Hemmings Find of the Day – 1978 Chevrolet El Camino

Published by Mike on April 13, 2015

An El Caminobaker? A Studemino? We’re not really sure what you’d call this one-of-a-kind (in our classifieds, anyway) creation, for sale on Hemmings.com, but the DMV calls it a 1978 Chevrolet El Camino, since that’s the running gear beneath the 1951 Studebaker Bullet Nose front end.

As the seller points out, the front end is fiberglass (so no actual Studebakers were harmed in the making of this custom), and it’s a safe bet that the rear fender extensions are molded from fiberglass as well. Power comes from a 350-cu.in. Chevrolet V-8 with less than 1,000 miles on it, and the custom interior is as distinctive as the rest of the truck. The next owner will need to sort out the air conditioning and fix the gas gauge, but otherwise the Studemino appears to be ready to stupefy and amaze at your cruise in. From the seller’s description:

’51Studebaker Bullet Nose front end on ’78 El Camino. Front end is fiberglass. Best of both worlds, 50′s style with modern chassis and power. New (less than 1,000 miles) ZZ4 350 Chevrolet crate motor. New 700R4 overdrive auto trans with B +M shifter. New Eaton 4.11 Posi rear end. Power Steering and brakes, new interior to include carpet, seats and door panels. Brakes redone 3 years ago, new exhaust, new aluminium radiator. Excellent 3 year old paint. New AC compressor is mounted, but not hooked up. Show chrome headlight rings. LED tailights. Rock solid frame. Gas guage is still hibernating, other than that, everything works as it should. A reliable, fun driver. And no Studebakers were harmed in creation of this vehicle.