VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Trucks and Vans 1967 El Camino

Would anybody know the overall length of a 67 El Camino? I have an 82 year old cousin that is giving me his truck and I am trying to make room in my garage. It will be a tight squeeze but I think that I can get it indoors. Any help would be great. Thanks.

Sal,

I poked around a bit on the computer and it appears to be 201 inches. 16 ft - 9 inches.

It wouldn't hurt my feelings if somebody double-checked that....

Thanks Bill, I think that I can squeeze in about 17'6" in the location that I want to put it. I will remeasure in the morning to be sure. Thanks again.

Sure Sal. I didn't get that info from an "official" Chev document, like owner's manual or service manual. Just off an article found on the web. So, like I said, wouldn't hurt my feelings if somebody double-checked that 201 length. Bill.

Hey Sal,

Any "news" about the 67 Elky???
Did you get it???
Does it fit???

Bill.

Good morning Bill. I talked with my cousin on Friday and he will be driving it to San Jose on the 5th of Aug. I will drive up from my place and then drive it home on Thursday. I ordered a spec's book on ebay last week and it came Friday. The El Camino is 16'4". So I should have a few inches to spare. I found out that he bought from his aunte after her husband passed away. I will keep you updated.

Hi Sal
Sounds like you are getting a collection over there. Must be time to extend the garage.
Tony

Yep, I was thinking about going to a second floor. I will be able to squeeze the El Camino in if I rearrange some of my things. If anything else comes along I will REALLY have to rearrange things.

Sal,

Interesting the spec book you bought says 16-4, whereas that info I found said 16-9. I was concerned about the accuracy of the source I quoted. Best to have the extra five inches. (HA, sounds like a TV commercial.)

Good luck getting it home from San Jose. I'll be in Reno for Hot August Nights while you're driving your "new" El Camino home.

As for more garage space, sure wish I had some more. Lucky you even have the space to add on.....

Bill.

Hey Bill, I was just kidding about a second floor. If I even thought of adding on to my garage I would probably be living in it. It is a little over 2100SF now. What I need to do is get rid of some of the junk that occupies the space that I could put a car in. Have fun at HAN's.

Sal,

Let's see now, my 2 car garage is about 450 sq'. You've got 2100. Yup, time to toss some craap. On the other hand, I hear garage living can be pretty good.....

Bill.

You bet, I have an eight foot bed in the back of my 3/4 ton Chevy P/U and I already have a shower and bathroom built in the garage. Soooooo, if I get in the dog house I have some place to go and hide. I even have all my camping equipment out there. Now for a flat screen and cable.

So you think that that is funny!! Well you always have to be prepared for the unexspected. But I would never have to think about sleeping in the back of my P/U unless we were camping. I have a great little lady that is very easy to get along with.

Well the El Camino is home after a 200 mile drive yesterday. And YES, it fits in the garage just like I planned. That little 250 six cylinder ran like a top down the highway. I kept it between 65-70 all the way. Only problem that showed up was the temp light came on. I turned on the heater and it went out. I kept the heat on until I was cooked and then turned it off. A little while later it came on again. So with both vents and windows open I got it home OK. I stopped by AAA to see about reregistering it and was out of there in less than 15 minutes with a new title. I had breakfast with a group of car guys this morning and one told me that the engine should have a shroud on it. That may be my heat problem. So I will look for one. If I can figure it out I will post a few pictures on the chat site.

I believe the 6 didn't have a shroud. If the fan is about an inch from the core it not have had a shroud.....and at 60 MPH it should not overheat with no fan or shroud. I would suspect the cooling system is dirty. These did not overheat when new but the had a real thin core.

Thanks Gene, I will check that out. The fan blade is not very close to the radiator on this truck and there is a bracket on top that has holes that are empty. I will look in the manual that I have to see what it says. Thanks again.

One other crazy thing that I discovered today. There is a wire that is on the positive post on the battery that I did not know were it went. It was barely hanging on. I looked and to my surprise it went staight to ground??? I took it loose and when I went to start the truck it would not start until I put that wire back on the post.??? I thought that if you went from the posative to ground that you would get a good spark. Anybody out there know the reason it is not a direct short???

