El Camino Review! - Driving One Badass 'Z28' El Camino
**A Comprehensive Review of the 1978 El Camino: A Drive with David**
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### Introduction and Initial Impressions
David, the enthusiastic host, introduces us to his unique project: a 1978 El Camino. Known for its distinctive blend of car and truck aesthetics, this El Camino has been transformed into a standout vehicle. With no door panels and fixed racing seats, David humorously remarks that he'll be "gangster leanin' while driving," which might make him look awkward but adds to the character of this ride. The journey begins with an elaborate ignition process—multiple switches and turning the key to start the engine—highlighting the attention to detail in its restoration.
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### The El Camino's History and Design
The El Camino, often overlooked today, holds a significant place in automotive history. Originally created by GM as a response to Ford's successful Ranchero model, it combined truck functionality with car aesthetics. However, after a few hiatuses, the platform eventually faded from popularity in the U.S., though it remained popular in Australia through Holden models. This 1978 El Camino stands out for its clean, almost mad Max-inspired design, featuring sleek body lines and a matte black finish that David finds captivating.
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### Modifications and Performance Upgrades
This El Camino has undergone significant upgrades under the hood and suspension, enhancing both performance and driving dynamics. The motor, sourced from a 1999 Z28, is a 305 Chevy, while the suspension features a Z28 four-link setup at the rear. Notable additions include carbon fiber mirrors, TransAm scoops, and a fuel cell in the bed, adding a touch of race car sophistication. Despite these modifications, the car retains its classic charm, with no windows and manual controls that evoke a simpler era.
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### The Driving Experience
The driving experience is where this El Camino truly shines. With a four-speed automatic transmission mimicking a "dog box" feel, it offers engaging shifts without the clutch. David praises its quick steering, comparing it to a Miata for its sharp turns despite its long wheelbase. The ride is surprisingly smooth and confidence-inspiring, with the 305 motor delivering a deep, throaty exhaust note that enhances the driving experience. Brakes are reliable, and the cockpit's minimalist design keeps distractions at bay.
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### Unique Features and Aesthetic Details
The El Camino boasts several unique features that set it apart. The lack of windows adds to its retro appeal, requiring David to lean down to interact with basic controls. The yellow-green headlights contrast beautifully with the matte black exterior, while the partially removed rear bumper adds an aggressive stance. Under the hood, the engine is presented in pristine condition, with chrome accents and a clean layout that exudes sophistication.
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### Conclusion and Final Thoughts
David concludes his review with a heartfelt appreciation for this El Camino. It's not just a car but an experience, blending classic charm with modern performance tweaks. The vehicle's ability to surprise him with its handling has been a delightful challenge, proving that even older models can offer thrilling drives. David expresses hope that the El Camino community continues to appreciate these unique vehicles, as they hold a special place in automotive history.
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This article captures the essence of David's experience with his 1978 El Camino, celebrating its unique blend of style and performance while highlighting the passion behind restoring such a distinctive vehicle.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey what's up you guys David here 78 El Camino with no door panels or pretty much anything uh also this seat is completely fixed and I'm going to have to gangster lean the heck out of this so if I look awkward while driving this it's because I am awkward while driving this so let's just go have fun to turn this thing on I had to put a kill switch on then I have to hit two switches then I have to put the key in turn the key to hit one more up and it turns on the owner says he wants an experience he's got an experience also auto trans that is pretty similar feeling to a dog box basically without a clutch so this should be interesting so today ladies and gentlemen I'm a 1978 El Camino that is just completely badass matte black almost mad maxed out but it's like clean at the same time I can't even describe it I saw the picture of it I have to drive it then he pulls in and I'm like oh my God the body lines and everything are super clean and El Caminos are one of those cars that are almost completely forgotten about you never really see them anymore unless they're all trashed or ratty a friend of mine named Todd had one with an LS three in it but didn't bother to do any of the body this car it's almost the opposite everything on this car is pretty much touched 1999 Z28 almost everything the motor is a 305 Chevy also from a Z28 suspension also from a Z28 and ironically it since I was reaching for a blinker wow it has little carbon fiber mirrors on it it has Scoops from the TransAm on it and W does it turn in so interesting though is that this car sits so pretty I said it had coils or something on it but no he's like no everything under there is Z28 four link in the back and does it have a craft ton of horsepower no but does it sound good yes and it