The 1970 Chevelle offered two versions of SS, the 396 V8 or the new 454 powerhouse. Combined, they would see production of just shy of 50,000 units. And, today, one of these cars can fetch close to six figures in the right condition. That may be the reason that the 1970 Chevelle SS 396 is one of the most often cloned muscle cars some fifty years later. The seller admits his unfinished project is an SS clone, with a 327 engine from an older model Chevy. This car is sitting under an open standalone carport in Central, South Carolina and is available here on eBay where the bidding has reached $9,400, but the reserve is still looming.
Many consider this model year of the Chevelle Super Sport the “gold standard” of muscle cars. You could order the 396 edition which was actually 402 cubic inches in displacement and capable to producing 350 or 375 hp depending on the set up. If that weren’t enough car for you, you could check the box for the 454 engine which put out a minimum of 360 hp, but they could also hook you up with the LS6 version that was just shy of one horse per cube or 450 hp and 500 lb.-ft. of torque. Optional with those engines was the ZL2 hood package, which came with hood pins, racing stripes and a functional cowl induction hood system.
The seller says he bought this Chevelle about three years ago and began restoring if. But efforts stopped about two years into the project. Besides the car needing fresh paint and body stripes, there may or may not be any rust to be dealt with. The front bumper and valance are missing and not likely to be in with all the parts that have been kept in the trunk. We’re told the exhaust will need replacing along with the headliner, but the rest of the interior may be nothing worse than dirty. The car was ordered with bucket seats and a console, a plus toward creating an SS clone.
There are two schools of thought on this car’s status as a clone. If this was a regular Chevelle, it was painted, striped and badged as an SS at one point, including a cowl induction hood, so why drop in a 327 V8 which wasn’t a powerplant available in 1970? If you were going to go for a clone from the get-go, why not replace whatever was there before (350?) with a 396 or 454 to begin with? The other school of thought is that this car was an SS to begin with and the clone part is in a visual sense only. It had a 396 to start with, something happened to that motor and a 327 was available as an immediate substitute. An SS clone with a 327 under the hood isn’t likely to raise too many eyebrows.
The transmission is said to be a 350 Turbo-Hydramatic that probably came with the 327 motor. Wasn’t the TH-400 the tranny that would have been paired with the 396 or 454 from the factory? Whatever the situation is with the motor and Turbo-H, the seller says it does run well although he hasn’t been touched in the past year. He bought it with a bill of sale from a seller in Vermont and that’s the way the car will be transferred to the next owner. No title is available in part because Vermont doesn’t require them for vehicles of this age.
A real deal 1970 Chevelle SS in Fair condition is worth $43,000 according Hagerty. If you scale up to Concours, it’s more like $83,000. But as a work-in-progress clone with an incorrect motor and transmission, what should it fetch now and later? Reasons to stay tuned to see how this auction turns out.
Most sellers of even the worst clones play word games to muddy the water, so this seller gets points for being upfront that it’s not real. His BIN now price is $20,000, which is rather optimistic considering its unfinished condition and general untidiness.
Steve R
Not uncommon to see these with a small block, usually a dressed up 350, years ago, particularly in the eighties. Even real SS 396 cars were being changed out for mouse power.
It would make a neat driver if it could be had for cheap….something that eludes these great Chevys anymore. I think in red terms but prefer blue cars, strange.
A word of a new lesson – be careful buying any car in Vermont If the age is in the 70’s or older it seems or if it’s true . Anyone know more about this ? . Why would any state have a real reason to do that ?. Kind of puts a big question mark on things , Authenticity of titles, if you get one , buying with a bill of sale only ??. How do you verify anything with a bill of sale on a piece of paper . Do you apply for a lost title ? . This doesn’t even sound right , never bought a car in Vermont . Maybe somebody comment on this issue that knows more about this .
There are many states that do not require a title for older cars, NH being one of them. I bought my Vette in ’85 on a Bill Of Sale and that was normal, never gave it a thought.
When I went to sell it a few years back, I applied for a duplicate title and all I had to do was bring it to the local police station for visual verification of the VIN and that the registration matched.
I did this anticipating that I would be selling to someone out of state and wanted to make it easier for them. Turns out that it sold to someone in NH.
I’m pretty certain that there are other ways for someone in a title state to buy vehicles in a no title state. Just have to do some paperwork.
The title issue is not that big a deal as long as the car has not been reported stolen at some point in its life. But you have to run the VIN before you buy it. His BIN price seems to be a bit high, but I have no idea the amount of parts that come along with this car, or the work he has done restoring it already, but he did himself no favors leaving it outside like that. GLWS.
I can’t speak for VT specifically but Rhode Island is the same. Titles are for 2000 and newer. Bill of Sale and a Registration (maybe expired) that matches Bill of Sale is all you get for documentation. Nothing sinister just the way it is. Surrounding states are familiar with the system, so it’s not usually a problem.
I live in Louisiana and without a title this is a parts car. State of Louisiana DMV doesn’t play.
Interesting question about it being a clone.
It could have been a basic Chevelle and the motor swap was done before they found the SS parts. A lot of clones don’t bother with the steering wheel so that’s a plus , but the dash is the rectangle speedo. I don’t know if all real SS came with the 3 round gauges.
It’s got a lot going for it including the functional hood ( working?) and factory A/C.
If its not crusted underneath it will bring a good price
Probably the rectangle dash and those aftermarket gauges below it indicate it might not be a real SS396-454. It should have an SS steering wheel if its a true SS. The car has been repainted if you look inside the trunk, but that shouldn’t be of any importance for this car. The lack of a title might be a problem in some States making it a parts car.
The seller clearly states in his ad the car is a clone and not a real SS.
Based on his asking price, there is no valid excuse for not having a title in his name to hand to the purchaser at the time the transaction is completed.
Steve R
Some states do not require them. A paper title that is. Arizona always used to but that changed. Not sure if it was Covid related or not because for awhile you could not even go into an MVD office here. Now all you have to do is have a notarized official MVD Bill of Sale to transfer ownership. If you request an actual paper title they will mail you one but it is no longer required.