Well... back in 1982ish, I was 22, and looking to buy some kind of rare muscle Chevy, and at the time, a guy in New Jersey had a triple black 1970 LS6 El Camino, pretty sure it was a numbers matching truck, as guys weren't playing with bogus or tribute cars then.
There was also a guy in Los Angeles with a real Z16 Chevelle, 1 of 201 made with the new 396-375. For those unfamiliar, Chevy was experimenting with a GTO beater. They were only made in 3 colors, yellow red or blue, and I believe, non-orderable. So I couldn't afford much, and his friend in Iowa had a real wreck of a Z16, so I sent a deposit, prolly a few hundred dollars, but it was too far, I was too young, and I never went to get it. There was also a guy with a REAL Z06(?) '63 Corvette, with the big fuel tank, big brakes, power windows, and pretty sure it was the real deal as there was another documented one, and this was sequentially the very next one made, also w power windows to be able to speak w the pit crew on the passenger side?
Anyhow, I would scour Hemmings Motor News, and call on all kinds of super rare stuff, as I wasn't interested in the ordinary stuff. I ended up sending a guy in North Carolina $2000 for a '63 Impala 409, which ended up being a scam, and I learned a lesson, and never got my money back. Stupid, when looking back, he was probably the only scammer of all the folks I spoke with in those days.
So where does the Elky fit in to this story? The guy in LA (w the gennie Z16)was buying all kinds of 60's Corvettes, and always had something really special, I recall him asking me if I would buy a convertible instead of a coupe, that I thot I wanted, (as a naybor had just bought a '65 327-365HP) as he had just bot a 427-435 'vert... I think he wanted $8,000, as you could buy any SB 'Vette for $5,000. Then he called to say he had just taken in a 1 owner '65 El Camino, 327-300 4 speed, red red with an engine knock, and he wanted $1500 as is, or $1800 repaired. He called back a little bit later and said it was repaired, shined up, around 100,000 miles or so, and I didn't pull the trigger. Why? I was too young, no job, too far away yada yada...
Did I tell you about the '65 Impala station wagon, 409-340hp factory 4 speed, also in California, I passed on? Why the 409? A friend and I had identical Canadian Pontiac 2+2's converts, mine a 283 w 3-2's, and his we ended up putting in a 340hp 409... I kept that junker rusted junk 2+2 until a few years ago, but only drove it the 1st year after my dad bot it for me for my 18th birthday.
I have a couple of cars I've kept since I was a teenager. I'll save them for another post... But that''s why the red red Elky in Grass Valley, which I'll prolly pass on, as the latest pictures show it as someone rusted...
Pix from early 80's... the '67 GTO was in San Diego in 1979, 400-360HO, column shift! The black loaded GTO w 31 options in LA... Oh the pain... I still have the '66 Toro, 37k, and the '66 Skylark GS, both parked since early 80's, indoors,orig paint, both run, but somewhat rusty...
