Hey guys I found a dirt cheap parts car for my elcamino, maybe. It's a 71 GMC Sprint. I think I can buy it for next to nothing, but it's in better shape then my elcamino is that I paid 3 times the amount for.

It would just be much easier to fix up the sprint without the need for all the sheet metal work, and would end up looking the same in the end. I could really care less if it's a sprint or an elcamino, I just like the body style and wanted a fun car to drive.

My question is would the sprint have anywhere near the same final value as the elcamino if I were to fix it up instead of the elcamino? Or maybe fixed them both up and turned one for a buck?

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

If it were my choice, I would fix up the Sprint and then sell or part out the el camino, especially if it is in better shape. Plus it would be bit unique to have the Sprint which is rarer (As far as I know, I could be wrong). Just my $.02

I read into the sprints a bit more and only about 5000 a year were made from what I read, so it would seem they would be pretty rare in comparison to the elcamino's.

I guess my issue is if I dump $10k into it will it still only be worth the basic blue book value? I know value is more about what a buyer would pay, not what the seller "thinks" it's worth. There has to be a demand for it to have any value. I just dont know if there is any demand for the sprints. Guess I might have just answered my own question :clonk:.

Anyways, anymore info/thoughts on this would be appiciated.

RARE & DESIRABLE = are two different things, and one does not make the other.

As far as a 71 sprint or el camino = I think they are worth about the same.

(but I'd rather have the camino, and I would bet more people would tend to agree)

(but I'd rather have the camino, and I would bet more people would tend to agree)

Well, as a Sprint owner I'd say there's little difference, except you won't have to explain what a Sprint is if you go with the el Camino...

Well, as a Sprint owner I'd say there's little difference, except you won't have to explain what a Sprint is if you go with the el Camino...

I just like the bowtie emblem

I just like the bowtie emblem

I could always put a bowtie on the grille and no one would ever know it was a sprint unless I told them.

Heh, funny thing is the sprint is missing all of it's emblems, and so is my camino except for the bowtie. So it probably wouldn't get emblems.

I'll get the vin/cowl numbers from the sprint and see if the decode team can tell me what it originaly was.

Dan Carr is our resident Sprint expert, email him to get his input. If you ever think you'll get back what you put in, you're in the wrong business, do for love and having something different. I would do the Sprint myself.

Will you post the results of your VIN? I would like to hear what it had. I would build the Sprint. A kid that I went to school with had one. Factory SS type hood and stripes. It was a gold color with white SS type stripes. It had a 350 and I whooped him with my Nova. Lol, kids....those days.
Why not build both? Build the easiest now and save the other for later. As I build and upgrade my car I have shelves full of parts that are good but not what I'm using for one reason for another. I'm gonna build another with my "leftovers", that might be a good idea. Sell the lesser one for $ or use it as a "beater". I dunno just a couple of ideas.
Man, I don't ever think of the resale value part of my build. If I did I would be building it for someone else not me. It's my money, scraped knuckles, and time.
By the way that Sprint was sitting at his parents the last time I knew. Maybe I should check it out. Laterman--Josh

This is from COLLECTOR CAR MARKET REVUE.Collector Car Market Review Value Report
1971 GMC SPRINT 307-200hp (8cyl-2V) AT
#5 #4 #3 #2 #1
Pickup 825 2850 5875 8475 11375

Add:
350-245hp (8cyl-2V) NC%
350-270hp (8cyl-4V) 10%
4spd manual trans 5%
Air conditioning 10%
Bucket seats w/console 5%
Deduct:
250-145hp (6cyl-1V) -20%
3spd manual transmission -10%
Manual steering -5%

Collector Car Market Review Value Report
1971 CHEVROLET EL CAMINO 307-200hp (8cyl-2V) AT
#5 #4 #3 #2 #1
Pickup 800 2800 5750 8300 11150

Add:
350-245hp (8cyl-2V) NC%
350-270hp (8cyl-4V) 10%
402-300hp (8cyl-4V) 30%
4spd manual trans 5%
Air conditioning 10%
Bucket seats w/console 5%
Deduct:
250-145hp (6cyl-1V) -20%
3spd manual transmission -10%
Manual steering -5%I hope this helps

I thought the answer to this question was obvious... but perhaps I am a bit biased. ;)

I'd build the sprint. They aren't worth anymore, but aren't worth any less either. If it still has all the GMC badges, i think that would be way cool.

