1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396ci V8 Coupe

Description

The mid-sized Chevelle represents an interesting chapter in the history of the American muscle car, with the SS 396 package helping it stake a claim as one of the undisputed kings of the drag strip as early as 1966. Plugging a gap between the compact Chevy II and full-size Impala, the Chevelle debuted in 1964 and quickly established itself as one of the best intermediates on the market. After being extensively restyled the previous year, changes to the 1967 Chevelles were relatively minor, confined to reprofiling the front and rear fenders, along with a new anodized aluminium grille, revised turn signals and other detail changes. Available in two model lines, the Chevelle 300 series was complemented by the more upmarket 300 Deluxe range, which also added a station wagon to the existing two and four-door sedans. If the base six-cylinder or optional 263-cid V8 weren’t enough to raise the pulse, Chevrolet added its 396-cid V8 into the mix with the Chevelle SS, sold as a separate sub-series (138) since its introduction the previous year. Available only as a hardtop coupe or convertible, the SS came with special stripes, badges, a black accented grille and blacked-out rear cove panel, simulated scoops on the domed bonnet, special wheel trims and red-stripe tyres. The interiors were trimmed in vinyl with optional bucket seats, and a black-accented instrument panel, along with an SS-badged steering wheel for the first time and a relocated 7,000 rpm tachometer. Rated at an impressive 325 horses at 4600 rpm, the big block V8 had five main bearings, hydraulic valve lifters and 10.25:1 compression with a Rochester Quadra-Jet four-barrel carburettor. Optional V8s included the 350 horsepower L34 and 375 horsepower L78, both featuring F70 Wide Oval tyres as standard. Other mechanical changes included much improved, stiffer suspension, a stronger 12-bolt rear end and beefed up rear suspension to cope with all that horsepower. A range of transmission options saw the Turbo Hydra-matic automatic transmission available for the first time, along with the usual three and four-speed manual shifters (including the heavy-duty M22 “Rock Crusher”). All this resulted in some pretty serious performance, with Motor Trend recording a quarter-mile time of 15.9 seconds for the standard 396/325 hp SS. All told Chevrolet built 63,006 SS Chevelles in 1967, split roughly evenly between hardtops and convertibles. These days, a genuine Chevelle SS-396 is a highly desirable piece of American muscle, streets ahead of its Motown rivals in performance, rarity and affordability.