Never really had a hot car. Closest was probably my first car a 66 Plymouth Fury with a stock 318. Ex drivers ed car, then my dad's, then my brother's, then mine, then back to my brother. That car was hit more times than I can remember. My brother was hit 3 times in a week, twice by drunks within a couple of blocks of home. Graduated from that to a 72 Datsun 1600cc pick up. Prone to overheating and warping the head and body parts that rusted away in a hard winter. Then Chevy 1/2 ton pick up and 74 Toyota Land Cruiser. That Land Cruiser would go through a lot, but I was stuck in that thing more than anything else. Must have been where I was driving it.

The LC got a consistent 8 mpg on road/ off road/ summer or winter.
Red, your El Camino reminds me of the one my cousin had on the farm in Kansas, but I think hers was a little older. When My uncle got it for her, he didn't realize it had been tweaked a bit. It was pretty quick.