Electric Elky 'Bagged, Shaved, and Oh So Sick With the 30th anniversary of Truckin' in full swing, we have made a conscious effort over the past year to reintroduce some of the trends that helped shaped the background of the magazine and its success today. Just as important as our humble shag carpeting and chrome 15-inch wheel beginnings are the vehicles which served as stock metal canvases for new and innovative custom ideas. While vans played a significant role in allowing enthusiasts to express their customizing preferences way back when, we can't ignore that unique-looking pickup known as the El Camino. Custom El Caminos have been around for what seems an eternity, and past pages of Truckin' have shown these uni-body creations pitched sideways on the drag strip and stealing trophies at shows. In fact, everything that can be done to trick out the popular Chevy El Camino has been done - or has it? Eddie Stokes of Covina, California, felt building a late-model Elco sporting shaved and smoothed mini-trucker styling would be a nice change from the fat-tired cruisers traditionally produced from the popular platform. Using a stock '86 model Elco equipped with a V-6, Eddie had his base for greatness. Most of the late-model El Caminos on the road today feature either Iroc or Rally wheels, and body modifications go about as far as a cowl-induction hood. Since Eddie's family owns Detroit Auto Body in Covina, all the tools and talent were at his disposal to transform the little Elky into a slick and smooth jaw-dropper.
Before the MIG and TIG welders were fired up at Eddie's shop and the Elco lost much of its stock exterior identity, the pros at Audio Innovations in Glendora, California, were contacted to dial in the suspension and give Eddie's ride an appropriate cruising altitude. Company owner Joe Provenzano brought the nose down using Belltech 2-inch drop spindles and EAI 2400 airbags plumbed with 1/2-inch air line and 1/2-inch Parker valves. Moving rearward, the stance was enhanced with EAI 2400 airbags, coupled with the factory four-link and 1/2-inch air line and Parker 1/2-inch valves. Once Eddie's Elco was licking the asphalt, the factory rims and rubber were ditched in favor of a set of 18-inch Jesse James 44mm chrome wheels dressed in Falken GRB FK-451 rubber, measuring P225/35ZR18 front and rear. The unique feature to these attractive chrome rollers is they feature 44mm Magnum bullets creatively positioned two-by-two on the inside lip. After Audio Innovations finished planting the El Camino on the tarmac, the next step was to slide a small-block V-8 tenant between the framerails.
While Eddie enjoyed the fuel mileage characteristics on the original V-6, the need for speed and throttle-stomping performance necessitated something a bit more aggressive to occupy the engine bay. Being in the body shop business has its perks, as a wrecked '88 Iroc Camaro was towed into Detroit's yard one afternoon, and Eddie's wheels began turning. The tuned-port 350ci small-block and 700-R4 transmission combo was snatched out of the Camaro and shoehorned into the Elco. To add that mandatory show-ride touch, Eddie polished the fuel-injection plenum and added a set of ball-milled billet aluminum valve covers to the custom mix. Performance additions in the form of chrome Doug Thorley headers and a custom 2-1/2-inch exhaust system with a Spintech muffler produce the requisite rumble. Lifting the hood of this heavenly Elky is definitely a treat for the eyeballs, but the real magic of this body shop Bow Tie lies in - you guessed it - the body.