Find or Sell Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in USA

1980 Chevrolet El Camino Conquista 2-door 3.8l on 2040-cars

Year:1980 Mileage:107019 Color: Gray /
 Burgundy
Location:

Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
Advertising:
Transmission:Automatic
Body Type:Standard Cab Pickup
Engine:229 V6 GAS
Vehicle Title:Clear
Fuel Type:GAS
For Sale By:Private Seller
VIN: 1W80KAK488004 Year: 1980
Interior Color: Burgundy
Make: Chevrolet
Number of Cylinders: 6
Model: El Camino
Trim: Conquista
Drive Type: RWD
Power Options: Tilt Steering, Air Conditioning
Mileage: 107,019
Sub Model: Conquista
Exterior Color: Gray
Warranty: Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty
Condition: Used: A vehicle is considered used if it has been registered and issued a title. Used vehicles have had at least one previous owner. The condition of the exterior, interior and engine can vary depending on the vehicle's history. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections. ... 

For the most part this is an unmolested, garden-variety 1980 El Camino with the Conquista appearance package (two-tone paint and trim).  It does have AC (which worked the last time I drove it), and tilt steering.  It came with the original AM radio, which I replaced with an era-appropriate AM/FM unit (though it still plays out of the single dash speaker).

I'm the third owner of this El Camino; I acquired it from my wife's aunt and uncle 5-6 years ago.  They bought it from the original owner @ 1981, so for the most part it belonged to my wife's relatives for most of its existence.  My wife's aunt drove the vehicle for many years, but eventually they moved to the country, and other than using the El Camino as a field vehicle for feeding cows it didn't get a lot of use.  Eventually they parked it in a barn, remembering I'd told them at one point that if they ever wanted to get rid of it to let me know.  I acquired it, and did my best to get it roadworthy, but realistically I couldn't drive it frequently enough to keep things up.  I put new tires on it, as well as an alternator, shocks, muffler, etc., and had a mechanic go through it several years ago; but the last time I drove it (several years back) the brakes went out, so it has been parked since.  I don't have the assistance I'd need to get the brakes back into working shape, and living on a steep hill I can't do much to get it out of the garage safely to tinker with it, so I put it on a set of rollers (which transfer with the vehicle), moved it to the far edge of the garage, and as you can see if has become a storage rack for the most part.

Having been used as a field car the vehicle does have some dents here and there, but in general it's in solid shape.  The only rust of any real consequence that I'm aware of is around the rear glass (pictured), which seems to be contained to that one single piece of sheet metal at the front of the bed.  I suspect someone with better body shop skills than myself could either fill those in, or replace that one panel and be set.  The vehicle does leak rain water around the front glass (and through the rust spots in the rear), which has been the case since well before I acquired the vehicle.  As a result my wife's family kept the car covered once the leaks began (either in a carport or barn, and I've kept it in the garage since I've had it), which has helped preserve the interior, especially the dash which as you can see from the photos has no cracks.  As best I remember all the glass is good.  Interior-wise other than the seat cover needing replacing, the carpet on the doors and the headliner have lost most of their color and would eventually need to be replaced.  

As it sits currently I'd say it isn't driveable and would need to be trailered.  The brake problem may simply be a master cylinder, or there could be a leak in a line somewhere.  Neither would be an expensive fix by any means, but as a result of sitting for several years the vehicle also leaks oil and transmission fluid, so while I suspect I could charge the battery and top off the oil and get it started with no problems, I would not advise trying to move it under its own power until it were moved to a level lot somewhere.  If you wanted to make it a daily driver, it would need attention to the brakes, and to the various seals that would need to be replaced to stop the oil/transmission leaks.  But realistically with those items repaired the vehicle would be operable.

