Of course not! Yeah, I could have gone out and shot any one of the dozen or so VW T2 Transporters on the island that remain un-DOTS-ified, but that will have to wait for another weekend. I spotted this El Camino while checking for the supposedly-street-legal Dai Hard Daihatsu Charade LeMons car that lives nearby, in the same household as the '69 Morris Minor Traveller.

Dai Hard must have been in the garage, but it was worth the (two-block) walk to see this El Camino. I've always preferred the angular look of the '64-67 GM A-bodies to the more bulbous '68-72 models, and I think the Chevelle was the best-looking of The General's intermediates during this period. This Chevelle-with-a-truck-bed has a mean-looking coat of primer and cowl-induction hood scoop, and it appears to be a rust-free example of a fairly rare street-driven cartruck.

We've already seen Jesse's '66 Datsun 411, his '61 Austin Mini, his '70 Puma GT (now sold to a buyer in Denmark), and his '83 Toyota 4x4 truck. Now he's added this classic Detroit cartruck to his stable.

This El Camino is in very solid, rust-free original condition, and the original Tonawanda-built 2-barrel 350 still sounds fresh. Could this be the only '69 El Camino in the world that doesn't have headers and a Holley 750 double-pumper by now?

The one questionable modification that's been done to this machine might be the "vinyl top" made out of protective bed-liner coating. It looks OK and is likely impervious to meteorite damage, but just doesn't seem like a good idea.

I'm not enough of an El Camino expert to know whether the proper term for this one is "El Camino Malibu" or something else; the '69 El Camino being a Chevelle with a truck bed meant that the Chevelle's Malibu trim package was an available option. Any of you experts out there got an opinion on the subject?

Car: Tata Nano
Place on the list: 49
Reason it's BS: The Tata Nano isn't ugly, it's simply space efficient. Given the constraints of price, footprint and upright packaging, it pulls off the microcar shape rather well actually. There are certainly uglier cars on the market in India and China right now.

Car: Ferrari Enzo
Place on the list: 42
Reason it's BS: Save the Enzo's! The Ferrari Enzo wasn't built to win beauty contests, it was designed to showcase Ferrari's F1 racing pedigree and tie those techniques and technologies to their road cars. Form follows function and while it's not classically beautiful it's fast and unique. In any case compared to the Mondial, it's a supermodel.

Car: Plymouth Prowler
Place on the list: 31
Reason it's BS: When the Prowler was introduced in 1997, it was the coolest car on the planet, bar none. Unfortunately it was packed with an engine from an Intrepid, and suspension tuning best described as one-of-a-kind. Despite its glaring flaws and how you might feel about the retro-mod style, it was certainly a car that got people looking. When you spot them today, you turn and look longer than you should, admit it.

Car: Lamborghini LM002
Place on the list: 25
Reason it's BS: BusnessWeek complains about "geometric doors, angular fenders, and a busy hood." Perhaps they forgot it was introduced in 1986 when everything cool was geometric, angular and busy. They don't even mention the fire-breathing (for the 80's) 5.0 liter V12 from the Countach under the hood and the take-no-prisoners attitude. You don't get a moniker like "Rambo Lambo" by being lame.

Car: DeLorean DMC-12
Place on the list: 20
Reason it's BS: Are they joking? The DMC-12? Of any car from the 80's this one still plays well on public streets. The stainless steel body is unique, the ridiculously heavy gullwing doors draw crowds and the fastback style screams 80's coke dealer, and nobody was more up on all things stylish in the 80's than coke dealers.

Car:Subaru Brat
Place on the list: 18
Reason it's BS: Apparently BusinessWeek's too busy adjusting its top hat and monocle to enjoy the finer things in life, like riding in the jump seats in the Subaru Brat's cargo bed. It's even got decent capability for an early soft-roader.

