When we first heard about this cool El Camino, we figured it was a street cruiser. Frankly, it’s rare when anyone builds an El Camino for more than boulevard cruising or the occasional rip down the quarter-mile. But a road racing El Camino? Ridiculous, right?
Wrong.
The interior is a blend of form and function. A complete roll bar setup is fitted to the back of the cab, and the Corbeau seats and five-point harness keep occupants secure during hard cornering moves. The Hurst shifter commands the five-speed Tremec transmission.
The car was built by Tim and Paul Henry, who leveraged their racing connection with Pat Musi for one of his strongest, streetable engines. The Henrys had the right connection and background for the install, Tim piloting the brothers’ ConQuest Concrete-sponsored street/Pro Mod Firebird in quarter-mile competition. The fruit of that relationship is this stunningly detailed ’72 El Camino, which sports some serious power-generating equipment, not the least of which is the Pat Musi-created 509-CID big-block Chevy engine. With 685 HP under the hood, this El Camino is more than capable of tearing up the grippy Continental performance tires.
With 509-CID and 685 HP on tap, this Paul Musi-built, big-block Chevy is the reason this El Camino hauls. Note the well-designed serpentine belt accessory drive and elaborate header system.
Behind the amazing engine is a five-speed Tremec trans with Hurst shifter. The rearend is a GM 12-bolt outfitted with an Auburn posi unit, 3.55:1 ratio gearing and Mosier 31-spline axles. Big 13-inch Wilwood discs with six-piston calipers, a Hydratech braking system and Wilwood master cylinder greatly enhance braking, matching 12-inch discs with four-piston calipers are stationed in the rear. The suspension sports the best of all components, including full-on Hotchkis and Global West components, perfect for the intended road racing purposes. An AGR quick ratio steering box is there to help as well.
An in-cab roll cage, for protection and frame stiffening, was installed along with Corbeau seats and racing belts. The dashboard was restored and then outfitted with Dakota Digital gauges. A complete sound system makes it comfy up front. Maaco applied the gloss black paint to the completely stripped panels, along with the classic cowl hood striping. Chrome Z28 wheels belie the car’s impressive talents, which uses its raw power to surprise many a Porsche pilot.
So much for thinking El Caminos can only go straight!
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- Paul Henry stands next to the amazing El Camino he created with his brother Tim.
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- With 509-CID and 685 HP on tap, this Paul Musi-built, big-block Chevy is the reason this El Camino hauls. Note the well-designed serpentine belt accessory drive and elaborate header system.
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- With 509-CID and 685 HP on tap, this Paul Musi-built, big-block Chevy is the reason this El Camino hauls. Note the well-designed serpentine belt accessory drive and elaborate header system.
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- With 509-CID and 685 HP on tap, this Paul Musi-built, big-block Chevy is the reason this El Camino hauls. Note the well-designed serpentine belt accessory drive and elaborate header system.
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- The interior is a blend of form and function. A complete roll bar setup is fitted to the back of the cab, and the Corbeau seats and five-point harness keep occupants secure during hard cornering moves. The Hurst shifter commands the five-speed Tremec transmission.
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- The digital dashboard is a pleasant and surprising upgrade.
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- While this El Camino may look fairly stock, it is far from it. The hood features the factory cowl induction hood and hood pins.
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- The big tube Flowmaster exhaust sounds great and the rearend features 3:55:1 gearing along with Hotchkis and Global West suspension mount upgrades.
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- A fuel mileage tip? This tightly wrapped tonneau cover seals the back of the bed and improves the overall “aero” of the El Camino. But with 685 HP, Paul doesn’t worry much about mileage.
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- The chromed Z28 wheels are wrapped by the Continental sport control tires tucked up neatly into the wheel well.
Tags: 1972 El Camino, 509 cid big block, Corbeau seats, GM 12-bolt, pat musi, road racer, Wilwood Brakes
