Camaro SS

After decades of being the No. 1 brand in Northeast Ohio, Chevrolet fell behind Ford last year. Chevy dealers don’t want that to be a trend.

So when organizers of the Cleveland Auto Show tried to see if several different brands wanted to get together to create an indoor test track at the I-X Center, Chevy dealers said no. They wanted the whole track for themselves.

“I think it’s going to be packed from open to close,” said Rob Patterson, Chevrolet zone manager for much of Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

There will be two free indoor test tracks at the show this year – the Chevy track and Camp Jeep, a smaller course at that brand’s exhibit. The Jeep exhibit was a popular feature at several auto shows in 2007 and 2008, but it was not in Cleveland last year.

Patterson said at the GM track the visitor can drive either at Chevy Malibu, a Camaro or an Equinox crossover. At the Jeep exhibit, the show visitor is a passenger in a vehicle driven by a product specialist.

Auto show chairman Gary Adams said he was surprised when the Chevrolet dealers group snapped up all of the space for the test track. Because of the large amount of space needed, he had assumed that no brand would want to take on all of the expense alone.

“It’s costly because it’s indoor space,” Adams said.

Adams and Patterson declined to share the cost of the new exhibit, but both said it was a major investment by Chevrolet dealers.

Patrick O’Brien, general manager of Pat O’Brien Chevrolet in Westlake, said he was excited about getting show visitors behind the wheel of a Camaro. He said the muscle car could attract a lot of attention to the display.

“It’s a great car, and not a lot of people have gotten a chance to drive one,” O’Brien said.

Though it’s 1,000 feet long, the indoor test track isn’t the ideal place to try out such as powerful sports car. Adams said the show is hoping speeds will stay well below 20 miles per hour.

“I’d love to get it up around 80, but that’s probably not a good idea indoors,” Adams said.

Story by Robert Schoenberger, The Plain Dealer

1970 Chevelle SS

How to spot a genuine SS Chevelle / El Camino
by: Daniel Carr (Part 3)

In 1970, there were two different SS packages available. One was the “Z25″ SS-396 and the other was the “Z15″ SS-454. There were only two engine choices for the SS-396: the 350 and 375 horsepower versions. It was a confusing year for 396 buyers. The 396 engines now actually displaced 402 cubic inches, but were still called a “396″ when installed in an SS. There was also a new 330 horsepower “LS3″ big-block “400″ engine option available for the non-SS Malibu and El Camino Custom. To confuse things even further, there was a 400 cubic inch 2-bbl small-block available (only in the ‘70 Monte Carlo).

The Malibu “400″ big-block was also actually a 402, and was basically an overbored version of the 325 horsepower 396 motor that had been available on the ‘68 and ‘69 SSs. The “Malibu 400″ package, produced from ‘70-’72 on the Chevelle and El Camino is fairly scarce today. The reason is that many of these big-block vehicles have been converted to SS clones. In stock form, the Malibu 400 and El Camino 400 carried “400″ emblems on the fenders.

A very limited number of SS Chevelles with the 375 HP 396 and the “L89″ aluminum heads were produced in ‘70.

There were two engines available for the ‘70 SS-454 : the 360 horsepower “LS5″ and the 450 horsepower “LS6″. The ‘70 LS5 Chevelle is actually rarer than the ‘70 LS6 Chevelle. The LS6 was only available in the ‘70 Chevelle, the ‘70 El Camino, and the ‘71 Corvette. It was never available to the public in *any* other cars. The ‘70 LS5 motor used in the Corvette was identical to the Chevelle LS5, but for marketing reasons the Corvette rating was 390 horsepower. There was purported to be one known LS6 Chevelle with the L89 aluminum head option, but it is now generally believed that this car (and its documentation) is fake. Chevrolet also had an experimental LS7 engine that was supposed to be available in the ‘70 Corvette, but never materialized. However, the LS7 heads were available over the counter at GM dealers in ‘71 and ‘72. No factory built LS7 cars were ever sold to the public.

The ‘70 & up SS now had a completely different dash than the non-SS models. The ‘70 SS would have either “SS/396″ or “SS/454″ emblems on the fenders (and on the tailgate of the El Camino). The Chevelle SS had a white “SS” logo in the black rubber pad on the rear bumper. Both the Chevelle SS and El Camino SS had a large “SS” grille emblem (without any engine size).