Car: Aston Martin Lagonda
Place on the list: 16
Reason it's BS: Oh come on? Really? The Lagonda? It pushed the limit of longer, lower, wider to absurdity and mixed in out of control braggadocio. By all account it was admittedly every bit British reliable, but who cares? Hire a team of mules to pull it around town as you look out upon the unwashed masses from your obnoxious 80's chariot.

Car:Volvo 240
Place on the list: 13
Reason it's BS: Don't you go messing with the 240 BusinessWeek. You have no idea the depths of Volvo love out there, especially by the boxy-but-trusty 240. We dare you, dare you to find a more dedicated owner base. Fine, it's a bit boring, but so is the Camry and that's not on the list. We actually find it handsome, especially with the quad headlight design. You best watch your back BusinessWeek.

Car: Bricklin SV1
Place on the list: 11
Reason it's BS: Okay, this one's a bit on the ugly side, if you look only at the outside, but it was one of the first cars to push the idea of safety in a sports car, even though because of its heavy construction it wasn't particularly sporty. It's got a logical shape, and the nose is designed to prevent expensive damage repairs. Sure it's a bit cluttered in places, but come on, gull-wing doors.

Car:Chevy El Camino
Place on the list: 1
Reason it's BS: Number one. They've got to be kidding. Two words on this one: Screw. Off. First of all, lumping the entire series into one big pile is just plain ignorant. Secondly, it's rude. The El Camino from the outset was a looker and stayed a dynamite design all the way until the fall in the 70s. But then again, everything was pretty fug in the 70s. If they even try to say the 1960 and 1972 were ugly, they might get a Jalopnik-shaped shoe to the butt.

Photo credit: SuperChevy

I found this cartruck parked outside Alameda's Tiki Overload Headquarters a couple months back. The bar was having a small pseudo-car-show, and this Chevy was parked just behind the '51 Dodge Wayfarer we saw a while back.

A base, six-cylinder 1959 El Camino listed at $2,352 new, or about $400 more than a half-ton stepside Chevrolet pickup. For those extra bucks you got a car-like ride and those snazzy fins, though cargo-hauling ability wasn't quite up to serious truck standards. Which would you have chosen?

It's a Yugo GV with a Sawzall Caminoization job, but that's just the beginning. You know that wheezing, underwhelming 1100cc engine that Zastava put in the Yugo? Forget that boat anchor! You get the 1500cc out of a Fiat Strada (aka Ritmo) when you buy this car, and that's not all- check out that homemade intake manifold and brace of four motorcycle carbs! And when it comes time for turbocharging, you'll have a head start with the Volvo intercooler already installed. We say you need to rush straight to Washington State and buy this car (go here if the listing disappears) right now!

Go ahead, pretend you aren't magnetically drawn to the distilled perfection of this magnificent machine. It's got everything a follically gifted and dentally challenged buyer could possibly want. The high rear spoiler is perfect for pretending you're Richard Petty at Daytona, the enormous steel-floored bed is aching for either a garage full of partially complete 70's-era motorcycles or a mobile moonshine still, the Camaro nose sets you apart from the crowd and Ferrari-like side strakes add just enough class to help the odds during ladies night. And then there's the double axle action powered by a good ole V8 engine. Great El Camino? Or greatest El Camino ever? Let the owner convince you if the pictures haven't already:

For sale is a 1980 Chevy Elcamino.This car does runs n drives good.The carb isnt very good.I drive this car every day,this car was originally in car shows until about 7 yrs ago,it has been in magazines also.This car has set in a mans back yard for the last 7 or 8 yrs i bought this car about a yr ago i do drive it daily.I put the car in primer when i bought it,the frame n body is in good shape frame is not rusted out.

Would you believe nobody's snapped this baby up yet? Current bid's $1,422.00 and the reserve hasn't been met, so get going. (Hat tip to Conner)

[eBay listing]

Tom Leitschuh of Wisconsin has done what we've all only dreamt of: dropped 46 lithium-ferrite phosphate batteries and a big 'lectric motor into the best car ever built (well, a first-gen would have been cooler, but this'll do).

