1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 Barn Find!
Update 4/26/20 – After getting bid up to $11,700 and meeting reserve, this Chevelle has been relisted here on eBay. How high will it go?
From 4/7/20 – I can’t help but agree with the owner of this 1970 Chevelle SS 454 when he talks about how desirable these classics have become. The simple fact is that these have become a highly-sought muscle car, and with the right combination of options and equipment, they can command some pretty impressive prices. This particular car is a genuine SS 454, but it is going to need a lot of work to return it to its absolute best. If you believe that you are up to the challenge, you will find the Malibu located in Leitchfield, Kentucky, and listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has now reached $10,100, but the reserve hasn’t been met.
When it was new, this must have been a pretty stunning car. It was finished in Tuxedo Black with White stripes on the hood and deck. Today, the car looks very much the worst for wear, and the next owner is going to have plenty of rust issues to tackle before the car can be ready for a fresh coat of paint. Visible rust is in all of the places that we have come to know and love over the years. This includes rust in the lower rear quarter panels, lower corners of the doors, and the front fenders. The rust in the doors looks like it could be addressed with either patches or fresh skins, but I suspect that the fenders are beyond help. The trunk pan is also rotten, although the floors look like they might not have much more than a coating of surface corrosion.
This last fact actually doesn’t surprise me that much, because the rockers also look pretty reasonable. There are a few dings and dents to address, the worst of these being in the hood. Getting this right is pretty important, because the original owner ticked the box beside “Cowl Induction” on the options list, and nobody would want to lose that cool feature. That little flap up there actually lifts open when you floor it so more air can be sucked into the engine!
When it was shiny and new, the engine bay of the Malibu housed the LS5 version of the 454ci V8. The rest of the drivetrain was just as tasty, featuring a 4-speed M22 transmission, a 3.31 Posi rear end, power steering, and power front disc brakes. The good news here is that the original transmission and rear-end are both present and accounted for. The bad news is that the original 454 is long gone. The owner does have another 1970-vintage 454 LS5, but he isn’t clear whether this is included in the sale, or whether it is to be purchased separately. Even then, it could present some problems, because it has a CRQ suffix, meaning that it is designed to be bolted to a TH-400 transmission. That is something for the next owner to ponder over.
The interior of the Malibu is complete, but man is it a mess in there. This is an interior that will require nothing short of a full restoration. In its heyday, it would have been a pleasant place to while away the time. Black Strato bucket seats, a console, the U14 gauge package (tachometer, clock, temperature gauge, and ammeter), a pushbutton AM radio, and the optional rear speaker. That represents a pretty nice package, and all of this is confirmed by the original Build Sheet, which is included in the sale.
Perhaps the seller will throw in a copy of the Feburary 2018 issue of Hot Rod Magazine too? They ran a story about the car and here you can see an as-found photo. The caption says that the Chevelle was parked for nearly 40 years and that the barn’s roof had collapsed. The new owner had to carefully remove sections of the roof in order to prevent further damage to the car. I’m surprised the body looks as good as it does actually!
There’s no hiding from the fact that restoring this SS 454 is going to be a big job, and I’m not about to convince you otherwise. The fact that the original engine is missing is a major blow, but it isn’t the end of the world. Even though the lack of a numbers-matching status will negatively impact ultimate values for serious collectors, a restored SS with a date-correct LS5 is still capable of achieving some very healthy values. As I said at the start, it will take a person who isn’t afraid of a challenge to revive this classic. Is that person you?
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Comments
I know a lot of folks in the rebuilding/restoring business but none in the reincarnation business. This one’s good for making bean cans etc.
Muscle cars were rare back in the day. Mainly they were bought new by rich kids and hoodlums, who treated them like dirt. By the late 70s and the gas crunch was on, they were worth nothing, and people bought them cheap and started to abuse them and you end up with this. Now we have come full circle and rich people are buying them again. Life is funny like that, and frustrating.
Simple: Become a rich guy.