The SS models also had a hood with a large bulge in the rear center. Hood stripes were an extra cost option with this hood. There was also a “Cowl Induction” option available. It had “Cowl Induction” emblems on either side of the bulge and a door on the top of the bulge that would open automatically when the engine needed extra air. The Cowl Induction option was NOT standard on any SS – it was always an extra cost item. The Cowl Induction option came with hood stripes. You could, however, delete the Cowl Induction stripes at no cost.You could get the stipes without the Cowl Induction option (at additional cost). All of the ‘70-’72 SS cars came with hood pins, except for some of the early ‘70 models (those built around April of 1970 or earlier) that were not ordered with Cowl Induction.

The ‘70 SS came with the same wheels used on the ’69s.

1969 Chevelle SS For Sale

How to spot a genuine SS Chevelle / El Camino
by: Daniel Carr (Part 2) 

From 1969 on, the SS was no longer a separate model. Instead, it was now an “SS” option package added to a 300 Deluxe model, Malibu model, or El Camino Custom model. 1969 was the only model year that the SS package could be ordered on the base model Chevelle 300 Deluxe (as a 2-door coupe or a 2-door post sedan). The only SS option in ‘69 was the “Z25″ SS-396 package. The ‘69 and up cars are harder to authenticate because the VIN can not be used to confirm if the car is an SS. 

There were two colors that were exclusive to the ‘69 SS. “Monaco Orange” (code 72) and “Daytona Yellow” (code 76). If either of these paint codes appear on the cowl tag (and the cowl tag is genuine) then that would prove the car to be a genuine SS. 

VIN tag doesn’t tell you much

If someone had a nice ‘69 Malibu, and a rusted out ‘69 SS, it would be easy for them to simply move the SS equipment over to the Malibu. As long as they did not alter or move the VIN plates or cowl tags, this would be perfectly legal, and since the VIN tag doesn’t tell you much, there would be almost no way for you to know. 

From ‘69 on, single-piston disk brakes were STANDARD equipment with the SS package. These brakes are easier to find parts for than the earlier four-piston disk brakes. 

Chevrolet literature indicates that the only way to get a 396 was with the SS package. However, there appears to be at least one late-production Chevelle that was built with a 396 and all the required SS equipment, but the “Z25″ SS-396 option was not listed on the car’s build sheet. It is believed that this car came from the factory with “SS” emblems, but that is not 100% certain. 

Again in 1969, the only available SS engine was the 396 (in the same flavors as in 1968). In 1969, however, it was possible (if you knew who to talk to) to order something called a COPO 427 Chevelle. COPO stands for “Central Office Production Order”. The COPO program allowed dealers to order equipment that was not usually available (such as special paint, special engines, etc.) Unlike the ’68s, the ‘69 Chevelles had their 427 engines installed at the FACTORY, not the dealership. This makes the ‘69 427s more legitimate in the eyes of collectors today. You didn’t necessarily have to go to Yenko or some other special dealer in ‘69 to get a 427 Chevelle. Your local dealer could usually get you one if you filled out the right paperwork. While the ‘69 COPO 427s had basically the same equipment as the SS-396s, they were not generally considered SSs because they did not have any external “SS” or “427″ identification. They were the ultimate sleepers. Any genuine ‘69 COPO 427 Chevelle is quite valuable today. There are also unconfirmed reports of a ‘69 COPO 427 El Camino. 

In addition, there was an “L89″ aluminum head option available for the ‘69 375 HP 396. Few were ordered. 

1969 SSs had “SS/396″ emblems on the front, back, fenders, door panels, on the dash above the glove box, and on the standard SS steering wheel. The ‘69 SS also had the twin-bulge hood like the ’68s, but the bolt holes where the hood hinges attached were slightly different. The ‘69 SS came with 14″ SS wheels with “SS” center caps. The ‘69 SS stripe option consisted of a black, white, or red stripe which ran along the upper body sides. There are also reports of a few ‘69 SSs with dealer-painted hood stripes, similar to the stripes used on many ‘70-’72 SSs. 

