RANCHERO VS. EL CAMINO

The Ford Ranchero was a blend of the comfort of a grocery getter with the utility of a truck, making it a multi-purpose utility vehicle with contemporary style. Over 500,000 Rancheros were built during its 22-year production, making it one cool ride. The platforms varied from full-size to compact to mid-size.

The Ford Ranchero was produced by Ford from 1957 to 1979 continuously and marketed and sold through the Ford Truck Division. It is not classified as a pickup truck but as a coupe utility vehicle. The Ranchero went through five generations. The 1st generation, from 1957 to 1959, was based on the Ford Fairlane platform. The 2nd generation, from 1960 to 1965, was boxier and shared many elements with the Falcon, with the 289 V8 as an option. The 3rd generation, from 1966 to 1971, used the Fairlane Torino running gear. The GT version was introduced with more performance options. The 4th generation, from 1972 to 1976, used the LTD platform and included the GT and Squire editions. The 5th and final generation, from 1977 to 1979, was based on the Thunderbird platform.

Ed and Suzie’s Ranchero is painted Ford “Good Guy” White with gold accents common to the Fairlanes of the era, giving it a sweet look. This Ford rides on fresh Goodrich tires with steel wheels, beauty rings, and Ford caps—a classic look for sure. This hauler is powered by a semi-stock Ford 292 ci “Y” block Windsor engine with a 4-barrel carburetor, making it a sweet cruiser. It’s fun to drive with the Ford-O-Matic Transmission, perfect for cruising the streets of Havasu during Hot McCullah Nights with fellow Pharoah’s of Lake Havasu. The engine is dressed up with a Thunderbird dress-up kit and mostly kept stock, keeping the engine compartment clean, neat, and tidy. The stock chassis has a dual master cylinder supporting drum brakes front and rear. Dual exhaust with MagnaFlow mufflers makes this “Y” block purr with the sweet sound of a hot rod!

The interior is super clean white vinyl with blue cloth accent inserts, complemented with a pair of blue fuzzy dice—always rolling 7’s, of course—and a restored stock steering wheel with blue seat belts to keep you in place on tight turns. The dash, gauges, and interior chrome work are restored to stock. The speedometer’s full sweep design is a cool 50s look that you don’t see much anymore. Yes, there is a real clock, not a digital display common on today’s cars. This is vintage early iron of the 50s at its best. Of course, there are tunes and air conditioning for those Hot Havasu Nites.

The Ranchero was previously owned by their uncle, who was going to put it up for auction. They snatched this cool ride before it went on the block to make it their cruiser. This Ford hauler gets driven on Pharoah’s of LHC outings regularly, and their favorite trip is the cruise to Parker for lunch and back to Havasu. Ed always wanted a classic car and to be involved with a car club so he could hang with fellow motor heads who love the culture and live it—and they are living the dream! Yes, Ed does bleed “Ford Blue” and is an avid fan of everything FORD!

This hauler comes from a long line of El Caminos by Chevrolet. The iconic design of the 1959-60 Chevrolet Impala also saw the introduction of the El Camino, which was adapted from the two-door station wagon platform. The bed and cab were integrated. With the success of the Ford Ranchero, Chevy responded by introducing the El Camino. Production ran from 1959 to 1960 and then continued from 1964 to 1987. Harley Earl suggested the concept of merging a pickup and coupe in 1952, and he was a visionary who should have been listened to! In its first year, the El Camino outsold the Ranchero, 22,000 to 14,000. However, sales of the 1960 El Camino dropped to 14,000, while the Falcon-based Ranchero sold 21,000 units. As a result, Chevrolet officially discontinued the El Camino. Four years later, they reintroduced the El Camino, this time based on the Chevelle.

The first generation was based on the Biscayne’s B-body (station wagon), while the 1964-77 models used the Chevelle platform, and the 1978-87 models were based on the GM G-body platform. They classified the El Camino as a pickup. As a side note, the GMC version, known as the “Sprint,” was introduced in 1971 and renamed “Caballero” from 1978 through the end of production in 1987. Production of the 1987 model was only 13,000 units, after which the El Camino was discontinued.

If you want fast, Mike, a local machinist and go-to engine builder, wanted an El Camino that would be respected on the street. This build is a testament to that endeavor. The big-block street 454 is conservatively rated at 525 horsepower at the rear wheels! An 850 CFM Holley Double Pumper feeds through an L88 aluminum intake manifold, complemented by an Edelbrock fuel pump and spark from an MSD ignition. To keep the air cool for horsepower gains, it features working cowl induction. For exhaust, it has Chevy Performance exhaust manifolds that feed into 3-inch stainless steel exhaust, fabricated by Mike, with Flowmaster 40 Series mufflers to keep Johnny Law happy! Cooling is handled by a Moroso aluminum radiator with a 9-blade extreme-duty fan clutch and augmented with a 10-inch electric fan for the AC, ideal for those hot Arizona nights cruising with the Pharaohs of Lake Havasu City. Yes, Mike and Sandy are members. This is complemented by professional and tidy new wiring done by Mike. He also did the machine work on the engine, including balancing and porting the heads. The transmission is a 700R4 OD transmission built to handle street punishment with stage III components—it definitely hooks up! The third member is a Ford 9-inch by Currie with 4.10 gears, leaving two black stripes on the pavement every time. Power is managed by 4-link HD adjustable control arms and a 1-1/8-inch sway bar, powder-coated to handle the rubber residue that builds up.

The chassis is mostly GM, with front Brembo big disc brakes and Ford 10-inch drum rears, fed by a QE dual master cylinder to stop after those short bursts of power. The BFGoodrich tires are mounted on 15-inch Cragar SS wheels for that resto look. The interior is well done with a bench seat in black vinyl, SS gauges, and seat belts to keep you in place under extreme acceleration. The sound system is a Classic Custom setup with speakers to keep you awake on long drives, including a 10-inch subwoofer and a 300-amp amplifier. Sound deadening is done throughout, covered with factory black carpet. The bed has Rhino liner on the bottom with painted sides for hauling items to the many events this runner attends. The paint is Camaro “Bumble Bee” yellow with black accent stripes. Metal and bodywork are well done with flat, smooth sides due to Mike’s body-off restoration from blasting through painting. This is a far cry from 2012 when Mike bought this primer-gray lowrider, which initially started as a shop truck for his machine shop, S.A.M. Machining, where he specializes in building performance engines and making things go faster. We all know about scope creep—when one project leads to another!

Mike and Sandy have been into classics since high school, and they take this street machine out at least weekly, with their favorite event being the Kingman Street Drags. Mike grew up with cars, and it’s in his blood. His bucket list includes taking his roadster to the Roadster Show and attending American Graffiti in Modesto. Also on his bucket list are building a 1966 GTO “Goat” and a 1957 Chevy Gasser—look for these to come soon!