 700R4 automatic transmission, four wheel Wilwood disc brakes, Vintage Air, digital dash and a high end sound system. Overall, Dave says the El Camino is now a pleasure to drive and enjoys taking the car out for a spin in Calaveras with the family (including the grandkids). When we did the photo shoot on the car the grandkids spent more time in the car than Dave did!

Thanks to Dave and Terri for sharing this family treasure and we look forward to seeing the car at future Calaveras Cars & Coffee events!