Highly-Optioned Muscle Truck: 1974 Chevrolet El Camino SS 454




























This upcoming Sunday up in Riegelsville, Pennsylvania (about a twenty-minute drive north of my house), the annual Fall Roll Out car show takes place. With that, the outdoor classic automotive show season wraps up for southeastern Pennsylvania. Most people (including me) will likely attend the show, but if one of you car enthusiasts feel that you should come in style, this 1974 Chevrolet El Camino SS would be a nice way to attend. Find it here on Craigslist in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, with an asking price of $6,500.



























After a full redesign in 1973, the A-body based El Camino soldiered on through 1974 with minor changes. Major updates included a new Mercedes-Benz inspired grille and minor trim changes. This El Camino is a 1974 SS model, and is one of 4,543 built for the model year. Painted black with a white hockey-stick side stripe, this El Camino features a front end swapped from a 1976 or 1977 model; I personally prefer this front end to the stock one. The bed-mounted tonneau cover is a welcome sight, though I would swap the aftermarket wheels for a set or Corvette Rally wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich Radial T/As. I would also polish the paint and front and rear bumpers to bring back the shine they lost.



























If there's one area of this El Camino that needs work, it's the interior. The seats are fairly worn, the area behind the seats is missing trim parts and carpeting, and the carpet and overall interior could use a cleaning and detailing. Air conditioning is a nice option, as is the console, swivel Strato bucket seats, Rally gauge package, tilt wheel, cruise control, electric windows, electric door locks, Soft Ray tinted windows, and rear-sliding glass window. I would ditch the generic floor mats, source new SS 454 mats, redo the seats, source a new carpet, replace the lower door panels, and clean up the interior.

 Unfortunately, a picture of the drivetrain is not provided, but this El Camino is powered by the rare big-block LS4 454. Rated at 270 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque, only the 455 Super Duty and 440 Magnum (from Pontiac and Mopar, respectively) made more power. Backed by the heavy-duty three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 400 with transmission cooler and spinning a 2.73 rear gear, new parts include a battery, positive and negative battery cables, Moroso Blue Max Wires, high-performance coil pack, cap and rotor, starter, and fuel pump. I would swap the gears for a more aggressive ratio, add a Gear Vendors over drive unit to the TH-400, dress the engine to look stock, and clean up the engine. Overall, this El Camino SS is ready to drive, and would be a nice project during the winter if the new owner should feel the need to. What are your thoughts on this rare LS4 454-equipped El Camino SS?
Location: Willow Grove, PA, USA

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