This 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6 Convertible Is a Numbers Matching Gem

Without any further nonsense, this beauty comes equipped with a 454-cubic-inch (7.4-liter) engine that can output up to 450 ponies (456 ps). It also has the original M22 Rock Crusher four-speed transmission, frame, A-arms, ball joints, spindles, steering box and linkage, tie rod tubes and ends, springs, shocks, backing plates and rear cover, sway bars, driveshaft, and fuel tank.

It was produced on May 4, 1970, at the Baltimore, Maryland plant and sold brand new to Charles “Chuck” Cordell, that safeguarded it until September 2016, when he sold it to a car collector from Tennessee. At the time, the Chevelle had 27,000 miles (43,452 km) on it, which means that since 2016 it only ran for another 865 miles (1,392 km).

When he first laid his eyes on it, Mr. Cordell didn't like the white stripes it rolled out from the factory and asked the dealership he bought it from to remove them. Furthermore, he had the people there install aluminum heads and remove the smog equipment. The list of modifications demanded by him didn't end there. In addition, the entire thing is documented and was only performed by professional engine builders, according to the auction website.

Other than that, the car hasn't been through any more "suffering." The upholstery, glass, trim, and white convertible top are completely original, with the latter only being operated "six or seven times in the car's life and hasn't been down since the mid-1970s,” Cordell said. However, it is important to note that in the late '90s, the car has been repainted due to an unfortunate incident at a speed shop where the fender got scratched.

When the current owner took it in 2016 to Roger Gibson Auto Restoration in Scott City, Missouri, upon examining it, Gibson said that it was “a truly exceptional example,” “absolutely rust free,” and that it had “no wreck damage.” He then took off the outside panels and repainted the car in the original Tuxedo Black while also adding the factory-style white stripes.

Many parts are still original, like the T-3 headlamps, stainless and chrome trim, grille, bumpers and brackets, trunk mat, jack and spare tire. The latter never saw daylight outside of the trunk being opened on ocasions, because it was never used. Gibson saw to it that the LS6 engine was returned to its former glory with correctly date-coded and numbered parts, among which we count the distributor, carburetor and intake, cylinder heads and smog equipment.

The original owner had feared the car might be stolen one day, so he had every bolt head and suspension piece painted brick red to be easily identifiable. When Roger Gibson took a look underneath the car, he said that it was “the cleanest… I have ever seen in my shop.” However, for him to correctly complete the restoration, he had to deal with Cordell's... overbearing love for the car. This being said, the paint kept the exposed parts better preserved through time.

The end result was nothing short of a fortunate one because the car kept most of its stock suspension and driveline components, original pan paint, bolts, clips, and brackets. Where replacements were inevitable, the documented factory inspection markings were reproduced accordingly.

This sympathetic restoration will be on the auction block from January 4-15, 2023. No price tag has been displayed yet, but based on previous similar-range vehicles, it could easily go north of $120,000.