hello,
i am on my way to look at a 1980 el camino, a car i have dreamed of owning for a long time. what should i look out for to avoid buying a bad one? any tips would be greatly appreciated

Where are you located? There are different things to look for depending on what part of the country/world you live in. Around here (Michigan), frame rot is a major problem on the older Elkys.

luckily, i'm in texas so rust is not such an issue

Just because your looking at a car in Texas doesn't mean the car didn't come from some other area of the country and was retitled in Texas. Get underneath and check for any signs of rust or any botched modifications that can't be corrected. Use your head and remember "Buyer Beware"

I am in Texas also and 80% of the Elky's i looked at were rust buckets... Check the rear window real close...

Here in Texas I would look at the back window to see if it needs to be re-sealed. The curved glass sometimes comes loose fromt he factory seal. I'd look at the floor boards, under the carpet, for runst and signes of a leak in the front window or the AC Box leaking water inside the cab.

Look for rust around the rear body mounts. Other than that just the normal stuff you'd normally look for in a car / truck.

Just my $0.02 worth.

Check both rear corners of the storage area behind the seats. Pull the carpet back in each corner & check for rust. The fifth gen elkys have a tendency to rust in the corner seams where the rear wheel well meets the storage area. This can be fixed ( fiberglass patch, etc.) & does not necessarily mean that your elky is - Bad-, just something to be aware of that might need attention.

Thanks to all who sent advice. this girl will be busy!i am going to buy the el camino for $600.00 because the day before we went to pick it up, someone stole it and lcukily thry didn;t get far because she didn;t have any gas. i need to replace the ignition, but she is in good condition. if anyone has tips for repacing the ignition, i'd be grateful
thanks again.

i also live in texas(HOOK 'EM HORNS!) and i looked at many an el camino before i bought mine, and the big think i saw in all of them was rust around the back window. anothere thing(though too late for you) is that the one with the small v8s(267) are harder to sell and thus cheaper. i looked at an 80 up around austin, it was black(mostly) with a 267. it had a seat in it the guy put in, and the speedometer jumped around...just wonderin if it was the one you bought...that would be far out.

You say you're lookin' for someone
Never weak but always strong,
To protect you an' defend you
Whether you are right or wrong,
Someone to open each and every door,
But it ain't me, babe,

Not a Jonny Cash Fan are you?

NO NOT THE MAN IN BLACK, THE SONG WAS WRITTEN BY THE GREATEST SONGWRITER EVER, ONE ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, ALSO KNOWN AS BOB DYLAN.

What about the panel that holds up the rear window? I am up to my knees in hammering and riveting in new floors, but I am unsure about this leak on the passenger side where the floor would have met up with back wall. Was thinking about just using a lot of silicone, but wondered if water was going to stagnate in a bad spot. Are flood drain holes important?

Thanks!
J