This 1981 El Camino was in good shape when it landed in Leitschuh's shop and, after 200 hours and $30,000, he created this 33 killowatt-hour beast. As an owner of an electronics controls shop he was able to do the work himself and describes the acceleration as "quick." Who cares? When you're driving something this spectacular you want to slow down and enjoy the "ooohhhs" and "ahhhhhs" as you pass.

And to top other electric car owners, Leitschuh gets all of the power for his car from his wind turbine and solar-barn. Green has never looked better.

[TDL Electronics via Wired:Autopia]

T3 isn't new to the world of electric vehicles, providing dorky electric chariots to police forces and whoever thinks Segways are too cool. Now they're branching out into passenger-type vehicles, with the CT3, a three-wheeled electric car using the companies patented controller unit and Lithium-Polymer battery pack. When looking at the above render, pay no attention to the swiped and resized Chevy Camaro Concept wheels and that the rear one is on backwards, those are mere trifles. What's important is the goofy, semi-camino-ized fastback shape that gives the CT3 a strong aerodynamic performance. The car will be aimed at winning the Progressive Automotive X-Prize which sets a target at 100 MPG for a consumer car, this one plans to hit it with the energy equivalent of the 100 MPG measure.

[Source: T3 Motion]

Cameron found this fine machine in a Southern California junkyard:

The unbelieveably long-lived XN6 lump. This engine, properly maintained, will run forever.
Drivetrain: BA10/5 transmission. Rear axle is whatever Peugeot put there in the factory. There's a driveshaft, too.
Notes: Found it in a junkyard in Sun Valley, CA and had to get pictures. I mean, it's a 505 wagon that's been hacked into a Subaru Baja - well, sort of. Unfortunately, I was unable to rescue it from the crusher, but at least I can prove that *someone* really did do this to a 505. It's actually kinda cool, in a backwoods-tech sort of way.
Hummer SUT? Screw that, this baby purely rocks!
I found this car a few years ago in a particularly notorious Sun Valley, CA junkyard (no, not the one with Fiat 500, Renault 5, and Citroen SM on the walls, but it's about a mile away from there) and got the photos on their grounds while being yelled at by the employees, Have tp admit, I do miss that place, and, as a past 505 owner... I do lust after this vehicle's remains. The 505 was France's Dodge Dart, and this seems like an oddly fitting end for one of its finest cars. "She's the last of the rear-drive Peugeots, Max..."

It's surprising how well the 740 takes to being reformed into a mean hunting truck. We're not huge fans of the diamond-cut metal on every surface, but we love the repurposing of the back hatch behind the second row of seats. Despite the revised nose, the lights, interior, door trim and rear-window are all 700-series.

Volvo reliability with Commando style and British engineering... where do we sign up?

[eBay Motors]

(Hat tip to Greg!)

The elegant flying buttresses of the XJS are a perfect setup for a truck bed in the back, easily accomplished in this case with the removal of the trunk lid and the installation of a bulkhead and some aluminum plates. We'd have preferred some nice teak bed boards held in place with chrome strips, but beggers can't be choosers. It's definitely a helluva lot nicer than the clapped out version we saw in Project Car Hell. Now all it needs is some llamas in the back. [Autoblog.it]

In Tomsk's words:

F250: The Ford F-Series has ruled the pickup roost for decades now, but how did it get there? This early- to mid-'70s F250 regular cab might offer some clues, including the most obvious of which is the fact it's still operational. The owner has added some wheels from a later F-Series, it appears everything else it wore back in the day, from the novelty mud flaps to the "Camper Special" badges are still in tact. And best of all? No cupholders in sight!