My ultimate goal was to get the mechanicals sorted out and then move on to body work and paint, but realistically with my day-to-day routine I couldn't drive a vehicle of this vintage as my daily driver (plus it really doesn't provide me enough leg room to get comfortable), so I never got beyond some of the primarily mechanical stuff.  I could tackle the brakes, but realistically I have too many other home projects that are taking priority, and in a house with no attic or basement storage, garage space is at a premium, and we honestly need the space more than we need the wheels.  

I'd rather see this vehicle sell to someone who plans to fix it up and drive it, as I think it's well above being just a parts vehicle.  That's the primary reason I'm listing it here versus simply calling a charity to come haul it off, since I'd like to give someone a chance at it who would want to get it back on the road.  I'm not in an immediate rush to get rid of it, but I think I've put things off about as long as I can.  It could definitely use some body work and paint, but if you're looking for a work vehicle and are mechanically inclined this could be a good option.  Parts for the 229 V-6 are cheap and plentiful from what I've encountered, and I've gotten as good as 18 MPG on the highway, so compared to full-sized trucks of this vintage this El Camino can get decent mileage.  

I should probably clarify in the photos where there are two El Caminos, the one in the foreground (with beauty rings and center caps) is mine that is for sale.  The one in the background belonged to a guy who happened to park in my same lot at work one summer, so we got together one day and parked them side-by-side just to take some photos since they were so similar.  So just to be clear, this auction is for only one El Camino; those were the only fairly recent pictures I could find of it outside to post.

Auto Services in Arkansas

Young`s Tire & Auto ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Tire Dealers
Address: 511 S Main St, Russell
Phone: (501) 268-3538

Waller`s Auto Repair ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service
Address: 748 New Country Rd, Little-Rock-Air-Force-Base
Phone: (501) 843-5869

Trumann Auto Parts Napa ★★★★★

Automobile Parts & Supplies, Automobile Accessories, Battery Supplies
Address: 137 Highway 463 N, Caraway
Phone: (870) 483-6319

Tracy`s Foreign ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Parts & Supplies, Automobile Accessories
Address: 646 Monroe Avenue Ext, West-Memphis
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Southern Pride Mech & Detail ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Detailing, Car Wash
Address: 3864 Highway 62 412, Hardy
Phone: (870) 856-2505

Scott Automotive Center Inc ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, New Car Dealers
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GM cars and SUVs recalled for leaking transmission fluid

Thu, Nov 5 2020

General Motors is recalling more than 194,000 vehicles from 2018 to 2020 due to transmission fluid leaks. The leaks stem from an auto stop-start component that may have been installed with loose or missing bolts. The leaking fluid can affect the transmission's performance, and if it leaks onto a hot exhaust component, could potentially cause a fire. GM says that to date, it knows of no accidents or injuries related to the defect. The issue affects models from all four GM divisions. From Chevrolet, the affected vehicles are: 2018 Malibu, 2018–2019 Cruze, 2018–2020 Equinox, 2018–2020 Traverse, 2019–2020 Blazer At Buick, the following models are included: 2018–2019 LaCrosse, 2019–2020 Encore, 2019–2020 Enclave, At GMC, the recall includes: 2018–2020 Terrain, 2019–2020 Acadia Cadillac has two affected vehicles: 2019–2020 XT4 and 2020 XT6 The recall is scheduled to begin in mid-December. Owners of the affected vehicles will be contacted. Dealers will inspect the transmission accumulator, and replace those with loose or missing bolts.

