Sam Krahn 
The ute is a vehicle American’s aren’t very familiar with. Taking a sedan, chopping off the back doors and throwing a utilitarian bed on the back is the typical Australian pickup, much different than the raised, crew cab trucks Americans buy today. But just because we don’t have a ute on sale today doesn’t mean we never did. That of course is the Chevrolet El Camino, which hasn’t seen the light of day since the fifth generation went out of production in 1987. While Chevrolet themselves isn’t bringing it back, an Alabama metal working shop called Casados Design is creating a modern interpretation on a fifth generation 2010 Camaro. And this isn’t some backyard project, it’s a true exercise in coachbuilding.
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The custom build involves modifying the Camaro from the B-pillar back, including extending the chassis considerably for the bed. Casados Design said they wanted an OEM feel, and it certainly looks like we’ll get that when the build is completed. The B-Pillar design was actually inspired by the Chevrolet Avalanche. The Camaro design flows surprisingly nicely into a pickup bed, and the bulging rear haunches accentuate the muscle car it’s based on.
In the picture, you may notice all of the pins around those rear fenders. Those are to ensure the radius of the fender is even and accurate, as Casado Design hand beats all of their bodywork. A look through their website shows dozens of high quality builds, featuring everything from hot rods to muscle cars to European classics. It seems like a very passionate group of people.
Over on the Casada Design Instagram, they’re posting images from the full 2010 Chevrolet Camaro El Camino build so you can follow along with the progress. They also show a number of their other projects, all fascinating. With the fifth generation Camaro, they have a rendering of the final project, below, which gives us a good idea of the final look Casada Design is going for. We’re excited to see the final product, so watch this space to see this model interpretation of the El Camino when it’s finished.
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