Money/time spent on restoring this one VS. money spent to buy one already done…..I think I would chose the latter option! :-)
Actually, the build sheet makes this car very valuable. 90% of 70 chevelle ss are fake. The only way to definitively prove a real one is the build sheet. If you haven’t looked, the prices of documented restored ones is stunning.
Really? Is that because you’ll know how to spec your Dynacorn and what to order from Year One?
Dynacorn bodies are not suitable for restoration. There are differences between them and an original body, any knowledgeable “buyer” would know it’s a fake after a thorough inspection.
Steve R
By the time all of the sheet metal is replaced it will be no better than a Dynacorn body. Having the original block will also verify an original SS454.
I think the polite term now is “rebodied.” Half the stuff is probably made in China. Bah!
@Stever R, but wouldn’t fake be better? As long as you don’t try to pass it off as original, and the maker/buyer isn’t trying to buy an “investment”, isn’t it the best of both worlds? To get a solid car that is just a like, or even better, than a 50 year old rattle trap, that is something wonderful. Real men drive cars, not try to make profit from them, that is why many of us can’t afford old cars anymore. The money men have ruined it.
Cal, fake is never better, just buy the best Malibu you can find and leave off the emblems.
If someone adds emblems and the other necessary parts to build a convincing “clone”, “tribute” or whatever term is popular this week, it will eventually be pass it off as real.
Steve R
I like 70 chevelles but the problem here is when restored the only pieces of the car left original to the car is the vin, build sheet and 12 bolt.
This must have been stored with the windows open and i’m sure the barn was a dirt floor. Sad to see in this condition. Knew a friend with one of these he bought new, will never forget the sound of the mill and the rock crusher. the guy should have at least made an attempt to clean the inside and trunk out.
Stay safe and wash your hands, maybe a tetanus shot
Cheers
GPC
There’s a photo of the barn in the article. The dirt floor was the least of the problems.
Without the original engine and transmission this isn’t any better than a clone really. Too much work/money for the possible return. If the price is right I’d buy it, fix it and drive it.
didnt you read the ad it said original transmission and rearend are there
You basically will be rebodying the car.
I know a person who rebodied a Motion Chevelle 30 yrs ago so this will be no different. If this was a LS6, then you will be singing a different tune.
There you go. LS6 makes the difference
Alright, alright, alright!
If you could see the look on my face now, well, it’s just blank, with a very slight overbite. Why?
Because this car looks as bad as the 69 Charger that we saw earlier? Park ’em together in a field somewhere and let ’em rust in pieces.
As they say there is one for every seat but you will need a pile of money to sit in this one. Replace everything but the SS emblems.
Looks raised – from the perspective of the accompanying photos at least
Not enough doors.
Patrick Glen Nichols. Didn’t you video this car in the barn?
There are a lot of problems to overcome here, but with cars like this, why is one of them seemingly always a numbers-matching engine?
Painting with a broad brush; why can’t a 454 from another ’70 GM product make this a “number’s-matching” car again?
Can someone please enlighten? Thanks
The vin # is stamped on the block and transmission. This can never be a matching # car but it could be a date coded matching car.
From The Department of “He’s Not a Chevy-Guy” – Thank you.
Decking the block and re-stamping a date correct replacement solves all the matching number drama. Just Sayin…
But it has been put on the internet that this car doesn’t have it’s original drivetrain. Very hard to fool the expects with a re-stamped block not impossible but hard. Just sayin
This is why if I ever buy a muscle car, it’ll be an unrestored one with patina! I’d never be able to trust a fully restored one at this point.
I’d rather have one of the less desirable versions myself. Fewer people to compete with.
Give me a Charger with a 318, or a Chevelle with a 307, or a Torino with a 302 or 351W. Nobody wants one of them, they all want fire breathers.
A decked block has different machining marks than factory. If it has incorrect machine marks and a matching vin it’s not only a dead giveaway, it also screams that the owner is a d-bag
You’re just sayin or just joking?