Another rare car, produced only in ‘69, was an SS Chevelle built on the 2-door post sedan, the “Chevelle 300″. This was the only year that a 2-door post sedan SS was produced. Most of the ‘69 SSs, and all the ‘70-’72 SSs, were built upon the 2-door Malibu pillarless coupe.

1969 Z-28 Camaro ralley green with comfort weave interior. This car is documented and certified by the GURU Jerry McNeish. This is a very early z 09D of 68 with a born with engine build of 9-11 cool stuff. The M-21 trans shifts smooth and the born with rear is a nice 355 perfect for cruising.The paint is bb cc on original sheet metal its crisp and laser straight. Some of the options are console with gauges, tilt wheel,with wood grain interior. Car comes with restore pics and all engine parts with detailed pictures. The flow masters exhaust is not original but with the stock manifolds this baby sounds great and scoots. What better investment than a ## match documented 1969 Z. ONLY $57,900

Erics Muscle Cars is proud to offer this 67 corvette 427/400hp fact a/c tri-power tank sticker fully documented 1 repaint correct color combo goodwood green/white stinger and interior (rare) need $77,500 obo

Erics Muscle Cars is proud to offer this real 66 Chevelle SS. The beautiful big block is just out of paint shop after being taken down to bare metal and getting a new Marina Blue paint job. No expense was spared as all chrome, trim and rubber is being replaced. If you want a show quality 4 speed Chevelle….look no further. ONLY $42,900

Chevy SS - Real or Not?

How to spot a genuine SS Chevelle / El Camino
by: Daniel Carr (Part 1)

It is easy to spot an SS Chevelle compared to a “plain-Jane” model. However, it is not so easy to tell the difference between a genuine SS and a plain Malibu which has been altered to look like an SS. There are far more SS “look-a-likes” out there than people realize. There may even be more SS clones out there than genuine SS.

In the next couple of weeks, I will post, by year (68 – 73) a “what to look for” when searching for your Chevelle / El Camino Chevy SS. This article was written by Daniel Carr and posted over at chevelles.com

68  Chevelle SS / El Camino SS

In 1968, the SS was a separate model (the “SS-396″). Therefor, it can be identified by the VIN number. For example, a 1968 El Camino with a VIN number starting with “13880″ would be a genuine SS-396 model, while a ‘68 El Camino with the VIN “13680″ would be a non-SS “Malibu” version of the El Camino. All genuine Super Sports from 1966-1968 have an “8″ as the third digit of the VIN.

1968 was also the first year you could get an El Camino SS, and it is the only year for a separate El Camino SS model.

Genuine ‘68 SS-396 Chevelles had chrome trim pieces on the lower body sides both in front of, and BEHIND the rear wheels. The non-SS versions had the same trim in front of the rear wheels, but not behind them. None of the ‘68 Chevelle or El Camino models came with wheel well trim.

Genuine ‘68 SS-396s could come with standard Chevy rally wheels, or even with plain “dog-dish” hub caps. In ‘68, disk brakes and tachs/gauges were NOT standard equipment on the SS – you would have to pay extra for those. In fact, the MAJORITY of ‘68 SS-396s have all drum brakes. In ‘68, the disk brake option utilized 4-piston front brake calipers. Parts for these brakes can be difficult to locate today.The “F41″ suspension option (rear anti-sway bar) was not available at all in ‘68.

The only available engine in the ‘68 SS was the 396. It came as either the 325 HP “L35″, the 350 HP “L34″, or the 375 HP “L78″. At least one ‘68 SS-396 Chevelle with the “L89″ aluminum head option has been reported.

The ‘68 SS models had “SS/396″ emblems on the front and back, on the door panels, above the glove box, and on the steering wheel. On early ‘68 SSs, the front side marker light bezels had a foil insert that said “SS/396″. On later ‘68 SS production, The bezels simply said “396″. The steering wheel emblem also said “SS/396″ on early production, and simply “SS” on later production vehicles. The ‘68-’69 SS hoods had twin bulges, while the non-SS hoods were “flat”. The two raised bulges each had a chrome grille on the top, near the rear edge of the hood.

The ‘68 SS stripe option was either a black, white, or red stripe which ran across the front header panel above the grille, angled downwards towards the bottom of the front fenders, and then along the lower body sides to the back.

