Vehicle Description
In 1970, sheetmetal revisions gave the bodies a more squared-up
stance following the coke bottle styling, and interiors were also
redesigned. The 1970 Chevelle shared many sheet metal body parts
with the 1970 Buick Skylark GSX, both are GM automobiles and have
interchangeable sheet metal. They are also the only two muscle cars
to share the same roofline. The 1970 Chevelle came in sport coupe,
sport sedan, convertible, four-door sedan, a couple of wagons, and
coup� utility (the El Camino) body styles. Only three of these
(Malibu sport coupe, Malibu convertible and El Camino pickup) were
available with a choice of one of 2 SS options; RPO Z25 with the SS
396 (402 cid) engine and RPO Z15 with the new 454 cid engine. The
base model was now simply called Chevelle in lieu of the former
base 300 Deluxe, and was only available as a Sport Coupe or
four-door sedan. In Canada, the base series retained its 300 Deluxe
name, with appropriate badging on each front fender just behind the
front wheel well. The hardtop, convertible, and sedan received the
upgraded sheetmetal but the station wagons and El Camino retained
the previous year sheetmetal panels (which went on for the next 2
model years). Station wagons were the entry level Nomad, the
Chevelle level Greenbrier, the Malibu level Concours and an upscale
Concours Estate. New options included power door locks and a
stalk-mounted wiper control.
The SS 396 Chevelle included a 350 horsepower (260 kW) Turbo-Jet
396 V8, special suspension, "power dome" hood, black-accented
grille, resilient rear-bumper insert, and wide-oval tires on sport
wheels. Though a 375 horsepower (280 kW) cowl induction version was
available, few were sold in favor of the newly introduced 454
engine during late-1969 timeframe. The LS5 454-cubic-inch V8
produced 360 horsepower (270 kW) in standard form and a cowl
induction version was also available. The LS6 produced a claimed
450 gross HP in solid-lifter, high-compression guise.
"You can make our tough one even tougher," the brochure explained,
by adding Cowl Induction to either the SS 396 or the SS 454. Step
on the gas, and a scoop opened "to shoot an extra breath of cool
air into the engine air intake....like second wind to a distance
runner." Neither functional hood lock pins nor hood and deck
stripes were standard with either SS option, but were part of the
optional ZL2 cowl induction hood option. The 454 cu in (7.4 L) LS5
V8 was rated at 360 hp (270 kW).
