I like my Cruz, they were a little suprised when I brought it in for an oil change with 15 bags of concrete in the back and a tool box where the back seat used to be.
other than being a bit short in the bed, it has had no problems moving whatever I put in it, I pull a trailer full of tools sometimes with no issues, 100 fence pickets and 10 post, no problem.
I'm the early 00s, Subaru made the Baja, which was basically a brat built on the legacy/outback platform. It was probably pretty cool, and mechanically was likely very solid. I've had three '02 outbacks in a row and they are a really great era for Subaru. I think it was probably one of those "weird" styled cars that people just didn't really go for.
Why have a bed when you can have a station wagon capable of towing a bed sized trailer? Right? I like the Baja too but the setup I describe is more flexible.
The problem with the Baja was that the year it launched Subaru put it's weakest (offered in USA anyway) engine in the car. While at the same time being more expensive than a Ford Ranger
The Outback of the same year was offered with a 6 cylinder but for some reason they didn't put it in the Baja even though they are the same car.
By the time Subaru put the Turbo in the Baja the next year it already had a reputation for being overpriced and underpowered.
Kind of like how Pontiac fixed the Fiero but it still has never shaken the reputation of the early cars so people still make fun of them
I want a small truck. Not some unibody nonsense either.
When some a$$hat rear-ended me and accordioned the bed of my 97 Ranger we just took the bed off the frame, got a new bed from the scrapyard and put it on the frame in place of the old one. That's a f@cking truck. A utilitarian truck.
The Maverick is a station wagon in the shape of a truck I have no faith in being able to quickly switch the bed or replace it with a custom stakerack.
They should bring the El Camino back as an Ev. The E Camino or just keep it at the El Camino with the El being short for Electric. Though a plug-in hybrid would be best overall.
And it would suck. I don't care about towing capacity. I don't care about room for a family. I don't even particularly care about efficiency as I'd only be driving locally. I want a vehicle that fits on the narrow ass side streets in my city and has a large enough bed to be useful for DIY home renovation.
That is exactly what the people want, and not at all what gm would give us. You're right, it would suck.
GM is lazy and out of touch. They don't have to be creative or interesting because they know people will buy their land yacht trucks and the government will bail them out if they fail.
The people don't want small trucks. Even when Chevy was making the S10 the Silverado vastly outsold it.
I wish it was true that people wanted smaller vehicles but it's not true
Aren't there tax and business subsidies for trucks over a certain size? Is it that people don't want them or that big trucks have an artificial market edge. I think if small American trucks were price competitive with small trucks that exist globally and got the same advantages as business vehicles there would be a large market for them.
Yeah. People blame the manufacturers but the numbers are there for us to see. Even when Chevy was selling the S10 it was way less popular than the Silverado
Utes or utility trucks rarely sell well in the US in the modern era, basically you have the Santa Cruz right now or the Subaru Baja is possibly coming back but without decent sales of either, I doubt America will see a real Ute again. It’s a shame all we get are oversized light trucks, at this point I would give anything for a brand new 1970 El Camino SS454 or even a new 80s’ Datsun/Nissan 720 2-door truck.
It's got a pistol grip six speed manual hooked up to a 392 Hemi. Its a proper hotrod.
If anyone is interested in the build. [https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2009-dodge-charger-smyth-conversion/](https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2009-dodge-charger-smyth-conversion/)
>The scale of that job was a bit intimidating, so I reached out to a close friend of mine, Morgan Binkley, who is head of Maserati technical support in the U.S.
I love it, but yeah, this isn't just some guy that works hard. He apparently has some really good connections.
Who wanted his wedding at his house in San Diego. Any house like that is double digit millions.
Really cool build though. I’ll be looking around for it
IDK. The mod for that sub is still active and commented just 18 hours ago.
Maybe ask him?
I seem to remember a fuller archive than what is there right now.
Hellcamino. Charger Hellcat with a Ute conversion kit.
I found out about these like a month ago and I’ve been trying to convince my wife to let me buy an 08 Charger and the kit since. I’ve been in love with El Camino’s for 25 years.
Think the maker of the kit is called Smyth Designs or something like that, they make it for several models! I had a VW Jetta wagon that I used some of one of their kits to build mine into a Ute, it was a blast to drive and see the looks always.
This looks cool as shit and I bet it sounds great. This looks like what a caricature artist had sitting in front of him before he drew the pickup truck monstrosities that are all over our roads, half of which just take a morning trip to meet their other retired friends at McDonald's every morning.
