Serious Muscle! 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle 454 SS
Before the Internet, spotting a true SS 454 Chevelle for sale in small-town America would have been akin to unearthing the Ark of the Covenant with your garden hoe. Today we are Barn Find-Jaded. “Sixties Ferrari Found in a Septic Tank!” That’s nice; pass the salt. Sure; this 1972 Chevelle SS 454 in Stokesdale, North Carolina has a 400 (6.6L) in place of the original 454 (7.4L) V8 and it was an LS5 car making 270 HP, not 1970’s 450 HP solid-lifter LS6. Still it represents the last year of the 454 Chevelle and cowl induction and it “runs and drives great.” Plus, a big-block mid-sized coupe is the very definition of a muscle car! Over eleven bids have driven the market value of this SS listed here on eBay above $5300. Thanks to chevyhardcore.com for some details.
A good friend acquired his Grandmother’s low-mileage ’72 (Chevelle-based) Malibu some decades ago so I have a sweet spot for their handsome yet sporty good looks. They simply look good from any angle. This one left the factory wearing the gold color you see in places. Notice how the rear bumper is fully integrated into the body lines… a chromed part of the design not a clunky afterthought.
With the factory tachometer, air-conditioning, power brakes, and power steering, this SS has comfort to match its power. New carpeting and a set of original five-slot wheels and center caps come with the sale. The seller describes some areas in need of rust repair. The bench seat lets your Significant Other slide in close for a Summer evening cruise.
A rebuilt motor based on a date-correct 402 cid block stands in place of the 454, and likely out-performs the stock motor thanks to the aftermarket intake and headers. Lazy car dealers used to wave a black spray can around the engine compartment to give the illusion of care, and this car shows scars from such an attack. The motor and transmission are “all new,” and should have no trouble converting rubber into smoke even with the modest 3.31 gears in the original 12-bolt rear end. Twenty-five years ago this car wouldn’t have lasted a full day. A properly-set reserve will put it in the hands of someone who can enjoy it immediately. What price would you accept to sell this big-block SS?
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Comments
25 years ago I was buying and beating the hell out of cars like this for around 2500 bucks.
When I was 19 ( 1972 ) I knew a guy that bought a black one with white stripes, that was a wicked fast car.
Wonder why another 454 wasn’t rebuilt for speed, or what became of the original engine, not that there’s anything wrong with the smaller engine, just curious. I remember a few original SS big block Chevelle’s running swapped in small block Chevy’s in the eighties, as they made good power and were simply cheaper to build back then. Then there were the guys who were running stroked 454’s which to me were too much of a good thing(torque) for a street car.
Cool car by the way.