Some enthusiasts find a project build beyond their capabilities. The issue could be skill levels, lack of time, or simply not knowing where to start. That makes vehicles like this 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS hard to resist. Once the buyer hands over their cash, they will drive away in a car that needs nothing. It isn’t 100% original, but it will still command respect wherever it goes. The SS is listed here on eBay in Dongola, Illinois. Bidding falls short of the reserve at $10,102, although some may find the BIN option of $55,000 impossible to resist. I’ve never doubted the accuracy of Barn Finder Larry D’s classic radar, so a big thank you goes to him for spotting this beauty.
Chevrolet introduced its Second Generation Chevelle in 1968 with an appearance radically different from its predecessor. Gone was the Coke-bottle styling in favor of a more sculptured look and a slight decrease in wheelbase. The company found itself with a sales hit because 422,893 buyers purchased a Chevelle across all body and model variants. More impressively, 62,785 splashed the extra cash for the SS 396 version. Our feature car is one of those vehicles, with a lot to like and little to criticize. It underwent what the seller describes as a previous restoration, but I’d call it a refurbishment due to some changes we will cover shortly. The restorer applied the car’s original Grecian Green shade over laser straight panels. There are no visible flaws or defects, with the crisp stripes and sparkling chrome helping this classic turn heads. Rust isn’t an issue, with the underside shots confirming this SS is rock-solid and rust-free. The Soft Ray tinted glass is flawless, with the Chevelle rolling on immaculate Rally wheels with center caps and trim rings. The decision to wrap the wheels in redline tires was inspired, adding the ideal finishing touch.
The immaculate presentation continues when we open the doors and examine this Chevelle’s interior. The Black vinyl upholstery shows no evidence of wear, with the same true of the carpet and wheel. Someone swapped the factory radio for a retro-style stereo with speakers in the rear parcel tray. Reversing the modification would not be difficult, but I would probably leave it as-is at the moment. The dash and pad are spotless, but I’ve spotted one discrepancy in what the seller describes as a “correct” interior. The gauge cluster features a speedometer in the left recess, with a round tachometer, fuel gauge, and three warning lights in the right recess. However, my reference material indicates the tach should sit between the two recesses as a vertical “roller” or “barrel” unit. It is a small detail, but it is those that separate good classic projects from great ones. Black upholstery can make life unpleasant on hot days, so the inclusion of ice-cold air conditioning in this car is welcome.
This Chevelle rolled off the line as a genuine SS 396, making it one of America’s most desirable muscle cars. It is unclear which version of the big-block originally called this engine bay home, but if we believe the air cleaner decal, it was the L34 producing 350hp. Getting so much power to the road is challenging, although feeding it via a four-speed Muncie manual transmission and a 12-bolt rear end would seem a good solution. Power steering should help take the physical effort out of time behind the wheel, and power front disc brakes should safely and effectively bring proceedings to a halt. When it was shiny and new, this Chevelle would have scorched through the ¼ mile in 14.4 seconds. I’ve used the past tense so far because this SS is no longer numbers-matching. The builder performed an engine upgrade, with the 396 making way for a 454. Its specifications are unclear, but apart from the aftermarket headers, I can spot an upgraded intake and carburetor. Other enhancements may hide inside that motor, suggesting that the driver might have considerably more than 350hp under their right foot. Whatever the truth, we’re told it runs and drives exceptionally well, making it a turnkey classic requiring nothing but a new owner.
If this 1968 Chevelle SS were a numbers-matching 396, I would have no hesitation in saying the BIN figure is justified. It presents superbly, with no rust or immediate needs. Although the builder fitted a different engine, it is still a big-block, and recent sales results indicate that the figure remains in the ballpark. It has only received nine bids, but it is early days in this auction. I believe the action could become frantic as the end draws near, and if it reaches $54,000, I expect someone to hit the BIN button. Would you do that, or is taking the risk via the auction process your preferred approach?
Beauty for sure, big block Chevelle screw the #’s many had the engine torn up and dealer put a replacement engine in back in the day. Asking a solid number but nice example.
Everytime see a 68 ss I think of all the ones i had. This ss is very clean.I will look up the int. pics and see what the issue is on the guage issue is .The 68s had a very unusual tach I was told its refered to as a barrel tach or a roll tach.My list of 68 chevelles, 2nd of all the cars, trucks I went through. that first was a true ss 4spd console,very clean except the front nose was out of alinement-she ran into a parked car! Years later i got a 68 ss/convertibleVery nice,weacked it.I found a 68None ss for parts-nice car lots of options 350 4/spd (gone) Cn ool was that it had the roll tach.I kept ai
That’s sweet. I like the color. The 4spd makes it perfect.
