I’ve been looking for one of these for a while. What’s that you ask, a 1969 SS396 Chevelle? Well, sort of, I’ve been trying to find one that has been optioned on a 300 Deluxe trim level as opposed to the usually found Malibu – the normal starting point. Could this actually be a legitimate example? They are considered rare, so let’s search this one out and see what we can determine. This seldomly encountered Chevelle model/body style is located in Blacksburg, South Carolina and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $14,600 with the reserve not yet met. There is a BIN price of $40,000 available too.
From 1964 through 1968 the the Malibu SS and then the SS 396 Chevelles were defined as unique models by the numerals 3 and 8 occupying the second and third digit location of the VIN. All of that changed in ’69 when SS396 equipment became an option known as RPO Z25 and was made available on the Malibu coupe, convertible, and entry-level 300 Deluxe two-door sedan, such as our subject car. The total 1969 RPO Z25 count of 86K units has been identified and reported by many sources. The unknown seems to be how many ended up on model 3427, the second through fifth digit of the VIN and identifies a Chevelle as a V8-powered two-door, 300 Deluxe sedan. One published piece that appeared in hotcars.com put the estimate at 100 units but there’s no way to verify that number. Starting in 1970, the Super Sport package, RPO Z25 for the 396-equipped variants and RPO Z15 for those bearing a 454 motor was only available on the Malibu two-door hardtop and convertible.
Under the hood of this rather forlorn-looking car is a 325-gross HP, 396 CI V8 engine, the base Super Sport engine. Though it’s not stated, I gather this 128K mile specimen is a non-runner. To my surprise, this is a Baltimore-built car, destined for a South Carolina dealership, and the engine is equipped with an A.I.R. (smog) pump. I owned a similar hardtop Chevelle, built at the same assembly plant, and it was pumpless. To make things even rarer, this Chevelle is equipped with the standard three-speed manual transmission, ’69 being the last year that Chevy pared the 396 CI engine with that gearbox in a Chevelle SS – this is a very rare car! One underside image does show the correct twelve-bolt rear axle and the mud dauber nest that’s attached to it indicates that this car has been motionless for many moons.
This vintage of Chevrolet’s A-body likes to rust in three particular places, the fender legs, the quarters behind the rear wheel openings, and under the rear window reveal molding. The fender legs on this car appear to have been patched though I can’t really tell the status of the quarters. The area around the rear window looks problematic too as well as what’s radiating out from under the stainless molding that delineates the Dover White roof from the very faded Danube Blue body. The perimeter frame is showing signs of heavy scale and the floors have let go in places.
The first thing I noticed about the interior is the steering wheel, it’s wrong for this car and is from a ’71 or ’72 model – no telling what happened to the original. Beyond that, this standard bench seat configuration would be correct for a 300 Deluxe. The upholstery, which is rather pedestrian, is not of the same quality one would find in a Malibu. Beyond that, the entire environment, dash pad, carpet, door panels, etc. are all in rough shape. Two additional observations, the SS396 badge is still present on the face of the dash, above the glovebox, and the gear shifter is the original Muncie three-speed unit – try finding one of those today!
Let’s talk value. Assume the BIN of $40,000 and probably another $40K to restore it and you have $80K large in a rare car – but rare doesn’t necessarily translate into desirable – as in the two-door post-body-style and the three-speed gearbox. Regardless of the value argument, this Chevelle, with all of its extensive included documentation, is a fabulous find, wouldn’t you agree?
Agree it’s a great find but considering condition it’s not 40K great.
Jim ODonnell found his dream car :-)
More like a nightmare car considering its condition…
JO
Sold, for $25,000 with 44 bids.
Steve R
Guess the original owner got tired of AM radio and wished he had opted for an AM/FM instead. Except he obviously wasn’t an audiophile because he took a radio from a mid to late 70s GM car (known for poor sound quality) and hacked up the dash to make it fit. But there’s also a factory 8 track player….
This car did not come with an AM radio. If you look at the build sheet in the listing you’ll see the radio box is blank indicating it was ordered without a radio. It appears to be a factory 8 track player, but it’s not listed on the build sheet and I believe ordering the 8 track required ordering a radio. This really was a base car with the only option appearing to be the two-tone paint?
To the author, this car is painted Glacier Blue (code 53), not Danube Blue. Danube Blue was much darker and was a 65-66 Chevelle color. Also the A.I.R. system is correct for this car. All 69 Chevelle SS’ came with A.I.R. except the 396/325 with an automatic.