What do you call a rusty LS5 70 Chevelle without the LS5?
A rusty 70 Chevelle.
$10k and the reserve not met yet? Madness. All of this over pricing is going to come back and bite the hobby big time.
Yes for sure, Mark and its gonna come soon. Sadly there are a lot of people out of work, and there are going to be a lot of nice projects for sale. Who could have seen this coming?
Stay safe and wash your hands
Cheers
GPC
I sure hope so! Maybe then, the “hobby” will return to the “hobbyists”, that actually work on the cars themselves, instead of the investors who only know how to sign checks!
Bidding over $10,000?? Guess I won’t bother with my my $500 bid.
So that’s what happened to the dazed and confused chevelle. Lol.
You would be crazy to think you could buy this and save money restoring it. Its what we used to call a parts car.
Like every other red blooded American gearhead that went to school in the late 80s, I feared these things on the street. Mine was a 70 396 car my father bought me for 800 bucks without the engine. probably saved my life. it was $1600 with a fresh 396. I had to drive it with 396 badges and a 350 mill. oh the horror.
This car is screwed! The dash looks hacked up and even the non rusty roof is dented everywhere. I have seen nicer chevelles in the junkyard. shame on whoever left it in that barn but I guess that’s what makes BF a cool site.
Cant understand how the price is 10K+ when a restored one can be bought for 35-50. your going to have 50 in this all day long. What am I missing?
I hope that the price reflects someones hobby and they just want something to do in retirement. then it makes sense I suppose.
Looks to have the wrong tach for a LS-5 car?
Too bad they did not SELL this car 15 years ago.
It would have sold for DOUBLE THE MONEY it sells for today.
Welcome to the Collector Car Market!
$10K+ for rust bucket??? Original engine is gone. Even as a parts car, very little that is salvageable. Haul to a junk yard for $50….
Back in the 80,s the scrap junk yards wouldn,t take any cars. I can,nt see how anyone would bid on this. Theirs nothing worth having. I wouldn,t have it. I guess if tehy are bidding $11,000 for this. I wonder what my 70–ss 396 motor would bring? hahahahaha
$10K is a lot of money to pay for a vin plate. Maybe a Motion car or significant race history. Maybe.
I knew a guy who would buy a rare vin plate and build a car underneath it. Not overly ethical, but not illegal eaither, AND the buyer would have bragging rights regardless.
Not joking
Patrick Nichols did video this heap of trash. He wrote the article for Hot Rod. Only a fool would buy this junk. The cost to properly restore this would far exceed the value. Good luck to the chump who dumps money on this. AMD is not the answer. Their China made garbage does not fit without hours of massaging.
I hate to burst everyone’s bubble, but the build sheet alone on this car adds $10,000.00 to the equation. Build this car and you have a REAL 70 SS. Even without the original engine and whatever body panels you have to replace, you WILL have an original 70 SS that you will know how it was done and what you have. It ain’t no clone and it ain’t no re-body. Just my professional, expert, and correct, opinion. Period.
I don’t know how much the build sheet is worth, but this is a original 454 LS5 1970 Chevelle. As someone said, 90 percent of the 454 Chevelles are clones. This does matter much to some people who want a clone but the price seems to way out of line for this car.
The LS5 was a high compression engine with good round ports heads not the later “peanut port” heads. The LS5 was not in the same class as the LS6, but for a street-able ride its 500 lb of torque and sweet sound of its M22 still got your attention. Most LS6’s weren’t preserved when they were new and not many originals survived.
With all due respect. If you do the numbers for a full resto they could never return the investment. Sorry. A hobby sure, but the numbers don’t work by today’s prices.