Suburban: This leviathan holds a special place in my heart, as my parents owned an '84 C20 'Burb for 15 years.While ours had a carbureted 454, the 1987 model year (which is what this is judging by the grille and the badge on the tailgate) marked the introduction of EFI. Regardless of what's under the hood, I feel this generation of Suburbans has a certain romance about it, as it was the last of the line that wasn't found in 70% of suburban (See what I did there?) driveways and driven by spraytanned MILFs who wanted something that would keep their 2.5 brats safe in a collision with anything smaller than a Peterbilt and let them (literally) look down upon the other moms in Tauruses, Caravans and 5 Series Bimmers.

El Camino: Considering where tha Jalop's allegiances lie, I had to include at least one Elky, right? Well, here she is, the year conveniently identified by the license plate frames. With the IROC Camaro wheels, it's guaran-bleeping-teed to make your haircut at least 50% more business-like in the front and at least 75% more party-like in the back. How can you lose?

Ford F Series: Before Dearborn's medium-duty pickups were offered with such niceties as voice-activated infotainment systems, heated leather seats, integrated trailer brake controls and diesel engines with enough torque to puree diamonds, they looked a little something like this, because back in the days of Camelot and the Great Society, pickup buyers didn't know they needed such things.

Uh, they do need 'em, right?

Unfortunately, as you can most definitely tell, the images above represent a digital euphoria of a Volvo El Camino mashups accurately depicting what we see in our dreams every single night. Bo Zoland of VizualTech has given us something to wake up for every day. With V8 power, Pontiac G8 ST good looks, and a Volvo face we can't not love, this ranks high among El Caminoized rides we've seen, easily outclassing the XC70chero. Now if we could only get someone to build it. Any takers?

[carscoop via VizualTech]

As with the R35 GT-R wagon and this R34 GT-R wagon, this lime green example of awesomeness was created using Nissan's Stagea station wagon (thought the last generation model) as the basis. The Stagea makes for an easy swap for the GT-R front clip since it shares its chassis and drivetrain with the Skyline. Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan based, Dear Motorsports produced the GT-R El Camino by chopping the entire upper rear portion of the bodywork from the C-pillar on back. They fabricated a new bed and the rear of the cab as well as removing the rear passenger doors to create this tasty little morsel. We're starting to think that maybe we need to start chopping up some cars because this ish is off the hook!
(Hat Tip to Adam!)

[via zenkai-flatout]

As yucky as the ripoff Libertypage is, there are other... vehicles, they plan to unleash on the public like the "Brave Warrior" and the "Luling Pickup." Just goes to show you, for every BYD F3DM we should take seriously, there are at least three Chinese entries to remind us how good we have it.
[The Tycho]

Have we considered a Volvochero before? Of course. The Volvo XC70chero merely teased our pallets, prompting us to fantasize about an amino-ized version of the 240. Had we done it, though, we'd have chopped the doors off of a Volvo 245 station wagon.

This strange truck, spotted by reader Boate, is actually a Volvo 244 sedan. You can tell because of the rear taillights and lack of rear panel vent, among other hints. BUT, this person must have had access to a station wagon because the back of the cab features a hinged, we assume working, wagon hatch. This manages to be a Volvo 242, 244 and 245 simultaneously and yet, is actually a 243. Essentially, this beast is a Hatchback-Caminoized-Shooting-Brake Volvo 240.

All it needs now is a 4x4 conversion.

Be certain your seatbelts are securely fastened, your tray tables and seatbacks are in their upright and locked position, because these Kiwi hoons are about to take you on a triple burnout flight of awesome. Looking like some petrol twisted version of Greg Pike's, these guys pulled out a cabover flatbed truck with what sounds like a serious cam on it topped by what we're assuming is a Holden Ute, which is carrying a motorcycle in its bed. Add three drivers with a taste for tire smoke and you have a seriously glorious gratuitous display of horsepower. Wonder if we could slide a flatbed semi trailer underneath, and a nitromethane Traxxus RC truck on top for a five way burnout stack. We're not worthy.

