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Scary 1970 Chevelle SS

1970-chevelle-ss-396

This 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS has supposedly been stored in a barn since 1990. It is equipped with a 396 and a four-speed manual, so it should be loads of fun. The exterior may be a little scary, but it does run and appears to be solid. Find it here on eBay out of Weyauwega, Wisconsin where bidding is at $7,900 with no reserve.

1970-chevelle-ss-396-engine

The seller states that they do not know if this is a numbers matching car. They do know that it is fitted with the F-41 suspension package though. It can be hard to verify what engine was originally fitted at the factory because it was not mentioned in the VIN or buck tag until a few years later. Colors, trim, and options were listed, but not displacement. There were three 396 variations; the 350hp L34, the 375 L78, and the aluminum head L89, so you will want to get the number off the front of the block to determine which one is actually in there.

1970-chevelle-ss-396-bench

Bucket seats may hold you in place better, but we love the idea of a bench seat in a muscle car. It is unassuming and your significant other can hang unto your arm during stoplight drags. Muscle cars weren’t built to go around corners anyway. The seats will need a good cleaning and the carpet will need to be reinstalled as the original was removed when the car was parked in an attempt to save the floors.

1970-chevelle-ss-396-side

This Chevelle looks menacing in black. If there isn’t any rust-through we would be tempted to just go through the mechanicals and drive this beast as-is. Just think of all the children and hybrid drivers you could frighten with this thing…

Comments

  1. Avatar jean Lecointe

    How lucky you are in the US to find so interesting and fascinating cars. In France this sort of cars does’nt exist. If it did, I would clean inside and out, put back the engine turning and cruise her as she is.

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  2. Avatar Catfish Phil

    Had that aftermarket Hurst shifter on my 3-speed ’70 Nova and boy do they rattle! This one is definitely not a patina car… gonna need a paint job and a whole lot more.

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  3. Avatar paul

    Like the Formula Firebird 400 last week it really is sad to see these neglected but that is what Barnfinds is all about, so I hope they sell to someone who will restore it back to what it was & though I like to see these brought back to original I hate bench seats so that would need to be stored & some stock buckets & console be put in place, but that’s me.

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  4. Avatar Connor

    Even though I’m a fan of originality, I would restore this back to showroom condition.
    Also, just looking at it makes me think how much more menacing it would look in matte black.

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  5. Avatar Jeff

    Jesse here is some more 396 Specs:

    396 and 402[edit]

    The 396-cubic-inch (6.5 L) V8 was introduced in the 1965 Corvette as the L78 option and in the Z16 Chevelle. It had a bore of 4.094 in (104.0 mm) and a stroke of 3.76 in (96 mm), and produced 375 hp (280 kW) and 415 lb·ft (563 N·m). This version of the 396 was equipped with four bolt main bearing caps and was very comfortable with being operated in the upper 6000 rpm range.

    Introduced in 1970, the 402-cubic-inch (6.6 L) was a 396-cubic-inch bored out by 0.030 in (0.76 mm). Despite the fact that it was 6 cubic inches (98 cc) larger, Chevy continued marketing it under the popular “396” label in the smaller cars while at the same time labeling it “Turbo-Jet 400” in the full-size cars. The 402 label was used in Light Pickup Trucks.

    Power rating(s) by year:
    1965: 375 hp (280 kW)/425 hp (317 kW)
    1966: 325 hp (242 kW)/350 hp (260 kW)/360 hp (270 kW)/375 hp (280 kW)
    1967: 325 hp (242 kW)/350 hp (260 kW)/375 hp (280 kW)
    1968: 325 hp (242 kW)/350 hp (260 kW)/375 hp (280 kW)
    1969: 265 hp (198 kW)(2bbl)/325 hp (242 kW)/350 hp (260 kW)/375 hp (280 kW)
    1970: 330 hp (250 kW)/350 hp (260 kW)/375 hp (280 kW)
    1971: 300 hp (220 kW)
    1972: 240 hp (180 kW)
    396L-34: produced 1966-9, 10.25:1 compression, Holley (Q-jet 1968-9) carburetor, hydraulic lifters, oval port closed chamber heads, forged steel crankshaft, and two-bolt main caps. It produced 350 to 360 hp (260 to 270 kW).[3]
    L-35: produced 1965-9, had 10.25:1 compression, Q-jet carburetor, forged steel (1965-7) or nodular iron (1968-9) crankshaft, hydraulic lifters, oval port closed chamber heads, and two-bolt main caps. It produced 325 hp (242 kW).[3]
    L-66: produced 1969, rare two-barrel carburetor, 9:1 compression, nodular iron crankshaft, hydraulic lifters, oval port closed chamber heads,and two-bolt main caps. It produced 265 hp (198 kW).[3]
    L-78: produced 1965-9, had 800 cfm Holley carburetor, 11:1 compression, forged pop-top pistons, aluminum high-rise intake manifold, steel crankshaft, solid lifter cam (same as the L-72; except in 1965 Z16 Chevelle), rectangular (“square”) port closed chamber heads, and four-bolt main caps. It produced 375 hp (280 kW) in mid-size cars, 425 hp (317 kW) in Corvettes.[3]
    402LS-3: produced 1970-2, 10.25:1 (1970) or 8.5:1 (1971) compression, hydraulic lifters, nodular iron crankshaft, and two-bolt main caps. It produced 330 hp (250 kW) (1970), 300 hp (220 kW) (1971), 210 or 240 hp (160 or 180 kW) (1972 net horsepower, single or dual exhaust).[3]
    L-34: produced 1970. Same as 396 ci L-34.
    L-78: produced 1970. Same as 396 ci.
    427LS-1: produced 1969, 10.25:1 compression, Q-jet carburetor, oval port closed chamber heads, hydraulic lifters, nodular iron crankshaft, and two-bolt main caps. It produced 335 hp (250 kW).[4]
    L-36: produced 1966-9, had 10.25:1 compression, Holley or Q-jet carburetor, nodular iron crankshaft, hydraulic lifters, oval port closed chamber heads, and two-bolt main caps. It produced 385 hp (287 kW) in full-size cars, 390 hp (290 kW) in Corvettes (by exhaust system).[4]
    L-68: produced 1967-9, had 10.25:1 compression, Tri-Power, nodular iron crankshaft, hydraulic lifters, aluminum oval port closed chamber heads, and two-bolt main caps. It produced 400 hp (300 kW), and was used in Corvettes.[4]

