Pic Thread: Not Just El Caminos
 

There was Ranchero, actually before El Camino. This was no new concept, either. Heck, a sedan adapted to a pickup preceded the pickup. That's where the idea came from... Bing! There have been Utes all along, conversion kits to one-off custom. Many look darn good too! So here's to those... those...... things that have a bed you can drive like a car.

EDIT: Looking in my picture folders I realized this could be about any "Car Based" vehicles. Any year, any make, any type of alteration type conversion. Think campers to utility to...?

This was in my "El Camino,etc" sub-folder as Cadillac. I'm not sure now, but I think it's factory-built.
Attachment 1866609

Nash. I believe factory:
Attachment 1866611

GMC Sprint is a dream of mine:

Re: Pic Thread: Not Just El Caminos
 

That GMC Sprint is hard to come by. Not nearly as many built as ElCaminos. But they are the same car with GMC badging. I like 'em.

Re: Pic Thread: Not Just El Caminos
 

I have a 72 El Camino SS ,small block Cruck . I cant post pics though .

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More.

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Many cars have been converted over the years. Even the Model T and some high dollar luxury cars.

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Couple more.

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Some of the cars converted to pick ups during the war years were done due to gas rationing. I believe trucks were allowed more gas. I posted a picture here years ago of a Packard I saw at the local vintage tractor show that had a truck bed installed in the rear. Anyway that's the story an old timer told me at the show.

Re: Pic Thread: Not Just El Caminos
 

Also some of the cars were available with a slide in tray to make it more usable like a pickup. I have seen a pic or two on these forums. Seems like it was a 2 door coupe with a trunk lid that hinged from the top.

Re: Pic Thread: Not Just El Caminos
 

Here you go :chevy:
When I finally make it out your way to visit
I’m going to learn you on
How to post pics

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Thanks Eric , yes you need to Learn Me .

Re: Pic Thread: Not Just El Caminos
 

Great pictures and info so far. That badge is the same emblem as on the 1500-9500 series trucks

I wanted to say, what I had in mind when I did the title was it's not just El Caminos for the car or truck debate. I already solved it a long time ago and nobody wants to listen I guess. They are both, a car that is a truck. A truck can get lighter than a half ton, and it can still be handy.

Hudson built the Terraplane pickup, which was based on a car. 1934 shown. Later in the '40s came those "Big Boy" Hudsons.

Re: Pic Thread: Not Just El Caminos
 

More Hudsons

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A couple more.

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here is mine, LS2, 6 speed, vintage air, curry 9", SSBC 4 wheel disc, autometer gauges, covan dash, ISS interior halibrand rims, flowmaster American thunder exhaust

Re: Pic Thread: Not Just El Caminos
 

And a nice one too.

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Some utes.

Re: Pic Thread: Not Just El Caminos
 

The factory built El Camino SSs and now we have El SS Caminos. Nice one! I bet it's nice to drive.

I always wanted a post ware Ute. They are so c'ute! There were car-based, truck-based, US-based, and foreign-based utes

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My '75 Sprint. Owned it 22 yrs. Darn good car. Was silver, then white. Got the side marker light bezels chromed. Center caps did not say "Chevrolet Motor Division" because... well you know.

Re: Pic Thread: Not Just El Caminos
 

Was referred to as a business coup. I would love too have a Studebaker coup Express. But haven't found a nice one in my price range .

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Willy's also made a nice one.

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Years ago I had one of these, 84 dodge rampage, this one is not mine, but just like it.

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And I have this old el camino

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I do know of a Ranchero that could be had for almost free. It's been there since the 80's. People have taking things off it. Supposedly went off the road burned and was left there. Its just outside of hunter on a very winding steep grade road on the way to Woodstock . Been a favorite road of mine for motorcycle rides.

Re: Pic Thread: Not Just El Caminos
 

Thats a business coupe alright but what i am thinking of is an actual tray that fit in the trunk but extended out and looked like a pkup bed. I believe it was Chevy coupes of the late 30’s seems like and sold by Chevy dealers.
I know Tim is bound to have a pic of one.

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All car company's made them and they pretty much all called them business coups .They were for door to door salesmen . Electrolux and encyclopedia comes to mind

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This is what I am talking about.
This particular one is a 37 Hudson Terraplane Utility Coupe. Truck bed in trunk.
If I'm not mistaken Chevy and Plymouth offered them too. It was a neat idea.

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Here we go. Chevy offered them in at least 36,40,41,42 and called a Coupe Pickup.

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There was a few Manufactures making them in the 1930's to get around gas taxes. Trucks were allowed more fuel . Chevy did it from '36-'42. Here's some 36-39.

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Fender skirts on a pickup! :haha: I had a '40 Chevy business coupe back in the late '70s- '80. 350 with a THM400 and a 3.90 posi from a '68 GTO (obviously modified the axle housing for leaf springs) and a straight axle in the front. Best it could do in the 1/4 mile was low 14s. It tended to get airborne at about 100 MPH. I sold it in '80 to pay for my wife's engagement ring. It didn't have a pickup bed, though.

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WE built this one for my son in law a few years ago, then their family started growing so the wife and I drove it for a couple of years. We drove it to the Canadian border, Washington DC, Cruisin the Coast, OKC, Pigeon Forge and some of those places multiple times. We have put over 40,000 miles on it since the build. It hasn't been driven much lately, but he took it to the Ole Marias River Run in Ottawa, KS this past year.

Re: Pic Thread: Not Just El Caminos
 

I was wondering when that thing would show up.

Before the Sprint GM considered the Pontiac Safari

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Customs

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How about a Geo Metro. While not a factory option, I've seen one in person. The car had been rear-ended, so the owner enlisted a sheet-metal worker to do some magic.

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Growing up, a girl I went to school with, her dad had a Subaru Brat. The 10 year old version of me thought it was cool.

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Yeah those were neat. Put a couple friends in the back seat and jar the crap out of them till they knock your back window out screaming for you to stop! :lol:

I guess the reason you don't hear the same debate over Sedan Deliveries is they have been gone so long? Or maybe because, although built off a car chassis, they were pretty much only seen "working"/"hauling", things we associate with being a truck. The funny mistake people make with these is the opposite, somewhat. We see people calling Panel Trucks Sedan Deliveries. No no no, very wrong. Truck based is a Panel 'Truck' and car based is a 'Sedan' Delivery. Actually, back then Panel Trucks were called "Deliveries" and "Sedan Delivery" was the car.

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If Buick made campers. BTW- This is actually on sale on CL right now.

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This one is unusual. Total custom but it works. The 1953 styling was way ahead of it's time.

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Nice -- I have always liked the lines on a '53 Studebaker. When I was a kid my dad had a '54 but the styling wasn't as graceful or clean as a '53. All I remember about that car was it had a V8 and questionable build quality....

Re: Pic Thread: Not Just El Caminos
 

That Studebaker is a looker! Does that back window look like a Vette windshield to you guys?