The good ol' Elky rolled out for the 1959 model year, and General Motors kept making the coupe utility through 1987. The final generation could be had with anything from a 3.3-liter naturally aspirated V6 to a 5.7-liter small block or a 5.7-liter diesel engine designed by the Oldsmobile division.
The car we're covering today is a 1986 model with the 305-cube V8, which sported the regular production order code LG4. In this application, the carbureted small block makes a meager 150 horsepower and 240 pound-feet (325 Nm) of twist.
Not exciting in the least, said Elky stands out from the crowd by means of a completely different body. The donor in question is a 1987 model year Buick Regal, whose window sticker indicates a total price of $14,184 (that's $39,150 adjusted for inflation).
This Frankenstein build is currently sitting on $12,000 after 20 bids and no fewer than 100 comments on Bring a Trailer at the moment of reporting. Offered at no reserve, the black-painted trucklet was completed sometime around 2010. As you can tell from the GNX-style wheels, the GNX stickers on the quarter windows, and the GNX sticker near the passenger's air vent, chassis number 3GCCW80H7GS907265 is begging for a turbo V6 swap to bring it closer to the limited-edition GNX.
In combination with a four-speed Turbo Hydramatic, the 305-ci engine isn't going to impress anyone on wide-open throttle. Nowhere as fast as the C4 Corvette-besting GNX, the one-off build is so well made that non-car people could easily mistake it for a bone-stock General Motors design.
Photo: JoSno on Bring a Trailer
Located in Danbury, Connecticut, the car shows a bit of wear in the bed and a scratch on the right quarter panel. The hood insulation pad has seen better days as well, and certain underbody parts feature superficial rust. It's nothing to worry about, though, for everything can be easily fixed on a budget. Offered on behalf of an estate, this fellow is also backed by a plethora of photos of the vehicle and its late owner from the modification process.
As for the history reports, the Carfax for the 1986 El Camino shows a mileage inconsistency in April 2024, whereas the Carfax for the 1987 Regal shows that a junk title was issued in 2016. The odometer shows a little over 25,600 miles (41,200 kilometers), and the seller had the starter and fuel filter replaced in preparation for the sale for extra peace of mind. The carburetor has also been rebuilt, whereas the underpowered V8 breathes in through a K&N air cleaner assembly with a chrome top lid.
Pictured on 245/50 by 16-inch BFGs, this head-turning machine is equipped with functional power windows, air conditioning, cruise control, and a stereo that brings together an AM/FM radio and a cassette player. Of course, it further sports a split-bench seat from the donor 1987 model year Regal.
As opposed to Ford's unibody Maverick, the largest automaker of the Big Three in Detroit doesn't have a small truck to call its own in the US market. Made in Brazil, the crew-cab Chevy Montana isn't meant for North America, and GM doesn't appear to be interested in this particular segment as it continues to sell more full-size trucks than Ford in the US.
As for what used to be the Buick division, the crossover-only brand is a completely different animal from the Buick of the G-body era. So different that Buick sells more vehicles in China than the United States of America. To whom it may concern, General Motors delivered 517,650 vehicles from the Buick brand in China back in 2023 versus 167,030 vehicles in the US market.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News