Michael’s always loved the style of the ’68 Chevelle, so when he found this 1968 El Camino 138 VIN SS example, he had to have it. The old Chevelle he previously owned was traded for a Harley many years ago and he had to fill the void.
The 1968 El Camino came to him pretty extensively modified, and Michael has been undoing certain things over the years. He recently replaced the 2 inch cowl fiberglass hood with a steel SS hood a few years ago, but in order to use it he had to replace the Weiand BBC manifold, but that opened up a whole new can of worms.
“As soon as I can scratch up an extra $20 thousand dollars. Everything else will be done. I can drive the car anywhere.”
Michael J
The entire engine had to be rebuilt, and he discovered quite a lot during the process. It was originally from an early ‘70s Blazer, which meant it had a larger truck bellhousing. Unfortunately for Michael, his NHRA certified mechanic did not pick up on this and ruined his billet flywheel and Centerforce clutch among other things.
The transmission was rebuilt by a local expert, and the Muncie M21 was eventually as good as new with new heavy duty gears. He also replaced the flywheel and clutch that were damaged beforehand. The correct bearing retainer was supplied by Auto Gear of Syracuse, NY.
Rounding out the 1968 El Camino’s modifications are a new, balanced driveshaft and several Hotchkiss suspension components which sit on upgraded body mounts.
“The Paint and Body aren’t perfect, but that will need to wait until I hit the Pennsylvania Lottery.”
Michael J
The last piece of the puzzle for this 1968 El Camino is finishing up the interior, which so far has received a roller tachometer and new clock. Fresh bucket seats and a console are definitely on the list of improvements for the near future.
“I just think that the car is Beautiful and I like to drive it. I like the POWER OF THE BBC and I like to Shift the 4 speed. And I like to pull holeshots and have fun. I won’t be doing any serious racing with the car.”
Michael J
