Black Bruiser: 1969 Chevrolet L78 Chevelle SS 396
Why feature a beautiful, solid restoration on barnfinds.com? This tidy-looking 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS recently emerged from storage and, except for the shiny paint and select individual replacements, this car’s parts were installed in the Atlanta factory back in the second week of February, 1969. Currently located in Pickerington, Ohio, this L78 big block Chevy could be yours at any moment; simply click “Buy It Now” here on eBay and you’ll agree to part with $95,000, though perhaps the seller will accept a lower “Best Offer.”
The list of original equipment on this SS includes valve covers, air cleaner housing with original stickers, radiator, exhaust manifolds, chrome exhaust tips, interior (in great shape) and carpet. A host of strategic new parts has rendered the car “A BLAST TO DRIVE.” Yes, sadly, the listing features the ever-baffling ALL CAPS, diminishing reading comprehension and suggesting the seller holds potential buyers in low esteem even when that’s not actually the, uh, case.
The menacing black theme continues inside. A bucket-seat car with a console would be more sporty, but there’s something brutal and appealing about a no-nonsense bench seat and column shifter in a tire-shredding muscle-coupe. Besides, when your significant other slides across the bench seat and right up to your side, bucket seats suddenly seem overrated. But enough about the interior, where’s that awesome L78?
It’s hard to take a $95,000 listing seriously when this is the only engine picture, especially when we’re talking about the heavy hitting L78. Let’s be frank; nobody ordered this particular “big motor” to pull a travel trailer to Yosemite. With their 11.5:1 compression ratio, 2.19 intake valves, cast aluminum high-rise intake manifold, solid-lifters, lumpy cam, and 780 cfm Holley four-barrel, the L78 often powered cars that accumulated their mileage a quarter-mile at a time. Thanks to hotrod.com for some details. They tested one of these monster motors at 425 HP, the rating it carried in 1965 before being neutered (on paper) to 375 HP for 1966 to 1970. In some areas you can still buy a decent 1100 SF ranch house for $95,000, or you could buy this car and live in it. Which would you prefer?
Auctions Ending Soon
1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1Bid Now8 hours$7,100
2003 Porsche Boxster SBid Now9 hours$6,250
1966 Lincoln ContinentalBid Now11 hours$500
2000 Jaguar XJ8LBid Now4 days$1,250
1977 Datsun 280ZBid Now5 days$275
Comments
The seller seems out of touch with prices IMHO. Everything is way down now. This car goes for 65-70 at Mechum, BJ or any of the big auctions.
Even those prices are optimistic.
Steve R
Silly price, but an even sillier buyer, if one should emerge at that price. This pricing insanity is good, because it brings the craziness to boil and then it evaporates. It would be nice if car prices fell back down to usefulness vs. investment. Cars should be driven, not sat on. If it were me, I would pay half this amount for a new Camaro and get a by far better car as well. With the difference, take the wife on a trip around the world. The memories and the improved marriage would be a by far better bargain then any old over priced relic getting dusty in storage..
AND…after that trip, the wifeypoo might let you buy something ridiculous that we all want…..lol
I may be missing something, but that doesn’t look like any build sheet I’ve ever seen. It’s has a service replacement engine, which could have been procured and installed at anytime in the last 40+ years unless they have verifying paperwork it’s meaningless. There is no way this car comes close to the $95,000 asking price.
Steve R
I want to be clear, i am in no way upset the prices have come back to reality. It makes some dreams possible. I saw a Yenco Camero go for 140k this morning on TV, I thought it would be 250 easy. Im glad things are getting realistic, but I wish Pcar prices would come back down to earth, Id love an air cooled 911
First the asking price is way more than double what it should be. Also, I can’t confirm or deny this car is a true SS but, based on what the seller says he can’t either. A few examples:
1. 7/16 fuel line? I believe 5/16 and 3/8 were the correct sizes depending on engine size.
2. Complete grill and extensions under the outer headlamps – wrong for a SS car. They should be completely blacked out. No gray highlights.
