VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1965-1970 super sport chevelles

I know that at least in some years the "Super Sport" was a trim package and did not necessarily mean the car was equipped with a big block engine. Is that true with 1969 Chevelles? Could a '69 Chevelle have been equipped with a 350 engine and have "Super Sport" badging?
Sid

No! The package was sold as a SS396....Joe

Thanks Joe, that's what I thought based on the available reproduction grill emblems that say "SS 396", and none that only say "SS". I've had a '69 Malibu Sport Coupe for about 20 years and have enjoyed it as a Malibu all that time. I just recently decided to give it a new paint job and have stripped it in preparation for that. A friend suggested I now convert it to an SS to increase its value. I'm not sure that an SS clone is really worth any more than a Malibu, and to make a proper conversion I would have to buy a 396, SS wheels and a hood among other things. The 350 I have in it is one of the best engines I ever built, and I'd hate to do away with it. It is interesting to notice the number of SS cars now advertised for sale vs. the number of Malibus.

Yep. There's more SS cars tody than the was when they were new. Sound like your car is just fine the way it is. Enjoy it....Joe

I remember a friend had a '63 Impala SS that came from the factory with bucket seats, console, SS badging and a 6 cylinder. I assume the SS was a trim package at that time, or that was some kind of special order, or a fluke. Were there some years when SS was a trim package on Chevelles, or were they all big block cars? I had a '65 SS Chevelle that I bought used in 1971. It had bucket seats, floor mounted 3 speed and a small block with 327 badging when I got it. Was this a homemade SS, a dealer made SS or could it have been factory?
Sid

My understanding is that the early years for the SS Chevys, SS for Super Sport meant that hte car had a sporty trim package. It did not mean that the car had a big block or a high performance engine in it. I know that in 1966 and newer, as SS Chevelle was always a big block car.

dtm

SS Super Sport was the performance option and trim packages such on first generation Camaro's used RS Rally Sport and Chevelle was based on RPO codes specified by the Dealer.The first Chevelle in 1964 had a special exterior trim package at the belt line that went away in 1965, not all SS models had Big Blocks as the higher output Small Blocks were also slotted as a base engine

1965 Chevelle was the first of the SS396 but Chevrolet only produced 201 with car 201 being the only convertable. Most others were 327. Chevelle continued the SS396 package through 1971 I believe. The first SS396 El Camino appeared in 1968 & even though you could order a big block in 1966 & 1967 they were not Super Sports...This SS subject can get very confusing with all the different cars & all the different engine packages.
Joe

Thanks Joe, that makes me think that my '65 Chevelle was probably a real SS, since it had a 327 along with the SS trim. I'm still wondering about dealer conversions. Can anyone shed any light on that? I have the impression that that kind of thing happened as well. What about seats and console? Were buckets and console an option on SS models?
Sid

Seats and console are not the determining factor, I have a 69 Chevelle SS396/375 with a collum shift and bench seat, had a 66 Chevelle Malibu with bucket seats and a console