Red Jersey Muscle Cars - Chevy Chevelle SS

Muscle Cars - Chevy Chevelle SS

chevy chevelle grilles The Chevelle SS represented Chevrolet's entry into the muscle car battle. Early 1964 and 1965 Chevelles had a Malibu SS badge on the rear quarter panel (part of the Z16 option priced at US$1,501 in 1965, had the emblem on the front fender, as well as distinct in-house style numbers, 737 for the hardtop, 767 for the convertible; 201 Malibu SS396s were produced); after 1965, the Malibu SS badging disappeared except for those sold in Canada. The Chevelle SS, which became a regular series of its own in 1966 called the SS396 (style numbers 817 and 867 that year), was the high performance version and had its own line of engines and performance equipment. The SS396 series only lasted three years from 1966 through 1968 before being relegated to an option package.

The 1966 and 1967 model years also saw the limited run of the 'strut back' two-door sport coupe with its own syle number, 17.Two prototype Z16 Chevelles were built at the Baltimore plant and all regular production Z16 Chevelles were built at the Kansas City plant. Whether these two prototypes and the one reported convertible are included in this 201 figure isn't known. The one convertible was reportedly special built for Chevy General Manager Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen but is commonly called the 201st Z16 Chevelle and is commonly understood to have been destroyed. The original Z16 convertible supposedly surfaced in Art Astor's famous auto collection; it has been proven to be a fake.

chevy chevelle tail lights The Z16 option included a convertible boxed frame, a narrowed rear axle and brake assemblies from the contemporary Impala, heavy-duty suspension, plus virtually all Chevelle comfort and convenience options. The Z16 standard big-block 396 Turbo-Jet V8 came only with the Muncie wide-ratio four-speed manual transmission. The rear of the Z16 had a unique black and chrome trim panel which framed untrimmed Chevelle 300-style truck tail lights (Malibu and Malibu SS models had bright metal trim attached to the lenses). The new body reflected the "Coke bottle" body shape that became the fad for American cars in the mid-1960s. Bulging rear fender lines and a "flying buttress" roofline were highlights of the '66 hardtops, shared with other GM "A" body models.

The SS396 became a separate model, and the only Super Sport available. It was produced as a regular production model, and quite a few were sold. 1967 saw a slight restyle of the '66 body, but an entire host of new safety equipment became standard that year, making the '67 a much safer car to be in the event of a collision. The SS396 continued as the only Super Sport model, in both Sport Coupe and Convertible body styles. For 1968, a new body style emphasized the "Coke bottle" look even more, and a semi-fastback roofline for hardtop coupes became extremely popular. New Federal safety-mandated equipment included side marker lights on each fender, as well as shoulder belts for outboard front seat occupants on cars built after December 1, 1967.

chevy chevelle cuda wheels This explains why some '68s had shoulder belts, and some early-production cars did not. All '68s had anchors for the belts, however. Manaul transmission cars got GM's "Air Injection Reactor (A.I.R)" smog pump, which added complexity under the hood. For the 1969 model year, the SS396 series was dropped and the Super Sport became a performance option. In 1969 the SS option could be ordered on the 300 Deluxe 2-door Sport Coupe and 2-door sedan as well as the Malibu 2-door Sport Coupe and convertible, as well as the El Camino. All '69 Chevelles also got a new locking steering column, one year ahead of the Federal requirement. Headrests were required for all cars sold in the U.S. after January 1, 1969.

In 1970 the SS option was limited to the Malibu series (2-door Sport Coupe, convertible, and El Camino). In both 1969 and 1970 the SS option included the 396/402 as the base engine keeping the option alive as a performance-oriented choice. This changed in 1971 when the SS option could be ordered with any optional V8 and became more of a dress-up option than a performance option. There were more powerful engines offered by GM during those years but they were underrated to keep the less savvy buyers from ordering them for street use. The ZL1 and L88 427s both were rated at 430 hp, but actually produced well over 500 hp in stock configurations. They were "race only" engines and very very few were ever installed in production cars.