Well I have been slowly upgrading all of the original interior/exterior parts on my el camino. Well the time has come to upgrade my door panels. I was talking to the guy I have been dealing with on parts, and I was telling him how my door panels were solid black with no chrome at all on them. He tells me surely I am mistaken, someone must have removed it. You can tell there was never any chrome trim on these door panels. They are originals from 72. Has anyone else seen non chrome trimmed door panels?

I picked up a 71 with panels I'd hadnt seen in an El Camino before, no chrome and looked to be original, but I'd seen in a 73 (I think) Monte my brother owned years ago. They've got a vertical stripe pattern from top to bottom kinda like a wainscote(?) panel you might see on the wall in some houses. approx 2" stripes with 1/4 stripes between. I think I did a web search for interior pics a long time ago and found a couple. They're up in the garage attic, I could get some pics Tues. - Thurs.. PM me if it sounds like what your after.

What is the body number? 13680 bodys were the top shelf. This body was used for the SS Models. A lower level Model. 6 Cyl. 3 speed with no toys. May have a very sparce interior. LOOK at a low level 70 El Camino.
The square vent holes on the left and right side of the dash, They are not there on low level models. 70 Nomad wagons had a solid one piece plastic door panel.
Back then or now...... You have a 2010-Silverado LTZ Model...Fantastic interior, Kinda like your living room, or a 2010 Silverado " Worktruck " rubber mats,crank windows, Very sparce interior.
How much do you want to spend???????????????????
Bob
P.S. You can buy a new Silverado for next to nothing, Special Sale on a Special Model. You say WOW ! I am going to buy one. Then you find out its a V-6-/ Short bed/ ,steel wheels / with a radio/ and heater.......

RobinLs5
Could your statement be said as - the SS package was put on 13680 bodys- ?
Both 71's I got in the garage are 13680's. If they are SS'sss that would be good news.
As far as I know both are "Custom" level with 350 motor, TH350 trans on the column, and open spool 12 bolt.
If I understand the VIN breakdown I got from somewhere in this interweb thing, it goes like this

136801Bxxxxxx

First Digit: Division of General Motors
1 - Chevrolet

Second and Third digit: Series Designation
31 - Nomad, 6-cylinder
32 - Nomad, 8-cylinder
33 - Chevelle, El Camino, 6-cylinder
34 - Chevelle, El Camino, Greenbrier, 8-cylinder
35 - Malibu, 6-cylinder
36 - Malibu, Custom El Camino, Concours, 8-cylinder
38 - Concours Estate, Monte Carlo, 8-cylinder

Fourth and Fifth Digit: Body Style/Model
26 - 4-door station wagon, 2 seat (Nomad only)
36 - 4-door station wagon, 2 seat
37 - 2-door sport coupe
39 - 4-door sport sedan
46 - 4-door station wagon, 3 seat
57 - Monte Carlo 2-door sport coupe
67 - 2-door convertible
69 - 4-door sedan
80 - 2-door sedan pickup

Sixth Digit: Year of Production
1 - 1971

Seventh Character (Alpha Designation): Final Assembly Plant
R ~ Arlington, Texas
B ~ Baltimore, Maryland
F ~ Flint, Michigan
K ~ Kansas City, Missouri
L ~ Van Nuys, California
1 ~ Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

Eighth through Thirteenth Digits: Sequential Production Number

The sequential starting number for the 1971 Chevelle was 100001 at all Chevelle assembly plants except Oshawa, Ontario which started at 500001. Each assembly plant sequenced Chevelles of all series/models without regard to specific series/models. For example, if a series 13857 Monte Carlo followed a 13667 Malibu convertible, the sequence number would be one unit higher for the Monte Carlo. It's also entirely possible to have the same sequence number from all five 1971 U.S. assembly plants with the only difference between the VINs being the plant code. Oshawa, Ontario would not have a matching sequence number of a U.S. plant Chevelle due to the starting sequence of 500001.

Production at the Baltimore assembly plant in early May and the Kansas City plant exceeded 100,000 units sometime in late April, so the VIN sequence from those time frames to the end of production would be 2nnnnn for the Baltimore and Kansas City plants.

[QUOTE=Ed.Camino;2860738]RobinLs5
Could your statement be said as - the SS package was put on 13680 bodys- ?
Both 71's I got in the garage are 13680's. If they are SS'sss that would be good news.

"Custom" El Caminos (13680) got the upscale Malibu interior trim package. SS' were based on the "Custom" Elky and therefore got the Malibu interior trim as well. Having a Custom El Camino with Malibu trim does not automatically make it an SS.

Yea, thats what I was getting at, or trying to anyway.
Still, it would be good news to have 2 SSssssss

It was a custom sprint, it has the 3 stripe door panels, but they are really basic looking. I thought all of the el caminos had the chrome trim. It had a/c and a 350 in it when it was new, but not anymore options other then that.

To make it simple.... The SS trim Pkg. Z-15/Z25 was ONLY installed on 13680 Bodys. A 13680 Body had the top of the line interior and it had 35 Lbs of sound deading material in this 13680 body.
This was the " Custom El Camino ". Unlike a 70 SS Coupe, If you have a 69-72--SS 396/454 El Camino and the body is NOT a 13680. It is NOT and NEVER WAS a Z-15/Z-25 factory produced SS El Camino.
The 13680 " Custom El Camino " was the top of the line, And had a sweep dash, and a belt molding at the body line and most were painted silver below this line. Some early SS models had this 3/4" wide trim and also the silver paint below the trim.
Also ,,,, No 69-72 El Camino/ Sprint ever left an Assmb. plant with F-41 suspension. Yes I have heard of the "Special Order " and other Bull $H!T. The fact is it was NEVER an option on El Caminos.
Bob