What would an El Camino look like in '07?

[Hammer Head]

You guys think it would look like this if GM kept going w/ it? Sorry it's crappy.. I only have MS paint to work w/.

[Dogsofjune]

They still make them in Australia. I forget what they are called tho. I'd buy one. Always was a fan of the Elk. I've owned three. A '70, '79, '68. The '68 was my favorite one.
I always imagined a new one to be made out of the Impala, like you have in the pic.

[Hammer Head]

I took a pic of a new monte.. same differance. You have a link or pic of the ones down in OZ? I'd be curious to see one.

[Dogsofjune]

http://www.chevyasylum.com/elky/newelky.html
http://trucks.about.com/cs/utes/a/holden_utes.htm
http://www.webwombat.com.au/motoring/news_reports/xrt-holden-vz-ss-ute.htm

[20Blazer00]

GM Australia "HOLDEN" makes then and they have a complete lineup plus a sport version.

Here is the link to that index page on their website:
http://www.holden.com.au/www-holden/action/vehicleentry?vehicleid=15

[Hammer Head]

Guess I'm spot on. Nice looking stuff. Too bad it's not over here in the states. I'd get one.

[Dogsofjune]

I'd almost be interested on see what one would be shipped over here. I doubt I'd like the price tag tho. I'd try out a Thunder Ute.

[DetroitMuscle]

I was gonna say the Holden UTE is the best comparision for a modern 'Mino. Id buy one but it would be an HSV maloo instead of the UTE.

[94BlazerV8]

I was gonna say the Holden UTE is the best comparision for a modern 'Mino. Id buy one but it would be an HSV maloo instead of the UTE.

I agree the Maloo would be a pretty nice ride. Did anybody check out the concepts. If not check them out also.

[Nickelin'Dimer]

Nice work, double-H. Your use of the Monte's sail panels flowing into the bed rails looks way better than what Holden did. Oh, in case everyone didn't hear: The Zeta-platform ute is a go-ahead for America. Ironically because the zeta will be the base for the Pontiac G8, which was also the base for the late-model GTO, it will sell as a Pontiac. GM says the reason for only this division receiving the ute (to be named the G8 ST) is that safety testing was already done on the Poncho-Zeta, so making additional front clip variations would be quite costly for a vehicle type that they don't believe will see much sales in America as it has such a small following (Damn Earl/Sanchez stigmatism). Regardless, the the ute will go on sale this fall along side the G8 sedan & a G8 bobtail wagon variant (The G8 "SW", for sport wagon) which GM sees as having a higher sales audience than the ute. This poster sees even further irony to this in that in the late '70s Pontiac assembled a finished prototype of a '78-up G-body based ute that used a then current model year's Grand Am trim pieces, paint style finish and front clip. No production non-Chevy variants of the A/G-body utility are know to be built, so this "GTO"-based ute should prove popular with the customized sport truck crowd. Hmpft... A "GTO"-based ute. If I get one I know what my plate will say: LIL GTU

[boxcarracer963]

i seen one of those holden trucks about a month ago i was like wtf is that?

[Chrisvich]

As a 2X owner of el camino's I hope they dont put into production the rounded looking El camino....I would like to get another one maybe 70-71'.
Did anyone like the SSR?

[Chrisvich]

Found this pic

[Chrisvich]

One more pic

[Mikz86TA]

Yeah, GM has been talking about it fo a while now. Its the Holden which is already made and would be feasible to rebadge and given Chevy markings. I think the new Malibu front on it would look aggressive. I think the holdup is that Holden is redesigning the platform. So they must wait on that 1st.
Ive seen a few actual RHDrive Holdens here in the states. One was 4-sale on autotrader last year. Problem with importing one like that is there is a wait on it. Something about it has 2B a certain 'year old' and you cant import a new one. Plus the fees or duties are rediculously expensive. Thats no fact, just something I heard.

