Building a vehicle yourself in your own garage is an accomplishment that many take very seriously, and Keith is no exception. That is why he decided to rebuild this 1972 El Camino mostly on his own in his driveway, to prove to himself and others that he could handle it.
He used to have a 1970 Chevelle in the past but had to part ways with it due to various life circumstances. He’d always wanted another one but the prices climbed so high that he couldn’t find any affordable examples. Eventually he found this El Camino in his price range and jumped on the opportunity.
The past four years have been spent redoing and refreshing everything about the El Camino. This build falls between being a resto-mod and a restoration, not exactly qualifying as either one. What started as a lowly base model is now being tailored into Keith’s ideal classic muscle car.
This El Camino is mostly new or rebuilt parts, many of which came from Ground Up SS396.com. Keith’s friend rebuilt both the 350 small block engine and the TH350 transmission for him, while a local shop performed the necessary paint and body work. Keith took on the rest of the load in getting this El Camino back in top shape.
The chosen power plant is a second generation 350 small block which has been balanced and blueprinted with slightly worked Vortex heads. It also sports a mild cam and a Holley 4160 carburetor. Power is delivered to the ground via the rebuilt TH350 automatic transmission.
While this was a base model originally, Keith has replaced certain parts with SS bits and other upgrades of his choice. He’s added a cowl induction system and is planning on replacing the dash and gauges with the SS package.
Keith’s project is not only a labor of love but also a personal accomplishment. He had wanted to prove to himself and others that he could undertake this project mostly on his own. While he did receive help from others regarding the aspects that were outside of his expertise, the vast majority of the work was performed by himself.
