1964 Chevrolet El Camino

Chuck Most · March 13

Happy's Camping Grounds has been the primary source of both income and headaches in the Ward family since 1958. Sometimes not everyone is happy at Happy's, and it's the job of third generation owner Dave Ward to see to it that they don't stay unhappy.

The bright yellow El Camino was purchased new by Dave's grandfather Irv, though it was white back then. It was originally Irv's own car, but it became the campground business vehicle in 1974, when Irv took delivery of a 1975 GMC Sprint. At some point it got a set of Cragar SS wheels and a boxy topper.

Though the trusty old straight six still fires up and runs great, the old two speed Slip And Slide automatic transmission is really beginning to live up to it's nickname. Dave is debating restoring it, but questions if it's still structurally sound enough. Although it looks decent with it's backyard respray, that bright yellow is covering quite a bit of Bondo and chicken wire. And sometimes the doors won't open or close if the car is parked on less-than-level ground. But it's more than solid enough for work around the grounds, even if Dave finds himself using his 2017 F150 most of the time, leaving the El Camino parked by the sign at the end of the driveway.

The model is a mashup of the AMT '64 Malibu and '65 El Camino, with the engine and transmission from the '63 Nova wagon. Paint is just some yellow hardware store stuff I had laying around. The wheels came from the El Camino kit, and I used AMT parts pack tires and a Best Model Car Parts 1964 Michigan plate.

The model was built for The Straight Six Community Build Rides Again in the community builds section of the forum.