it sounds like it has a cam in it but it doesn't has a nice carburetor system in it and it sounds awesome this spark a wheel feels so nice like 100% the dash is so simplistic it reminds me of the 2J RX7 I did where it was just SED squared off and that's it squared off door panels a little basically looks like a piece of harness to pull open the door and that's it I feel like a country boy in this thing tell you what we were laughing about it earlier during the still shots we're like man you got to have a mullet to drive this thing but I love kind of the yellow green headlights in the front in contrast with the matte black and the front bumper and everything has that nice low aggressive stance to it and it you think with it just being a nice square body you think it'd be kind of boring looking but it's not the rear of it has part of the bumper taken off but the El Camino is an interesting platform why because people have always rumored for it to come back but then Holden kind of came along in Australia and kind of sort of brought it back but we never got it back in the States but the El Camino was a response to the success of the Ford Ranchero and the Ford Ranchero was a pretty cool little truck car and GM came along going well we got to build a little truck car obviously ly so they made the El Camino in response to that then they stopped for like a few years well then they brought it back on the chevel platform and then later on the gbody platform what's really interesting though is the car is Twitchy not in a bad way it just turns in extremely fast that I'm not ready for it with the long wheelbase it Just Darts you think with the long wheelbase it wouldn't be like this but just barely turn in it turns in just as sharp as a freaking Miata it's ridiculous I keep reaching for a blinker this thing would be so great just to cruise around town have a good time it's already gotten like three thumbs up since we started this video not even joking I will say these racing seats and the harnesses really do suit this car cuz it actually does hold you in place pretty well cuz when you go into a corner just nice and easy brakes work great by the way yeah the 305 motor makes a ton of noise doesn't go anywhere not so so much it's more for the experience and I mean like I said before to start this car is the experience sometimes you work with what you got and what's great about this car is they really cleaned up everything I've never seen an El camito like this and when rolled in today we were just staring at it the wheels with the little black on it has a cool illusion with it's rolling down the road and being a little truck car it is one of the weirdest car shapes ever developed with without a doubt and it's a Love or haate relationship I think a lot of people hate the El Camino because it's so unorthodox and that's also why they stopped selling them because people kind of got over that oh that's cool a car truck and then they're like well wait trucks are so great now why don't I just buy a truck so they they moved on from the platform and I I totally understand that Full Throttle yo baby throw the boat I don't think I ever broke the law another thing too is he has the fuel cell in the bed which is awesome we went to go get gas earlier and he was like no big deal it just popped open the bed kind of adds a like race car sense to it and this shifter is just insane it's so cool I love how it's like literally eye level with me he wants to do a dog box in it and that would be really cool cuz it would feel very satisfying to rip this shifter over and over again what's interesting is it has grip and I'm kind of mind blown by it the reason I'm mind blown by it is a lot of the times cars that have a light bed like that or not a lot of weight in the back especially with this long wheel base you think it would just be kind of a weird sensation but it turns in almost instantly and these old school kind of Wheel and Tire setup it works great get it going roll out a little bit it makes so much noise a lot of the classic cars I've done recently they'll have this dead zone in the steering so you'll you'll turn a little bit in and nothing will happen and this car you turn a little bit in it's already moving so I've been hitting a bump in the road and it divit all the way to the left or all the way to the right so you do have to be a little bit careful cuz it really does want to turn in so hard so smooth ride the ride itself is unbelievably smooth and once you get the momentum going it is pretty it is pretty confidence inspiring I'm actually shocked I literally thought today it would be like this around corners I I was completely wrong and I'm happy that I'm wrong I love when cars like this prove me wrong it's the best everything they thing too is the cow hood actually adds a little bit of aggressiveness to it cuz you're looking over it a little bit and since I'm kind of having a gangster lean on this it's kind of funny eye level with the cow you want to talk about American flags and bald eagles man I have faith in you car it's like you take a chevel a truck and then a Miata like that's what it feels like because it turns in so fast like a Miata oh yeah here we go feels good downhill yeah give it a little bit of power goes right around what's funny is this car actually might be destined to be an autocross car and once he gets the momentum going I think it'll do actually really well really I kid you not guys I've never had to really break once around the corners I'm in it almost the entire time I'm sitting nice and low in the cabin and just right around the corner right around the corner another thing too is you see that's a beautiful sunny day today well thank god it's a beautiful sunny day today cuz he doesn't have Windows