Name: Belinda McLachlan
Vehicle: 1981 Chevrolet El Camino

Cool-looking car, tell us a bit about it.
It’s an ’81 Chevrolet El Camino. It has a baby 305 in it and it’s left-hook, which I love.

What is it that women seem to like about El Caminos? And why did you decide to buy one?
Yeah, gals love these cars; I think it’s the shape and the fact that they’re not too big compared to other classic beasts. Having said that, they are not exactly a family wagon, more of a bachelorette wagon, ha-ha.

What future plans do you have for it?
I plan on a new tonneau cover in black. Just got my custom-painted 20-inch Foose wheels ” they didn’t come in black in that fitment. Long term I will paint the car black and put in a 350, and upgrade the interior to black leather. For now it’s tidy and straight and running sweet!

What reaction do you get driving this compared to what you used to drive?
People do think it’s my dad’s or a boyfriend’s car; I get a lot of questions from young and old, male and female. People wave and toot etcetera, quite funny. I had a Subaru before this, quite modified, and that got a reaction from younger people; the El Camino is universally loved. Ha ha.

How do you find the maintenance compared to a later model car?
As far as maintenance goes, I have a lot more guys willing to help and work on it, plus with all the classic car groups out there, there are a lot of networks to utilise ” it’s great.

What’s with the sticker on the back window?
The Hooligans sticker on the back is my good friend Shauno’s clothing label ” it rocks! He is also a classic car fan, and a group of us do the Hooligan convoys.

Cheers for your time, Belinda. Catch you out there cruising.
Thanks for the chat!