As the muscle car movement was changing in the early 1970s, so was the Chevelle Super Sport. Rather than a 396 or 454 being the typical engine under the hood by 1971, you could get any optional V8 and transmission with the SS package. That included an L65 350 (2-barrel) or L48 350 (4-barrel), either of which could have been in the seller’s car when new. Located in Schenectady, New York and here on eBay, this major project has generated bidding interest of $2,600 so far.

The popularity of the mid-size muscle car in the 1960s led to Chevrolet giving the Chevelle SS 396 separate series status for 1966-68. After that, the SS would be an appearance, performance, and handling package through 1970 and then more show than go after that. Of 515,000 Chevelle’s built for 1971, it’s not known how many were Super Sports or how many of those came with a 350 cubic-inch V8 as was in the seller’s car. We’re told it’s a numbers-matching vehicle, but the drivetrain has been out of the car for some time and the engine is said to be too far gone to restore considering it was left outside in the elements. The TH-350 automatic transmission, fortunately, didn’t meet that fate.

This is one rough car, so bringing it back to a like-new state will be expensive and time-consuming. The floors, quarter panels, fenders, and more have all been subjected to considerable rust or damage. The driver’s side fender looks as though a pry bar was taken to it. The hood has a kink in it but may be salvageable. While all of this is not encouraging, we’re told the frame is good with just some pitting here and there. And all the glass is said to be good except for the windshield.

The interior best says that this car has been sitting outside for a very long time. The upholstery has disintegrated, and a chunk is missing out of the dash pad. The headliner has fallen down, and the carpeting is likely not worth saving. If you weren’t going to undertake a restoration, what would you salvage here for parts? The cowl tag doesn’t seem to provide any information that would be helpful for another Chevelle project. As the seller says, “what you see is what you get.”