You are more than welcome to post this information. And who hates the 73-77 El Camino? Certainly not me. Hey,that doesn't happen to be a black 77 Classic with a Firethorn interior with a VIN ending in 485211?

I've been a hot rodder and motorcyclist for a long time, hence my screen name, still have a shovel in the garage. Retired GM dealership parts professional of 47 years concurrent with the last 20 as a part time H-D parts man.

One thing, we were taught a long time ago that Chevrolet casting numbers meant little in determining what an engine was. Especially some of the stuff I saw during the early 1970's. In one of the HP series of Chevrolet books one writer stated that every block of a certain casting number was a four bolt block. Not so, saw plenty of them in two bolt configuration.

Pontiac was no stranger to this either. Seen 400/428 engines that were factory sealed, block was machined, drilled and tapped four bolt mains but with two bolt mains, factory.

Block stampings with engine codes are confusing also, those are only a small part of identifying what you have. Partial VIN's, block stampings along with block casting dates all help tell the tale. Throw in service replacement engines with no numbers stamped on them,good luck.

Back to the El Camino of 73-77, I loved mine. Special ordered it with a 305 automatic transmission [[only way I could have gotten a stick was if I had ordered it with a 250 6 cylinder then only a three on the tree) and F41 sport suspension. By the time it was two years old I had added factory cruise control, changed to a 350, dual exhaust with headers [[quiet mufflers also, no racket for me) added a tilt steering column, a tonneau cover and the final piece, Corvette YJ8 Aluminum wheels. I preferred the 77 to the new downsized 78's. That 77 handled well, it was solid.

I kick myself, my cousin's ex-husband bought a neighbor's 76 in the early 90's. He never did much with it, tore it down to rebuild it and never finished it. They divorced, I was offered it but I didn't need two projects at once, I was in the middle of my 67 Pontiac build at the time. If you need any more information PM me through here, I'll give you more direct contact information and I can give you what information that I can.