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I have been into classic Chevys since I was a little kid, I have owned several Novas, 69 Camaros, and a 69 Chevelle. I had always liked El Caminos, with the 1969 model being my favorite year, so when I sold my 29,000 mile 69 RS/SS at the inaugural GM Nationals in Carlisle PA, within 10 minutes of accepting the cash for my Camaro, I found myself "wheeling and dealing" on what was a very solid, but not 100% correct, Garnet Red 69 El Camino.
I knew the car needed work, but it showed serious potential, and had all of the factory options I liked... A lady had brought the car down from Canada, and was desperate to sell. I made an offer and within 1/2 hour of selling my other car, I had taken possesion of the El Camino! I looked it over thoroughly, but hadn't even taken it for a test drive! The "test" would be to see if it could get myself and my brother home from Carlisle on its own power... a 150 mile "maiden" journey. The truck performed flawlessly, and the 350hp 396 with AC purred like a kitten, and the TH400 and 3:31 12 bolt allowed us to cruise comfortably the entire ride home. I then contacted my good friend Brian Henderson, who owns and operates the Supercar Workshop in Latrobe, PA. Brian has restored some of the finest Supercars in the nation, and is one of the leading judges in national level shows. I had known Brian for years, and he agreed to help me get the truck into the condition it is in now, which took a little over 6 months to complete.
I spent all winter driving 35 miles to his shop in sometimes blizzard conditions to work on bringing the El Camino back to its former glory. At times I questioned if it would ever see the light of day again! Although it required alot of patience, (not to mention blood, sweat and tears!) the results were worth the effort.
The factory options on the truck include
- Air Conditioning,
- TH-400
- Power Steering
- Tilt Wheel
- Bucket Seats
- Console
- Full Instrumentation
- am/fm
- N34 Wood Wheel
- Tinted Glass
- Vinyl Top
- SS Side Stripes
- G70 Redstripe Tires
Since the completion of the restoration, I have taken many awards with the truck, including a 1st place at the GM Nationals, which was the same event I had purchased the vehicle from just one year earlier. I even ran into the lady I bought the Camino from a year earlier and she could not believe it was the same truck! Although I take pride in keeping it as close to "showroom fresh" appearing as possible, I do drive it regularly during the summer months, and have never trailered it.
I have owned many cool classic Chevrolets, but the El Camino is one of my favorites, as it seems to be a rare site to see one restored to original specifications.
Joe Barr
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