I grew up going through all of the magazines…Hot Rod, Car Craft, Popular Hot Rodding and every other rag that my stepdad had subscriptions for…and seeing cars just like this Chevrolet El Camino: back-halved, blown, and tweed as far as the eye could see inside. Twenty years ago, this was how it was done. Now, it’s a throwback, and one that we can solidly get behind. We might miss having a useful bed on the Elky, but the other parts of this machine will have us forgetting any utilitarian desires soon enough. 
An 8.39:1 Chevrolet 355 with a B&M blower on it provides the motivation, and runs cool, “even in parades on 90-degree days”. A three-gear auto, presumably a TH400, backs the small block, and power goes out to a narrowed 9-inch that has two gear sets: the 3.90 kit that is installed, and a 4.88 ring for when you want to have some real fun. You’ll get power steering and power brakes, but you won’t get a heater or air conditioning, which explains why the entire dash is covered, including any ports for HVAC vents. That would be high on our list of items to fix, but overall, this Elky is still a bad mother. We’d go for it in a heartbeat. Why? Because blower car, that’s why.
eBay Link: 1979 Chevrolet El Camino
Nice car but…living in Michigan without a heater? Limits your driving fun. 🙁
So that’s where my rain barrels went!! – I wouldn’t kick that car outta my bed! – l would have to ‘de-tweed’ it some , though