Isn’t it funny. Almost every comment on here is about not being able to get your money back. Is there no one on BF who loves old cars? I’m 64 years old and I have owned between 20 and 30 Chevelles and Camaros. I never bought the FIRST one based on how much I could make on it. I bought them because I love them. Every car I have ever bought, was with the intention of keeping it forever, even though I have not been able to do that. I do still have, and drive my 70 SS I bought when I was 19. It looks like this site is only for investors and flippers. Not many real car lovers on here. By the way, I have lost money on many more cars than I have made money on and I could care less. I have had a ball !!!!!!!!
I agree. I can’t wait until the classic car market crashes and the hobby returns to the hobbyist, instead of the investors!
What I can never understand reading these comments from car to car, is why most of you are hung up on the investment side of it. If all anyone is ever worried about is how much it’s worth in the end then that’s what is ruining the hobby. How many of you grew up around these cars and rebuilt them because you could or wanted to?!? Sure it was more reasonable to afford back then but nowadays people are too quick to just throw stuff away instead of fixing. What happened to fixing it because you liked that particular car or to save another from the scrap heap?!? Nope, let’s just junk it because I can’t make a buck….just terrible to listen to. Fix em and enjoy them. Isn’t that the point in having all the aftermarket places to order parts from, or what few salvage yards are left, so cars like this can have a second chance. Restoration is a large part of our hobby, not just buying and selling.
You are missing the point many of us are trying to make….I could care less about the ROI on a buy like this. Yes, value is relative and demand vs supply will always be a factor. However, the average Joe is not looking to make an investment.
Many folks want to do exactly what you cite and that is to find a car they like, buy it, work on it and enjoy it. The car hobby was built on this logic and back in the day the “VIN” was not a factor….the pink slip is what mattered.
There are countless stories of young men who had to save their money from their early jobs to buy an old ride to fix up.
But at least the rides were within reach.
Nowadays it takes a second mortgage to buy what is obvious junk.
I think that reckoning will have to occur to figure out what all of the rust bucket incomplete muscle car hulk projects are really worth. Build sheet or not this is phantom 454 Chevelle. If you have the fortitude you might end up with a rare beast after a massive amount of work and dollars. If that puts the lead in your pencil then have at it.
But what do you pay for this as it sits right now, an agglomeration of distressed rust and despair? I’m not paying some speculator for something intangible such as “potential”. Any potential realized would be through my own hard work. I’ve never had much interest in Chevelles so in this case this car has little value to me but I know enough to stand aside so that I’m not trampled by the mob heading towards it.
A fun thing about Barn Finds is the gradual growing awareness of a reservoir full of rotten corpses of once proud and ferocious muscles cars flowing downstream and past us like a regatta. There are thousands and thousands and I don’t think there are enough folks who actually want to take them on. I think a lot of them will be sold again and again with each seller trying nick a few bucks from each transaction. It’s like a game of hot potato or grenade or Time Bomb. You don’t want to be holding the bomb when time is up.
I’m sure that the original finder / buyer of this had big dreams of restoring and driving this car.
Two years later, looks like reality has set in and priorities have changed.
Sounds like that happens a lot.
It’s not going to stop them from trying to get what they think it is worth, which will be way more than the current bid.
I find it interesting that they list this car as having 45,000 miles. It appears this once very desirable car wasn’t cared for properly according to the 2018 Hot Rod article before it was put in storage around 1978-79. The rust problems could be from prior road salt rather than the dirt floor.
The 454 LS5, which is not the original engine, is also for sale at $5,500. From the pictures it appears there has been considerable time since it ran.
The right person could probably make this into a enjoyable driver for their personal use if they could get it at a reasonable price. .
It will never be a numbers matching SS again!!!
No, but will be an original, verifiable, REAL Super Sport, compared to some fake, unreal, 6 cylinder clone. To many people, that makes a difference.
What you should have said was the car will never again be an “Original Engine” 70 SS Chevelle.
Numbers Matching?
Hell that’s EASY!
Find a dated block, determine the proper stamping, call the guy who rents the gang stamp, properly prepare the deck surface and stamp away just like they did in Tonawanda where the engines were originally built. Add the VIN stamp and BINGO you once again have a MATCHING NUMBERS 70 SS Chevelle!!!!