That was not ground. If I remember correctly there was a little black junction block and the wire went on to the starter solenoid from there.
The 1966-67 Chevelle 6 cylinder with an AIR pump (air injector reaction) had a shroud. This would have been for cars sold in California only. The other states didn't get the thing till 1968. The AIR pump had the pipes going into the exhaust manifold. That shroud also fit 1966 full sized cars with AIR, and 1967-69 full sized with 6 cyl and Power Glide. The part numbermoulded on the shroud is 3939386.
The two holes on top of the core support may have been for a fan finger guard which would have been used on cars with no shroud but the all may have had the holes.
If the radiator is the "light duty" I believe it will be a two row (of tubes) and the heavy duty a 3 row.

I still say that at high speed the shroud is not necessary and the fact that it is missing would not cause it to heat-up.
I assume that it does not have air conditioning.
I had a 1964 Chevelle with a 230 engine and Power Glide in 1966). It sailed right along at 70 MPH but the brakes were a joke. They heated up so fast that by the time you got down to 40 MPH the pedal was down to the floor and they were just shuttering. If there ever was a car that needed disc brakes that was it. They have little 9" drums.

Thanks Gene, that makes more sense now. I guess I did not stick my head far enough in between the fender and the battery to see were that wire went. This 250 engine does have the smog pump on it and also three on the tree. And yep no A/C. I still have to check the books on what it should have and also take a look at the radiator core. I am guessing that it just has the two rows of tubes. Thanks again for your input. :vcca:

Sal
Glad to hear your new toy got you home without major problems. With the temp getting a little high I would be doing a full cooling system clean (radiator, block and heater core) and replace water pump, thermostat and all hoses and coolant. That way you will cover 90% of possible problems in 1 exercise saving headaches and worry later.
Tony

Thanks Tony for the input. I will be checking out the cooling system for sure before another long trip. :vcca:

Since my El Camino does not require a smog check anymore, what would be the change in gas mileage if the smog pump and equipment were removed? I want to think that it would have to go up!!! :vcca:

Isn't it still illegal to remove that stuff regardless of whether it requires testing or not? I know up here the MTO police have been out ticketing people for such things, regardless of the age of the vehicle. Yes, in their feeble attempt to reduce street racing they are picking on enthusiasts like us that only take out their prize possessions to show them off.

The smog system uses less than one horse power...Joe

The smog pump will not affect the as milage. Here in Wisconsin they are supposed to be connected but the kids at the test stations don't know a smog pump from hole in the ground. I would bet that Ca. would be pretty fussy abvout it.

Maybe I will give a test by checking the mileage with and with- out it in use. Thanks for the comments. :vcca:

One other thing, Do I need to use a lead addative in the fuel on this truck? Thanks.

Sal,

As I recall, the guys in the know say no need to use lead additive. Most call it a waste of money. Apparently no harm in using it; but not needed.

Bill.

The so called lead additives really do not contain lead or anything else that will give a benefit......no additives necessary.

No lead additives in your 1931 and no lead additives in your 1967 El Camino either!

Yes, and don't forget to replace the Themo activated fan clutch, if you have factory A/C. I had one go bad after servicing the factory A/C and using it on a 350 mile trip for no telling how long the A/C had been out of freon. The A/C worked fine, but....the fan clutch froze up and knocked the bearings out of it and also the waterpump bearing after using the A/C in 100 degree weather,

Thanks for all the replies. I didn't think I needed it but it never hurts to ask. As far a A/C this is a 250CI six cyl. Just bare bones with a heater and a radio. It did get hot on me when I drove it home from San Jose. A 200 mile trip. The temp light came on so I turned on the heater and it went out for a long time. I had the heater off for a while and when the light came on again so I just turned the heater on for the rest of the home. I did talk to a friend and he thought that there should be a fan shroud on this model. So that makes sense to me. I will look in the service book that I have and see if it is missing. Thanks again for all the help. :vcca:

This does have a two row core. My cousin had some work done on it before he drove it to San Jose from north of the Golden Gate. One of things that is on the work order is flushing out the cooling system. The fan blade is more that one inch away from the radiator also. I could try flushing it out myself just to be sure. Thanks again for the input. :vcca:

I don't know if this helps but I have a 1966 el Camino base model CA car all it's life. It's a 230 six w/Powerglide and it has an AIR pump on it. Mine has a basic plastic radiator shroud on it. I assume it's original. I am the 3rd owner. And mine is very basic also. The only options: the bigger 230 six, Powerglide, AM PB radio, tinted windshield. No power steering no power brakes no A/C. Michael

Note my Aug 7th post said the models with air pumps had a shroud....so it sounds right.

Well now there is some thing else to check out. I will have to see if I can find one through some of the catalogs. Thanks for the input.