There was only one Sprint built for every nine El Caminos during 1971-72.

A Sprint has a small premium in value over a similar El Camino. If you ever go to sell it, just advertise it as a "GMC El Camino Sprint" or whatever.

I like the Sprint because you dont see them much.

There was only one Sprint built for every nine El Caminos during 1971-72.

A Sprint has a small premium in value over a similar El Camino. If you ever go to sell it, just advertise it as a "GMC El Camino Sprint" or whatever.
That is funny, when I got my sprint and went to register it in the state of Georgia I told the girl it was a GMC Sprint, she didn't even show that as a possible listing in Georgia, my title reads GMC El Camino...........

I like the Sprint because you dont see them much.

I seem 'em every day! ;)

Allright someone asked for the decode on this thing. Here it is. Looks like its a pretty basic model. I'll have to check the trim code again, but the interior is black and original seats are missing. The decose says sandalwood fabric if Dale is correct about the possible swapped numbers.



Vin# 536801L100828 - Essentially the same as a Chevrolet El Camino with exception of first "5" being GMC Division:
36 - Malibu series
80 - Sprint (El Camino) model
1 - 1971
L - Van Nuys (Los Angeles)
100828 - sequence number

Cowl Tag (the ? means I couldn't read letter/number)
ST 71-53680 (see above)
L00520 - Van Nuys (Los Angeles) plant
00520 - Fisher Body tracking number
TR 175 - not 715? 715 is Ant. Lt. Sandalwood Coated Fabric, Ant. Lt. Sandalwood Coated Fabric bucket seat
53 A PNT - Placer Gold (53), white vinyl top (A)
?A - unfortunately the missing number is a month (1-Jan, 2-Feb, etc.) and A is for 1st week.

681292 - Data processing numbers - block 24 of build sheet
05 - Data processing number (SEQ NO.) - block 10 of build sheet
0457 - Data processing numbers - block 24 of build sheet
That's the number breakdown for a 71 Chevelle/El Camino from Van Nuys and I would suspect the Sprint would be the same.

Rear End Stamp (was kind of hard to read)
KD - 2.73 non -Positraction
C - Chevrolet gear
084 - 84th calendar day (March 25 I believe)
2 - 2nd shift

If the sprint is in better shape- then I would probably build it. I wouldn't worry about whether it's a sprint or el camino. That's just me though.

You could always build it into a SP-454 clone. The SP package for the sprint wasn't advertised, so they're pretty rare because not many people knew they could get it. I think there are only 11 known '71 SP-454 sprints in existance. A clone wouldn't be rare- but it would be cool.

Nooj

With such a low unit number, it was an early build, possibly Sept or Oct of 70 for the 71 model year.

Thanks for all the responses guys. I went ahead and put a couple hundred down on the sprint last night for the guy to hold it for me. I'll be dragging it home this weekend. The wife wasn't excited about me putting another car around here though. Driveway only fits 2 cars, and my 2 car garage already has 2 in it (elcamino and chevelle). Looks like it's going on the side of the house for now. She said I'll need to pave a parking lot in the back yard if I buy anymore "projects". :eek:

With such a low unit number, it was an early build, possibly Sept or Oct of 70 for the 71 model year.

Actually no. It is serial number 828. But the GMC Sprints had their own numbering sequence at each plant. So this is the 828th 1971 Sprint built at Van Nuys, not the 828th 1971 vehicle built at Van Nuys.

Looks to me like most of the Sprints I have seen information on have fairly low numbers. There is one for sale in my town that has a VIN ending in 00035, I'm pretty sure its a 72.

Chris