Find or Sell Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in USA

1980 Chevrolet El Camino Conquista 2-door 3.8l on 2040-cars

Year:1980 Mileage:107019 Color: Gray /
 Burgundy
Location:

Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
Advertising:
Transmission:Automatic
Body Type:Standard Cab Pickup
Engine:229 V6 GAS
Vehicle Title:Clear
Fuel Type:GAS
For Sale By:Private Seller
VIN: 1W80KAK488004 Year: 1980
Interior Color: Burgundy
Make: Chevrolet
Number of Cylinders: 6
Model: El Camino
Trim: Conquista
Drive Type: RWD
Power Options: Tilt Steering, Air Conditioning
Mileage: 107,019
Sub Model: Conquista
Exterior Color: Gray
Warranty: Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty
Condition: Used: A vehicle is considered used if it has been registered and issued a title. Used vehicles have had at least one previous owner. The condition of the exterior, interior and engine can vary depending on the vehicle's history. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections. ... 

For the most part this is an unmolested, garden-variety 1980 El Camino with the Conquista appearance package (two-tone paint and trim).  It does have AC (which worked the last time I drove it), and tilt steering.  It came with the original AM radio, which I replaced with an era-appropriate AM/FM unit (though it still plays out of the single dash speaker).

I'm the third owner of this El Camino; I acquired it from my wife's aunt and uncle 5-6 years ago.  They bought it from the original owner @ 1981, so for the most part it belonged to my wife's relatives for most of its existence.  My wife's aunt drove the vehicle for many years, but eventually they moved to the country, and other than using the El Camino as a field vehicle for feeding cows it didn't get a lot of use.  Eventually they parked it in a barn, remembering I'd told them at one point that if they ever wanted to get rid of it to let me know.  I acquired it, and did my best to get it roadworthy, but realistically I couldn't drive it frequently enough to keep things up.  I put new tires on it, as well as an alternator, shocks, muffler, etc., and had a mechanic go through it several years ago; but the last time I drove it (several years back) the brakes went out, so it has been parked since.  I don't have the assistance I'd need to get the brakes back into working shape, and living on a steep hill I can't do much to get it out of the garage safely to tinker with it, so I put it on a set of rollers (which transfer with the vehicle), moved it to the far edge of the garage, and as you can see if has become a storage rack for the most part.

Having been used as a field car the vehicle does have some dents here and there, but in general it's in solid shape.  The only rust of any real consequence that I'm aware of is around the rear glass (pictured), which seems to be contained to that one single piece of sheet metal at the front of the bed.  I suspect someone with better body shop skills than myself could either fill those in, or replace that one panel and be set.  The vehicle does leak rain water around the front glass (and through the rust spots in the rear), which has been the case since well before I acquired the vehicle.  As a result my wife's family kept the car covered once the leaks began (either in a carport or barn, and I've kept it in the garage since I've had it), which has helped preserve the interior, especially the dash which as you can see from the photos has no cracks.  As best I remember all the glass is good.  Interior-wise other than the seat cover needing replacing, the carpet on the doors and the headliner have lost most of their color and would eventually need to be replaced.  

As it sits currently I'd say it isn't driveable and would need to be trailered.  The brake problem may simply be a master cylinder, or there could be a leak in a line somewhere.  Neither would be an expensive fix by any means, but as a result of sitting for several years the vehicle also leaks oil and transmission fluid, so while I suspect I could charge the battery and top off the oil and get it started with no problems, I would not advise trying to move it under its own power until it were moved to a level lot somewhere.  If you wanted to make it a daily driver, it would need attention to the brakes, and to the various seals that would need to be replaced to stop the oil/transmission leaks.  But realistically with those items repaired the vehicle would be operable.

My ultimate goal was to get the mechanicals sorted out and then move on to body work and paint, but realistically with my day-to-day routine I couldn't drive a vehicle of this vintage as my daily driver (plus it really doesn't provide me enough leg room to get comfortable), so I never got beyond some of the primarily mechanical stuff.  I could tackle the brakes, but realistically I have too many other home projects that are taking priority, and in a house with no attic or basement storage, garage space is at a premium, and we honestly need the space more than we need the wheels.  

I'd rather see this vehicle sell to someone who plans to fix it up and drive it, as I think it's well above being just a parts vehicle.  That's the primary reason I'm listing it here versus simply calling a charity to come haul it off, since I'd like to give someone a chance at it who would want to get it back on the road.  I'm not in an immediate rush to get rid of it, but I think I've put things off about as long as I can.  It could definitely use some body work and paint, but if you're looking for a work vehicle and are mechanically inclined this could be a good option.  Parts for the 229 V-6 are cheap and plentiful from what I've encountered, and I've gotten as good as 18 MPG on the highway, so compared to full-sized trucks of this vintage this El Camino can get decent mileage.  

I should probably clarify in the photos where there are two El Caminos, the one in the foreground (with beauty rings and center caps) is mine that is for sale.  The one in the background belonged to a guy who happened to park in my same lot at work one summer, so we got together one day and parked them side-by-side just to take some photos since they were so similar.  So just to be clear, this auction is for only one El Camino; those were the only fairly recent pictures I could find of it outside to post.

