Читать книгу Chevelle Restoration and Authenticity Guide 1970-1972 - Dale McIntosh - Страница 7

INTRODUCTION

In the 1960s, the Chevrolet division of General Motors saw the need to add a midsize model to its lineup—something between the Chevy II/Nova line and the full-size Chevrolet. The design and engineering departments set out to create such a car, and on September 26, 1963, the Chevelle family was introduced to the public. The Chevelle’s main competitor outside of General Motors was Ford’s midsize Fairlane. From inside the GM family, Buick redesigned the Buick Special from its previous unibody construction to the A-body form of body on frame. Oldsmobile followed suit with its F-85, and Pontiac joined in with its Tempest. Cadillac was GM’s luxury line and never felt the need to enter into the midsize market.

The Chevelle would have multiple bodystyles, series names, creature comforts, and options over the years, much like its internal GM rivals of Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. With Baby Boomers coming of age and looking for inexpensive transportation that had style and performance, GM’s lineup offered a myriad of choices for the buyer. Since Chevrolet was the bread-and-butter of General Motors and offered a lower entry cost for the young consumer, the Chevelle has something for everyone from entry level 300/300 Deluxe series with minimal trim and creature comforts to the Malibu and SS396 series with upgraded trim and interiors. There were also station wagons for the young family, convertibles for the drop-top enthusiast, and the sedan pickup (El Camino) half-truck, half-car that was resurrected into the Chevelle family; there was truly something for everyone.

GM’s Pontiac division broke the performance barrier with the GTO option on its 1964 Tempest. John DeLorean, Bill Collins, and Russ Gee were responsible for the GTO in 1964. Although GM’s management banned divisions from involvement in racing, Pontiac disregarded GM policy of limiting the midsize A-body platform to a maximum of 330 ci. Pete Estes was president of the Pontiac division from 1961 to 1965, and he approved the Pontiac 389-ci engine with the GTO option. With its 3×2 carburetor setup, the GTO pumped out an amazing 348 hp. Buick and Oldsmobile had nothing to compete with Pontiac, and Chevrolet’s best initial offering was their tried-and-true 283-ci engine with 220 hp. Chevrolet did respond in March with a 250-hp version of the 327-ci engine and again in June with a 300-hp version. It was still far short of the 348-hp 389-ci monster that the GTO option offered.

Pete Estes became the president of the Chevrolet division in 1965, and he started the ball rolling for the largest division of General Motors. He remained in this position until he was promoted to executive vice president of General Motors in 1972. During these years, the Chevrolet division saw the beginning (and end) of Chevrolet’s participation in the horsepower wars of the 1960s and 1970s.

Through the 1960s and into the 1970s, this cubic inch/horsepower war would rage within General Motors, as well as Ford Motor Company, Chrysler Corporation, and, to some extent, American Motors. The peak was reached with the 1970 Malibu with the SS454 option, which was its 454-ci 450-hp LS6 monster. The December 1969 introduction of the Chevelle became the highest advertised horsepower-rated engine in any production car on the market for the 1970 model year and would not be surpassed by any other muscle car of the era. A total of 4,475 Regular Production Option (RPO) LS6 engine options were sold in three Chevelle Malibu bodystyles: the sport coupe, the convertible, and the custom El Camino. Transmission choices were limited to the heavy-duty Muncie RPO M22 4-speed or the heavy-duty RPO M40 Turbo-Hydramatic 400 (TH400) 3-speed automatic.

The Tonawanda, New York, engine plant production figures do show that 3,525 LS6 engines were built for a manual transmission (obviously the M22) and 1,923 were built for the automatic (heavy-duty TH400) for a total of 5,448 LS6 engines. Of those, 4,475 went into production Malibus and 973 were service engines. One can take those figures and guess or calculate a statistical number of how many production LS6 Malibus were equipped with either transmission, but it is still a guess because the M40 transmission, as an RPO number, was available with the newly introduced LS3 402-ci 330-hp engine along with the L34, L78, LS5, and LS6.

The same can be said for specific engines versus bodystyles. The number of LS6 engines sold is not broken down by the particular bodystyle they were sold in. One can extrapolate a statistical distribution of sport coupes, convertibles, and El Caminos that received the LS6 engine, but like the engine/transmission combination, it is only a calculated, distributive number. Throw in things such as the RPO ZL2 cowl-induction hood (which could also be ordered with the two 396-ci engine options), and you can see how claims of “1-of-X” LS6 4-speed convertibles with the ZL2 hood option can get a bit silly.

