4X4 Again? 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle 454
Those offroad/4X4 hits just keep coming! So far we’ve seen a ’98 Mercedes “Mudder” and a ’72 Ford Pinto modified for rough and ready action and now, we’re going to add some muscle to the mix in the form of this 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle Super Sport. Yup, truth is usually stranger than fiction but you gotta’ love an imagination, a sense of adventure, and a welder with skills. This standing tall Chevelle is located in Ripley, West Virginia and is available, here on Facebook Marketplace for $18,000.
Chevelle SS models from ’66 through ’72 have become one of America’s most collectible muscle cars. I have been tracking their value ascent for a while now (I owned one years ago when it was just considered an old used car) and am amazed at the lofty heights that they have attained. So, is it a good idea to convert one into a 4X4 offroader? Probably not, at least from a value perspective but if the conversion subject was not a legitimate Chevelle SS to start with, then it really doesn’t matter. And that appears to be the case here, the trim is more indicative of a Malibu than it is a legitimate SS396 model – and ’69 was the first year that the Chevelle SS lost its unique model designation so the VIN will be of no help in deciphering legitimacy.
So what’s actually going on here mechanically? We are advised that a non-original 454 CI V8 engine of unknown provenance, spinning an automatic transmission, connected to a Dana axle up front and a Chevrolet twelve bolt differential in the rear provides motivation. No word regarding the specifics of the transmission or transfer case. The seller claims, “Motor was just freshened up – starts up every time“. I’m not exactly sure what “freshened up” would entail. We are also told that this Chevy is still residing on its original A-body frame.
While dark primer can hide a myriad of foibles, the body of this Chevelle is strong. As often stated before, GM A-bodies of this generation can be rust attractors but there is no sign of rot, or even body damage – something that is hardly unexpected when an errant rock or tree extends itself during a spirited offroading adventure. The bumpers and trim present themselves well but the fender’s “SS” emblems are painted on and far from the original pieces used. Get a load of those tires, 35 inchers!
The interior shows both a steering column shift lever for the transmission and a floor shift which probably actuates the transfer case. The bucket seats, which are in need of some repair, and the center console are non ’69 Chevelle items, as is the steering wheel, but the rest is pretty standard fare. The armrests are missing and the dash pad has seen better days, but the interior is actually in better shape than I would have expected.
Fun? I have to believe so with that stump puller under the hood – this thing will probably go straight up a wall. Think about it for a minute, you could snag this Chevelle and add it to a collection including the Mercedes and the Pinto and have your own backyard Baja 500. I must admit, I’d never attempt a trick like this with a ’69 Chevelle but then again, I wouldn’t know where to start and I admire individuals that have the skills to pull something like this off, regardless of the outcome. So tell me, love it, hate it, or something in between?
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Comments
Why? Just why? That is all…
Your 1st word stole my 1st comment before I got to comments! What I’m wondering is if $18k is firm or would say $14k offer be worth pulling this body & ‘frame’ supposedly still there, off of that 35″ wheel dolly. Then restore that into an SS454 clone & have that 4×4 dolly to sell off to some other 4×4’er for what, $8k? Then you’d be into a primered future clone canvas at only $6k. Not bad considering that ’70 Trailer Park non-queen rust machine that was selling for $20k
I love it and hate it at the same time .
The bastardized son of Chevy.
Does one have to kicked in the head by a farm animal to do this?
I think it must be the well water with the crops fertilizer driving these mods.
Good luck on getting your money back👍
Yeah I’d find some way to get a claim from Monsanto to have done this insane thing!
Cleatus: Bubba.
Bubba: What Cleatus?
Cleatus: It just keeps gittin’ better.
Bubba: That it do.
I would rather buy this then some under powered totally original malaise vehicle with no chance of having any fun whatsoever * (Anything with a big block can be fixed to have fun)
This is certainly a lot better than rust-bucket Chevelles you see all the time for astronomical prices.
Hahaha! Love it. I would bring it to a Chevy show and plop it right next to some restored SS396 with correct factory crayon marks under the hood.
What a shame.
Just because you can doesn’t always well you know, under it all its still a 69 chevelle so let there be that
The wildest conversion I ever saw was back in the 80’s: A Continental Mark IV 4X4, gold with white vinyl top. A beautiful car, looked like it had never been off road. Mark IV-by-IV?
