Unrestored Survivor! 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396
This car is said to be a real-deal unrestored 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396! Purchased from the original owner, with only 58,000 miles on the odometer, the car has been cleaned up and looks great! It can be found for sale here on eBay with a current bid of over $20,000. The reserve hasn’t been met yet, but bidding is strong. According to the ad, the original owner was a Naval officer and had the car shipped overseas. The title has a stamp from Saudi Arabia on it!
The car has been removed from its resting spot and cleaned up. It looks pretty good in the sunlight! There is a bit of damage to one of the rear quarter panels, but other than that, it looks decent. The seller says the car has “mostly original paint.” I’m not sure what that means, but it looks good in the photos. Being sold in Westport, Connecticut, the car was supposedly purchased from the original owner. Hopefully, there is good documentation with the car to prove its provenance as a real SS 396.
The ad says the car is a true survivor with the SS 396 drivetrain still intact having never been apart or removed from the car. It features power steering and brakes with a new brake system. New belts and hoses along with a working smog pump! While not as potent as its 454 cousin that would come a year later, the ’69 396 could still hold its own on the street.
The interior is all original except for some work to the driver’s seat. The white upholstery looks good against the red paint. Overall, this car looks pretty amazing. You would think a high-end auction would be more suited to get the most money possible, but maybe the car is being tested on eBay? Either way, if this car is a real and unrestored ’69 Chevelle SS, it should bring strong money! What do you think? Is this the real deal?
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Comments
Don’t overlook the 396 – I realize that this is a 325 HP version, but its worth mentioning that a 69 L-78 SS396 is currently the worlds fastest pure stock GM A-body. Not a Stage 1, RAIV or W-30….a tiny little 396.
Aside from that, the 69 is my favorite Chevelle, and the colors on this one are great. Good options, great history, and right in my backyard…. It’s a bad time to be broke!
The cars you reference can hardly be called stock, they are well sorted race cars. They are not representive of what rolled off the assembly line. I read over their rules once, in many ways they are more modified than cars running in NHRA stock eliminator.
Steve R
I wont argue the nuance, but all things being equal the fastest of those A-Bodys is an SS396.
I believe it is a survivor however, without the Protecto Plate or build sheet there is no guarantee. Also, this is the 396/325 hp engine. If it were the 396/375 hp it would be worth much more..
Saudi Arabia and no air?? must have only be driven on windy evenings!
I like it a lot. I’m not dogging on the car, however the garage photo has it showing a red top, so they must have installed white vinyl. Regardless, it looks really nice. GLWTS.
Having it pictured in the driveway of an upholstery shop, I think your theory is correct.
Could very well be the vinyl was gone in that photo. I don’t think there was a red vinyl top offered in ’69.
What a big mistake by the upholstery shop. I think the red top looks way better, the white top makes it look like granny drove it to church on Sunday
I’ve actually seen a handful of those very narrow air cleaner snorkles on many chevy v8’s sawed off/shortened by owners to make the opening bigger or a taller air filter was used or the lid was flipped or an aftermkt open element air cleaner was fitted.
With many hi po engines back then getting bigger & dual snorkles, how the above 396 breathes/injests enough air through that snorkle opening is beyond me.
Even the 454 in the link below got a small snorkle opening.
Yet, ’68 chevys with the 6 cylinder got a much bigger snorkle opening …
http://musclecaraircleaners.com/t/chevrolet
tho oddly, for other years the snorkle for the 6 was smaller.
Scratchin my head.
Probably the size of the snorkel on the six banger was bigger because you would not be able to tell the difference inside of the car either way with that big one barrel carburetor. Check out some of the air cleaners on a 472 or 500 cubic in Cadillac. Very restrictive, they did not want the sound of the secondaries wailing away in the passenger compartment.
I believe the real purpose of a tapered snorkel was to simulate a type of ram air effect similar to the tapered shape of the venturi effect inside of the carburetor!
Often wondered about the same thing. Full size Buick 455’s had similar size differences going on in the late 60’s/Early 70’s
Have you been hanging out with Adam, Joe?
Nice!
Funny some of the commentary pointing out what this car “isn’t.” This is an incredible find and who gives a $#it if it wasn’t that fastest GM at that time. After all these years to find a truly original SS Chevelle that’s this nice is a major score. That 325/396 would run great! Beautiful car.
It’s gonna be expensive.
Great save !
Good colors. I like it. Nice
Reminds me of my cousin’s new ’68 SS that he just got before he got married. I don’t remember much about the wedding but I do remember that car!
My best friend had an identical car purchased new, with the exception it had white strip on side and air conditioning. Had great times in car and won majority of street races
I had a very strong 340 Duster back in the day. Learned not to mess with SS396’s on the street. They REALLY hauled. The same couldn’t be said for Hemi cars, which were very tricky to tune.
