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    1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS: In Detail No. 1
    1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS: In Detail No. 1
    1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS: In Detail No. 1
    Ebook178 pages1 hour

    1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS: In Detail No. 1

    By Dale McIntosh

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    About this ebook

    As in all In Detail Series books, you get an introduction and historical overview, an explanation of the design and concepts involved in creating the car, a look at marketing and promotion, and an in-depth study of all hardware and available options, as well as an examination of where the car is on the market today.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCar Tech
    Release dateOct 25, 2016
    ISBN9781613253793
    1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS: In Detail No. 1
    Author

    Dale McIntosh

    Dale McIntosh became a Chevelle enthusiast when he purchased his first black/black 1967 SS396 in the fall of 1967. Dale operates ChevelleStuff.net and is a leading expert in the Chevelle community on cars ranging from 1964 through 1972. He has numerous Chevelle "Registry" websites as well. Dale has also authored Chevelle Data and ID Guide 1964-1972, The Definitive Chevelle SS Guide: 1964-1972, 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS: Muscle Cars In Detail No. 1 and has co-authored Chevelle Restoration and Authenticity Guide: 1970-1972.

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      Book preview

      1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS - Dale McIntosh

      CHAPTER 1

      HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

      Here is a 1970...

      Here is a 1970 SS454 Malibu sport coupe in Shadow Gray with optional RPO ZL2 Special Ducted Hood Air System and black RPO D88 Hood & Deck Stripes that were part of the ZL2 option. (Photo Courtesy Lindy Arnold)

      It was late 1963. Tragedy struck the nation with the assassination of our President. On the upside we got fantastic movies including The Great Escape, TV shows such as Lassie, and of course, the British invasion of The Beatles. Amid all this, Chevrolet introduced its iconic A-Body car, the Chevelle.

      First unveiled in the fall of 1963, the Chevelle was GM’s introduction to the mid-size car market. The Chevelle was built for model years 1964 through 1977 and was one of GM’s most popular cars. The Chevelle was built in several body styles over its lifetime, including two- and four-door sedans, various station wagon models, convertibles, sedan pickups (or El Caminos), and the most popular body style of them all, the two-door sport coupe, or hardtop. Several series of Chevelles were offered with names such as Chevelle 300, 300 Deluxe, Malibu, SS396, Standard, Concours, Custom, and even Chevelle. These series generally had trim-level differences and available body styles were often limited in the various series.

      In 1970 there were no less than seven series available. Buyers could choose from the Nomad station wagon, Standard two-door sport coupe, four-door sedan, and sedan pickup body styles, Greenbrier station wagon in two-seat and three-seat configurations, Malibu in two-door sport coupe, convertible, and sedan pickup body styles as well as a four-door sedan and four-door sport sedan, Concours and Concours Estate station wagons, and finally the Monte Carlo two-door coupe.

      Quite a number of engine options appeared over the years. Three 6-cylinder engines from the 194-ci Hi-Thrift and the 230- and 250-ci Turbo-Thrift; five small-block Turbo-Fire V-8 engines in 283, 305, 307, 327, and 350 ci, and three big-block Turbo-Jet V-8 engines in 396, 402, and 454 ci; technically four Turbo-Jet engines if you count the 427-ci version offered as a special Central Office Production Order (COPO) option in 1969 only.

      The Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac divisions of General Motors also introduced sporty mid-size models of their own. Although the Buick Skylark and the Oldsmobile Cutlass brands had peppy V-8 engines, Pontiac led the way with its GTO Tempest. Although Buick, Oldsmobile, and Chevrolet were offering V-8 engines in the 250- to 300-hp range, the GTO option was up to 325 hp with its 389-ci engine. The Pontiac with its GTO option is generally credited with starting the modern-day muscle car.

      MALIBU SS 1964–1965

      The Malibu SS series was introduced in 1964 and continued through the 1965 model year. Any L6 or V-8 engine could be ordered in the 1964/1965 Malibu SS series. The Pontiac GTO option continued to dominate the GM A-Body horsepower ratings with its 389 V-8 now offered in a 335-hp 4-barrel version and a whopping 360-hp tri-power. The Chevelle could only counter with a late-1964 option of its 327 V-8 with 300 hp but took up the challenge with its 350-hp RPO L79 in 1965.