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  6. Avatar geomechs Member

    Definitely something to be fixed up. A good cleaning to determine how far you have to go in the fixing up department but I’m thinking, complete, based on what I see. I might add that I don’t think that engine is original. I don’t recall seeing anything before ’73 (’72 CA) with an EGR valve (although I could be wrong). But that’s fairly minor; it’s still a Rat motor.

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  7. Avatar bowtiecarguy

    “I got a 69 Chevy with a 396, fuelie heads and a Hurst on the floor,
    She’s waiting tonight in the parking lot, outside the Seven 11 store.
    Me and my partner Sonny built her straight out of scratch
    And he rides with me from town to town
    We run for the money got no strings attached
    We shut ’em up and then we shut ’em down.” Bruce Springsteen

    OK so this is a 70, but it is straight out of scratch. It’d be great to rebuild and go “Racing in the Streets.”

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    • Avatar Jeff

      396=Big block…Fuelie heads=Small block sorry Bruce

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  8. Avatar rancho bella

    I wonder if a car like this could go around a corner without spinning out……….what do these things weigh?

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    • Avatar paul

      about 3600 lbs

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    • Avatar rancho bella

      Thanks Paul. I would have thought as large as they are it would be more, I’m surprised.

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  9. Avatar Tom Member

    I could be wrong but VIN matching GM blocks to the vehicle started in 1968 on all GM vehicles. Not sure why they can’t tell if the numbers match or not? Pre-1968 you would have to date code the motor. I don’t recall if the VIN tells you what engine (at least V8, V6 etc) should have been in the car.

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    • Avatar Jesse Staff

      I know the VIN didnt reference the engine size until 1972. Here’s an article with more information about how to identify an SS.

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  10. Avatar Jim-Bob

    Well, it’s definitely not one of the more powerful engine options, seeing as it has a Quadrajet and cast iron intake manifold. Then again, this means it has a more pump gas friendly compression ratio, so it’s not necessarily a bad thing. I love that the owner thought enough to rip up the carpeting to keep it from rotting the floor. I only wish more people were this thoughtful when storing an old car.

    As for what I would do with it, I would probably get it running, clean the windows and front seat and drive it as is. I love the look of this thing as it fits with my new found love of imperfection. With a less that perfect car, you don’t have to worry about driving it somewhere. If it gets a scratch or a ding, so what? In the end, it still runs, drives and serves it’s mechanical function. I would probably put on a set of Corvette rally wheels though, along with front disc brakes (if not already so-equipped) as the wheels on it now are not correct for a SS. Alternately, I would also dig a nice, straight, used set of the old Weld Drag Lites and raised white letter BFG T/A’s on it to give it a 80’s street racer vibe. Under the hood, I would retain the Quadrajet but go with an aftermarket aluminum intake, just like would have been done in the 70’s and 80’s before these cars suffered the tragic fate of becoming collectable.

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  11. Avatar Foxxy

    87K miles, and all of them on a gravel road. The shifter isn’t stock. good starting point to build on. Had a friend that had one with the ls6 in it, that was a serious muscle car. I personally like the Nova better.

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  12. Avatar Alan Patterson

    We need this car please help us get the car Jesus this just like my old that got destoiyed from my old bosses wife that was sitting her property out in the country !! We live in Mt. Vernon IL. both my truck , car was dun that way just because they was sitting out in the feild , needed a lot of work , even the city wont let you them in town unless you are driving them !!We need a car , so kid`s can see how these old car`s are made !! We have two kid`s one boy going into high school , a girl going into the fifth grade so please help us Sincerely the Patterson family !!

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