With full-size pickup sales lagging, and the Dodge Ram falling to fourth place in sales behind the Toyota Tundra, Chrysler is reportedly considering the introduction of a smaller, lighter, more efficient car-based pickup with a lower price point. According to Chrysler, this new unibody platform may end up wearing the Dakota nameplate, though it's unclear whether it will be more like the Honda Ridgeline or the ill-fated G8 ST. You can expect your Camino-obsessed Jalopnik crew will be scouring the Detroit Auto Show for news. [Detroit News]

GM's decision to pull the plug on the Pontiac G8 ST this week was a tough one for us, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it's the end of the road for our El Camino fetish. You boys in Dearborn have something in your global arsenal and we want it bad. In fact, we crave it.

It couldn't be a more perfect time. The economy is in shambles and car sales are down, but more importantly truck sales are way down. Once the cash-cow of the American car industry, trucks just aren't cutting it anymore, at least not in their current state. The Ranger's falling off into oblivion (in most of our minds) and the new F-150, although less of a fuel sipper, still doesn't get that great of a mileage figure. Could there be a better time to release a new car-based truck?

The Australian-built Ford Falcon has been a competitor to the Holden Commodore (Pontiac G8) for a very long time. Both vehicles are essentially the same in the way that they accomplish their goals. Both have a six-cylinder model, both have a V8, both have a whomper of a performance model, but most importantly, both have a Ute variant. While we've spent all this time pining for the Pontiac G8 ST we almost forgot about the Falcon Ute and we have one huge question - Why aren't you giving us what we crave?

Ford, yes, You. Ford! - We're talking to you. Yes, put down your thinking caps and open your ears, we've got something to ask of you. Please, pretty please. With sugar on top and all the good stuff you like. Bring us what we crave. Bring us the Falcon Ute.

Compare the Falcon Ute's towing capability of 2,300kg (5,070lb) and fuel economy 10.5L/100km (22mpg City) with the Ranger's 6,000lbs and 21mpg City. It's not that far off, at least not far enough to warrant another standard truck. Those of us that rarely actually use the bed of our truck will thank you, we promise. You can keep your Ranger, just please don't clog the lots with it. Hell, get rid of it all together. Sell it somewhere else. We. Don't. Want. It. But we do want the Falcon Ute. Jalopnik craves it.

Now that we have you thinking about it; how about that FPV version? Yeah, the one that all of the hoons love and adore. Don't pretend like you don't condone that sort of thing –- you built it. Let me refresh your recently departed memory. I'm talking about the FPV Falcon Ute Super Pursuit. The one with the 5.4-liter, 8-cylinders, 32 valves and dual overhead cams. That's right, The Boss. We crave its 315kW (422hp) and tree stump pulling 551Nm (406lb-ft) of torque. We're asking nicely here, so please consider it.

We think we might have your attention now. Ford, your cross-town rivals in Detroit failed to give us what we crave. We begged and they promised, but they just ended up putting us away wet. We don't think we could take that kind of disappointment again. You wouldn't do that to us if we asked you nicely, would you? We hope you understand that we have to ask you for this. It truly is our only hope.

Ford, you can solve all of life's riddles by bringing us this one thing. We love your new Mustang and we're sure we'll love your new Taurus. But, please give us what we want. What we need. What we CRAVE. We promise we won't ask much else from you. You're our favorite anyway. Have we told you that before? No? Well, it's true.

Sincerely,

Your friends at Jalopnik

P.S.
This is why we really want it:

Really, ever since we saw the Pontiac G3, we kind of knew the brand was moving away from the direction the brand deserved to be and into...well...something else. We also knew the new coming of the El Camino was on the ropes. So the news today from our sources with knowledge of the arrowheaded brand's product direction wasn't entirely unexpected.

