No matter the condition, it’s always hard for me to look the other way with about any American muscle car. It’s even harder to look away when the car is a 1970 Chevelle Super Sport. Unfortunately, this one caused me to cringe nearly as fast as it caught my attention. Found here on eBay, this 1970 Chevelle SS 396 is pretty rough. But is it worth restoring?
Even though the car is in bad shape, there is one unique aspect: it’s a number matching Super Sport Chevelle. Supposedly, this one comes with the original 396 big block and the parts to go with it. Even with the engine being pulled out and completely apart, it’s at least looks like the parts are still there. The engine was pulled in 1988 before it sat on a shed floor long enough for a hole to rust in the oil pan. Hopefully, everything is rebuildable, as the seller suggests.
It’d be nice to see some better pictures of the interior, but it’s not hard to imagine that it’s in pretty rough condition. It’s also not hard to imagine that most of it could still be there and could serve as a good basis to go back in with new parts. While not necessarily cheap, it’s good that Chevelle parts are readily available.
The seller indicates that the worst part of the rust is in the rear trunk area and, it does look pretty bad. A potential buyer should speculate that a lot more rust will be found hiding all over this car. Rear quarters and floorboards show significant signs of deterioration from the pictures. Much like the interior, it’s good that parts are readily available here. Knowing that this classic muscle car needs a full restoration, those already bidding on it have hopefully counted the costs. With a current bid of $6,500, what is this one worth in its current state?
Depending on what the ‘reserve’ on it is, it will be expensive or very expensive to get back on the road. To anyone considering this one my best suggestion would be to look at the HRM video set for “Drive Build Dream” cd’s for the 70 Chevelle Convertible they rebuilt from the ground up. I think you’re going to do on this pretty much everything on this one that was done to that one. Unless you have unlimited source for replacement parts, it’s going to be one big project with a comparable expense associate with it IMO.
I cant believe how many beat up SS bombs are still out there ! Here in New England, by the time these were 10 years old (if they survived) they usually ended up as a $1000 high schoolers car and really got thrashed . I would have thought most would have hit the crushers years ago when the price of steel went up – Heck , we cut an SS up to make a stock car in 1982 – It was a $50.00 junker that looked a little better than this one !
This is a tough call. I guess it depends on how far you want to go in terms of a comprehensive restoration. I see some serious rust in the photos but it is a complete SS Chevelle. If the bid hits $10 grand I think you’d be in too far even for a complete frame off. Hard to not give a matching number ’70 SS 396 real consideration though!
It’s a 70 Chevelle SS, if it’s for sure matching numbers, it’s worth that. Bench seat and column shift will hold the price back a little.
Yaaay! Another bombed-out SS 396!
If I had 50,000 that it costs to redo this, I’d buy another restored one.
This one and the one from earlier restored would make a really cool pair.
Some original brown paint showing. Another one testing the waters. Which means he might not sell it. Ambitious to say the least. Not for the faint of heart!
Good luck to the new owner. The fact that he has most of the original parts is a plu$.
Cheers
GPC
There seems to be no End to these.
How many have we seen in last two months ?
About 10 ?
Its too far gone.
If you own a shop, yes, if your gonna pay for a rustoration, cause it needs floors and quarters and so on, but one done, let the seller take the hit, everyone who does a car like this gets buried, if he has no skills, own a shop, the whole car is available, your labor of love
Get a crate motor, cut a nice hole for the m22, and save the cutout and put it in a pail with motor and tranny in case someone gets nostalgic . Leave the body like it is( do the minimum) drive it and dont worry about people leaning on it. Beat the crap 💩 out of it.
Another one that left the party decades ago..
Did they really build super sports with column shift?
Yes, bucket seats were optional.
Steve R