I own my childhood dream car, a Chevy El Camino, and I love it with all my heart. It's the mullet of the automotive world, with business in the front and a party in the back! Though it is difficult to put into any one box, I have it registered as a pickup truck, and it definitely does some truck stuff - like hauling around my quad. Some people choose to call them "crucks." Personally, I think "ute" might be the most accurate description. 

Whatever you classify her as, Eleanor is a 1981 with an older 350 SBC paired to a 3 speed automatic with the stock one-wheel-peel rear end. A lot of work was put into this vehicle sometime around the turn of the century, and I would call it a mild custom. It has aftermarket race seats, a cool paint job, and a built motor. Future mods I'd like to do include an LS swap, big brakes, suspension/steering improvements, and maybe some fresh wheels. 

I baby Eleanor, but I'm not afraid to put the pedal to the metal and get a little squirrelly out there. She rips, and power is never the issue, but rather traction. All the weight in the front and a bed in the back makes for some smoky burnouts. It's a healthy mix between a practical classic Sunday driver and a muscle car, though it is far from immaculate show condition (nor is it a racecar). It's a driver as some may say, but I don't drive my Elky as much as I would like, primarily due to the price of gas and how thirsty the vehicle is for premium fuel. I spend at least three times as much driving anywhere in that as I would in my Civic, but that's the name of the game. 

I'm happy just being behind the wheel of this iconic American ride on any sunny day, but something that really gets a smile on my face is the sound of the exhaust opened up under an overpass. Oh baby! That dual exhaust off those headers is my favorite sound, bar none. I genuinely enjoy talking to strangers about my Elky, and can hardly go anywhere without starting a conversation about it. People either just give me a quick compliment on it, ask about the year and specifications, or tell me about their uncle/brother/friend/mom/etc. who owned one when they were in highschool. 

For as long as I can remember one of my favorite pasttimes has been attending car shows, and this weekend I'm excited for the cars and coffee event at Valley Motor City in the Falls on Saturday morning. It should be a cool event, and Cherise will be making an appearance there from 9-11am with lot's of prizes! I hope to see you there too; here's the link for more information, if you're interested: https://m.facebook.com/events/302996018909275?mibextid=Z0UBBX