The General's recent cash problems only heightened the reality. We're disappointed, of course, but we were more disappointed when the news came out the pickup-truck-ized G8 wasn't going to get the El Camino name plate. Well, it's over. Guess we can cross the G8 ST off our list of cars we want to buy in the new year. We're going to go and hit up CraigsList

This is actually the second time we've noticed the Mercedes E-Classamino up for sale but it's worth repeating the details. Based on an E320 Limo Chassis, it's claimed the E-Classamino was one of three custom built by Mercedes. Two of the three, not surprisingly, ended up in the United States. Why? Because occasionally people from Alabama win the lottery. With less than 8,605 miles on the odometer this is one clean E-Class. Unfortunately, there's no AMG-tweaked mill under the hood but rather a lowly V6. Still, when buying a Camino-ized vehicle it's all about what's out back and this überamino has a clean-looking bed made with German precision. It looks like Bruce's cousin Bryce is ready to start bidding and we hope he has some methlab money because the price has increased over the last two years from $30K to $49K. Apparently, not everything is cheaper. [AutoTrader via The Car Lounge]

Thanks once again to that Porcubimmer-drivin' LTDScott for another great tip![Showdown Muscle Cars].

Sure, there's no real El Camino on the market now, and anyone who wants a car-based pickup better live outside the US, until the Pontiac G8 ST of course. Nonetheless, happy birthday, El Camino. We'll raise a pitcher of PBR and pound down some grilled hot dogs in your honor. Photo credit from Super Chevy

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PONTIAC NAMES ALL NEW SPORT TRUCK THE "G8 ST"

Segment-Defining Vehicle on Target for Late 2009 Launch

Detroit - After sifting through more than 18,000 possibilities, Pontiac has chosen to keep it simple, naming the recently revealed G8 sport truck the "G8 ST."

Thousands of fans submitted suggestions during a "Tame the Name" promotion, which delayed a final announcement until each possibility was considered and cleared for possible trademark use.

"Frankly, we were blown away by both the volume and quality of the names that were submitted," said Craig Bierley, BPG product marketing director for cars and crossovers. "'G8 ST' was one of the most popular suggestions, plus we noticed a far broader trend toward simple, easy-to-remember names."

"El Camino" was also a sentimental favorite, given the G8 ST's resemblance to the classic Chevy.

"We actually thought very long about El Camino," said Bierley. "In the end, we felt it was more appropriate to honor the El Camino's unique place as part of Chevy's heritage and not use that nameplate on a Pontiac."

Perhaps the ultimate reflection of the blurring line between cars and trucks, the G8 ST will create a unique niche segment in the marketplace: a sports car with truck-like cargo and towing capabilities. Sharing the basic architecture and 361 hp V8 engine as the G8 GT performance sedan, it will offer a 73.9-inch cargo bed that has 42.7 cubic feet of cargo space and can carry a payload of 1,000 pounds (453 kg) or tow a 3,500-pound (1,587 kg) trailer.

Thanks to its six-speed automatic transmission and Active Fuel Management system, the G8 ST should offer some of the best fuel economy numbers for V8-powered vehicles with similar cargo/towing ratings while still turning in zero-to-60 times of 5.4 seconds.

The G8 ST will be available in late 2009 as a 2010 model and will be backed by GM's industry best 100,000 mile, 5-year powertrain warranty. Pricing will be announced closer to availability.

# # #

In 1987 all five cars built were sold to an Austrian collector, with the one here being the best of the five examples due mostly to it last being used in 1989. Since then it's been in dry storage. If you feel like paying the shipping charges, or you just happen to be in Austria yourself, they say he's looking to sell. (Hat Tip to Maxichamp!) [maserati-alfieri]

From Notags: Travelling from Lebanon, MO back to Annapolis,MD via I-44, we stopped for gas in Doolittle, MO. I spotted this vehicle touting the "Good Cookin'". I shouted to the wife... I need some pix of that truck over there. Boy did I ever get a look. I then has to explain the "El Camino" obsession at Jalponik.com.

