Behind the Wheel " This one has a larger engine, " Doug said. " It has a 396 cubic-inch engine with 350 horsepower and the car is all black. It was actually used by a funeral home. " He liked what he saw and jumped at the chance to purchase it. It would be a leap of faith, however. he could only go by what he saw in the pictures without checking the car in person at the time. The roar of the engine doesn't lie. Doug's El Camino never misses an opportunity to make its presence known when he drives through The Villages these days. " It does have a nice tone to it, " Doug said. " I can't leave this neighborhood without somebody knowing that I'm going down the street. It's not like today's cars. " Doug even displays his original metal license plate he had on his first El Camino so many years ago. He also has a rear license plate that belonged to a dignitary in Miami Beach. It reads, " 1W-1. " Between 1938 and 1975, each of the 67 counties in Florida had a number rank, based on population size. That rank was the first number on the driver's license plate. Miami-Dade was number 1 because it had the highest population. Doug pointed out that almost all of the components under the hood all the way down to the battery cover were original as well. Regardless of it's pristine condition though, he has no plans entering competitions or showing it off. " I just use it for my own pleasure, " Doug said. " If I haven't sold it, it'll be left to my son or daughter. It's a looker. " 48 AUGUST 2022