"I don't even know if I took a second look at it," says Keith Anderson of the old drag carhe often passed as it sat in a driveway a block from his childhood home. No matter-Keith had occasion to get very well acquainted with this El Camino when his father, Allan, brought it home the day it went up for sale. That was 25 years ago, and the car thatdidn't rate a second look has now been re-created as a kick-ass, take-names-laterperformance machine, as proficient in the twisties as it is tearing down the straightline.So what's new? LeRoy "Sonny" Green ordered his '70 El Camino SS with RPO L78 andthe 375-horse 396 big-block option, and promptly went racing. That lasted until one ofthe Rat's rods violently exited the side of its block. Sonny ordered up an L88 as areplacement but never got around to dropping it in. Fellow Minnesotan Walter Petersonpicked up the erstwhile racer, installed the L88 and a rollcage, raced a bit-then decidedhe needed something faster.
That's where Allan Anderson came in. He jumped when the "for sale" sign went up, butuntil that point, Keith can't recall his dad showing any interest in musclecars. "To thisday," he tells us, "I don't know what got into him." In any case, Keith was the recipientof one project car, sans engine and tranny and showing a ridiculously low 6,034 miles onthe clock.
In retrospect, Keith realizes that the spring and summer of 1981, spent reassembling theElco SS with his dad, was a life-changing time. "The El Camino opened the door to allthings automotive for me," is how he sees it now. Back then it was an old car with a305ci replacement motor and mondo 5.38:1 dragstrip cogs. "It didn't take us long tochange that," Keith laughs.
The thing went into mothballs when Keith joined the Air Force. When he returned tocivilian life, Keith experienced a bit of automotive schizophrenia. The El Camino, as botha valuable musclecar and a sacrosanct reminder of the father he unexpectedly lost in1986, became a numbers-matching resto, right down to a date-coded L78. On the otherhand, Keith was out playing with turbo'd imports at various Texas dragstrips, his weaponof choice an Eagle Talon, a ride that got him into the 12.0s.
Oddly enough, it was a snake bite that turned Keith on to the possibilities inherent in hisEl Camino. When the then-new Viper GTS rolled out on the cover of Motor Trend, Keithsaved his pennies and brought one home. He ventured onto the road course, and it wasn'tlong until he was swept away by the rush.
Keith's Elco may be Viper-inspired, but the polished Detroit Wheels ZR1 replica rims heruns bear a closer resemblance to one of Chevy's best. These rollers are appropriatelyZR1-sized at 17x9.5 and 17x11 inches, front to back, and they wear Sumitomo HTR Zrubber, 275/40ZR17 and 315/35ZR17. Braking prowess comes via Wilwood Superlitesix-piston front calipers clamping down on 13-inch drilled and slotted two-piece rotors;the rear binders are Dynalite four-piston calipers grasping 12-inch two-piece rotors. Thesystem is actuated by a Wilwood master cylinder and proportioning valve assisted by aHydratech Hydroboost hydraulic power brake assist unit. And lest we forget the straight-line, this Elky's also sporting a Hurst Line-Loc.
Looking to get the most bang for his buck, Keith thoroughly researched his suspensionoptions, digesting every piece of info he could find. The final combo, attached to theElky's original frame, goes something like this: Pole Position Racing adjustable upper A-arms team with Global West tubular lowers to surround fabricated steel '71-76 Impala-spec spindles; Coleman Racing designed them for asphalt oval track combat. Colemanwas also sourced for billet-aluminum steering arms and Impala hubs. The shocks areQA1 double-adjustable coilovers with QA1 progressive-rate springs, but dig this: Keithruns the original '70 El Camino 151/416-inch sway bar. Rearend action is handled by a setof Wolfe Race Craft adjustable lower control arms, teamed with Edelbrock adjustableuppers. Keith dealt with the dreaded suspension bind issue by utilizing spherical bearingsand rod ends throughout, including Wolfe Race Craft pieces in the rearend housing.Damping duties are fall to QA1 Stocker Star 12-way adjustable shocks teamed withOriginal Parts Group 2-inch drop springs. Directional control happens through an AGRquick-ratio power steering box, linked to the El Camino's original steering shaft and column.
Keith's '70 El Camino SS busts the quarter in 11.85 at 118.30 mph, haswarped through a circuit of Brainerd International Raceway in 2:02:67 with a top speedof 148 mph, and completed the Power Tour Long Haul in 2004. What else do ya want?
http://media.putfile.com/148-mph
http://media.putfile.com/202-Lap-At-BIR
http://media.putfile.com/El-Camino-Road-Course-Drive-By