3. One under body pic. shows the left rear trailing arm. It doesn’t have the re-enforcement plate in it that should be there on a true BB SS car.
It maybe a true SS but, it’s not a completely correct car.
Personally I would rather have the ranch house!
1969 carpet tag that immaculate on a 95000 mile car? Those door panels are repop, they all warp. Like who is this guy kidding? He is late marketing a really questionable SS BB, and without a doubt probably put that much cash into it to get to this point. Bro, you might find a sucker, and I really hope you recoupe this loss. The market has gone soft much like my weiner when I saw that picture selection.
Yep, I’d just buy a regular old ’69 Chevelle on Craigslist for 15,000, drop whatever big block I could find that I liked for another few grand and have just as much fun for a fraction of the price. Screw those matching numbers….
95K you got to be crazy, I own a 69 SS equipped with a 327 4 barrel, with black interior with console, Automatic, that is red, and it is a ragtop. At a car show, the best I was offered was 24K for it and it only has 73k in actually mileage on it. This guy must be smoking something.
I added the only good picture of mine, I really need to redo my pictures of my cars.
Last year for the 327 was 1968, wasn’t it?
Just my opinion, but those fat Corvette rally wheels and big bubbly tires ruin the look of these. Feeling really wheel & tire critical today.
I think I could buy a half dozen cars for this one’s $95,000 asking price that I’d enjoy at least as much as I could this one.
This is where the “two fools meet” !
(1 for offering/1 for accepting )
$25000 absolute top price.
im pretty sure the ss was 396 only mike niot 327
Hell for 95K I could get a new Raptor and a nice aluminum car trailer with some coin left over for a cheap project car.
http://www.trucks2cars.com/car-detail/chevelle/1969-Chevrolet-Chevelle-ss-1969-Chevrolet_142531531998.html
A little price difference
Just a LITTLE difference in price Tom, This person is throwing it out there to see if it sticks. Way over real value
Geez…at least open the hood all the way so we can get a look underneath and clean the blue off the new tires while you are at it. Besides the rediculous $95K asking price, something ain’t right with this one.
Oh, and btw, why not connect the rear speaker(s) wires while you are at it.
I’m voting w/ Ken Tilly for the Ranch House!
My wife has a 69 Chevelle project so was excited to see this one,, and usually I am defending high prices as there will always be a muscle car market but this one is a turd in the flower garden.
Bad pix, bad documentation and insane price. Amazes me the delusional sellers out there.
Looks like maybe the article writer shows the mileage as the price, then again the original post by the seller may have had the mileage in the price box, who knows. At $26,900 the price seems about right.
During the resto process he must of found some of that crazy stuff they had in the 60’s and used it!!!
During the resto process he must of found some of that crazy stuff they had in the 60’s and used it!!!
I just can’t help it, but I hate GM for their 400 cubic inch limit they put on these cars back then. An SS 427 is what they should have built, absolutely would have wasted any cobra jet Ford or big block Mopar within range. Got nothing against the little 396, they do pretty good, but let’s face it, these cars were getting heavier and heavier. GM’s no racing policy stunk too, imagine a full factory backed Chevrolet Nascar team with 427 Chevelles going strong against the mopar’s and Ford’s, makes me wonder. I know about the copo 427 chevelles, but it just ain’t the same.
Nice car here, but nothing overly special, especially at that price.
In 1977, I owned a 1969 SS 396 El Camino that was ordered with a Trailer pulling package….410 Rear gears 400 Transmission. ….even had electric Windows and Door locks….
Oh how I wish I had it back…..
I’m a lifetime believer in what I consider to my favorite of over 50 hot rods I’ve been lucky enough to have owned, muscle cars, corvettes, D+E type Jaguars, none compared to my 69 SS Chevelle L-78, my car had a factory M-22, huge driveshaft, dana 4.10, I swapped the 780 vacuum secondary Holley for a new dual feed, double pumper, 750cfm, what an animal that beautiful car was.
Awe Hell No, I would rather have Big Mikes Vert. Although the Black one is a beautiful car the ad is not truthful in the description. They were probably posting it that way on a drunken dare. Silly dealers.