Unusual Nikkormat?

Recently I acquired a Nikkormat EL from one of my neighbors. It has some problems which I may or may not attempt to fix - there seems to be a missing part around the ASA dial, through which I can see some wiring, and there is no rewind crank. Also I can't seem to change the ASA at all.

That's not the main reason for my post, however.

I always thought that the Nikon EL2 was the AI version of the Nikkormat EL; I've never seen a Nikkormat EL with an EL2 serial number (in this case, EL2 7945074). This camera definitely has a non-AI meter coupling. Is this just a really late Nikkormat EL, or is it a repair-shop hybrid?

Maybe an EL with an EL-2 top cover (which has the serial number).

Not sure if their top covers are interchangeable but they may be.

Okay, that would explain the opening near the ASA dial - the EL apparently didn't have an exposure compensation dial but the EL-2 did. I'm not certain if that would cause any light leaks but I doubt it (still going to tape it up, though). I did get the ASA dial to turn. Time to get a battery and put a roll of film through this camera.

Probably the best thing to do would be to find an AS IS EL or ELw at KEH, then swap top covers, that way you don't have to deal with the hole. A dead EL series body should be cheap.

-J