Okay, reality check. The fact someone would take probably THE most sought after muscle car, the ’69 Chevelle, with a motor that wasn’t offered until 1970, but a popular swap none the less, and turn into this abomination, says someone is out of touch. I try and dispel all stereotypes, sometimes it’s almost comical how accurate they can be. Regardless, this is one ’69 Chevelle the vultures won’t get their hands on, going this route reduced the would be buyers to a handful, and as crazy as the hobby is, someone may buy it just for the body, ’69 Chevelles ( with clown wheels) routinely go for 6 figures. Bastardized 4×4’s, not so much.
Somebody was hitting way to much of the whacky weed on this one. I’m just seriously conflicted about this car. One part of me says Well Done! The other part is saying fix it and put it back to right. The agony.
Shameful!
Add claims its on its original frame so shouldn’t be to hard to double your money by taking it back to stock, just don’t look under that black primer.
Why ask why?!?-too many Bud drys
What a waste of a nice classic body looks pretty straight from the pics just my opinion
Should have left it dead stock.
I see now posted 15 weeks ago!!
Sale what what you can, scrap the rest. Not a normal thought for me. I much prefer to salvage and restore. This, just defies any kind of logic. JMO.
Why the hate? Fortunately, at least for today, this is still America and the owner is FREE to do with the car as they choose(What if the owner is a battle-injured Veteran?)…we’re all still allowed to be different and it looks like they’re having fun, living a life not constrained and determined by peer pressure and haters. I suggest our concern be with increasingly aggressive effort to force us out of our efficient, fun, comparatively inexpensive combustion engine vehicles and into leftist/media-approved egg-shaped EVs. Enjoy your diminishing FREEDOM while you can…leftists are close to forcing auto manufacturers to install gov’t approved ignition controls. We’re suffering frightening theft of our FREEDOM and I find this person’s willingness to stand against group-think is fine AMERICAN TRADITION.
There are so many turd cars out there that could have been built. Sell the ‘69 for a good price, build yourself a nice muddier and have funds leftover. This is a good case for a stick welder left unattended!!
Whoa, simmer down. I’m in agreement with you, to an older person, this was, and still is to some, considered “fun stuff”. What has happened, is years ago, we all did this to some extent,,,for peanuts. It was a cheap hobby most could enjoy in our “back yard”. Since we’ve morphed into a “just put it on credit”, rather than actually build something, this kind of activity is foreign to most, and getting worse. Tools, storage, online nightmares,( and that pesky “stolen credit”)then what do you do with it? Used to be, a cheap classic, and a rusty Blazer( or whatever) were all around, you could literally make something similar, just for grins, and not be 5 figures in the hole with little, or with no chance of getting that back.Many simply don’t have $10g’s to spend on something like this. It wasn’t about being on “wacky weed” or how many “suitcases” it took, that’s what folks think today. It’s so unusual, that the builder MUST have been on something.
I think our “diminishing freedom” is more of a “necessary” greed thing. Inflation, I read, is at historic levels, and takes all you have just to exist today, and all but eliminates projects like this. People with money aren’t going to mess with fabrication, it doesn’t coincide with our “instant gratification” society today.
Fear not, there IS something you can do, don’t play into the “modern” scene as much as you can. Time after time, vintage vehicles come through here, many with no modern intervention whatsoever, and do the same job. I drive a ’77 GMC pickup, because I refuse to play into what the govt. wants you to drive. I even pay an EXTRA $7 bucks to get plates every year here in lovely Colorado, because it’s classified as an “older vehicle”. Nice, huh? Well worth it to me to stick it to these greedy so and so’s, that MY solution, and can be yours too.
I would like to know if it used to be burgundy. And if you bought it like this.
At least it has a Chevy engine in a Chevy body and it’s NOT A Boss 429 with a 351 in it, OR a MIGHTY MOPAR left out in a field 40 years ago with nothing left but the VIN PLATE that someone wants $75,000.00 dollars for because it USE TO HAVE A HEMI In it. Some of you have never been to WEST BY GOD VIRGINIA . This is GOLD there.
Your hatred for Mopars is shining through again, and maybe Ford now too ? .