The 1960s and 1970s were days of “race on Sunday and sell on Monday.” Chevrolet’s Chevelle was never really that competitive in oval track racing (such as NASCAR) like Ford and Chrysler, but straight-line performance in drag racing was another story. There were two 1970 Malibus on the drag racing circuit that were famous. One was the Ray Allen–piloted Briggs Chevrolet LS6 Fathom Blue convertible, which was tuned by performance specialists Ralph Truppi and Tommy Kling. It pretty much dominated the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) SS/EA class by never losing a class race except on those occasions when he might red-light himself out of competition. Although the NHRA required at least 50 cars be built for a particular class, it has been claimed the NHRA relaxed the rules a bit to allow the Ray Allen car to compete; so, whether there were actually at least 50 LS6 convertibles built will continue to be a question as GM’s production records were destroyed years ago. The other famous car was Bob Hamilton’s LS6 Cranberry Red Red Alert sport coupe in SS/DA class. It was so well known that AMT model car kit company introduced a 1:25 scale model of Red Alert (albeit a 1972 Malibu model) and became a primary sponsor on the car for a number of years.

Valuable Chevelle Malibus and SS396 Chevelles

These two race cars aside, the LS6 Chevelle is still arguably the most sought-after 1970 Chevelle, and the cars typically have six-figure selling prices. Correctly restored LS5 Malibus and even the L34 and L78 Malibus can bring a hefty price in the upper five-figure range at private sales as well as auctions, and 1971/1972 Malibus are growing in popularity.

Well-done restorations of 1970 Malibus with the other three engines: RPO L34 396/350 hp, RPO L78 396/375 hp, and RPO LS5 454/360 hp, can still command mid-to-high five-figure prices along with the 1971 and 1972 LS5-powered Malibus. Remember, aside from the unique pieces of the 1970 LS6 driveline, it costs just as much in bodywork, chassis work, paint, interior, etc. to properly restore a 1970 Chevelle with the other three engines; something to keep in mind whether you are looking at a roller to restore or buy one that has been recently restored. The same holds true for the 1971 and 1972 model years; aside from engine/transmission options, the bodywork, chassis work, etc. costs can run the same. Generally, other years of Chevelles are not as costly to restore due to the relatively lower cost of those hard-to-find items.

Some engine/model combinations, such as the 1970 L78 convertible, are relatively rare due to the short production time of the L78 engine being an option for 1970. The 1965 RPO Z16-optioned Malibu SS396 is certainly considered one of the rarest and arguably the most desirable Chevelle today. Of the 201 built, only about 70 are known to exist, so finding a real unknown RPO Z16 Malibu SS396 today is not very likely.

This rare 1970 convertible in Fathom Blue and white convertible top with RPO L78 engine was optioned with RPO ZL2 Special Ducted Hood Air System and complemented with white stripes. Given the short life span of the L78, engine availability in 1970, and being a convertible, these are highly sought after by Chevelle enthusiasts. (Photo Courtesy L78 Registry)

A two-door station wagon made a brief comeback in the Chevelle lineup, but it only lasted for two years: 1964 and 1965. The two-door station wagon was only available in the base Chevelle 300 series. One can only imagine the interest these would have sparked if they had been a Malibu SS series with the nostalgia chrome trim on the tailgate.

As with any collectible item, rarity doesn’t always mean desirability or potential value. There were quite a number of low-production-volume Chevelles built between the 1964 and 1972 model years. One example is the 1968 Malibu four-door station wagon with a 6-cylinder engine; only five were built and only a few people would consider them collectible and spend the money necessary to bring one back to showroom condition. On the other hand, the 1964 and 1965 Chevelle 300 two-door station wagon brings back the nostalgia days of the 1955–1957 Nomad station wagon. Owners will spend the money to restore them, particularly those with the optional high-horsepower V-8 engine of the day and 4-speed manual transmission.

COPO Chevelles

Many think the COPO acronym is magic and that anything outside the norm is a COPO Chevelle. The only true COPO Chevelles were 323 Malibu sport coupes built in 1969 with Chevrolet’s RPO L72 427 425-hp engine. Because General Motors had a 400-ci limit on engine size prior to the 1970 model year, these 323 1969 Malibus were built under the COPO process with several COPO codes for various performance items.