This car has been around the internet too many times and featured some national magazines. It’s too well known for someone to re-stamp an engine at this point.
Steve R
You are correct Steve R.
The seller notes this is the 3rd time posting on EBay for buyer havinglack if funds.
I’m guessing there will be a 4th time, a 5th time, etc, etc…….
Considering you would pretty much have to have a spare and liquid 100k lying around to have enough money to get this right, I’m not at all surprised!
His “Bid Jacker” keeps buying the car!
That’s why there is a “Lack of Funds”.
Never quite gits that one last bid from a real buyer as they “Jack The Bid” 1 to many times!
I like reading barn finds ..like seeing these old cars even in their worst condition I love old cars I have no where near the skills to do anything nor the funds but I still like looking at this site everyday ..and reading everybody’s comments even the stupid ones. I’m had some cool cars and trucks in the past (back when I had money and there was an economy that supported my occupation ).. Now my occupation is owned by major corporations and they keep all of the profits..interest Is all I have. So keep up the good work guys putting these cars on this site and all of you hobbyists keep on debating over it it is truly entertaining.
11 large , met reserve, and relisting? Welcome to the wonderful world of fleabay.
Could be any number of reasons why it didn’t sell. Wonder where it will go second time? I would have flown away like a big @$$ bird with 11 k in my hand.
Good luck and stay safe.
Cheers
GPC
How was this car found .was it seen from the road.
The seller is relaying on how the car was found to override its condition. It’s not that unusual to find an old car rusting away in a falling down barn.
The car doesn’t have a back story like it had been used by Elvis’s cook to run down to the grocery store to buy banana’s and peanut butter. Of course I making jest but if it had a bigger story the car would bring bigger money and in my opinion it doesn’t.
It will never be the matching numbers high priced auction car at Mecum or BJ auctions and if you are buying to flip it, forget it. If you are buying to have a “driver” and have money to burn, have at it.
Why buy something like this when you can have this-https://delaware.craigslist.org/cto/d/wilmington-1973-corvette-coupe/7114257339.html
I passed on one of these during the oil crisis back in 73..$1000..I bought a 66 Chevelle with a 283 for $500 in beautiful condition. I also passed on a 68 Camaro with what I was told was a NASCAR engine (Merritt Island FL, just down the road from Daytona so might have been plausible) for $800, it ran but needed work…OK, OK, enough reminiscing..The point is “I was that close”.
So the condition of this Chevelle and the attendant concerns about originality, cost to restore and what exactly the finished product would represent, neatly encompass where our beloved obsession with ‘old ‘ cars is today.
Most of us who have the experience and desire ( if not the nimble 25 yr old hands) to take something like this on, know too well what is entailed and why there is no point in doing so unless you have a bottomless bank account or the years to spend fooling with it.
So we end up arguing about the relative merits of whats left versus a Dynacorn and drilling down into the faking of block numbers. I’d say that pretty much seals the fate of this car as the market has spoken even if the seller won’t listen.
Whoever owned this before didn’t think much about its future value obviously.
He/She should have taken take the last offer and run.
What is up with the 70 SS in front of it?
Listening to the comments on this particular car, it is obvious that only about 2% of the people on here are ”old car people”. All the rest sound like Honda or Toyota aficionados. Real car people would be HAPPY to get a car like this and put it back on the road, regardless of the cost. Some people just love old cars. The rest of you critics need to subscribe to ”New Cars and the People Who Love Them”, since you have absolutely NO interest or passion for old cars; other than to show lame excuses for why people should not fix this one or that one. I am a Chevy man, period, BUT I think Mark Worman and the people at graveyard Carz should be nominated for the Nobel Prize for all of the cars they have saved. No re-body’s. Maybe many many parts replaced but still the real car. If you have a heart or a kidney transplant you are still you. Same with cars. Replace parts, but still the same car. all of you critics and excuse makers, go home. Us REAL car people don’t want to hear it.
