Farm-Found 1985 Chevrolet El Camino SS Can Be Both a Rare Collectible and a Daily Driver

Unfortunately, the lack of significant overhauls and customers' losing interest in this body style made the El Camino a less compelling model, even when shipped with the Super Sport package.

The El Camino's numbers were already numbered in 1985, despite sales declining slightly from the previous years. Chevrolet shipped 21,816 trucks, with the Super Sport remaining nearly as appealing as its predecessor and reaching sales of 1,198 units (versus 1,309 units in the previous year).

It took Chevrolet two more years to understand that the El Camino no longer had a place in our world. The last year on the market was 1987 when Chevrolet shipped only 13,743 El Caminos and 861 Super Sports.

The 1985 model year witnessed two notable changes. First, Chevrolet moved the El Camino production to Mexico at the Ramos Arizpe assembly plant. Second, the 4.3-liter V6 engine with fuel injection was offered as the base choice on the El Camino, remaining the standard mill until the final goodbye in 1987.

Enter this all-original, unaltered, and unrestored 1985 Chevrolet El Camino.

While I understand that a 1985 model isn't necessarily a "classic," this El Camino checks all the big boxes for a collectible, as it has never been altered or tampered with in any way.

eBay seller acvelez explains on the auction site that the truck was a farm find. They found the El Camino on someone's property. It was owned by an elderly couple who owned and took care of it in California. This is good news – the El Camino spent its entire life in California, so you shouldn't worry about metal damage and rust issues.

However, it doesn't mean this El Camino is spotless. You'll still find some surface rust when inspecting it, but everything suggests that you won't find critical damage. It can be fixed with an easy restoration, and the owner says the truck recently passed the California emission test and is now fully registered until April next year.

This El Camino sports a 5.0-liter V8 engine paired with an automatic transmission. If you're here because you want an original and complete truck, this is good news, as the mill is the one that came with the El Camino when it rolled off the assembly lines. It starts, runs, and drives correctly—remember that the car has recently passed the smog test, so it's ready for the road from a mechanical perspective.

The interior is also original, albeit the potato-quality photos do not allow us to inspect the cabin in detail. The seller claims the general condition is good, and when you open the door, you find the original light-blue velour seats, power windows, and power locks. The seats look good, but you'll have to step inside and inspect everything in person to determine if the car needs a complete overhaul of the cabin.

This El Camino left the factory as a Super Sport, so it's one of just 1,198 examples that rolled off the assembly lines with the desirable package. It's unknown how many are still alive today, but we shouldn't expect many to sport the same condition.

While this truck doesn't look like it requires many fixes to hit the road as a daily driver, especially considering the engine is almost in flawless shape, it also checks all the boxes for a collectible that a wealthy person could only drive occasionally.

First, it's an all-original truck that spent its entire life in California. It's unclear if the elderly couple that owned it when it was recovered also owned it since it was new, but it's very clear that this El Camino was properly cared for. Second, it's an unrestored example, so what you'll find on this truck is the factory configuration that Chevrolet installed before it left the factory.

And third, this El Camino has never been altered, so it's as stock as possible.

While the truck can hit the road today, it can also be restored to return to tip-top shape, eventually earning a place in a heated garage where it can be tucked away from things like rain and snow.

The selling price makes sense and allows anyone to take it home without spending a small fortune. The truck landed on eBay with a reserved auction, meaning the bidding must hit a certain value before the El Camino can leave for a new home. The top offer is $3,500, but the reserve is still in place. If you want to get it without a fight, you can unlock the BIN option set at $6,200.

Meanwhile, this truck sleeps in Martinez, California, and it should be capable of driving anywhere on its wheels.