1965 Chevelle SS Sat 40 Years, Comes Back to Life Burnout-Style; the 350-HP V8 Is Immortal

Chevrolet happened to be that black sheep who simply couldn’t watch Pontiac go to sleep on its muscle car laurels, especially since the Bow Tie already had a much, much better variant. The car was there, the engine was there—they only needed to put them together, and that’s what Chevrolet did: they took a small block from a Corvette and planted it in a Chevelle. The result? The 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS 327/350.

The Chevelle was a popular name from the very start in 1964. Almost 400,000 units were sold in the first year, and the Super Sport package was a big part of that sales effort. Things got spicier once the muscle car wars were declared, and Chevrolet didn’t hesitate to up the ante. Already ahead of the game, Chevry engineers only needed a reason to stuff the 1964 Corvette engine into something more mass-oriented.

In 1965, the Corvette offered five powerplant choices—all based on the 327 cubic-inch V8. The 5.4-liter motor was a solid performer, and the Chevelle got one. Not the great fuel-injected L84 with its 375-horse output, but the hard-punching four-barrel variant, good for 350 horsepower and 360 pound-feet (355 PS, 488 Nm), mated to a four-speed close-ratio Muncie transmission and a 12-bolt Positraction rear.

Only 6,021 Chevelle Malibu SS were fitted with the feisty V8 (RPO code L79) out of over 72,000 SS-badged examples built for the 1965 model year. One of them has been sitting since 1983 for reasons that make no difference to anyone today. Suffice it to say the car has a roof over its head and survived in good condition, except for one minor detail (or two. Alright, three or four).

The most striking element is the absence of a carburetor atop that intake manifold (also a newer model than what Chevrolet used in 1965). Another issue is the seized small-block that needs some convincing (read lubricant and elbow grease) to finally break free after four decades of inactivity. Then there are the front brakes (locked up solid) and the trunk lock—nothing major, like I said.

At least, not to these YouTubers, who set about wrenching their way out of this situation and putting the Chevelle back on the road, one set of rear tires at a time. That’s right. After getting a new carb to work, fixing the fuel system (did I mention the pump was still retired, even after the vloggers got the engine running?), and putting newer tires on it, the mechanics used smoke signals to write a love letter to the Super Sport dragon.

That's rubber smoke - because it lasts longer. Play the video below to watch the mostly original ’65 Chevelle SS rumble back into active duty. Frankly, if it weren’t for the stuck engine, it would have remained another one of those YouTube uncertainties whether this is or isn’t an L79.

However, check the harmonic balancer on which the YouTubers bolt that makeshift engine de-seizer tool. The beefy chunk of metal at the front is the telltale for the 350-horse L79 (the 300-hp 327 would have had a thinner balancer). So, if you had the chance to go through this car, what would you do to it?