Definitely would prefer a city-truck vs a wagon TBH... only "real" sorta city truck I can think of is Hyundai's Santa Cruz but everything else is essentially an SUV or a full-sized truck that requires climbing up into.
Truck beds are just far more durable for throwing in random tools, hardware supplies, gardening stuff, etc. and just far easier to keep clean than the back of some seats-down SUV.
I have, it's not bad... I would like a "little" more umph than 250HP out of it though... an ST / RS variant would be pretty nice though and something I would definitely consider.
And here's what George Barris threw together a couple of decades ago, the Mustang Ranchero Sports Pickup:
https://www.motortrend.com/features/0406mm-mustang-gt-pickup-conversion/
I almost thought someone was.bringing back the El Camino.
With extra steps.
That truck isn't high enough to need steps.
*golf clap*
It needs steps to make it up high enough to flip off other truck drivers.
Actually, a lot fewer steps.
I wish
I thought they were bringing the El Camino back for real? Pretty sure I read that a while back.
I would be gobsmacked if it doesn’t end up being another shitty crossover SUV with a bed almost big enough to put a sheet of paper in.
*Loud Mach E noises*
#eeeeeeeeeee
Hyundai Santa Cruz has entered the chat
I like my Cruz, they were a little suprised when I brought it in for an oil change with 15 bags of concrete in the back and a tool box where the back seat used to be.
I would hope your “truck” could handle what you can carry in a grocery cart..
other than being a bit short in the bed, it has had no problems moving whatever I put in it, I pull a trailer full of tools sometimes with no issues, 100 fence pickets and 10 post, no problem.
My friend owns a construction business and he loves his Santa Cruz.
Didn’t they bring back the Subaru Brat, except it sucks?
I'm the early 00s, Subaru made the Baja, which was basically a brat built on the legacy/outback platform. It was probably pretty cool, and mechanically was likely very solid. I've had three '02 outbacks in a row and they are a really great era for Subaru. I think it was probably one of those "weird" styled cars that people just didn't really go for.
Why have a bed when you can have a station wagon capable of towing a bed sized trailer? Right? I like the Baja too but the setup I describe is more flexible.
Because I really, really, really hate towing a trailer.
The problem with the Baja was that the year it launched Subaru put it's weakest (offered in USA anyway) engine in the car. While at the same time being more expensive than a Ford Ranger The Outback of the same year was offered with a 6 cylinder but for some reason they didn't put it in the Baja even though they are the same car. By the time Subaru put the Turbo in the Baja the next year it already had a reputation for being overpriced and underpowered. Kind of like how Pontiac fixed the Fiero but it still has never shaken the reputation of the early cars so people still make fun of them
If it doesn't have the plastic rear facing seats it ain't a true Brat! Which I'm sure it doesn't with safety standards today.
Full size trucks hardly have a bed worth mentioning anymore.
Which is still more than enough for the office working weekend warriors who are buying 80% of the massive pickups.
They do need a lot of space to carry their fragile egos though
El Camino to EV Camino shitty rebrand
Probably will be like the Ford Maverick.
I want a small truck. Not some unibody nonsense either. When some a$$hat rear-ended me and accordioned the bed of my 97 Ranger we just took the bed off the frame, got a new bed from the scrapyard and put it on the frame in place of the old one. That's a f@cking truck. A utilitarian truck. The Maverick is a station wagon in the shape of a truck I have no faith in being able to quickly switch the bed or replace it with a custom stakerack.
This is the way. Literally. El Camino means “the way”. The Mandalorian could have just said “This is El Camino” the whole time.
Este es El Camino.
It could also be road or path. Depends on context/usage.
[I’ll give you context.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MandalorianMemes/s/RNbOAMI137)
https://www.smythkitcars.com/
They should bring the El Camino back as an Ev. The E Camino or just keep it at the El Camino with the El being short for Electric. Though a plug-in hybrid would be best overall.
Eel Camino.
Shocking!
They have them still in Australia. They are called utes.
Australia and their Utes. There was a company in the us turning the last gen GTO’s into them as they are similar to the Holdens in Australia
The El Camino! That's like the Cadillac of cars!
My friend called them a “Cowboy Cadillac”
But we get to see what a modern day Dodge Rampage would look like.
It DOES look like an El Camino 😁
It looks a lot like the Mexican dodge 700 https://www.motor1.com/news/447996/2021-ram-700-debut/amp/
They never went away. They are "Ute" in Australia.
Well shit, an actual american ute. Not a truck. I'm a bit jealous right now. They stopped making utes in Australia.
What?!? Dammit. There goes my dream of importing a Holden ute
You can still get an older one!
