We worshiped that thing, as kids all we ever talked about was owning an el camino when we grew up.
Pretty stock car, it was a dark green with a black vinyl top. My best friends father worked at the local Chrysler plant but drove a 69sh el camino. Great story and great looking cars (uhm trucks?) If you dont mind me adding, The two “sisters”, Rocky’s two burgundy special-order El Camino SS’s, are now together again, residing safely in my garage. Last Thursday I got a call from the family,saying the ‘81 was going up for sale. She'd use the '81 SS from time to time and it was her pride and joy, and it kept memories of Rocky close to her. She tucked it away safely in her garage, evicting her new Lexus in the process. Rocky passed on in 2009,and his widow decided to keep his ‘81 SS. I bought the truck,and,of course, I’m really glad that I did!. He wanted quite a healthy price at the time, but I knew I'd regret it if I didn't buy it, even if I paid too much, especially after waiting 30 years. He had decided to sell his '68 SS,and,fortunately, thought of me first. One day in April,2002, I got a call from Rocky. I still kept trying to buy the '68 SS, but to no avail. In late 1980, Rocky special ordered an ‘81 El Camino SS, in identical colors and similar options to the '68, and the '81 became his new “driver”. The '68 was gently retired, but kept in his building and driven from time to time. I didn't give up-as the years passed I'd continue asking, and his standard answer to me was always “Jim,you don’t have enough money to buy this truck”. "Absolutely not!" was his reply I would ask him from time to time,but his answer was always a firm “no”. I approached Rocky and asked if he would sell it. Muscle cars being the order of the day,I thought the SS 396 would be the PERFECT car for me. The SS sounded really good and looked fantastic in those colors. Rocky enjoyed the "muscle" of his SS, and, from time to time, particularly after he'd partaken of a beer or two, I would literally be able to hear the SS from several blocks away,tires squealing and engine roaring, before I'd be able to see it. It had bucket seats, console, power windows, tilt wheel, a/c, bed rails,mag-style wheel covers, and, of course, the powerful 396 engine.-it was fully loaded, fairly unusual for the time, as I recall.
Rocky had special ordered the El Camino to his specifications. The owner of the shop,Rocky Derr, quite a character,drove a fully-optioned ‘68 El Camino SS 396, deep burgundy with black top and black interior that he'd bought new. Directly across the street from the shop was Independent Truck Equipment, a business that rebodied trucks to customer order. I had a job at a local wheel alignment shop,Weber Wheel Alignment (still in business today!) in West Palm Beach.
My El Camino story starts in 1972,when I was a sophomore in High School.
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