period like there's no there's no crank there's no electric nothing weight reduction of course I got I got to lean down to get to the floor God I feel like one of those guys who drives like 12 CL like this no where is my life gone okay go please I will say though under the hood of this car is beautiful the the motor is perfectly Chrome and clean and simple and it sits there perfectly and it has that classy kind of vibe to it and this whole car is like I'm going into battle but nice and smooth that's what I feel like so on that note I hope you all enjoyed this quick little review video I know that I did what do you guys think about this awesome El Camino I'll see you guys next time don't forget to subscribe and have a fantastic day okay byehey what's up you guys David here 78 El Camino with no door panels or pretty much anything uh also this seat is completely fixed and I'm going to have to gangster lean the heck out of this so if I look awkward while driving this it's because I am awkward while driving this so let's just go have fun to turn this thing on I had to put a kill switch on then I have to hit two switches then I have to put the key in turn the key to hit one more up and it turns on the owner says he wants an experience he's got an experience also auto trans that is pretty similar feeling to a dog box basically without a clutch so this should be interesting so today ladies and gentlemen I'm a 1978 El Camino that is just completely badass matte black almost mad maxed out but it's like clean at the same time I can't even describe it I saw the picture of it I have to drive it then he pulls in and I'm like oh my God the body lines and everything are super clean and El Caminos are one of those cars that are almost completely forgotten about you never really see them anymore unless they're all trashed or ratty a friend of mine named Todd had one with an LS three in it but didn't bother to do any of the body this car it's almost the opposite everything on this car is pretty much touched 1999 Z28 almost everything the motor is a 305 Chevy also from a Z28 suspension also from a Z28 and ironically it since I was reaching for a blinker wow it has little carbon fiber mirrors on it it has Scoops from the TransAm on it and W does it turn in so interesting though is that this car sits so pretty I said it had coils or something on it but no he's like no everything under there is Z28 four link in the back and does it have a craft ton of horsepower no but does it sound good yes and it it sounds like it has a cam in it but it doesn't has a nice carburetor system in it and it sounds awesome this spark a wheel feels so nice like 100% the dash is so simplistic it reminds me of the 2J RX7 I did where it was just SED squared off and that's it squared off door panels a little basically looks like a piece of harness to pull open the door and that's it I feel like a country boy in this thing tell you what we were laughing about it earlier during the still shots we're like man you got to have a mullet to drive this thing but I love kind of the yellow green headlights in the front in contrast with the matte black and the front bumper and everything has that nice low aggressive stance to it and it you think with it just being a nice square body you think it'd be kind of boring looking but it's not the rear of it has part of the bumper taken off but the El Camino is an interesting platform why because people have always rumored for it to come back but then Holden kind of came along in Australia and kind of sort of brought it back but we never got it back in the States but the El Camino was a response to the success of the Ford Ranchero and the Ford Ranchero was a pretty cool little truck car and GM came along going well we got to build a little truck car obviously ly so they made the El Camino in response to that then they stopped for like a few years well then they brought it back on the chevel platform and then later on the gbody platform what's really interesting though is the car is Twitchy not in a bad way it just turns in extremely fast that I'm not ready for it with the long wheelbase it Just Darts you think with the long wheelbase it wouldn't be like this but just barely turn in it turns in just as sharp as a freaking Miata it's ridiculous I keep reaching for a blinker this thing would be so great just to cruise around town have a good time it's already gotten like three thumbs up since we started this video not even joking I will say these racing seats and the harnesses really do suit this car cuz it actually does hold you in place pretty well cuz when you go into a corner just nice and easy brakes work great by the way yeah the 305 motor makes a ton of noise doesn't go anywhere not so so much it's more for the experience and I mean like I said before to start this car is the experience sometimes you work with what you got and what's great about this car is they really cleaned up everything I've never seen an El camito like this and when rolled in today we were just staring at it the wheels with the little black on it has a cool illusion with it's rolling down the road and being a little truck car it is one of the weirdest car shapes ever developed with without a doubt and it's a Love or haate relationship I think a lot of people hate the El Camino because it's so unorthodox and that's also why they stopped selling them because people kind of got over that oh that's cool a car truck and then they're like well wait trucks are so great now why don't I just buy a truck so they they moved on from the platform and I I totally understand that Full Throttle yo baby throw the boat I don't think I ever broke the law another thing too is he has the fuel cell in the bed which is awesome we went to go get gas