EL CAMINO Mexican market El Camino equipped with 350

[KCP]

Wikipedia says, there was a 260hp 350 available in late 5th generation El Camino for the Mexican market with less strict emission control.
To get my '85 accepted as vintage vehicle it needs to have an engine that was available in the car from factory when it was new.
My El Camino was born with a 305 and I'll get a 350 4-bolt with it. Is there any information, i.e. brochures etc. about those Mexican 350's available online? If I could show the DMV that the 350 was available, it would make my life much easier.

 

[CaliWagon83]

What state are you in? Are you really in Germany? Not sure what the rules are over there. I know in California, anything newer than 1975 is a colossal pain in the @$$ to get legal.

 

[KCP]

I'm in Bavaria. Germany claims it's part of it, Bavarians tend to disagree though. Getting the car road legal here is easy, register it as vintage is a bit harder. For vintage registration it has to be in good, stock condition. Modifications have to be period correct.

 

[fleming442]

If it's not subject to teardown, it's all about visual appearance. I highly doubt they're going to start running casting numbers, measuring ports, compression, etc. A 500hp 383 with an 800CFM Q-jet doesn't look any different from a 140hp 305 with a Q-jet if done correctly. 😉

 

[Michael Watts]

You just make it look like a stock 305 if your state has a visual inspection . Washington State had a tailpipe test only at the time mine 1981 El Camino SS went through emissions .And I has a 290 HP 350 crate engine with FlowTech "Shorty" headers and true dual exhaust, Elelbrock Performer and carb at the time. and it passed emissions with no issues.

 

[GP403]

I get the feeling there are a lot of "but in Mexico..." G-Body myths floating around out there. I still have my doubts about the legendary Mexican Monte, and now an El Camino version?

 

[KCP]

Keepin the 350 tucked under the radar is plan B. This Mexican 350 is what Wikipedia says, I never heard about before either.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

I doubt the 350 has 260 hp stock in 85, more like 190 hp. The Mexican MCSS also had 350s and those barely made more power than the HO 305s.

 

[CaliWagon83]

There are a gazillion parts out there for small-block Chevys. As noted, also easy to make them look visually stock, or close to it. Don’t know how easy they are to get in Germany, but I know a lot of the U.S. mail-order houses ship overseas.

 

[kornball426]

If it's not subject to teardown, it's all about visual appearance. I highly doubt they're going to start running casting numbers, measuring ports, compression, etc. A 500hp 383 with an 800CFM Q-jet doesn't look any different from a 140hp 305 with a Q-jet if done correctly. 😉

Especially in Germany, I know Germans are renowned for having incredible attention to detail and what not, but how many small block G bodies can there possibly be in Germany? I wouldn't think very many. I wouldn't be surprised if their inspection people have never even seen one in person to be able to tell if it's a stock 305 or a modifed 350 replacement.

If the OP is really interested in doing a 350, he said "period correct" easy enough, just make sure the engine block is from the 80's. Should be easy and cheap to find a truck 350 block from any Chevy or GMC K/C or V/R series pick up truck, Blazer/Jimmy, or possibly Caprices and Impalas. That way even if they did run the casting numbers on the block you can legitimately claim it as a "period correct" modification and I assume they would let it through.