Best and Worst GM Cars

Thu, Apr 7 2022

Oh yes, because we just love receiving angry letters from devoted Pontiac Grand Am enthusiasts, we have decided to go there. Based on a heated group Slack conversation, the topic came up about the best and worst GM cars. First of all time, and then those currently on sale, and then just mostly a rambling discussion of Oldsmobiles our parents and grandparents owned (or engineered). Eventually, three of us made the video above. Like it? Maybe we can make more. Many awesome GM cars are definitely going unmentioned here, so please let us know your bests and worsts in the comments below. Mostly, it's important to note that this post largely exists as a vehicle for delivering the above video that dives far deeper into GM's greatest hits and biggest flops, specifically those from the 1980s and 1990s. What you'll find below is a collection of our editors identifying a best current and best-of-all-time choice, plus a worst current and worst-of-all-time choice. Comprehensive it is not, but again, comments. -Senior Editor James Riswick Best Current GM Vehicle Chevrolet Corvette We were flying by the seats of our pants a bit in this first outing and my notes were similarly extemporaneous. When it came time to tie it all together on camera, I failed spectacularly. Thank the maker for text, because this gives me the opportunity to perhaps slightly better explain my convoluted reasoning. I chose the C8 Corvette because it's simply overwhelmingly good, and it's merely the baseline from which this generation of Corvette will be expanded.  While the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing (more on that in a minute) is an amazing snapshot of GM's current performance standing and its little sibling so enraptured me that I went out and bought one, their existence is fleeting. Corvette will live on; forced-induction Cadillac sport sedans, not so much. So while all three are amazing machines when viewed in a vacuum, the Corvette stands above them as both a reflection of GM's current performance credentials and a signpost of what is to come. So, given the choice between the C8 and the 5V-Blackwing right now, I'd choose the C8. In 10 years, when the Blackwing is no longer in production and Corvette is in its 9th generation? Well, that might be a different story. Now, just pretend I said something even remotely that coherent when we get to the part of the video where I try to make an argument for the 5-V Blackwing as best GM car I've ever driven. Or just laugh at me while I ramble incoherently.

First-edition Detroit muscle raises millions for charity at Barrett-Jackson

Mon, Jan 19 2015

Amidst all the classic metal crossing the auction block each year in Scottsdale, AZ, Detroit automakers have a tradition of donating the first examples of their most enticing new muscle cars, with the proceeds of their sales going towards worthwhile charities. This year, Barrett-Jackson handled three noteworthy examples. The highest price among them was the first Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang with the VIN #001, which raised $1 million for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. General Motors donated the first new Chevy Corvette Z06 Convertible, the first retail example of the droptop supercar garnering $800,000 for the United Way. Along with the Z06, GM also donated the first new 2016 Cadillac CTS-V sedan, which brought in $170,000 for Detroit's College for Creative Studies. Although these were the headline Motown muscle machines furnished by the automakers themselves, they weren't the only vehicles auctioned off for worthy causes. A 1950 GM Futurliner bus donated by collector Ron Pratte led the charge when it brought in $4.65 million for the Armed Forces Foundation. Other lots included a custom Jeep Wrangler donated by SEMA ($85k), a new M5 donated by BMW ($800k), a '79 Oldsmobile Cutlass Hurst ($140k), '39 Cadillac LaSalle C-Hawk ($410k), Jeff Gordon's 1999 NASCAR-spec Chevy Monte Carlo ($500k) and a Victory Cross Country 8-Ball motorcycle ($180k). All told, the charity lots raised over $8.7 million for local and national charities. BARRETT-JACKSON REACHES HISTORIC HIGHS FOR SALES, CROWDS AND CELEBRITY APPEARANCES IN SCOTTSDALE • Barrett-Jackson sold 1,611 vehicles, which went for more than $130 million (unaudited), smashing records in the company's 44-year history during the 10-day auction at WestWorld of Scottsdale • Automobilia sales nearly tripled world records, with 2,000 pieces selling for more than $6.55 million • Celebrity attendance and crowds, along with ratings on Discovery and Velocity, spike SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Jan. 18, 2015 – Barrett-Jackson, The World's Greatest Collector Car AuctionsTM, reached historic highs during the Scottsdale auction at WestWorld from Jan. 10-18, 2015. During the 10-day auction, Barrett-Jackson recorded more than $130 million in vehicle sales (unaudited) and a world record $6.55 million in automobilia sales (unaudited), making it the highest auction in sales to date. The Ron Pratte Collection alone brought in over $40.44 million in vehicle and automobilia sales.