In 69 my cousin traded in a 68 SS396 El Camino on a new Glacier Blue 69 SS396 Chevelle when his wife announced she was pregnant. His SS396 was a hardtop with the white bucket seat interior and the white side stripe. He owned a body shop and didn’t like the stripe so he removed it and had a white vinyl top installed on it.
The invoice says, “install stereo tape”, but doesn’t show a price. The invoice doesn’t have any options listed. The out the door price, including sales tax and registration was $3,309.13.
Steve R
Even though the tail lights say 1969, I thought wing windows, on the front doors stopped in 1969?
Definitely not 40K.
I thought wing windows, on the front doors stopped in 1969.
Hardtop yes, post coupe (with window frames) no.
JO
If sold for 25k even if next buyer
Restored hands on
Best is break even money
Hopefully he or she just drives it
I owned a 69 396 325 4 spd mid eighties…one that I miss
Its just a busted up car.
Fantastic find, and I do hope it’s saved, but is $40K a realistic number in this day-and-age? Maybe if you could do everything yourself…
40K is not a realistic number when a restored one can be bought for around 60K.
I remember in high school back in the 70’s there were so many 396 Chevelle’s around. And boy they could smoke those tired. Looking back the school parking lot was full of classic cars that you could buy for a few hundred dollars.
40k oh get real!
Seems like a lot for a fairly rough post car. A fellow club member had a post car 1966 GTO that he tried to sell about 15 years ago. People would say they weren’t interested in a post car. It doesn’t matter so much to me because they are lighter and theoretically stronger, but to a lot of people the post isn’t so desirable.
I have never seen a 69 ss with a post I think this is a 300 deluxe.
Did you actually read the post?
JO
A good friend of mine had a dippy BIL with a 375 hp 396. Turbo 400 on column. Tach and gauges. Pwr. steering pwr. disc brakes. Passed for $1000. Moldy food under the seat. Never serviced. Dark Green and black interior. All on a 300 deluxe post coupe. Ran good. This was after turning down a 67 Shelby 350 for a grand. Cousin got it in a divorce.
40k for this car that needs complete restoration, is a delusional dream!
Well…. That bin is way too much. You’re right, it’ll take 40k to get it pretty again and then there’s just not any real support for it to fetch north of 60k
Has the wrong tail light buckets to be a 300 dosent it?
Restoration costs would be excessive… Kudos for a transparent seller but think about it,paint/body, interior, mechanicals not to mention unknown gremlins.Yes rare does not always mean desirable and that would appear to be the case with this one.
Rare in this case might actually mean something. I’m not sure how Chevelle enthusiast value 2dr sedans (post) cars, however, 1969 was the one year it was available as an SS. Production was very low and these are incredibly rare today. Someone out there willing to pay a premium for it. There is someone that posts to this forum on occasion named Jeff, that has a collection of rare Chevelle’s that could shed light on this cars value if he sees this posting and decides to chime in.
Steve R
Too bad it’s such a rust bucket
Is it proper to call it an SS396, as it has no Super Sport equipment. Why not call it a Chevelle 300 with a 396 c.i. engine, like a COPO car. I dont see anything SS about it. Also , not worth $40k.
The original invoice in the pictures provided in the description clearly shows SS 396. It has all of the required equipment such as 396, power disk brakes 12 bolt and SS specific 5 spoke wheels. What it doesn’t have are extra cost options commonly associated with an SS such as 4spd, bucket seats, console Tach and gauges. This car is as striped down as you could get it, but it’s a real SS and has the documentation to prove it.
Steve R
O.K. I always thought SS meant the bucket seats, console and SS trim, etc. and that you could get an engine with it, including the straight six. Maybe comments on other SS Chevies were wrong.
William, what you said would be correct for 64’s and 65’s, afterwards it turned into a performance package centered around the engine.
Steve R
A nice unmolested car ,the a.i.r pump tells 90% the life this buggy lived ! Very easy life ,by looking at pics i would bet 25000 miles is all it rolled ,
Over priced.Needs a lot of work .Nice car at about 15,000 thousand.
5700.00$ only 325 horse and all the rest.meebee not even that.
