Vehicle Description
To most Chevelle fans, 1970 is the ultimate year, and that year,
the top dog was unquestionably the SS 454. They also make fantastic
cruisers, as this 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS tribute ably
demonstrates. With features like a 5-speed transmission, a thumping
big block, A/C, and a great color combination, this is a car that
will be the center of attention anywhere it goes.
If a subtle look is what you're looking for, painting a car Cortez
Silver is a step in the right direction. However, once you add in a
set of black SS stripes, a cowl induction hood, and a few SS
badges, well, the jig is pretty much up. The Chevelle's muscular
shape will never go out of fashion, and when they're as well done
as this one, details like the subtle flared fenders and the relief
line that runs from nose to tail tend to stand out even more. The
chrome is nicely finished, with bright, clear bumpers fore and aft,
and brilliantly polished stainless around the windshield and wheel
wells. Correct SS badges have been used on the front fenders, and a
correct blacked-out SS grille carries the torch up front. The paint
isn't perfect, but for a driver-grade car with a big dose of
horsepower and a lot of style, this one measures up.
Inside, the code 791 Ivory bucket seats are so nice that I have to
believe that they've been reupholstered, but the two-tone interior
looks entirely appropriate to 1970. While seats, door panels,
carpets, and headliner are original-style, it also adds goodies
like a 5-speed shifter in the center console and a set of auxiliary
gauges under the dash, including a tach. The door panels are
correct SS pieces and given that the car has a round-gauge
instrument panel, this might be a real SS, and the three-spoke
steering wheel should look familiar to anyone who loves Chevy
performance cars. The original AM radio still lives in the dash, so
they were obviously careful to respect the car, but a newer Kenwood
AM/FM/CD stereo was installed in the glove box where it stays out
of sight and is easy to remove if you want to go full show with the
car someday. It also includes factory A/C, which has been augmented
with modern hardware working behind the scenes. A black power
convertible top fits neatly under a matching Ivory boot, and the
trunk is neatly finished and includes the amplifier for the stereo
system.
Powerful is the right word for the big block V8 living under the
hood. The casting numbers suggest that it's a 1972 402, but the
decals suggest LS6 performance, which it may just deliver. The
nicely dressed big block seems made for show with liberal doses of
chrome, including the air cleaner, valve covers, and accessories.
Up top there's an Edelbrock intake and a Holley 4-barrel carburetor
feeding a set of Edelbrock aluminum heads, and a set of long-tube
headers manage the exhaust. Underneath, there's a Tremec 5-speed
manual transmission, a healthy dual exhaust system, and urethane
bushings throughout to improve handling. A 12-bolt rear end manages
to plant the power and power disc brakes do the job of controlling
the speed. Factory SS wheels replicate the original look and carry
fat 225/70/14 performance radials.
If you're looking for a pedigreed 1970 Chevelle, they're out there
and they're expensive. But if you want something a little more
potent that always seems to draw a crowd in a way that no stock
Chevelle can, this gorgeous ragtop might be a smarter choice. Call
today!