Numbers-matching L34 396/350, 4-speed, factory A/C, build sheet, receipts

Description

If there’s one car we can count on to be consistently popular, it’s the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS. They offer everything that makes muscle cars great: performance, pedigrees, good looks, and a lot of nostalgia. The 1970 models are particularly appealing because they combine what is arguably the best look (one-year-only, by the way) with the biggest, baddest engines ever offered. Before 1970, the automakers couldn’t quite commit to the muscle car in full and after 1970 emissions, insurance, and fuel prices conspired to kill them off entirely. That means any big block car built in 1970 is a pretty special machine, but some are more special than others. Take this beautiful SS 396, for example: it has its original, numbers-matching L34 396/350, a 4-speed, factory A/C, and a bulletproof pedigree that includes not one but TWO build sheets. See what I mean about it being special?

There’s a lot to love about this code 10 White 1970 Chevelle SS 396, starting with the color. White doesn’t seem exciting until you’ve seen it, and with the black stripes and interior, this car is striking. Sure, most of them are red or blue, and that’s fine if you want to blend in, but taking this white SS to a show means you’re going to be the only one and you’re going to stand out. The extensive restoration was completed in 2006 and when they had it apart they could have painted it any color the owner wanted. But he wisely chose to stick with the factory recipe, something that you’ll see happened throughout the project, and they went with code 10 White paint. The name isn’t exciting, but the searing, pure white on this Chevelle looks spectacular and really stands out. It’s two-stage urethane, which means the black SS stripes were painted on and buried under the clear for a seamless look, and we’re pretty sure Chevy wasn’t building Chevelles this nice in 1970, regardless of what you might remember. And while it’s about 10 years old now, the restoration is holding up beautifully thanks to a combination of great craftsmanship and careful ownership since it was completed. The car spend its life in Nebraska and then Alabama, so rust was a total non-issue and that’s evident throughout, with super solid floors and what are likely the original quarters, fenders, and doors, although these days it’s pretty much impossible to be certain. However, we can see in the restoration receipts that body panel rust repair costs amounted to just $398.44. You can’t fix much rust for 400 bucks, so obviously there wasn’t much to do. Nice, right?

Anyway, it remains in fantastic shape. The doors open and close easily, the hood fits right and snugs down with fresh hood pins, and there’s still a fantastic gloss to the finish. White hides a lot of sins, but shiny paint doesn’t so look down the sides of this SS and you’ll see that they spent a lot of time blocking and sanding it to get it right—no waves, no ripples, no dents. Much of the chrome and stainless trim is new, another several thousand dollar line item on the restoration invoice, and fresh emblems make it looks crisp and bright everywhere you look. New lenses, a correct SS grille, and a few other items all add up to a car that’s very correct in every way.

Inside, they probably could have changed things and nobody would have noticed, but that’s not the guy who owned this car. In the same way he could have changed the color, he could have swapped to bucket seats and a console, but instead chose to keep the original code 752 black vinyl bench and floor-mounted Hurst 4-speed. Totally correct and totally industrial. Yes, bench seats were available on the SS, but you’d hardly know it with all the bucket seats you see in the cars today. But making a fake wasn’t in the cards here, so the original seats got reproduction seat covers, there are correct square-weave carpets on the floor, and fresh door panels with SS insignias. Things like the door handles, dash pad, and steering wheel are also new. The round gauges were unique to the SS and this one carries a factory tach with correct L34-spec 5500 RPM redline, and they all work except the clock (typical). Note on the HVAC controls that this is a factory air-conditioned car, and the system is fully operational with a recent service and fresh R134a refrigerant. There’s also a custom AM/FM stereo radio that slips into the original radio’s slot and blends in well enough that most folks won’t even notice. A set of auxiliary gauges was added under the dash in the usual fashion and that’s always a good idea for a car that’s going to be driven—the factory dials work, but these are surely more accurate. The soft parts remain in excellent condition with very little wear and hevy-duty mats have been installed to protect the carpets. The only real deviation from stock is in the trunk, where they’ve used matching black carpets on the floor, sides, and spare tire, giving it a more finished look than the original mats. Underneath you’ll find a full-sized spare tire assembly, not some junkyard reject with a bald tire, and a correct jack.

The engine is the original, numbers-matching L34 396 with 350 horsepower. That was one of the SS’s more popular choices, a step up from the base unit but a little less fussy than, say, an LS6. It’s docile enough for A/C, power steering, and power brakes, making it a fantastic car to drive regularly, and the bulletproof, low-stress motor should last practically forever. It was rebuilt to stock specs during the restoration, dully detailed in Chevy Orange, and dropped back into the restored engine bay. The list of new parts is about ten pages long, so suffice to say, most of it is fresh. There are a few little things that could be improved to return this car to show quality, things like the hose clamps and a few nuts and bolts, but those are very minor things that will go unnoticed on a car meant to be driven. The only real deviation from stock are those beautiful ceramic-coated long-tube headers, which really fatten up the torque curve, but if they’re not your thing, the original cast iron manifolds are included with the car.

Turn the key and the engine barks to life easily and idles well after a few seconds of warming up. The flap on the cowl induction snaps closed as soon as the engine fires and it works correctly—it’s a lot of fun to watch it do its thing while you drive. The Muncie M20 4-speed manual transmission and heavy-duty 12-bolt rear end were both rebuilt (it’s in the receipts) at the same time and there are comfortable 3.31 gears in the pumpkin, so this is a car you can drive just about anywhere without getting tired (especially with the A/C!). The undercarriage is solid and clean, but not detailed for show and does have a few signs of having been driven over the past few years. Nothing major and it has certainly never seen inclement weather, but it’s hard to keep a car perfect if you’re driving it. There’s a rumbling Flowmaster exhaust system that ends in correct oval tips under the rear bumper, a new gas tank, fresh shocks, rebuilt brakes, and brand new 15-inch SS-style wheels that aren’t quite stock but sure look awesome. It has also recently been fitted with a set of fat 245/60/15 BFGoodrich radials that look great and handle better than the original bias-plys.

Documentation on this Chevelle is awesome. We have not one but TWO build sheets, one that’s very legible and one that’s less so, but it’s clearly from the same car. We also have a ton of factory paperwork, including the original delivery checklist sheet, warranty booklet with Protect-O-Plate, and the original owner’s manual. And there’s that big binder full of restoration receipts and details on what was done.This is an easy car to like. It’s very true to its original spec, runs great, looks awesome, and has a bulletproof pedigree. The price is fair because this is still the #1 most wanted muscle car of all, and for this price, you’re getting a car that does everything well. It’s fast, it’s comfortable, and it’s a smart place to park some money for a while. Look around and you’ll find plenty of red ones, clones, and cars with questionable backgrounds, but I bet this white SS 396 remains in the back of your mind until you decide to make a move. Don’t hesitate, call today!