So. If someone doesn’t agree with you on the asking price they can’t be an “old car person”?
Can we assume that you intend on being the top bidder, regardless of the amount it takes?
No a person doesn’t lose their identity by getting a new kidney.
It’s just there are some of us who don’t believe you should have to sell one to buy a once was car like this.
Mark Worman does some amazing work….but sticking with your numbers, I contend that he is in the top 2% who have proven they can do that.
I’m not talking about the asking price. I’m talking about all of the negative comments from people who think you can still buy a 70 Chevelle or something comparable for 2 or 3 thousand bucks.There are many reasons someone might buy this car. The reason I buy a project is because I usually don’t have the money to buy a finished 30, 40, or 50 thousand dollar car. If I am going to end up spending 20 to 40 thousand, I want the real deal. It costs just as much to build a clone as it does to build a real SS car. That matters to some and it doesn’t to some. If I did not have a car and a bunch of projects already, I would buy this car in a second. Your comment goes the other way, too. What about the comments on here saying this car is too expensive? Obviously it isn’t. Look at the bids. Some of the comments said this car is worth zero and should be crushed. Old car People? No they are not. To all the people who think old cars are too expensive, they have always been too expensive. To all the people who say pass on this and buy one already done. Maybe everyone doesn’t have your money so they buy a project and do it as they can afford it. Some people enjoy the parts chase and the build. NO old car is too expensive if you want it bad enough. You can buy you a 40 thousand dollar SS clone and be happy with it. If I want an SS, I will buy a real SS. Nothing wrong with the clone, it is just not my cup of tea. This 70 looks pretty good to me, and worth the money all day long. I went back and looked at the comments on this post. There were around 24 people just commenting. There were around 29 people calling this car junk, and it should be crushed, and not a real SS if restored, etc. These people obviously have never been to a local or national car show and never been to a local cruise-in. If they had, they would have quickly left when they realized that EVERYONE there had much more money in their car than what they were ”worth”. And if all the Donnie Downers on here had a car of their own they would know that they had more money in it that what it was worth. Hence my comment that they are not old car hobbyists. By the way, there were only 13 comments from people who were happy to see this car and realize the fun factor for the person who ends up buying it. For these people and me, we are excited to see an old car, any old car, saved. You and your Toyota friends worry about how much money you have to pay for an old car, while us REAL car guys worry about how to get the money to buy that old Mustang, Camaro, or Cuda, whether it is by hook or crook or spending the kids inheritance. A real car guy would sell BOTH kidneys to get his dream car. Good luck with yours.
Its Barnfinds! Its like falling in love! My first love was an orig red black bench 350-396 4 speed 12 bolt car in 1981, all#s match 70ss for 375$. Noone cared about numbers, Im with Ray and the rest of the non-beancounters.
This car is exciting, factory m22 12 bolt a 70, a factory 454, i dont care what condition its in, im excited, its a freakin 70 SS, its all Genetics , you either have it or you done, do i wish it was mint , closer, or within my grasp- sure.
Heres what i do, ok estimated 4475 Ls6 cars, divide that by 2 after 50 years , so thats roughly 2238 cars left, now take 10 percent and ship those to foreign countries to sit in collections, or to be lit on fire in the desert, that leaves 2000 ls6 chevelles left divided that bu 50 states? 40 per state? Yah? No, 10 per state? So what that tells me is that someday i will get my shot at one, thats the thrill of barnfinds. Maybe 10 per state, and 9 look like this?
Maybe some better informed pople know about ls6 registries? Im gonna need to log mine in . Keep them coming barnfinds!
She’s no prom queen, or Wicked Wanda for that matter. Come on, admit it. We want this car back in action….not at an auction.
This is an interesting car that had many desirable options. The LS5 with the 4 speed M22 along with the gage package, clock, bucket seats, power steering, and option rear seat speaker might have been ordered from the factory. There is no mention of the positraction rear which the owner could have overlooked.
