The horsepower wars of the late 1960s and early ‘70s were an unrivaled time in automotive history. Sure, there have been other times when escalating performance drove sales (we are, in fact, currently living in the glory days of horsepower), but the muscle car era was unique in a number of ways. One, it was really the first time that automakers embraced horsepower for horsepower’s sake. It wasn’t just to make the car smoother or more effective, it was a marketing tool. As a result, engines rapidly increased in size, the horsepower numbers got bigger, and performance boomed. Creative engineers worked overtime to coax more power out of street-legal engines and the late-night races on Woodward Avenue in Detroit aren’t just myths. For most of these guys, it was combat, pure and simple. By 1970, horsepower had been perfected, and you could get a vast array of engines in any performance car, with the undisputed king of variety being the Chevrolet Chevelle. From six-cylinder grocery-getter to thundering race-ready LS6, they had something for everyone.

That probably explains why this 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 has fast become one of our favorite cars around here. It packs its original, numbers-matching L34 396 cubic inch V8 rated at 350 horsepower, a fantastic combination of performance with civility. It’s also loaded with luxury options, making it perhaps the most user-friendly Chevelle we’ve ever had: factory A/C, power windows, tilt steering column, and an automatic transmission. Obviously the guy who bought this car in 1970 knew it was fast but tailored it to make it comfortable as well. Call it the proverbial iron fist in a silk glove. Better yet, it’s fully documented with build sheets, Protect-O-Plate, manuals, receipts, and other papers that give it a bulletproof pedigree. If you want a great Chevelle with lots of performance and a little luxury to go with it, this one totally nails it.

The car has benefitted from a detailed frame-off restoration to a very high standard. It has been repainted in its original Fathom Blue, which, interestingly enough, doesn’t show up on the cowl tag, which simply says XXXX but box 44 on the original build sheet does indeed show code 28 Fathom Blue, so it’s the right color. It’s deep and lustrous and thanks to a very expensive restoration, there are almost no faults on the bodywork. The quarters (which we believe to be original) are laser-straight and it fits together extremely well. The hood, trunk, and doors have even gaps and the doors don’t require a lot of work to close, although the weather seals are all fresh, so the passenger’s door takes some extra effort. Proper white SS stripes were installed and yes, the cowl-induction hood is fully operational. The car also includes a very unusual blue vinyl top (code C), not black, which is also correct according to the build sheet. It looks fantastic, don’t be swayed by all the garden-variety cars you see everywhere else. This blue-on-blue SS is absolutely going to knock them out.

The black interior is beautifully finished using correct reproduction seat covers, new carpets, proper SS door panels and all the other little details that make these cars so appealing. It’s luxurious and sporting at the same time. Buckets and a console were not standard on the SS, remarkably enough, but this car has both, plus the aforementioned N33 tilt steering column, A31 power windows, and C60 air conditioning, all of which are likewise listed on the build sheet. Oddly enough, this heavily optioned car does not have the gauge package, so you get only speed and fuel level plus warning lights in the original dash, but upgrading to a full set of gauges is an inexpensive and easy proposition if that’s what you’d prefer. The A/C has been freshly serviced and blows cold, the gauges and lights are all functional, and there’s a beautiful horseshoe shifter in the console for the TH400 3-speed automatic transmission underneath. A factory AM/FM stereo radio is in the dash, but it is sadly not operational, but that seems to be the lone component that isn’t working. It’s awesome to watch the hood flap open and closed as you drive and this is one Chevelle that remains comfortable enough to drive every day without feeling like a hardship. You also get a properly finished trunk with spatter paint, no signs of previous damage, and a full-sized spare with cover and jack assembly.

It’s powered by its original, numbers-matching L34 396 cubic inch V8, which was rated at 350 potent horsepower. It was the most powerful engine you could get in 1970 and still get such niceties as A/C, making it a great combination on the street. The engine was rebuilt to stock specs and runs great, turn the key and it fires right up and doesn’t seem to have any cold idle issues. Out on the road, of course it has plenty of torque and I find that the combination of big block torque and an automatic transmission is a good one, making the car far more formidable when the driver doesn’t have to worry about missing a shift. You’ll also note that the entire engine bay has been detailed for show and is extremely crisp and sharp. Details from the Chevy Orange paint to the correct cowl induction air cleaner to the tower hose clamps all make it look like it just rolled off the showroom floor. That’s no joke, because they probably weren’t this nice even when they were new. Correctly coded GM hoses were used throughout and even the exhaust manifolds were left uncoated so they have a light haze of surface scale, exactly as they would have a few days after leaving the factory. Reproduction decals were used throughout and there’s even a tag on the battery, which uses a tar top “topper” to give it a period look. As I mentioned, the A/C has been serviced, and even though it uses R134a refrigerant inside, they disguised the fittings so there’s no obvious tip-off. It’s really nicely done.

The undercarriage is equally clean, and while it shows a few very minor signs of use, it has exactly zero issues. It’s not quite detailed for show, but it does carry the right TH400 3-speed automatic transmission and a heavy-duty 12-bolt rear end with 3.31 gears on a Posi limited slip inside. A Flowmaster dual exhaust system isn’t right for 1970, of course, but the sound is spectacular and the system terminates in cool angle-cut tips that are not correct but still look cool. You’ll note that the floors are spotless and so well done that I’m inclined to believe they’re original, not welded-in replacement (if they are, I can’t find the cut lines), and everything under there is new, including lines, hoses, brakes, and suspension components. Correct boxed control arms hold up the rear end and there’s a new gas tank hanging out back. Beautiful factory SS wheels are a fantastic look and carry proper Goodyear F70-14 Polyglas tires.

This car is also heavily documented with the original build sheet, owner’s manual, warranty booklet with Protect-O-Plate intact, ownership documentation dating back decades (it appears that it spent much of its life in Oregon), restoration receipts, as well as a display board with copies of all the important stuff so you can show it off at events.

This is one of those Chevelles that gets everything right: pedigree, options, colors, and condition. It’s just a few notches away from being ready to show, but it runs so well and is so much fun to drive, it would kind of be a shame to turn it into a trailer queen. That’s probably a dilemma we’d all like to have, especially when the car in question is as fantastic as this Chevelle. Call today!