Chevrolet should have won some kind of award for their long model names. Chevrolet Chevelle Super Sport Convertible – that’s a mouthful. Well, perhaps a car this cool does justify a name that long. The seller believes this is a real SS and all the clues do appear to be there. The 396 under the hood is not original to the car, but I’m not complaining. The rust may be an issue though because this car has sat outside under a tarp for almost 30 years. That hasn’t stopped a bunch of people from bidding on it here on eBay though. The car is located in Holbrook, New York and the auction ends tonight!
The 396 wasn’t even an option in the Chevelle SS in ’72. The base engine was the 350 two-barrel, but you could also get a 350-4, a 402, or a 454. Some may want to drop one of those in there, but as long as this one isn’t totally shot, I’d probably stick with this upgraded 396. It is claimed to be a ’69 model and that is a very good thing…
This car has the cool Cowl Induction option! This package included this special hood with sport stripes, hood pins, and that flap that opened when you nailed it! With 396 power, Cowl Induction, and a convertible top this Chevelle project is really starting to sound like an exciting proposition, isn’t?
Well, the excitement can diminish real quick when there’s rust involved and apparently there’s plenty of it hidden here. The floors have been replaced, but the whole frame needs to be pulled out replaced too. The seller is including a solid convertible frame so that helps, but the next owner needs to realize that this is going to be a lot of work before any cowl vents will be opening. Still, this does look like it was once a lot of fun!
The “396” was technically a “402” in 1970 and on in the SS models.
The vin number on this car indicates it was originally equipped with a 350 4V. It would be a big task to completely restore this one. I don’t think “wash it off and drive as is” is an option.
Someone put a lot of work into this one before they abandoned it in the dirt.
Who does that? Jeez.
Evidently someone saw more in it than I did. It sold for way more than I would have give. We already know it’s not a factory big block and I’m sure it’s not a factory SS car. So someone gave $10k for a rusty Chevelle Convert.
These were worth decent money 20 years ago. Why someone threw it away is a head scratcher.
I’d guess that the seller didn’t so much throw it away but rather couldn’t part with it. He probably ran out of money and had no indoor storage for it. I’m not a fan of drop tops but I do remember these well when I was a kid. I think that if this car was a hardtop it would maybe ( and that’s a big MAYBE ) be worth the 10k it sold for. One thing I don’t understand is is why the seller didn’t at least get this thing jacked up and put on blocks. The other thing I don’t get is these car tents have been available for years now and would be far better than a tarp and they’re not big bucks, you just need to keep them open a bit in nice weather to keep the humidity down or run a small fan when the weather is wet.
I believe the 402 was 1971 and reduced power. I may be wrong.
What a shame to let a car like this just sit.
All I remember is after the heady days of Chevy 283, 327, 396 and 427 engines with no smog crap, by 1972, the performance was so far down the scale, that those 350 engines were a big disappointment. “Sucked” I think is the word I am looking for.
The Cowl Induction with flapper was only an option on the 454 SS in 71 and 72. Definitely an SS clone. Not bad though and I agree, it is going to be a lot of work but worth it in the end. I’d rebuild the 396 or drop in a crate 502!