1979 Chevrolet El Camino

Many mourned when Aaron Kaufmannn left Gas Monkey Garage, so the fact that this was one of the last cars he worked on adds a bittersweet element to a vehicle that already has mass appeal.

The full specification will be covered later but in short Kaufmann took a one-owner-from-new, rust-free car from a dry state and stripped it to a bare shell before rebuilding it with a 416cu Chevrolet LS3-based V8 engine from Mast Motorsport.

Now boasting more than 600bhp, it feeds its prodigious power to the nine-inch rear axle via a six-speed manual gearbox. The brakes and suspension were upgraded to match. The end result is a car that accelerates, handles and stops far better than anything that ever left the factory.

The only changes the current owner has made since Kaufmann’s modifications are the installation of a new clutch and cam to make this car more drivable for UK roads. That’s because Kaufmann put in a race clutch which made the vehicle challenging to control. The new cam has meant the torque is lower down to help counter the tendency for the naturally aspirated engine to front load the power in the top end. The owner has kept the replaced parts and will be selling them with the vehicle, so any prospective buyer who wants to untame this wild beast can reinstate the cam and racing clutch, at their peril!

This El Camino looks the part too and has covered just 1,600 miles since the rebuild, 600 of which were done in the UK by the current owner. It was acquired in the US a few years back and shipped back here where it was registered, MOT-ed, and taxed. This American motor is a head-turner as, in the words of the current owner: “People don’t expect a car from Dallas that’s been on TV to appear on UK roads.”

This car is only being offered for sale because the vendor got a speeding ticket recently and he says: “The temptation to push the limit in this motor is just too much”.

The parts alone of this car would cost far in excess of the upper guide price. Everything from the back axel, anti-roll bars and tubular suspension have been replaced, and the back end was made bespoke, meaning the car angles like a dream and sinks into the road when you put the brakes on.

Aaron Kaufmann carried out some subtle alterations to the car’s bodywork, including re-forming and narrowing the bumpers - a subtle change but one that totally transforms the look of the car.

The body was then completely repainted by Mike at Gas Monkey Garage and, as regular watchers will appreciate, he really knows his stuff so it still looks great. Being a rust-free car in the first place means that the panel alignment was still as per the factory.

It’s retained its amber front indicator lenses, which, along with the recessed rear lamps clusters, give the car a subtle flash of colour.

The beautiful custom-made ‘Budnic’ wheels add to the car’s handsome looks while simultaneously giving the car its impressive stance. They’re fitted with matching Toyo Proxes tyres, too. Huge on the rear at 275/35R19 and slightly more modest on the front at 235/40R18.

The paintwork is in good shape as the current owner tended to a few bits of bodywork that needed attention. There were a few paint defects the vendor had fixed; the back tailgate was resprayed and the top of the passenger side door has been touched up and sealed with lacquer. The car has recently been mopped to lift off the old polish and it has benefitted from a repolish to rejuvenate the paintwork.

The interior is a pleated diamond stitch pattern in a combination of suede and leather. Immaculately executed, the seats are suitably supportive and comfortable for a car with this much power.

The trimming, with its honeycomb pattern on the seats and door cards, matches the car’s front grille. It is complemented by a three-spoke Grant-style steering wheel with a leather rim and alloy frame.

There’s an American Powertrain gearknob too and the headlining, carpets and dashboard are as impressive as everything else. To top it off, the cabin is kept cool by a ‘Vintage Air’ air-conditioning system for those summer days.

The original V8 has been swapped for a 416cu ‘Mast Motorsport’ Chevrolet LS3-based engine that now develops more than 600bhp. The engine exhales via a bespoke Hooker exhaust system and inhales via a fully programmable ‘Holley Sniper’ electronic fuel injection system.

Cooling is delegated to a bespoke Ron Davis Racing Products aluminium radiator that is, just like every other component on the El Camino, as effective as it is beautiful.

The engine has been sprayed grey to match the external of the car and it is mated to a ‘Tremec T56’ six-speed manual gearbox. All that power and torque is put down to the tarmac through a Currie nine-inch rear end. The suspension comes courtesy of a complete Ridetech upper and lower arm set-up complete with adjustable coilovers, making it infinitely tuneable to meet the new owner’s priorities.

Braking is taken care of via a full Wilwood set-up with cross-drilled and ventilated discs on all four corners. The car’s wiring harness was completely replaced with a bespoke Painless loom.

As you’d expect, it starts on the button, ticks over like a champ, and sounds like the roar of a lion. In terms of how it drives, in the words of the vendor: “It does just fly.” Because, despite putting 600+bhp through the rear wheels, it is surprisingly tractable so it can pootle about, too.

Thanks to the handywork of Mr Kauffman, the engine bay is beautifully detailed, with the vendor describing it as “being like a new car underneath”. The underpinnings and mechanical components look very good.

The floor pan looks solid and clean. Whilst the undersides of the car look structurally sound, there is some surface rust on the rear subframe and on the inside of the rear wheel arch on the driver’s side.

The Chevrolet’s MOT passed its certificate in October 2021, with a minor advisory on a small dent in the fuel tank. But there are no leaks, so there is nothing to worry about. Bear in mind its age makes it eligible for historical status, so it's not required to have an MOT, but the current owner had the oil and filter changed for good measure.

The quality and condition of this car speak volumes alone, but to add to this motor’s notoriety, aside from its appearance in Gas Monkeys, it’s also been featured in Henry Cole’s Shed and Buried

An El Camino is a legend in its own right, but this being a Gas Monkey job built by Aaron Kaufmann, takes its desirability to the next level. Its combination of coupé looks and pickup versatility makes it the ideal candidate for some resto-modding, and its difficult to find a finer example than this. Given this car’s unique history and provenance it’s a genuine one-off and hard to value. But, our best shot is somewhere between £25,000 and £35,000. Given what this El Camino offers and that the base car is a dry-state, three-owner from new example and that the parts alone would far exceed this guide price, this is very good value.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.