So I spotted what I thought was a Monte Carlo SS in a carport in an alley behind a house. After Asking about it I was fortunate to pick up this 1983 El Camino SS here in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. After I purchased the car, I was going through the paperwork and there was a certificate from the July 4, 1983 Firecracker 400 saying that this El Camino (identified by VIN) had participated and done an "official pace lap" at the track that day. It was signed by GM brass from the Jacksonville Zone.
Then, in the glovebox was the 1983 warranty book showing that it was sold as a new car on 11-11-83 with 209 miles on it. The data plate on the cowl shows an 06A date as the first week in June.
So with the car still in the possession of GM, it was sent to Daytona for track duty, perhaps to introduce the El Camino with the NASCAR MC front end? So this car was built in Texas, shipped to Tennessee for the SS conversion, Shipped to Daytona for the race, then shipped or driven back to New Port Richey near Tampa to the dealer to be sold. That's quite a bit of traveling for a new car. lol
Would anybody have any photos from the 1983 race? I have ordered the invoice and "build information" from GM heritage because so far there was no build sheet in the seat bottoms or over the gas tank or headliner. The headliner had been previously taken down to install a CB or some other kind of antennae and the wire is still in there but now cut. Perhaps for track day communication? The original owner said it never had a CB in it.
According to the posts in the "Choo Choo Info" posts on El Camino Central, the earliest Choo Choo SS (003) appeared in August of 1983. This car was on the track at Daytona a full month before that car was released. Is this the FIRST Choo Choo SS and possibly a track day, promo car or pace car too?
VIN 1GCCW80H6DR246326