Must be a blast to hammer the 1-2 shifts 😎
This car, my friends, was what every gas pump jockey, paperboy, bagboy and military soldier worked their butt off for, the ’68, 396, 4 speed Chevelle. It literally turned the tide for Chevy. I read, the 396 came out in 1966, but I think it was the style of this car, AND the 396, made it irresistible. At $2899, it was a direct kick in the nads to the Road Runner( $2870) and could easily leave the ‘bird in the dust. Wile E. Coyote should have had a 396 Chevelle. ( did you ever see the “Family Guy” rendition of when the coyote finally catches the RoadRunner, and his life afterward. MacFarlane is an incredibly perceptive guy)
Yes sir, it didn’t get much better than the 396 Chevelle, until the 454 , of course. I say this a lot, but it must be pretty tough to have to part with these fantastic icons of our, ( and obviously their) youth. Allegedly, up to $21gs, IDK, getting a tad rich for most people, and I wouldn’t believe an Ebay ad any more than a FB Marketplace one.
The Z16 Chevelle came out in 65. Only 201 were built.
My 440road runner ate a few of these
Well, I’d hope so, I doubt it beat a 454, however. Besides, I can remember on one hand, how many 440 RoadRunners there were. I bet 9 out of 10 I saw had a 383.
Beautiful car, & would be difficult to build for the asking price, although I would rather have the 396 than a 454. But that’s just me, otherwise, a great car. My parents owned a 68 SS with the L78 & 4 speed, butternut yellow with black vinyl top. I remember my mother driving it, at every stop sign or red light, she either stalled it or left a pair of black stripes. Ended up trading it for a red 70 Mach 1. Oh to have either one now.
A very nice ’68 SS in a color I really like , the color reminds me of a ’66 Corvette Convertible I once owned it was Mosport Green . I like the upgrade to the 454 cause I’m kinda a restomod type of guy and the Vintage Air would be very welcome. What puzzled me about the car was the explanation (sort of) about the cowl tag explaining the Buick interior ? It definitely is a top dollar car but may be priced a bit high, but probably worth it to someone with deep pockets .
RE: Buick interior. Apparently there was a shortage of the proper Chevelle items at at least one plant, and the ‘identical’ Buick items were installed in quite a number of these to get them built and out the door. I’ve read about these in the past.
Adam, you are partially correct with your info about the tach, and here is why. When the customer ordered the SS package, the tach was included automatically with real gauges, not the standard idiot lights. Now, here’s what determines whether it was a vertical “roller” or “barrel” unit; if the customer also ordered the optional (beginning 1968 it was optional) electric clock, then they would receive the vertical tach. If no clock was ordered a “standard” sweep tach was used in place of where the optional clock would have been used. I hope I’ve explained the confusion of which tach is the proper one, without creating more confusion. The 1969 SS gauge package used a sweep tach like the 1968 gauge package without the electric clock option. Finally, the 1969 optional electric clock was a small round unit placed where the 1968 vertical tach was used. Obviously the person who ordered this 1968 SS could have cared less what time it was when going through the checklist of options.
With all due respect, my friend, all 68 Super Sports did not automatically come with tach and guages. They had to be ordered. Maybe I misunderstood your comment, but just as many SS cars came without tach and guages as came with tach, at least in the 68 through 70 models. The other years, I don’t know. Probably the same. SS had nothing to do with a tach. You had to order it or you didn’t get it.
My first car same color chevelle.307 4 speed 12 bolt rear bench seat motor was worked Solid cam 327 power pack heads edolbrock manifold holly 650 carb real sleeper paid 1300 for it wow how things have changed
Posi also back in 1971 wish my wife would let me buy this one
has nobody notice that the gaps between the fenders and hood doesn’t match and the rear chrome is off. it may look good but I think that this car was in a big accident.
Love to have this chevelle, brings back memories I was a freshman in high-school when my dad came home with a 69 chevelle ss 396 4 speed dark green white vinyl top. But he didn’t keep it too long seems he was always trading cars. I ended up with a 70 gaxily 500 2 door also green that he passed off to me but it had a 390 in it and I beat many ss 396 chevelles in that gaxily. But these were nodout 325 versions a 375 horse would have ate my lunch for sure. Years later my favorite motor became a big block chevy, so when it came time for a motor fo my home built 32 Ford roadster what else for this chevy guy but a BBC hooked to a muncie m21 4 speed and yea “if she had a set of wings she could fly”.
’68….last year for the door vent windows in the GM A body!
I always was confused by the post and non post Chevelle’s in 68. Why did GM offer so many options like that and what’s worth more?
You could get a post Chevelle from 65 through 69. I’m not sure about the 64 model. 69 was the only year you could get a post in the SS model. SS models are generally worth more than Malibus.