Another really cool car, rare designation, but with a few troubling add-ons and take-aways, making it a rare hodge podge at best. And another clear case of ‘BJ-itis’, the seller wanting top dollar for something that just ain’t worth it! I’m with the fella who said that if you want one of these, keep looking for one that’s a little closer to being original, with lots less rust, more actual original bits and pieces, and less crusty for a few dollars more. Glwts y’all…
I agree with Steve. To some degree (and to someone), in this case, I think rare does mean valuable. It’s a one year only, real, SS 396. I’m confident that if someone was to restore and show it, it’s highly unlikely they’d ever see another one there. That alone is worth something.
$40 grand for that? Uh NO I will go to Mecum or Barrett-Jackson and over pay for one I can actually drive home
Rare? Rare what? It’s a postcard? That’s worth less than a hardtop.always has been always will be.crazy people.
For $40k I’ll sell my ‘71 Monte Carlo SS which runs and looks great!
Bj, I’ll buy it…. (just a bit less than $40k ok?).
Anyway, my guess is that car was bought for drag racing. Nothing more, nothing less. Then someone bought and drove it on the street.
Just a guess.
Barely worth the $19,000 current bid
Seems like the buyers of 69 Chevelles are well into their 70s now, and losing interest in collectable cars. While I love what this car could be, you have to wonder if you will be any buyers left in 10 more years. For that reason, the 40K BIN is not reasonable.
A friend had a 69 300 Deluxe SS396 hardtop. 375HP, 4.10 Posi, 4 speed, lime green metallic, whatever they called it. Cheap seats, vinyl floor. Bought it new. Had a vinyl top and tape stripe on the side. Bought it off the lot that way. Never saw another 300 hardtop though I did see a white post car with the stripe back then.
@ gbvette62….You ARE correct. When I ordered my Z25 convertible in Vietnam, I too opted for the 8-track but was told, ‘Not w/o a radio!’ by the GM sales rep. An 8-track in a ragtop was a bit of a Catch-22. When the top was down the rear speakers [located behind the rear seat] were useless!
@ gbvette62………I know that though the cowl tag lists Dover White over Glacier Blue, that paint surely more closely resembles code-71, LeMans Blue.
@ Steve R…If the tape player would’ve been factory-ordered, U57 was a $133.80 option.
The dealer invoice only said install, it’s picture 37 of 41 on the bottom of the column listing optional equipment and accessories. There are no prices shown for options there or on the column on the right hand side which shows “price if car” $3,185.80 only, below that it says “optional equip. & access., that is blank until the bottom of the column where it shows sales tax of $116.83 and registration of $6.50 then “Total cash price” $3309.13.
This is probably the lowest optioned Chevelle SS of 1969.
Steve R
It IS kosher to refer to it as an SS396 Chevelle for the mere fact it has a 396 under the bonnet from the factory. Other than the El Camino being available w/the big block though not designated an SS, a 300 deluxe coupe [not the sport coupe] likewise has that honor due its 1-year-only 396 inclusiveness.
@ William M Gulbrandsen….Bucket seats were only standard in SS Chevelle’s in ’64 & ’65….thereafter always an option. The same misconception may exist re. fullsize SS Chevy’s, though it was from ’62 to ’66 only, that buckets were “stock” in a Super Sport Impala.
Thanks for the info.and clarification.
I can’t speak for ’67, but bucket seats and a center console were standard equipment in the ’68 Impala SS – note the attached. I still own one that I’ve had for many years so I’m pretty familiar with how they came equipped.
Now, the SS 427 (’67-’69) did not come standard with buckets/console. The SS option (RPO Z03) needed to be added in ’67 and ’68, or the bucket seat option (RPO A51) in ’69.
JO
The rust/dollar ratio is way too high on this unit.
this person needs to give his head a shake to see if anything rattles.40 grand for a rust bucket is ridiculous when it needs a complete redo.even if you can do the work yourself you are looking at 30 grand to get to where it should be and if you can’t you’ll be looking close to 50.I say even at half that rice is too much.
Yep, just another seller thinking that they have a “rare” gold mine…Get real..only a certain person with the cash will pay that for this Chevelle…Pushing the true guys out of the market.. that WOULD actually do the elbow work themselves are Blue collar workers..Not the elite White shirts.
I agree go buy someone else’s that’s restored
This 1 after purchase price plus costs will bury you and what did you actually achieve …
It is easy to recall just how gorgeous these cars were when new in this color combination. There were a lot of Chevelles, but not many 396’s and they were a really hot ride. As has been pointed out many times on this site, rare does not necessarily equate to valuable.