The Garage
‘Like a 454 with a 4 on the floor ’
STEVE SILVA VOLUNTEER STAFF
It’s not just a catchy line from a song belonging to a washed-up Sony recording artist — it also sums up Toban’s 1971 El Camino. Indeed, this ride is one “far from stock and ready to rock” dream that turns heads, converts blue oval faithful, and gets the ladies going. But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself here. The El Camino is a special car in automotive history, and to truly appreciate Toban’s ride and its appeal you have to bring yourself back to that era.
It’s 1971, and if you can picture it you will see that times were simpler. Simpler in the way that that nickel beer held true to its name, and for about three grand you could march on over to your Chevy dealer and buy a Chevelle with the back end sliced off. This beast was dubbed the “El Camino,” and it was the only way to roll in ’71 because you could just pile all of your best buddies in the bed out back, head to the track, and devour those cold brewskies.
Of course after polishing off a few and indulging in the highoctane action it was only natural to want to partake in a little racingtrack destruction. The El Camino was always up for the task, being considered, in its day, the automotive equivalent of the mullet — all business up front (packing 454 big blocks), and a party in the rear in the form of a truck bed. These beasts of fury could easily run in the low 12s and high 11s in the quarter, just as long as you remembered to take all of the empties out of the back.
Fast forward to today, and Toban still piles all of his buddies and beer in the back and heads to Gimli Motorsports park to partake in the action. Sure times are a little more complicated (93 octane costs an arm and a leg and you’ll need to crack a 50 to buy nickel beer), but the more things change the more they stay the same. That’s why Toban decided to buy his El Camino a couple of years back. “It’s just an awesome car,” said Toban. “You can park right by the track, pound back the brews, and watch some awesome racing action.”
His 1971 is an interesting El Camino. Those of you with a sharp eye will note that the Camino is packing all the visual cues of a 350- equipped ride. This was not a mistake — it was done for the purpose of being able to stick it to all of the guys who think their rides are “built Ford tough,” encompass “Civic pride,” and have proverbial “Hemi” power. This third-generation Camino has a 454, equipped matted to a turbo-hydraulic 350 transmission. Purists will note the lack of a four-speed here, but with a bruiser cruiser like this sometimes it’s more fun to sit back and let the tranny do the figuring. Looks-wise, the ’71 Camino is sexier due to the switch over from double to single headlights from 1970 to 1971. The grill design was also changed to come to a point in ’71. Other body modifications for the ’71 include the side marker lights, which were moved into the fenders. Don’t confuse this El Camino with the Ford Ranchero or the new GMC version for ’71 (the GMC Sprint). No, this 454 is all business and doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not. It’s always ready for track duty with 4.56 gears and a 3500 torque converter, which can’t be said of the Sprint or Ranchero.
So what does all this madness of a ride add up to? A simple machine that creates trouble-free times, generates unpretentious fun, and spawns effortless memories. To Toban and others, this ride serves as a history lesson and reminder of a time when a good brew and crew were all that really mattered to a guy.