earlier and he was like no big deal it just popped open the bed kind of adds a like race car sense to it and this shifter is just insane it's so cool I love how it's like literally eye level with me he wants to do a dog box in it and that would be really cool cuz it would feel very satisfying to rip this shifter over and over again what's interesting is it has grip and I'm kind of mind blown by it the reason I'm mind blown by it is a lot of the times cars that have a light bed like that or not a lot of weight in the back especially with this long wheel base you think it would just be kind of a weird sensation but it turns in almost instantly and these old school kind of Wheel and Tire setup it works great get it going roll out a little bit it makes so much noise a lot of the classic cars I've done recently they'll have this dead zone in the steering so you'll you'll turn a little bit in and nothing will happen and this car you turn a little bit in it's already moving so I've been hitting a bump in the road and it divit all the way to the left or all the way to the right so you do have to be a little bit careful cuz it really does want to turn in so hard so smooth ride the ride itself is unbelievably smooth and once you get the momentum going it is pretty it is pretty confidence inspiring I'm actually shocked I literally thought today it would be like this around corners I I was completely wrong and I'm happy that I'm wrong I love when cars like this prove me wrong it's the best everything they thing too is the cow hood actually adds a little bit of aggressiveness to it cuz you're looking over it a little bit and since I'm kind of having a gangster lean on this it's kind of funny eye level with the cow you want to talk about American flags and bald eagles man I have faith in you car it's like you take a chevel a truck and then a Miata like that's what it feels like because it turns in so fast like a Miata oh yeah here we go feels good downhill yeah give it a little bit of power goes right around what's funny is this car actually might be destined to be an autocross car and once he gets the momentum going I think it'll do actually really well really I kid you not guys I've never had to really break once around the corners I'm in it almost the entire time I'm sitting nice and low in the cabin and just right around the corner right around the corner another thing too is you see that's a beautiful sunny day today well thank god it's a beautiful sunny day today cuz he doesn't have Windows period like there's no there's no crank there's no electric nothing weight reduction of course I got I got to lean down to get to the floor God I feel like one of those guys who drives like 12 CL like this no where is my life gone okay go please I will say though under the hood of this car is beautiful the the motor is perfectly Chrome and clean and simple and it sits there perfectly and it has that classy kind of vibe to it and this whole car is like I'm going into battle but nice and smooth that's what I feel like so on that note I hope you all enjoyed this quick little review video I know that I did what do you guys think about this awesome El Camino I'll see you guys next time don't forget to subscribe and have a fantastic day okay byehey what's up you guys David here 78 El Camino with no door panels or pretty much anything uh also this seat is completely fixed and I'm going to have to gangster lean the heck out of this so if I look awkward while driving this it's because I am awkward while driving this so let's just go have fun to turn this thing on I had to put a kill switch on then I have to hit two switches then I have to put the key in turn the key to hit one more up and it turns on the owner says he wants an experience he's got an experience also auto trans that is pretty similar feeling to a dog box basically without a clutch so this should be interesting so today ladies and gentlemen I'm a 1978 El Camino that is just completely badass matte black almost mad maxed out but it's like clean at the same time I can't even describe it I saw the picture of it I have to drive it then he pulls in and I'm like oh my God the body lines and everything are super clean and El Caminos are one of those cars that are almost completely forgotten about you never really see them anymore unless they're all trashed or ratty a friend of mine named Todd had one with an LS three in it but didn't bother to do any of the body this car it's almost the opposite everything on this car is pretty much touched 1999 Z28 almost everything the motor is a 305 Chevy also from a Z28 suspension also from a Z28 and ironically it since I was reaching for a blinker wow it has little carbon fiber mirrors on it it has Scoops from the TransAm on it and W does it turn in so interesting though is that this car sits so pretty I said it had coils or something on it but no he's like no everything under there is Z28 four link in the back and does it have a craft ton of horsepower no but does it sound good yes and it it sounds like it has a cam in it but it doesn't has a nice carburetor system in it and it sounds awesome this spark a wheel feels so nice like 100% the dash is so simplistic it reminds me of the 2J RX7 I did where it was just SED squared off and that's it squared off door panels a little basically looks like a piece of harness to pull open the door and that's it I feel like a country boy in this thing tell you what we were laughing about it earlier during the still shots we're like man you got to have a mullet to drive this thing but I love kind of the yellow green headlights in the front in contrast with the matte black and the front bumper and everything has that nice low aggressive stance to it and it you think with it just being a nice