There are a number of 1970 Malibus that were special ordered and equipped a bit differently from normal-production-run Malibus, but these are limited to minor items such as requesting a different paint color from the normal selection, changing D88 Hood and Deck stripe color from Chevrolet’s suggested color, or not having D88 Hood and Deck stripes painted when the RPO ZL2 Special Ducted Hood Air System is ordered, since stripes were part of the ZL2 option. These changes were ordered through the Fleet & Special Order (F&SO) process, not the COPO process.

1964–1965 Malibu SS Features

The 1964 and 1965 Malibu SS was Chevelle’s sporty option. Both years of the Malibu SS could be ordered with any 6- or 8-cylinder engine available at the time; they were the only SS Chevelles to hold this distinction. Bucket seats were standard equipment in both years and, when ordered with either the 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission or the 4-speed manual transmission, would also include a center console.

Bucket seats were only available as an option in Malibu-series El Caminos of the day, not as regular production option (RPO) A51 but simply an optional seat and color choice for the interior. Bucket seat color choices were limited in the 1964 model year El Camino to light fawn, medium aqua, and medium red. In 1965, the El Camino was limited to light fawn, medium turquoise, and medium red. Bucket seats would not become an RPO until the 1966 model year.

The 1965 model year saw the introduction of the blacked-out grille and tail panel area for the Malibu SS with the exception of black Malibu SSs that received silver highlighted tail panels. The 1964 and 1965 Malibu SS Chevelles were the only years an amp gauge, oil pressure gauge, and water temperature gauge were standard equipment.

1966–1968 SS396 Features

The Malibu SS series of 1964 and 1965 gave way to the SS396 series in 1966 and would continue as a separate series through the 1968 model year. These years continued the blacked-out grille and, to a limited number of 1966 SS396s, a blacked-out tail panel. It is believed some very early 1966 model year and possibly some very late model year 1966 Atlanta-built SS396 Chevelles had their tail panels blacked out, but for the most part, 1966 SS396s have lower body panel colored tail panels.

The SS396 was now more performance-oriented with only three 396-ci engines available. The 396/325-hp engine was the base V-8 in the SS396 with two optional 396-ci engines: RPO L34 (rated at 360 hp in 1966 but 350 hp in 1967 and 1968) and RPO L78 396-ci engine rated at 375 hp.

Bench seats were standard equipment along with a heavy-duty 3-speed manual transmission. Optional were several 4-speed manual transmissions, the 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission, and for 1967 and 1968 the 3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 400 automatic transmission.

Bucket seats and gauges (including a tachometer) were options, even on the SS396. The term “SS Gauges” is a misconception. The RPO U14 gauge option was available on any V-8 Malibu or SS396 sport coupe, convertible, or sedan pickup.

All SS396 and SS-optioned Malibus (as well as 300 Deluxe coupes and sport coupes in 1969) came standard with a bench seat. Bucket seats and/or console were optional on all Malibu sport coupe, convertible, and El Camino Chevelles after 1965. The 1970 Chevelle shown here has the optional all-vinyl bench seat option. (Photo Courtesy L78 Registry)

1969 Chevelle SS Features

In 1969, the SS396 as a series was gone. The SS396 was an option under RPO Z25 SS396 Equipment. Still available in the Malibu-series sport coupe, convertible, and El Camino, 1969 also offered the Z25 option with the 300 Deluxe coupe and sport coupe.

Bench seats were standard equipment along with a heavy-duty 3-speed manual transmission. Optional were several 4-speed manual transmissions and the 3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 400 automatic transmission. The 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission was no longer available with the SS396 Equipment option. For the first time, power front disc brakes were included in the SS396 Equipment option package.

Bucket seats and gauges/tachometer were options, even on the SS396, but bucket seats were not an option in the 300 Deluxe series.

1970 SS Features

The 1970 model year saw two SS Equipment–option packages. RPO Z25 is the SS396 package, and RPO Z15 is the SS454 package. Both were available as options on the Malibu-series sport coupe, convertible, and El Camino.

A bench seat was still standard fare for 1970 Chevelles, even when optioned with one of the two SS option packages. The Malibu sport coupe bench seat is a cloth and vinyl combination with an all-vinyl seat option costing an additional $12.65. Both the Malibu-series convertible and El Camino came standard with an all-vinyl bench seat. Bucket seats and/or console were optional-cost items.