In ‘68, there were some special Chevrolet dealers such as “Baldwin Motion” and “Yenko” who sold Chevelles with hopped-up 396 or even 427 motors. The 427 motors were installed at the DEALERSHIP, not the factory. These cars would usually have other dealer installed items such as emblems, hoods, stripes, etc. These cars are quite valuable today, but only if they have documentation proving their authenticity.

In Canada, GM sold a very unusual vehicle that was basically a Chevelle, but it was called a “Beaumont”. It had the same chassis, engine, and sheet metal as the SS-396 Chevelle, but with a Pontiac derived front grille and dashboard. It was called the “SD-396″, and even had “SD-396″ decals on the lower front fenders.

63 Chevy Impala Super Sport

I was thinking back on a trip me and a friend took recently to Indiana to look at a  Numbers Matching 1963 Chevy Impala Super Sport on the web. We knew this SS probably needed some work, but we decided to take the gamble and fly all the way from Florida. Other than running into some scheduling problems with the owner of the vehicle the traveling and trip itself didn’t have any speed bumps.

Click image to see photos from our Indiana trip

When we lost our foggy gazes we quickly snapped back into focus and realized we were here to FULLY inspect the entire vehicle. You could immediately tell the paint was starting to fade and the chrome striping was dinged and missing in some parts.  I thought to myself, it wasn’t that big of a deal and if everything else was good we would soon own a piece of American history. Once we opened the door I was surprised at how good condition the interior was for being a 46-year-old car. I decided  to start the engine and I tell you what, when I turned that ignition and heard the engine roar: I was in pure bliss, possibly even Heaven itself. I was immediately transported back to a time when the American Muscle Car reigned and was the fastest, most beautiful beast on the streets (and it still is in my opinion.) Needless to say the engine sounded excellent, we popped the hood and looked like two kids at a candy store. The sound of that engine was simply put… mesmerizing. As our eyes continually scanned the rest of the engine bay we noticed some rust spots but shrugged it off as wear and tear, nothing we couldn’t fix.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to and end. We quickly realized why this was a,  “too good to be true moment”. The owner probably didn’t want us to know that the entire underneath of the car was completely rusted out. To give you a good example of how much you could probably stick your fist in a hole where the shocks are mounted. The floor panels looked weak and about ready to cave in. The drive side door had two 8″ sections of Bondo where they had to piece the door back together.

Rusty Bottom

It doesn’t get any better from here on, as the trunk itself was missing the whole bottom. It looked like someone had tried to spray some black rubber material on the back quarter panel to hide something. These are things you should warn people about before they travel 900 miles to come see your vehicle. He knew that we were planning to drive this vehicle back and didn’t think of our safety, not only was this thing rusted but all four tires where dry rotted. I’m sure it would have fallen apart once we got on the highway.

We decided to hang our heads and walk away on this one. We spent the rest of the day looking at other classic cars such as a 69 Firebird and a 66 Impala Super Sport, but found the same problems of rust. Now let me ask you, is this typical of the Midwest? We see rust here and there in Florida since we are so close to the ocean but man, it sure does seem like these classic cars are sitting in the snow too long and are being destroyed by weather. Should we stay out of the area, or can you still make some good finds up North? Click here to see images of our trip

72 chevelle SS

Today’s market is highly driven upon bells and whistles it seems. You turn on the TV and you will find a lot of car shows talking about adding LCD TV’s and speakers to every nook and cranny of a vehicle.

The problem is where does it start and stop? Have we forgotten about the reason behind restoring cars?

My buddy and I were driving to pick up one of his projects that he was going to convert from a piece of junk to a beauty of a Chevy.

Unfortunately when we got there the car was so rusted we couldn’t even sit in the thing. But we got to thinking, why are we doing this? Is it about the money or about bringing works of art back to life? We then got onto the subject of modified or stock or as i like to say sizzle versus steak.

Should cars today have more eye popping features like chrome, fancy paint jobs, and rims or should they be re-done they way the manufacturer would have wanted.

I think both sizzle and steak is good, but there is a fine line between making something cheesy and too modern versus being stubborn and not adding any of your own touches. After all we do this to put our own little piece of art on the vehicles, to make them apart of us.

What do you guys and gals think? Do you like more sizzle or just plain steak when it comes to your classic cars?