1970 Chevrolet Chevelle Parked for 44 Years Is a 1-of-1 Gem Begging for Restoration

Documented by "Auto Archaeology," this 1970 Chevelle has been sitting in someone's backyard since 1978. That's a whopping 44 years off the road after only eight years in use. It's a sad fate for any classic but this Chevelle is not your regular 1970s Chevy midsize.

This drop-top was ordered with a long list of options, a special color, and a big-block 454-cubic-inch (7.4-liter) V8 engine under the hood. Is it one of those rare LS6 Chevelles? No, but it's actually rarer than that.

The car was ordered with an LS6 V8 but since the customer also wanted a convertible top, a four-speed gearbox, and air conditioning, it was marked down to an LS5. It's unclear why but I guess that's how Chevrolet handled certain option combinations at the time.

The LS5 was almost identical to the LS6 in terms of size and components but it didn't have the four-barrel Holley carburetor and other high-performance goodies. So while the LS6 came with 450 horsepower on tap, the LS5 had only 360 horses to play with. But this SS is not a run-of-the-mill LS5 because the color and the options turn it into a one-of-one gem. A holy-grail SS LS5 if you will.

Unfortunately, the Chevelle was retired way too early when someone reportedly dropped a tree by mistake over it. With its windshield and soft-top crushed beyond recognition, the striped Chevy was never revived and spent more than four decades in a yard.

Come 2022 and it's in terrible condition with the blue paint almost gone and severe rust on the rear fenders. The interior is covered in junk and I have a feeling that the frame is also far too gone after sitting for so long on the ground. Making things that much sadder, the original LS5 engine is still under the hood.

Is this classic still salvageable? Well, any rust bucket can be restored with the right amount of money, so it's not the only question that needs to be answered here. The second one is if it's worth pouring a six-figure sum into this derelict drop-top.

Given that a pristine numbers-matching 1970 LS5 was auctioned off for $121,000 in January 2022, this convertible might not be worth the investment. So unless it goes to someone who doesn't care about making a profit from a restoration, this Chevelle will most likely meet its doom on the farm.

But I'm still hoping it will eventually find a loving home. Not only because it's a one-of-one, but also because it comes with an interesting story. You can find out more about that in the video below.