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Auto blog

GM recalling 686k Lambda-platform models for hatch repair

Fri, Jul 10 2015

General Motors is recalling 686,287 units of its Lambda platform crossovers. On models equipped with a power rear hatch the system can potentially fail. This campaign includes the 2008-2012 Buick Enclave, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia, and 2007-2010 Saturn Outlook. According to GM's documents to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (as a PDF), dirt can get into a portion of the strut that holds up the hatch and cause the part to prematurely fail. There's a redundancy in place called the Prop Rod Recovery system that's designed to shut the liftgate if there's a malfunction. However, if the breakdown happens too quickly after the hatch is opened the prop rod might not work the way it's supposed to. If someone were in the way of the falling liftgate, they could be hurt. For the repair, dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit to prevent the hatch from closing so quickly. They'll also check the operation of the system afterward. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Liftgate Struts may Fail and Liftgate may Fall Report Receipt Date: JUN 30, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V415000 Component(s): STRUCTURE Potential Number of Units Affected: 686,287 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) BUICK ENCLAVE 2008-2012 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE 2009-2012 GMC ACADIA 2007-2012 SATURN OUTLOOK 2007-2010 Details Manufacturer: General Motors LLC SUMMARY: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to February 29, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured August 17, 2006, to March 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall. CONSEQUENCE: If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury. REMEDY: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

How real is the Chevy Bolt EV and will it really cost $30,000?

Tue, Jan 13 2015

"This is us bragging that we can do this kind of car." That's how Michael Simcoe, GM's executive director for NA exteriors, described the Chevy Bolt EV concept, which made a surprise appearance at the Detroit Auto Show today. While there was talk of a 2017 production debut, this is for sure a concept vehicle. But that means the ideas behind the vehicle are perhaps more important than the details. For example, no one is talking about what size battery might appear in a production Bolt, but Simcoe would talk about how rapid progress in battery improvements made it possible for GM to make the bold Bolt declaration that promises 200 miles and a price tag of around $30,000 (after incentives). But if the Bolt makes it to market, it won't be until 2017 (as rumored) or later, is it really fair to promote the car as being available with a federal tax credit? For one thing, credits for plug-in vehicles may change in the next few years, but if the laws stay the same, each manufacturer is limited to 200,000 vehicles before the credits start to decline. GM is justifiably proud that it's sold over 70,000 Volts thus far, but with a new model coming out later this year and a few years to go until the Bolt potentially arrives, GM could be pushing right up against that 200,000 limit when the Bolt goes on sale. But Volt executive chief engineer Pam Fletcher told AutoblogGreen that, "We're just trying to take some of the confusion out." "Think about talking to the average consumer," she said. "First, going through the explanation of how the federal tax credit was set up, how it's being used and so on. [In the industry, we] have the luxury of understanding the nuances of that regulation, but right now people who aren't in the marketplace, they don't have the luxury of all that. It's already hard to communicate the details so we gave them data in a way that is what they're used to seeing." There was one question that drove the two-year Bolt gestation and design period, Simcoe said: What does a better battery offer a vehicle designer? "We've got a number of spaces we play in for powertrain technology and obviously electrification is one of them," he said. "With Volt 1 and then the Spark EV, with that development and batteries getting better for us, we started doing some practical packaging to deliver a vehicle which was not the traditional aero form which you see around electric vehicles.

Did the Chevy Corvette Z06 break 7 minutes at the Ring? Not likely

Wed, Jan 28 2015

"Just because it's on the internet doesn't make it true." That's rule number one, two and arguably, three, of surfing the world wide web. In today's example of this rule, we have the following. The website HorsepowerKings is claiming that a 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, with the eight-speed automatic and Z07 package, managed to lap the Nurburgring Nordschleife in under seven minutes. To put that in perspective, that super-quick time would put the 650-horsepower, $97,000 (the price of a 2LZ with the Z07/8AT combo) Z06 a mere two seconds slower around the world's most challenging race track than the $929,000, 887-horsepower Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach. It's about eight seconds quicker than Nissan's own test of the GT-R Nismo Track Pack and 13 seconds faster than a Dodge Viper ACR. Unfortunately, Chevy says there isn't anything to it. We reached out to the Bowtie's Monte Doran, who confirmed that HK's claims are "not accurate." "Any one – a manufacturer, a journalist, a guy standing on the fence of the Ring – can claim a lap time. As such, we think the in-car video is essential to proving a time is real and credible, and Chevrolet will not release a lap until we have a video to substantiate the claim," Doran told Autoblog. "Chevrolet accumulated nearly 1,000 miles of testing on the Nurburgring with the Z06. During that time, we only had two opportunities to run a lap on video – and both were rained out. If we get a lap on video, we will post an official time." Doran finished by referencing the "only official lap time" for the Z06 – a 2:41 around the Virginia International Raceway. Frankly, we aren't terribly surprised by Chevy's position. One would imagine if the Z06 were matching million-dollar hypercars around the 'Ring, the company would literally be screaming about it from Renaissance Center's rooftop. As this is quite the opposite of that, though, we're betting that the real Z06 lap time - while still likely very, very fast – won't be quite quick enough to frighten the brightest and best of today's hypercars.