My Classic Car: Honoring my Brother’s El Camino
In 1982 my more youthful brother Robert bought a 1964 Chevrolet El Camino. It was not the prettiest truck, but he cherished it none the a lot less. He expended months patching it up: new wheels, reupholstering the bench seat, new carpet, and eventually new paint in that attractive Chevy pink. This truck meant anything to him.
In Oct of 1984, at age 22 Robert was killed in a auto incident, in his get the job done truck. He was my only sibling, and of course all people was devastated. My mother and father parked his El Camino in the garage and it sat for 3 months just before selecting to give it to me.
I was ecstatic to be equipped to maintain and love Rob’s truck. It held so many memories, and I treated it not very as a shrine, but really shut. I babied it, bought a include to maintain the paint as fantastic as I could, nobody was ever allowed to lean against it, or sit on the side. It was my every day driver at that issue.
In 1986, and why I’ll in no way know, my mothers and fathers pressured me to offer the El Camino. I think it was because my mom just could not stand to glimpse at it any more, the reminiscences were just much too terrible to offer with, and as this sort of, I sold it.
I was 25. Right after that I promised myself that I would invest in my have El Camino, and it would be a clone of Rob’s truck.
Flash ahead 36 yrs
In September of 2022, “she” entered my existence. I was presented a tip about an El Camino that was for sale, but not in my state. I type of blew it off typically as a much too good to be true kind of offer. But I contacted the seller anyway.
It took about a thirty day period, but on September 9, 2022, Stella rolled off the truck and into my garage. Stella is a 1965 El Camino, 327 with dual exhaust and the two speed Powerglide transmission. The earlier operator experienced replaced the 327 with a 350, and a distinctive cam, but we have been not able to call the vendor for additional aspects. The El Camino has a ’10 foot’ paint position, but is mainly first.
I also bought a “Not my Husband’s Truck” sticker for the again window. I desired no errors on whose truck it really was. I strategy on placing a 700R4 transmission in it. I traded out the Extremely centerlines and put on some Cragar’s, but other than that, I have done absolutely nothing to the truck, and I drive it day by day temperature allowing.
Robert’s picture hangs in the rear watch, and I’m certainly sure he’s thrilled that I lastly have my individual El Camino.
-Denise M., Colorado
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