[rentedmule]

in Canada it has to be more than 15 years old before you can license it. There are a crazy amount of '92 and older RHD japanese cars/trucks here. at one point last year there was a RHD skyline GTR, a RHD mazda RX7, and a toyota hilux surf within a 100 ft stretch on my street.

back on topic I've always wanted one of the mid '80's elks with the monte carlo SS facia and a buick turbo 6 - kind of like a "grand camino SS"

[Nickelin'Dimer]

The rule Mikz speaks of is: built of a model-year 25 years prior to the current calender year. Just ask the guys local to me about the Falcon-Xb (The basis for Mad Max's "Super Interceptor"). One has a '72-'73 Xb 350GT (Sweet!) and the other is the premier collector & authority of Mad Max. How much so? He has thee Interceptor!
And haven't you guys been reading fully? The Zeta-based ute will only be made in Poncho trim. GM don't think it's worth developing one for any other division do to design and safety testing costs. So no Elky, just the GTU.
Chrisvich, what do you mean by "rounded body"? Have you looked at any non-truck-based vehicles lately? They all have rather rounded bodies to improve aerodynamics to help them meet CAFE standards. That was the the whole idea behind the introduction of functional aerodynamic styling to automobiles going as far back as the (forgive me if this offends) Chrysler Airflow! As for the SSR, well that was sadly just a fashion model: Great to be seen with, fun to play racy games with, but no fun to do any actual common work with (Like grocery shopping). Nope, the SSR was just a quick comeback to the retro-styling of the Jetta-Beetle & PT Cruiser that cashed-in on the classicly popular custom fat-fendered truck design. The Elky, however, was done to cash-in on the growing popularity of the Ford Ranchero, which was a functional "finished" truck body with car styling & manners, that ironically was originated in Australia in the early '50s when a housewife was looking for a vehicle to transport her seedlings in. The then production trucks Ford offered were considered "too crude & difficult to handle" by her, so a funeral car coachwerks was hired to do an adaptation of one of their flower truck designs to a Ford County Squire wagon. And the ute was born. This design became very popular in Australia, with some rendition of it built by each of the Big Three on a in-production RWD platform. GM's answer, although the most well-known because of how many years it saw here, was of course for GM flashier in styling but had the pass-car triangulated four-link as found in the wagons it was based on, as opposed to leaf spring like Ford used in their's. This hurt the Elky in load capability as the Ranchero could carry more weight, but it gave the El Camino a smoother ride which aided it's popularity as a car-like truck. The Zeta-ute will receive an IRS like the GTO had, so it'll be a case of the same thing all over again. Still, I'm glad to hear that GM America will be building a ute again... Even if it'll be in limited numbers compared to the wagon it'll be drawn from.

[dt4ts3]

Yeah, GM has been talking about it fo a while now. Its the Holden which is already made and would be feasible to rebadge and given Chevy markings. I think the new Malibu front on it would look aggressive. I think the holdup is that Holden is redesigning the platform. So they must wait on that 1st.
Ive seen a few actual RHDrive Holdens here in the states. One was 4-sale on autotrader last year. Problem with importing one like that is there is a wait on it. Something about it has 2B a certain 'year old' and you cant import a new one. Plus the fees or duties are rediculously expensive. Thats no fact, just something I heard.
Agreed, the new malibu would make a nice looking Camino! I too had an Elcamino, 1981 "ss". it was fun once I replaced the 267 with a 350!!!!

[Nickelin'Dimer]

Just an update: GM is giving rumors of there also being a GMC badging of the Holden ute in addition to the poncho. As for the Malibu-facia Chevy version, still no word and not likely to me since GM seems to want to keep away from any currently stigmatic items of the past (Damn ignorant trendies).

[neo71665]

Knowing GM they gonna figure a way to make it a damn FWD like everything else nowdays.

[Nickelin'Dimer]

Somehow I doubt that, seeing how poorly received the Dodge Rampage was.