With its debut in 1958, the Chevrolet El Camino was, needless to say, a rather unique vehicle for the engineers at GM to dream up (partly thanks to the Ford Ranchero, which emerged in 1957). Even in that revolutionary period of automotive design and artistic license, it was rather strange to see an automobile that combined the looks of a car with the utility of a pickup truck.

The yearning for an El Camino silhouette applied to an altogether different platform must have been the driving force behind this customized coupe, a 1948 Stylemaster found in a field in Montana. We’re not sure of who, when, or where this “conversion” was done, but we are sure that it made an appearance on the Portland area Craigslist, where it was to be sold for $2,800.

From what we were able to gather before the listing ended, the car made it to Welches and was slated to become a rat rod. When that passion fizzled and went away, the owner threw it up for sale online, but it’s unknown whether or not he was able to find the right buyer.

Regardless, the original engine survived the nearly 70 years of rain, snow, and sunshine, but the transmission was swapped for one from a contemporary truck. The body itself looked to be in relatively decent shape, all things considered, though there was some noticeable rust taking form around the weld seams where the rear panel was fitted. Interestingly enough, these postwar utes could be found quite easily in Australia, where Chevrolet sold them as factory-made units.

What do you think of this proto-El Camino? Is a project car with serious potential, or a hopeless hooptie? Drop down below to leave a comment.