Yes, its true that General Motors never made a 1969 El Camino SS 427. However, if Don Yenko or Dick Harrell had decided to perform their legendary magic on a ’69 El Camino, it would probably have turned out something like this. Originally an SS 396 4-speed truck with minimal rust and all options except cruise control, it is now a frame off rotisserie show car with a 427 big block (bored to 440 cubic inches, balanced and blue-printed), 5-speed Tremec transmission, and 3.73 Eaton posi-traction 12-bolt rear.

In November 2000, the solid body was removed from the chassis and placed on a rotisserie. The underside of the body was stripped, sanded and prepped to receive a smooth weather protective coating of POR 15. All body components were prepped and sealed with quality PPG DP Epoxy Primer prior to receiving 3 coats of PPG Black with Blue Frost Pearl, custom body side/hood accents and finally 8 coats of PPG DCU 2002 High Solids Clear. All glass, rubber and felt is new. All body moldings and trim, grill, bumpers and tail lights have been replaced, restored or re-chromed. For a cleaner look, the fuel filler neck has been moved to inside the bed. Finishing off the exterior is a set of 1969 SS wheels by “Wheel Vintiques" (15x8 front -15x10 rear) wrapped in BF Goodrich radial tires (P255 front - P275 rear) and a custom aluminum frame tonneau cover by Craftec complete with raised vinyl bow tie.

While the body was off, the chassis received the same level of attention. The frame was bead blasted, de-burred, smoothed and professionally powder coated in smoke silver. All front suspension components were powder coated and rebuilt with new polyurethane bushings, 1 ¼ " Hodgkis Performance sway bar and new power steering box. The rear suspension was updated with air ride bags and Hodgkis 4 link polyurethane suspension components with 1” sway bar. The braking system received all new stainless lines, rebuilt original 11” SS power front disc brakes, and rebuilt 9” rear drum brakes (all powder coated). All 4 shocks are KYB gas-adjust. Closing out the rolling chassis is the completely rebuilt original 12 bolt stuffed with Eaton Posi-Trac, 3.73 gears and new axles backed up by functional traction bars.

Not for the faint of heart, residing under the 2” cowl hood is a ‘69 Corvette 427 (cast #3955270) sporting some serious performance upgrades including mild camshaft, roller rockers, 8 quart oil pan, ceramic coated headers with 2 ½” exhaust and Sweet Thunder mufflers, polished Edelbrock Performer intake, Holley Street Avenger 770, MSD pro billet distributor, MSD Blaster ignition coil and 6-AL box. The assembled engine was broken in and tuned on an engine Dyno at 459 hp with 475 ft-lbs of torque. The gas tank has been flushed and powder coated with new stainless sending unit and all new stainless 3/8" fuel lines. Backing up the transfer of power is a smooth shifting Tremec 5-speed manual transmission with heavy duty 11” clutch, flywheel and pressure plate.

Prior to assembly, all cosmetic interior metal surfaces were treated to PPG body color and Dynamat heat/sound material was installed throughout. A custom console with AutoMeter gauges was installed to accommodate the 5-speed shifter and original style bucket seats were professionally recovered in Ultra Leather. Dressing it up is tuxedo black Mercedes Benz carpet with a remote AM-FM Sony 8-disk CD sound system installed behind the seats. All dash plastic is new and all original gauges have been rebuilt and odometer set to zero at time of restoration (9,046 miles since completion in December 2008). All wiring harnesses in dash and engine compartment are new American Auto Wire. Rare factory options include interior map light mirror and remote driver mirror as well as tilt steering column with 3-spoke SS wheel and power tinted windows. The original factory AC was removed and the firewall smoothed and replaced with the upgraded R-134a Vintage Air system with polished Sanden compressor.

Although this truck has never been to the drag strip (but would probably hold its own), it has been driven to numerous shows throughout Texas and even with a few rock chips is still a proven show winner to include “Best Engine Compartment”. Included with vehicle are a CD showing various stages of the frame-off restoration process, all Dyno run sheets and over $40K worth of parts/labor receipts. In total, there is almost $60K invested in this high-end low-mileage restoration.