Hiding in this garage is a project candidate that should offer a lot to its next owner. It is a genuine 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 Convertible, and while it requires total restoration, it retains its numbers-matching and potent mechanical components. If that sounds tempting, the seller’s decision to offer it with No Reserve could lift it to irresistible. They have listed the SS here on eBay in Rochester, New York. Five bids have pushed the price to $8,700, with a new home less than a week away for this classic.

Chevrolet offered 1969 Chevelle buyers a choice of seventeen paint shades, although it was always willing to accommodate Special Order vehicles at an additional cost. This car’s first owner selected Garnet Red with a Black power top. The first thing to note is that this classic is complete. The top is intact, although since it is lowered, its condition is unclear. The paint looks tired, and the winning bidder will probably strip the exterior to bare metal to achieve a high-end result. The lower body extremities look remarkably clean and solid, and the same is true of the frame. The seller admits that new floors and a trunk pan must find their way onto the buyer’s Shopping List, but these are readily available and affordable. Some trim pieces may be beyond salvation, but the glass looks quite good.

This Chevelle cements its muscle credentials the moment we lift the hood. Its engine bay houses a 396ci V8, while the first owner also selected a three-speed Hydramatic transmission, a 12-bolt 3.31 rear end, and power assistance for the steering and front disc brakes. The big-block generated 325hp and 410 ft/lbs of torque in its prime, allowing the SS to cover the ¼-mile in 15.2 seconds on its way to 117mph. The news for potential buyers is positive, with the seller claiming that this car is numbers-matching. That won’t be significant to some people, but many will welcome it as they consider this Chevelle’s long-term investment potential. The car hasn’t run for thirty-five years, but the generally bulletproof nature of the mechanical components might make revival fairly straightforward. Budgeting for a mechanical refurbishment is always wise because nothing is certain in a case like this. The included documentation will help this classic’s long-term cause, since the winning bidder receives the original Owner’s Manual, Protect-O-Plate, and what appears to be a large selection of Service Records and Invoices.

The supplied images reveal that this Chevelle’s interior is begging for as much TLC as its exterior. It would have looked pretty nice trimmed in its original Black vinyl. The first owner focused on outright performance, passing on luxuries like air conditioning. It appears that it may have featured a radio, but this is long gone. A retrim and new dashpad are required, along with smaller items like gauge lenses. However, the crucial components that serve as the foundation for this restoration are intact, meaning that the interior will probably consume around $2,200 of the buyer’s restoration budget.

Reviving this 1969 Chevelle SS 396 Convertible will take more than a few weekends of tinkering in a home workshop. A classic of this caliber deserves a “nut-and-bolt” approach, and I suspect that is the path the winning bidder will take. That raises the question of whether that approach is financially justified, which is always a question deserving of investigation. If the winning bidder pulls out all the stops in pursuit of perfection, the car’s numbers-matching status could realize a potential value of over $80,000. It requires a lot of work to reach that point, and with values softening during the last year, some enthusiasts will question whether that approach is justified. The trend of falling values has stabilized, which might indicate that they will climb again. If that is the case, this Chevelle could be a winner. Of course, there are times when future investment potential isn’t a factor, and it is the passion that drives people to restore classics of this caliber. Therefore, I won’t be surprised if this SS eventually emerges from a workshop looking exactly as it did in 1969. After thirty-five years in hibernation, it has earned that right.