Where are all the nice Chevelle convertibles, 6 cylinder, 3 speed standard ? sigh
The car would probably run better if it had dual exhaust instead of the single exhaust and sound better also.
I like this car. I wouldn’t race it so it don’t matter if 325 hp or 375 hp. Just keep it clean and cruise the streets.
God bless America
It does look good and looks like a new brake booster was installed because the original boosters usually didn’t seem to be this bright. The air cleaner appears to be correct and highly polished. I had trouble keeping the chrome items on my 454 Chevelle like the valve covers and air cleaner from starting to rust. This 396 Chevelle cleaned up well and must have had a good detail man for a car shipped overseas and not maintained for a long time.
The dash in this car appears to be either dark green or black and maybe that is not unusual for a car with white interior.
I would love to have this car. As I get older I am more drawn to the survivors. When I’d see a car like this back in the 70’s the first thing I looked for was the manual trans and that’s what I looked for in this as. It was buried so deep I assumed it was a two pedal. I’m amazed how many survivors are automatics. Probably because back then us high school kids all wanted a 4 speed and they’d get torn up. You’d think the seller would have emphasized that it’s a stick.
Nice White interior, perfect for hot Georgia summers. Now I like all white interiors, reflect some of that heat in 125’F temp in our summers. That chevy would be awesome. As a kid back in the day I hated white interiors.
Looks like it comes with new exhaust also.
Had a 69 convertible ( was a Malibu) someone dropped a 350 and took out the 307. Was butternut yellow. With both black and white interior. ( previous owner was deciding which way to go) so I had it all interior done in black with Hugger orange paint. Had the horse shoe shifter. ( long story but the guy who was doing the work was arrested and all cars in his shop Impounded incl mine. Was in pieces and after 6 months had 30 days to get it out per the police.
Lucky I found someone to take over the project and did a great job. Sold the car and bought a 69 cougar convertible. We all have stories. That’s mine. On this car.
Patrick Glenn Nichols didn’t find this one. No red vinyl top offered in 69. All you whiners complaining about this beauty being a 325 hp car. Shut up. Orig smog still on the car. If it was a 375 hp car, you would VP racing gas to drive it. It should be driven.
Don’t see any whining complainers just one obnoxious guy.
I think I would prefer a non SS car, and make it what I want, and save a ton of cash.
69 had no specific VIN # for the SS cars. So as an SS, yes, you get the big block, and…. what else? A bunch of emblems. Oh and possibly some gauge options too.
In 1987, I bought a 69 el Camino, for $2200. It had a 350/350 and no rust. By 1988, I had put in a mild 454, and the car was a blast. I bracket raced it often, and it ran pretty consistent 14.30’s I never pretended it was an SS, but could have easily purchased all the emblems to do so. I guess my point is, why pay the premium, for a verifiable SS, when it will always be doubted, even with proper paperwork.
I had the el Camino for 20 years, and my Son had it for another 5 years. We never felt it was “less” of a vehicle, because it didn’t have the emblems, or provenance.
I found a ’68 SS in a carport 15 years ago. 4-speed with 21k one owner miles. It had sat there since 1972, the tag was still on the car. Cream with black interior. Totally original everything but dusty, dirty and some surface rust.The house was vacant (at that time) for about 10 years. A new car dealer’s son had the car picked up, stealing it, when a neighbor saw the name on the wrecker’s truck and contacted the family and then the police. It was returned three days later with NO repercussions to the thief. Typical small town corruption.The car sat for another 10-15 years. The reason it was parked was the young 21 year old owner was in a terrific accident (in a buddy’s car) and was in a coma for a year. When he pulled out of it he was in a rehab home till he passed 5 years ago. A sister put it in her barn 10 years ago and that’s where it sits today.
One of my favorites, the ’69 SS 396 Chevelle. Clean car here, I was expecting another beat up machine with the first picture, the sight of it all cleaned up was a nice surprise.
I hate the fact GM would never allow an SS 427 Chevelle, three horsepower levels of course, that would have been the ultimate street machine.
I had a 1970 Chevelle L-78 rock crusher 4 spd it hauled like crazy, later on I found another 70 ss 396 350 hp with an automatic tranny and as much as I hate to admit it the automatic would give the 375 hp car a decent run couldn’t beat it but they were both fun I wish I had them back. I have a 1969 Camaro Z/28 in the same color combo Garnet Red, White interior and, White stripes. Now that I’m a senior I wish the muscle car gods would send someone to me that had an automatic car to possibly trade for my Z/28// anyway very nice car
Really nice car hope they didn’t add the vinal top to this car if it didn’t originally have one!! All they do is hide rust!! The picture in the barn clearly shows it not there!! 4 speed car too!! I would be proud to own this car!!!
Auction ended. Reserve not met at a high bid of $26,800.
sold locally for 28k