At least the original 12 bolt and the M22 is still in the car. I imagine a M22 would cost a little money now if you can find one..
Someone said these cars were brought by rich kids and hoodlums. A lot of them were brought by average kids who were trying to save a buck by ordering one without all the high priced factory options which would come through from the factory, Some of us saved our money for over five years cutting grass pushing a mower in the hot summer sun at $1,25 – $1,50 per yard to make a down payment on these cars. We valued them a great deal and didn’t destroy them like many others. We had watched the Chevelles change from 1964 to 1970. We also knew that the 1970 SS454s were at the top of the mountain and that the 1971’s would be detuned. Some of us had to stop waiting and moved to buy one before the 1971’s came out. My 1970 SS 454 was by far my favorite car.
I have seen M-22’s priced as high as $3,500. I don”t know if they bring that or not, but I do know they bring at least 2 thousand or 25 hundred. I got my 70 LS5 in 1975 while I was in the Army. Automatic with 3:31 rear. I was 19. I might have been a hoodlum but I wasn’t rich. LOL Same color as this one. Paid $2,200.00 in May 1980. Paid a little more because my friend had bought it new and I knew the car. You could buy them on a car lot at the time for around $1,200.00. Another buddy bought an LS6 for $1,500.00, at the local dealership at the same time. I’ve still got mine. It’s no LS6, but it will spin the tires if need be.
How about a fun Chevelle story instead? My best friend had a beautiful Candy Brandywine 454 Muncie 4-speed 70 Chevelle in 1984. He had traded his robin egg colored 83 Olds Cutlass for it. The Chevelle was beauty and a monster.
One night with a mutual friend riding shotgun and me in the backseat my buddy revved that baby way up at a stop light. When the green light came on he side stepped the clutch, the car made a big lurch and at that moment the Muncie case broke and the Hurst shifter with the big white shift knob slammed into the passengers left knee like a baseball bat. When the driver let off the gas same thing in the other direction slamming into the driver’s right knee. No one seriously hurt fortunately.
Unsold with reserve not being met. No surprise there.
The Market hath spake.
The real shame of this is that cars like the above Chevelle started out as ‘everyman’s cars – NOT for the rich. Back then, if you saw a Chevelle in the parking lot at an exclusive country club, it most likely did not belong to a member, or any member of that member’s family!
Rich people then drove stereotypical rich-mobiles, like Cadillacs, Imperials, Jags, Lincolns, Mercedes, and Royces.
Now, even in as decrepit shape as this Chevelle example, they are commanding enough money to buy FOUR 1970 Coupe Devilles at that time. Perhaps scarcity is driving these ridiculous reserves, but to me, it’s sinful.
People are contracting or dying from COVID19 left & right, and the bidding price of a 1970 muscle car in that condition is in the TENS of $thousands? The thing has NO ENGINE in it!
Are we as a society learning anything?
It doesn’t even have to do with scarcity, it’s desirability.
1970 454 Corvettes are a heck of lot rarer than 454 Chevelles, yet the Chevelle is a higher dollar car right now.
As a Corvette guy, this has never made sense to me, but there are a lot of people who must have wanted one of these, and now they can.
Soundman, the 1970 SS Chevelles might not have been appreciated by the “country club set” back in the 70’s where only the luxury cars were the standard and anything else was looked down on. Today its a little different as most of those Cadillac and Lincolns have been crushed. A restored or very good original 1970 SS 454 would probably be quite an attention getter f driven around most country clubs now.
Good point Jack P.
Bubba Watson owns a General Lee so why not!
But sadly, I’m afraid with the current prices being requested for cars in this shape, they are out of reach for the normal Joe….not for any lack of desire to restore or get operable…but simply because the price of the starter cars are so high. I have no doubt the short-term economy is going to bring some of the pricing back into line.
Put this pile of crap BACK in the falling down barn.