RPO Z25 was the SS396 option package that included the 350-hp 396-ci engine as the base engine with the RPO L78 375-hp engine as an option. The L78 engine would only last through early to mid-December, while the L34 would remain the entire model year. The LS5 454 is the base engine for the Z15 option with the LS6 being optional.

Since the 396-ci L34 and 454-ci LS5 were the base engines in the two SS option packages, they were not considered “options” as such, and there are no published figures for the number of L34 or LS5 engines that went into Z25 or Z15 Malibus. However, since the 396-ci L78 and 454-ci LS6 were optional engines, one can easily calculate how many Z25s were built with the L34 or L78 and how many Z15s were built with the LS5 or LS6. Sales reports show there were 53,599 Z25 options sold in 1970. By subtracting the number of optional L78 engines (2,144), you can see there would be 51,455 SS396 Malibus with the base L34 engine. Likewise by subtracting the number of optional LS6 engines (4,475) from the total number of Z15 options sold (8,773), you can see there were 4,298 LS5-powered Malibus and actually fewer LS5 Malibus than LS6 Malibus in 1970. The number of LS5 engines sold in Malibus does not include the 3,823 LS5 engines sold with the Monte Carlo SS option; those are separate.

The cowl-induction hood, RPO ZL2, is one of the very few options one could only order with one of the two SS options. While the RPO LS3 402-ci Mark IV big-block was available in all non-SS Malibus in 1970, the ZL2 hood package was exclusive to an SS-optioned Malibu; no LS3-powered 1970 Malibu could order the ZL2 hood package. It is believed the 4.10:1 gear ratio was only available with the LS6 engine option as well because no other engine package has been found with a documented 4.10:1 gear set to date.

Any exterior paint color and any interior color were available with any Chevelle within restrictions imposed by Chevrolet, such as a green interior could not be in a red or blue Chevelle. Since both SS options could only be ordered with a Malibu sport coupe, convertible, or El Camino, any interior seat/material available for a non-SS-optioned Malibu was also possible with the two SS options. No special colors or interiors were reserved for the two SS options.

RPO D88 stripes were optional on non-SS-optioned Malibu sport coupes, convertibles, and El Caminos as well as optional on both SS options when the ZL2 option was not ordered. D88 stripes were part of the RPO ZL2 package, along with hood pins, but could be deleted on request. In this case, the term “stripe delete” would be appropriate, and the stripe deletion required approval from the F&SO office. On an SS-optioned Malibu without the ZL2 option, stripe delete is no more appropriate than radio delete, positraction delete, etc. If someone did not order an option, it cannot be considered a “delete” item.

Aside from the engine size, the two SS options (RPO Z25 and RPO Z15) were pretty much the same as far as standard equipment went. Both came standard with front power disc brakes and F41 suspension, except El Caminos. While the Z25 SS396 option could be ordered with the wide-ratio Muncie M20, close-ratio Muncie M21 4-speed transmission, or the M40 Turbo-Hydramatic 3-speed automatic transmission, the Z15 SS454 option required either the heavy-duty close-ratio M22 4-speed transmission or a heavy-duty M40 Turbo-Hydramatic 3-speed automatic transmission. The Z15 did come with a stronger rear end than its Z25 counterpart.

Both SS options came standard with a black dash carrier assembly, black steering column, and black steering wheel with a centered SS emblem. A Cushion Rim steering wheel was optional under RPO NK1, and this optional steering wheel could be ordered with or without one of the two SS options. The basic SS dash carrier gave the owner three large, round gauge pods with fuel gauge, speedometer, and a blank along with three small gauge pods for warning lamps for generator, water temperature, and oil pressure.

RPO U14 Instrument Panel Gauges was optional, even on SS-optioned Malibus. The U14 option included an ammeter, water temperature gauge, tachometer, and electric clock. The tachometer replaced the fuel-level gauge in the large left-most pod, the speedometer/odometer remained in the large center-most pod, and the clock replaced the blank in the large right-most pod. An ammeter gauge was installed in the small left-most pod above the headlamp switch, replacing the generator warning lamp; a water temperature gauge was installed in the small, upper right-most pod, replacing the water temperature warning lamp; and the fuel-level gauge was moved to the small, lower-most pod, replacing the oil pressure warning lamp. For some unknown reason, 1970 would see the end of an oil pressure gauge. The oil pressure warning lamp was retained but moved to the bottom of the tachometer face.

