There are plenty of muscle cars that have been built from their non-muscle equivalent and they are usually referred to as fakes, clones, tributes, you name it, there’s an entire string of euphemisms employed. In this case, we have the real thing in the form of a 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 that is in need of continued build-out and finishing. This Chevelle is located in Quincy, Illinois, and is available, here on Barn Finds Classifieds for $5,500.

From 1964 through 1968 a Malibu SS (’64-’65) and then a Chevelle SS 396 (’66-’68) could be identified by the second and third position digits of “38” in the VIN. And that’s the documented case with this project car. Offered in both two-door hardtop and convertible, the ’68 Chevelle SS 396 featured a 396 CI V8 engine in HP varieties of 325, 350, or 375, three-speed and four-speed manual transmissions or two different automatics, heavy-duty suspension, 14″x6″ steel wheels with SS 396 specific wheel covers, a “power dome” hood, a black grille, rear valance panel, and the appropriate badging. Popular? You bet, there were over 60K hardtops built that year and another 2,200 convertibles.

New for ’68 was the 112″ wheelbase frame, used on the Chevelle as well as its Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick A-Body cousins. It was the same frame used in ’64-’67 but had three inches of wheelbase removed for the coupe/convertible and one inch added for the four-door, station wagon, and El Camino models. This two-door hardtop, while still attached to its perimeter frame, has had significant amounts of its body panels, specifically, the quarter panels, cutaway and prepped for replacement.  The seller states that he has all of the necessary replacement panels and glass. There are many images of this Chevelle, available for your review, on Fotki. The text of the listing is a bit lean so if there is a level of interest it would be best to forward questions directly to the seller.

The interior is pretty well gutted and it’s difficult to get a thorough look at what’s going on in there. This is a bucket seat equipped car as there is a center console present – a bench seat was actually standard. The instrument panel has been removed from the dash but the original ’68 Chevrolet steering wheel is still attached. All ’68 Chevy passenger cars (except the Corvette) used the same wheel, the center hub emblem changed to reflect the model. And, the likelihood of finding an uncracked original piece is slim to none – probably the reason that it was a one-year-only item.

As one can surmise, this car is a roller with the engine and transmission gone. The standard 325 HP engine was the most common powerplant with 45,000 selected, followed by 12,000 “L34” 350 HP variants and finally, 4,700 “L78” 375 HP, top-of-the-heap examples. It’s unknown which version called this Chevelle home but the 325 HP motor would be most likely based on sheer volumes. The original transmission type is not disclosed.

This project will be an undertaking. But if you ever wanted a specific build of a desirable muscle car, and you like puzzles, this one is for you!