Lance & Maria's '67 El Camino
A 40-Year Labor of Love
Everyone remembers their first car, but not many still have the one they started with. This 67’ El Camino was the first car I owned, buying it from my parents when I turned 16. They originally purchased it in 1969 when my family moved to Fremont. The car was used for everything: back and forth to school & work, pulling the motorcycle or boat trailer, making trips around the area with all my friends (when you could still ride in the back), and most importantly, for my dates with Maria. During this time, the car was the original beige ‘Gold’ color with a 283 & 2 speed power glide trans. Through my senior year of High School, several modifications, & “upgrades” were done that made it very popular with local law enforcement, so much so that in 1982 it was made very clear to me that I needed to get away for a bit, so I joined the Air Force. While in basic training, my dad took the car out to keep the battery charged and was promptly pulled over. When the officer came to the window, the first thing he said was "where's Lance"? My dad just “loved” that experience...
Unfortunately, the car sat for the next 7 years, and after my dad passed away, I registered it, but new plates were required. I kept the original plates, and when the laws changed to allow year of manufacture plates, I was finally able to use them again. Over the years, I have thought of getting rid of the car, but Maria would never let that happen!
I learned to drive this car at age 13, at 15, I had to drive back from Hollister towing a motorcycle trailer because my dad ruptured his appendix while we were out riding. I taught both my children how to drive in this car. It has had 4 different engines, 2 transmissions, 2 paint jobs with the latest being done over at Kennedy High School by a neighbor in the ROP program. Most of the things I learned about cars were because of the successes and failures I experienced working on the Elco.
I installed Air Ride suspension with a friend in 2010 (so I could drain the water out of the bed easier), front disc brakes in 2011, and a Be Cool aluminum radiator along with LED turn signals, backup up, and brake lights in 2014, in 2019 finally installed an electric fan and at one point or another removed, replaced or rebuilt every part on the car. The car has survived jumps, hitting trees (teaching my sister-in-law how to drive), sandstorms, and puberty...