1971 and 1972 SS Features

The 1971 and 1972 model years saw a change in Chevrolet’s approach to the youth market. Whether due to rising insurance costs or federal EPA regulations, or maybe both, the 1971 and 1972 model years saw the SS become more of a styling and handling package than a performance one. The two 1970 SS options were cut to one option, RPO Z15, and any optional V-8 with any optional transmission (except the 2-speed Powerglide) could be ordered with the SS Equipment package. The two optional 350-ci engines (RPO L65 and RPO L48) with a manual 3- or 4-speed transmission or 3-speed automatic TH350 transmission were available with the SS package. The RPO L34 396-ci engine was dropped in 1971, and the 402-ci LS3 (first introduced in 1970) could be ordered with a manual 3- or 4-speed or 3-speed automatic TH400 transmission. All three of these engines could be ordered with the SS option, but they could also be ordered without the SS option. Only the RPO LS5 454-ci engine required the SS option in both years. The LS5 could only be ordered with the heavy-duty Muncie M22 4-speed manual transmission or heavy-duty TH400 automatic transmission.

A bench seat was still standard for 1971 and 1972 Chevelles, even when optioned with the SS-option package. The Malibu sport coupe bench seat is a combination cloth and vinyl with an all-vinyl seat optional for an additional $19. Both the Malibu-series convertible and El Camino came standard with an all-vinyl bench seat. Bucket seats and/or console were optional-cost items.

Since the availability of the two 350-ci V-8s and the LS3 was such that neither required the SS package, without documentation showing one of those engines along with RPO Z15, it is difficult to verify a Malibu sport coupe, convertible, or El Camino with one of these three engines as SS optioned.

Many of the same features applied to the 1971 and 1972 model year SS with a few differences. All SS-optioned Malibus came with the same domed hood as 1970, but hood pins were now standard on all SS hoods. The ZL2 option was reserved for the LS3 and LS5 only and added RPO D88 sport stripes just as 1970 did. D88 sport stripes could still be ordered on any Malibu sport coupe, convertible, or El Camino whether SS optioned or not. The D88 option is listed at $79 for 1971 and $81.10 for 1972. As was the case in 1970, some exterior paint colors were restricted to the color of stripe that could be ordered.

As in 1970, all SS-optioned Malibus came with a round-pod instrument panel with U14 Instrument Panel Gauges still an option. The 1971 and 1972 grilles received the typical SS black-out treatment appropriate for the year along with a centered SS emblem. Gone was the black rear bumper pad of 1970 in favor of an SS emblem on the rear bumper, which meant rear bumper guards could be ordered on any 1971 or 1972 SS-optioned Malibu sport coupe or convertible where they could not be ordered on an SS-optioned 1970 Malibu sport coupe or convertible. All 1971 and 1972 SS-optioned Malibu sport coupes and convertibles received an “SS” emblem on the front fenders, but only the LS5 454 received engine size numbering. El Caminos retained their El Camino script on the front fenders and SS emblems on the tailgate with only the 454-ci engine option getting the engine size badge as well.

Added to the SS option in 1971 and 1972 was a remote control driver-side mirror (an option in 1970). Changed were the wheel and tire sizes: 1971 and 1972 SS-optioned Malibus were shod with 15×7 wheels and F60×15 tires.

As with 1970, any exterior paint color or interior material/seat type available in any Malibu was fair game for the SS-optioned ones as well.

Choosing a Good Candidate

As noted earlier, all things being equal, it will take as much time and effort into restoring a 1970 SS396-optioned Malibu as it will an SS454-optioned Malibu or any 1971 or 1972 SS-optioned Malibu. Given you have the correct engine and driveline components, the bodywork, chassis work, interior work, etc. will be the same, so be sure you have either the skills and knowledge to restore your Chevelle yourself or expect to pay about the same for a premium restoration regardless of which Chevelle you start with. Depending on the condition of the Chevelle you start with, ensure your expectations are within your budget.

If you are looking for a six-figure Chevelle when you are finished, expect to invest at least a five-figure price to get it done. Of course, the more work you can do yourself the less the overall costs are going to be.