      This 1965 Malibu SS...

      This 1965 Malibu SS in Madeira Maroon with RPO L79 engine option is an example of Chevrolet’s response to the Pontiac GTO of the day. The final year for the Malibu SS series in the United States was 1965. (Photo Courtesy Rich Cummings)

      The Buick Grand Sport was an option on the 1965 Skylark and boasted the 401 V-8 rated at 325 hp while the Oldsmobile 4-4-2 received a new 345-hp 400 V-8.

      As a prelude to what was coming, Chevrolet built a special run of the now-legendary RPO Z16 Malibu SS 396. With its 396 V-8 and 375 hp on tap, the gauntlet had been thrown down. Although Chevrolet came up a tad short in the cubic-inch race, for now, the Chevelle was king of the horsepower war. All production Malibu SS 396 Chevelles were built at the Leeds assembly plant in Kansas City and were offered in three colors, Regal Red, Tuxedo Black, and Crocus Yellow.

      SS396 1966–1968

      In 1966, Chevrolet introduced the SS396 series in the sport coupe and convertible body styles only. The series continued through the 1968 model year, which was the only year the SS396 El Camino had its own vehicle identification number (VIN) designation.

      Here is a 1966...

      Here is a 1966 SS396 sport coupe in the one-year-only Chateau Slate. The first year the SS396 became a series separate from the 300, 300 Deluxe, and Malibu series was 1966. It featured the new-for-1966 strut back roofline on SS396s and Malibus. (Photo Courtesy Keith Brodbeck)

      1966

      The first year of the SS396 saw three engine options, all 396 V-8s. The base SS396 engine was rated at 325 hp, an optional RPO L34 was rated at 360 hp, and the killer RPO L78 was rated at 375 hp. The L78 was released to dealers in February 1966 with no public advertising until later. A heavy-duty 3-speed manual transmission was standard with several Muncie 4-speed transmissions and the venerable Powerglide 2-speed automatic behind the base 396 and the L34 engine option. The L78 engine could not be ordered with a Powerglide.

      The Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac divisions were playing along as well. The 1966 Pontiac GTO was now its own series and no longer an option on the Tempest. The Oldsmobile 4-4-2 option had a new 400 V-8 rated at 350 hp and a tri-power setup that boasted 360 hp. The Buick Grand Sport was still an option on the Skylark.

      1967

      Aside from some styling changes, the 1967 SS396 engine lineup was about the same as in 1966. The L34 360-hp engine was downgraded to 350 hp and the new TH400 3-speed automatic transmission became available and could be had behind any 396 engine in 1967. The L78 375-hp engine was initially dropped from the option list but returned without much fanfare in April 1967. As a result only 612 L78 engine options were sold in 1967.

      This 1967 SS396 sport...

      This 1967 SS396 sport coupe is in the one-year-only Royal Plum. This was the first year for the TH400 Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission and disc brakes in the SS396 Chevelle. (Photo Courtesy SS396 Registry)

      The Pontiac GTO dropped the tri-power carburetor setup in favor of the Rochester Quadrajet 4-barrel carburetor. The engine was increased to the GM corporate limit of 400 ci. The Buick Grand Sport became its own series but still offered a variety of engines with the 401 V-8 at top of the line. The Oldsmobile 4-4-2 continued to be an option on the Cutlass platform.

      1968

      The 1968 model year was the first and last year the SS396 El Camino was a separate series along with the sport coupe and convertible. The same three 396 engines were available with the 325-hp version being the base engine and the L34 and L78 being optional. The 2-speed Power-glide continued to be an option behind the base and L34 engines.

      SS EQUIPMENT OPTIONS 1969–1970

      In 1969 the SS396 Equipment option became just that, an option, even though it was still commonly referred to as an SS396. The 1969 model year was the only one that the SS396 Equipment option could be ordered in a series other than the Malibu series. The 1969 300 Deluxe coupe (13427) and 300 Deluxe sport coupe (13437) could be ordered with the SS396 Equipment option package.

      The year 1968 was...

      The year 1968 was the only one that the SS396 El Camino was its

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