square body you think it'd be kind of boring looking but it's not the rear of it has part of the bumper taken off but the El Camino is an interesting platform why because people have always rumored for it to come back but then Holden kind of came along in Australia and kind of sort of brought it back but we never got it back in the States but the El Camino was a response to the success of the Ford Ranchero and the Ford Ranchero was a pretty cool little truck car and GM came along going well we got to build a little truck car obviously ly so they made the El Camino in response to that then they stopped for like a few years well then they brought it back on the chevel platform and then later on the gbody platform what's really interesting though is the car is Twitchy not in a bad way it just turns in extremely fast that I'm not ready for it with the long wheelbase it Just Darts you think with the long wheelbase it wouldn't be like this but just barely turn in it turns in just as sharp as a freaking Miata it's ridiculous I keep reaching for a blinker this thing would be so great just to cruise around town have a good time it's already gotten like three thumbs up since we started this video not even joking I will say these racing seats and the harnesses really do suit this car cuz it actually does hold you in place pretty well cuz when you go into a corner just nice and easy brakes work great by the way yeah the 305 motor makes a ton of noise doesn't go anywhere not so so much it's more for the experience and I mean like I said before to start this car is the experience sometimes you work with what you got and what's great about this car is they really cleaned up everything I've never seen an El camito like this and when rolled in today we were just staring at it the wheels with the little black on it has a cool illusion with it's rolling down the road and being a little truck car it is one of the weirdest car shapes ever developed with without a doubt and it's a Love or haate relationship I think a lot of people hate the El Camino because it's so unorthodox and that's also why they stopped selling them because people kind of got over that oh that's cool a car truck and then they're like well wait trucks are so great now why don't I just buy a truck so they they moved on from the platform and I I totally understand that Full Throttle yo baby throw the boat I don't think I ever broke the law another thing too is he has the fuel cell in the bed which is awesome we went to go get gas earlier and he was like no big deal it just popped open the bed kind of adds a like race car sense to it and this shifter is just insane it's so cool I love how it's like literally eye level with me he wants to do a dog box in it and that would be really cool cuz it would feel very satisfying to rip this shifter over and over again what's interesting is it has grip and I'm kind of mind blown by it the reason I'm mind blown by it is a lot of the times cars that have a light bed like that or not a lot of weight in the back especially with this long wheel base you think it would just be kind of a weird sensation but it turns in almost instantly and these old school kind of Wheel and Tire setup it works great get it going roll out a little bit it makes so much noise a lot of the classic cars I've done recently they'll have this dead zone in the steering so you'll you'll turn a little bit in and nothing will happen and this car you turn a little bit in it's already moving so I've been hitting a bump in the road and it divit all the way to the left or all the way to the right so you do have to be a little bit careful cuz it really does want to turn in so hard so smooth ride the ride itself is unbelievably smooth and once you get the momentum going it is pretty it is pretty confidence inspiring I'm actually shocked I literally thought today it would be like this around corners I I was completely wrong and I'm happy that I'm wrong I love when cars like this prove me wrong it's the best everything they thing too is the cow hood actually adds a little bit of aggressiveness to it cuz you're looking over it a little bit and since I'm kind of having a gangster lean on this it's kind of funny eye level with the cow you want to talk about American flags and bald eagles man I have faith in you car it's like you take a chevel a truck and then a Miata like that's what it feels like because it turns in so fast like a Miata oh yeah here we go feels good downhill yeah give it a little bit of power goes right around what's funny is this car actually might be destined to be an autocross car and once he gets the momentum going I think it'll do actually really well really I kid you not guys I've never had to really break once around the corners I'm in it almost the entire time I'm sitting nice and low in the cabin and just right around the corner right around the corner another thing too is you see that's a beautiful sunny day today well thank god it's a beautiful sunny day today cuz he doesn't have Windows period like there's no there's no crank there's no electric nothing weight reduction of course I got I got to lean down to get to the floor God I feel like one of those guys who drives like 12 CL like this no where is my life gone okay go please I will say though under the hood of this car is beautiful the the motor is perfectly Chrome and clean and simple and it sits there perfectly and it has that classy kind of vibe to it and this whole car is like I'm going into battle but nice and smooth that's what I feel like so on that note I hope you all enjoyed this quick little review video I know that I did what do you guys think about this awesome El Camino I'll see you guys next time don't forget to subscribe and have a fantastic day okay bye\n"