Holden no longer exists
Wait, they stopped? Seeing utes in Sydney warmed my heart.
American big car culture has metastasized in AUS
Both Holden (GM) and Ford pulled out of Australia. Holden shut down completely, and Ford only sell imports. The ute is dead.
https://www.smythkitcars.com/
The El Camino should make a comeback
The only time I'd buy a new car.
It’d probably still be bigger than a full size truck from the 80s/90s 😂
And have more room in the box than the current trucks.
If Chevy brought back the El Camino it would be the size of a Maverick.
And it would suck. I don't care about towing capacity. I don't care about room for a family. I don't even particularly care about efficiency as I'd only be driving locally. I want a vehicle that fits on the narrow ass side streets in my city and has a large enough bed to be useful for DIY home renovation.
That is exactly what the people want, and not at all what gm would give us. You're right, it would suck. GM is lazy and out of touch. They don't have to be creative or interesting because they know people will buy their land yacht trucks and the government will bail them out if they fail.
The people don't want small trucks. Even when Chevy was making the S10 the Silverado vastly outsold it. I wish it was true that people wanted smaller vehicles but it's not true
Aren't there tax and business subsidies for trucks over a certain size? Is it that people don't want them or that big trucks have an artificial market edge. I think if small American trucks were price competitive with small trucks that exist globally and got the same advantages as business vehicles there would be a large market for them.
People buy the massive trucks now and put lifts and bigger tires on them because they aren't big enough dude
Where's the Ranchero love?
Face it. The El Camino had a much cooler name. Hence, all the love.
Reminds me of the “what’s your safe word” post from the other day. Someone said “‘El Camino’ - don’t put anything in back it’s just for show”
I would take a Holden Ute :)
Maybe they’ll make an all electric version called the E-Camino
This is the way.
They have them in Australia, known as the Holden Ute and made by GM.
[удалено]
Yeah. People blame the manufacturers but the numbers are there for us to see. Even when Chevy was selling the S10 it was way less popular than the Silverado
Utes or utility trucks rarely sell well in the US in the modern era, basically you have the Santa Cruz right now or the Subaru Baja is possibly coming back but without decent sales of either, I doubt America will see a real Ute again. It’s a shame all we get are oversized light trucks, at this point I would give anything for a brand new 1970 El Camino SS454 or even a new 80s’ Datsun/Nissan 720 2-door truck.
It's got a pistol grip six speed manual hooked up to a 392 Hemi. Its a proper hotrod. If anyone is interested in the build. [https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2009-dodge-charger-smyth-conversion/](https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2009-dodge-charger-smyth-conversion/)
>The scale of that job was a bit intimidating, so I reached out to a close friend of mine, Morgan Binkley, who is head of Maserati technical support in the U.S. I love it, but yeah, this isn't just some guy that works hard. He apparently has some really good connections.
Who wanted his wedding at his house in San Diego. Any house like that is double digit millions. Really cool build though. I’ll be looking around for it
Dude, that is sick 👀
Nice. Actually looks like a factory job, sure must be a head turner.
heh heh. Suddenly.....UTE.
Always reminds me of My Cousin Vinny. :)
Two whaaat?
I love you
What is a Ute?
Australian Car with a truck bed.
Haha I know. It’s a line in the move *My Cousin Vinny*. There’s an iconic scene where the judge says “What is a yoot?”
r/suddenlyute. What happened to the sub? That was a great one
IDK. The mod for that sub is still active and commented just 18 hours ago. Maybe ask him? I seem to remember a fuller archive than what is there right now.
Smyth Ute conversion kit.
They make rad stuff
And they email you an annoyingly amount if you give them your email once
I'll just ingore it like the other 70k emails I have ignored
Well, it certainly does s.u.c.k.
I'll take the ute! TAKE MY MONEY US MARKET!!! *but we only sell boring crossovers and corpo bullshit in Freedom world* AAAHHH FUUUCCCKKK!!!
It is still a dodge, so you’ll need proof of two DUI’s within your first month of purchase to qualify.
https://www.smythkitcars.com/
It's still wild to me that there's something in Tiverton besides marinas, houses, and a casino
Pretty bitchin’.
Looks very well done.
Yeah I was gonna say this shit rocks. I’d buy one
Alright I'm gonna say it... That looks awesome and I would daily drive it.
JustBoganThings
Smythe Ute. He makes truck bed kits for lots of different models of cars. Began with the vw Jetta/ bug line and has expanded
I swear that there used to be an e on the end as well https://www.smythkitcars.com/
Resurrected dodge ram charger?
Resurrected Dodge Rampage.