Hey Jalops

User Crazygutgut here.
I was driving down 19th Ave (in San Francisco) on Saturday July 5th when I spotted the "Escachero." I wonder if the guy is a fan, cause he spraypainted Escachero on the doors.

Most of the car is a 90ish Ford escort. the back of the cab seems to be made from a 60's Chevy or Ford pickup. the fins I'm not sure what those came off of, they looked pretty rough, but he did have "Coupe de Ville" scripts on the fins.

I still gotta get picks of the 1977 Honda Civic-amino that is driving around my hood, too....

After you see an ad like this, how can you resist the Goggomobil? Goggo! Goggo! Every day, you look at your Goggo-free garage and sigh wistfully (but secretly feel relieved that it's impossible to find a Goggomobil project). But wait! What have we here? Yes, it's a genuine 1966 Goggomobil TS 250, available for under four grand! Now you can have your own tiny German two-stroker, and all you need to do is finish the "necessary COMPLETE RESTAURATION" the seller had planned to do when he or she bought it. Don't worry about hard-to-find parts, because the seller says "As far as I can tell it's COMPLETE - ALL the parts for completion seem to be there including a complete owners/shop manual in German." See, everything you need, though the disclaimers "as far as I can tell" and "seems to be there" might cause a tiny bit of trepidation in the hearts of our more suspicious readers. There's rust. The engine "turns freely" (possibly because all the rods are lying in a heap in the oil pan). How hard could it be? Thanks to UDMAN and Mad_Science for the tip!

Come on, a 250cc engine? That's hella small! You need more than 15 ponies moving your ride these days, and you also need a truck bed! Obviously, the El Camino is the cartruck for a discerning sophisticate such as yourself, but where's the hell? El Caminos are easy projects! But hold on there- what if you were to drop the drivetrain of a Buick Grand National into a G-body El Camino? No, wait- what if you were to graft the front bodywork and interior from a Grand National onto that El Camino, then add boost until the transmission begs for mercy? Why, then you'd have something much like this 1979 El Camino with 87 Turbo Buick Everything, that's what! In one of our all-time favorite pieces of car-ad description, the seller estimates that this project is 87% COMPLETE. Not 84%, mind you, or even 88%. The engine came out of an alleged 10-second Grand National, runs on race gas only, and has already fried the unnamed automatic transmission (which "NEEDS WORK"). Also unnamed is the "bulletproof" posi rearend, which we sure hope is at least a GM 12-bolt. The line "FUEL LINE busted and i took front bumper off to try to fit a front mount intercooler (was not sucsesfull)." is somewhat disconcerting, but no doubt you'll unravel that mystery and oh-so-many others with this project. Then you'll be King of the Hoons!

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In addition to the news on the name, we're hearing from our friends at G8 Nation that Pontiac is now considering an additional power plant offering aside from the 361 HP 6.0-liter V8 power plant that is found in the Pontiac G8 GT. It's no surprise then that this new engine would be the same 3.6-liter 256 HP V6 found in the G8 V6 sedan, giving it the same 17/25 mpg fuel economy as the V6 sedan.

Yes, yes, we know the arguments for why the V6 engine makes sense. It has something to do with commercial viability. Whatever. We want a sports ute, and we want it now.

So while it really doesn't make us all that happy to hear V6's may make it back under the hood, we'll be more than willing to ignore that if the name is what we always thought it should be — Pontiac G8 El Camino.

Last week while driving through my old neighborhood in Anaheim, CA, I saw this parked over in an industrial parking lot. Yes I know it's cheating but given the expiration date of the plate this car has not moved in a while (Expired in 94). It looks factory but I have been having a hard time finding an example online to verify. Anyways, onto what it is... THis appears to be an 84ish Holden Stateman Caprice. Basically a Aussieamino on US soil. This one appears to be pretty well optioned for a "truck" of its vintage but that just makes it a little bit cooler.