1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS Parked for 30 Years Is Amazingly Original

But that's not to say all the other Chevelles were mundane performance-wise. Not by a long shot. Chevrolet also offered an LS5 variant of the same engine with 360 horsepower on tap. At the same time, the 402-cubic-inch (6.6-liter) V8 in the SS 396 generated 350 or 375 horses. The 350-horsepower lump was the base engine in the SS, so we could say that all the 1970 Chevelles wearing the now-iconic badge were pretty quick off the line.

One major thing sets the 454 and 396 versions apart, though. The former is quite rare, as Chevrolet sold fewer than 9,000 examples with both the LS5 and LS6. The SS 396, on the other hand, was very popular and moved a whopping 53,599 units. The L34 is by far the most mundane.

On the flipside, many of these rigs were abandoned in junkyards when muscle cars became expensive to maintain and insure, so all-original and unmolested examples are hard to find. The Forest Green SS 396 L34 example you see here is one of those rare muscle cars that managed to soldier on in one piece despite spending more than 30 years off the road.

Uncovered by Chevelle SS specialist Patrick Glenn Nichols in Texas, this 1970 Chevelle SS was last driven in 1991. That means it's been sitting for a whopping 32 years as of 2023. But this example got lucky and spent all those years in a garage, so the damage isn't as extensive as on a classic parked outside.

Sure, there's a lot of surface rust and even a few holes here and there, but it's a solid project that won't need hugely expensive bodywork. What's more, it flexes a cool color combo. I know most Chevelle buffs like white-striped black cars, but it doesn't get better than Forest Green with a white vinyl top in my book. Especially if the vehicle also has a green interior and a front bench seat, just like this one.

And there's more good news under the hood. The L34 powerplant in this Chevelle is not only very complete but also numbers-matching. The same goes for the M40 automatic transmission with a column shifter. Needless to say, the V8 doesn't run, but it sure looks like it could spring back to life without a rebuild.

As much as I love unrestored vehicles with decade-old patina, this 1970 Chevelle SS would look way better as a restored classic. And hopefully, someone is planning on taking it apart and putting the body on a rotisserie. This SS 396 may not be as rare and valuable as an SS 454 LS6, but it definitely deserves just as much love.