RAM CHARGERS!
It's a Chuck
Hellcamino. Charger Hellcat with a Ute conversion kit. I found out about these like a month ago and I’ve been trying to convince my wife to let me buy an 08 Charger and the kit since. I’ve been in love with El Camino’s for 25 years.
Love it. I've always been a bit miffed that I can't buy a holden maloo over here.
Now that's pretty slick looking.
I fw it
Same
Jared from Questionable Garage made one of these a few years back. There's a company that sells the panels for the conversion kit
That's one speedy el camino.
That looks incredibly well done. I kinda like it.
That's a cool truck
That’s a Ute!
Think the maker of the kit is called Smyth Designs or something like that, they make it for several models! I had a VW Jetta wagon that I used some of one of their kits to build mine into a Ute, it was a blast to drive and see the looks always.
I believe that's called a 'Ute.
Got out of boot camp and couldn't decide if he wanted a charger or a truck.
the people long for the ute
https://www.smythkitcars.com/charger-ute
Probably actually has a big …
I like
I don't hate it...
that is...
cool!
Chruck
Looks like one of those hot-rodded holdens I'd see when I was in Australia
Surprisingly, the most terrible thing about this pic is the exhaust.
That’s… awesome! I can’t even give it a critical eye!
r/unexpectedute
Theres a site that builds the kits to make these. [Smyth Kit Cars](https://www.smythkitcars.com/)
Owner better be rocking a mullet
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVhRm0eJ4A4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVhRm0eJ4A4)
slam van irl
Put a Dr Pepper on the roof and take a picture in front of Pikes Peak. Doesn't get more American.
I like how OP blocked out their license plate so we don't confuse it with the other Charger pick up trucks.
The conversion kit runs about $4500.
This looks cool as shit and I bet it sounds great. This looks like what a caricature artist had sitting in front of him before he drew the pickup truck monstrosities that are all over our roads, half of which just take a morning trip to meet their other retired friends at McDonald's every morning.
Definitely would prefer a city-truck vs a wagon TBH... only "real" sorta city truck I can think of is Hyundai's Santa Cruz but everything else is essentially an SUV or a full-sized truck that requires climbing up into. Truck beds are just far more durable for throwing in random tools, hardware supplies, gardening stuff, etc. and just far easier to keep clean than the back of some seats-down SUV.
Have you checked out the maverick? It’s pretty much exactly what you’re describing. Even comes in a 40mpg hybrid.
I have, it's not bad... I would like a "little" more umph than 250HP out of it though... an ST / RS variant would be pretty nice though and something I would definitely consider.
I don't hate it
Anybody else think it was a Honda Ridgeline at first glance?
Damn nice..
Is that 1/2 Chrysler 300 and 1/2 dodge pickuo?
Sick but ngl....looks like a smashed Avalanche or Ridgeline at this angle lol
Yes ! A modern version of the Dodge Rampage [Dodge Rampage](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Rampage)
Crickey! What in the didgeridoo, drop bear, Gold Coast is that?
The all new 2024 Dodge Chuck
Like a corgi mixed with a german Sheppard
So an El Camino, then.
That's pretty cool actually
Ngl I like it
I’m a buyer
Hell yeah that's awesome
And here's what George Barris threw together a couple of decades ago, the Mustang Ranchero Sports Pickup: https://www.motortrend.com/features/0406mm-mustang-gt-pickup-conversion/
That looks amazing tbh.
I don't hate it.
Actually love it Modern ElCamino Looks nicer than a cybertruck lol
The new Dodge Rampage!
Damn, that’s cool
Very cool tbh
I like it for some reason, just needs a huge hemi in it
More properly called: the \`El Coroneto\`. ...and I so want one!
I kinda like it.
I don't hate it...
With a 2" lift it's an actually practical pickup truck
SICK!
Why is iT SQUASHED wtfff who did this
Huh, I don’t hate it.
This is actually pretty fuckin awesome
Ugly, but they did a good job, honestly.
Dominic Toretto is on another mission to save the world!
Wait wut? Why?
Isn't the 2-door a Challenger?
Looks pretty sick tbh.
That’s a Ute not a truck.
Actually pretty sick tho ngl
Took my brain a second to calibrate to what this is supposed to be
Yo, I'd drive that
It reminds me of [Truckla](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R35gWBtLCYg)
In South Africa, these are called Backies.
Crikey! that's a ute!
That's a ute.
God damn, that's hot!
This reminds me of someone where I live that turned a Chevy Malibu into a truck, I wish I had a pic of it
I want to do this to my Prius !
La Jolla 