1969 SS 396-Optioned 300 Deluxe & Malibu

Beginning with the 1969 model year, the SS 396 series was dropped and the SS 396 option was born. The SS 396 option was now RPO Z25 and could be ordered on the 300 Deluxe coupe (13427), 300 Deluxe sport coupe (13437), and the Malibu sport coupe (13637), Malibu convertible (13667), and Malibu series sedan pickup (13680).

The Z25 option included the base 396-cid 325hp Mark IV engine, a manual floor shifted H.D. Muncie 3-speed transmission, power front disc brakes, SS 396 badging on the front fenders, rear tail pan, grille, door panels, and trim above the glove box. The grille and grille extensions were blacked out as well as the rear tail pan. The Malibu series, strangely enough, got the front fenders of the 6-cylinder 300 Deluxe series with just the side marker and exchanged the 300 Deluxe emblem for an SS 396 emblem. The lower body trim molding was removed along with the Malibu script on the rear quarter panels. The 300 Deluxe series got the tail lamp housings of the Malibu series. All Z25-optioned Chevelles also got a twin domed hood. For the first time the SS 396 option included their own SS wheels and no wheel covers were optional.

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Note the lack the molding continuing below the grille, the side marker, and the 300 Deluxe emblem. With the Z25 option the Malibu series got the same front fenders with just the side marker (without engine size), and an SS 396 emblem in place of the 300 Deluxe emblem.

The 300 Deluxe tail lamp assembly was 'upgraded' to the Malibu series tail lamp assembly on Z25-optioned 300 Deluxe cars.

Since the SS 396 was relegated to an option and stopped being a separate series there is nothing on the Fisher Body Number plate nor the VIN to indicate the car was born with the Z25 SS 396 option with one exception. Two exterior paint colors coded "72" for Hugger Orange and "76" for Daytona Yellow were paint choices ONLY when the SS 396 option was ordered. These two colors were certainly available on other 1969 Chevelles but did require option ZP3, special paint, to be ordered. When this was done, the trim tag would not show the "72" or "76" paint code but rather would show a dash character (-) in the appropriate lower or upper paint code position. Be alert for fake trim tags that may have one of these two paint codes added to "prove" the car is an SS. Daytona Yellow and Monaco/Hugger Orange were available on 1969 COPO Chevelles as well but those WERE NOT SS 396 optioned. Even on the SS 396-optioned Chevelles these two colors were a $42.15 option.

Contrary to popular belief, options such as bucket seats, gauges, and 4-speeds were not standard equipment. A front cloth/vinyl bench seat, no gauges (except speedometer and fuel gauge), and a 3-speed heavy duty Muncie, floor-shifted, transmission were standard with the SS 396.

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It has been erroneously stated in several national car magazines and online articles that the 1969 SS 396 option included boxed rear lower control arms and rear sway bar under RPO F41 with the L78 engine. The F41 option was available on ANY 1969 Chevelle with the SS 396 option and only 722 F41 options were ordered in 1969. RP F41 was never standard or mandated in 1969 with any SS 396 engine choice.

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The standard instrument cluster consisted of the speedometer/odometer and fuel gauge along with warning lamps for generator, oil pressure, and water temperature. The shift pattern in the center also indicates this was a column shifted 3-speed automatic. If there is no shift pattern indicator the Chevelle would be equipped with a manual transmission or a floor shifted automatic transmission. The Special Instrumentation option (RPO U14) was available on any SS 396-optioned Chevelle as well as any V8 Malibu sport coupe, convertible, or sedan pickup.

Steering Wheel

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The SS 396 steering wheel (and steering column) is a black steering wheel regardless of the interior trim color. The steering wheel features a two-bar design with the SS logo on a centered and raised pad. The 1969 SS steering wheel is very similar to the 1970 SS steering wheel in design but they have different plastic 'grain' patterns and the raised SS emblem is different. If you put your computer mouse over the image you will see the 1970 version of the SS steering wheel.

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An optional steering wheel in 1969 was RPO N34 and often referred to as a "rosewood" wheel when, in fact, it was a wood-grained plastic wheel. The N34 steering wheel was an option open to ANY 1969 Chevelle, SS-optioned or not. Only 7,515 were optioned in 1969, about 1.5% of all 1969 Chevelles sold.

RPO U14 - Group 9.750

The Special Instrumentation option (RPO U14) was available on any SS 396-optioned Chevelle as well as any V8 Malibu sport coupe, convertible, or sedan pickup at a cost of $94.80. The option included a tachometer, ammeter, and electric water temperature and oil pressure gauges.

Note the circuit boards on these two units. The one on the left with the circular board is an original GM unit while the one on the right with the rectangular board is an aftermarket unit. Nothing wrong with an aftermarket unit but you can see the difference.

All SS 396-optioned Chevelles came with a 12-bolt rear end but Positraction was still an option; an open rear end was standard. However, a 12-bolt rear end, as well as Positraction, was available on non-SS 396-optioned Chevelles as well so the presence of a 12-bolt (with or without Positraction) is not an indication of a 1969 SS 396-optioned Chevelle.

The RPO Z25 SS 396 option included the base 325hp, Turbo-Jet 396 V8, black-accented grille, special hood, ornamentation and suspension plus sport wheels and wide-oval tires white lettered tires, power disc brakes, and special 3-speed manual transmission. RPO D96 side stripes were optional and came in black, white, blue, or red and the stripe color were dependent on the color of the car, on in the case of a convertible or vinyl top option, the convertible's top color or sport coupe's vinyl top color and interior colors.

Power disc brakes could also be ordered on ANY non-SS 396 optioned Chevelle so the presence of front power disc brakes is not proof a Chevelle is an SS-optioned Chevelle but, on the other hand, any Chevelle with drum brakes is not an SS 396-optioned Chevelle. Fuel lines are another clue, to a point. Both the L34 and L35 engines used a fuel return line so there will be two fuel lines along the frame rail. Production non-SS Chevelles have a single fuel line. The one exception is the optional L78 engine available with the SS 396 option, it also only has one fuel line.

Optional transmissions included the M20 , M21, or M22 manual 4-speed transmission or the TH400 automatic. Depending on the rated horsepower of the engine selected, the appropriate TH400 would be selected. Three different versions of the TH400 were available and can be identified by the metal tag on passenger side of the case. A "CC" coded TH400 was installed behind the base 396/325hp engine, a "CE" coded TH400 was installed behind the optional L34 396/350hp engine, and a "CX" coded TH400 was installed behind the optional L78 396/375hp engine.

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Blacked-out grille with single bright horizontal bar and SS 396 emblem centered in the grille and SS 396 badging on the rear of the front fender.

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Blacked-out rear cove with SS 396 badging centered between the tail lamps. See more about the tail lamp bezels below.

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The 1969 SS 396 came standard with special 5-spoke SS wheels and shown here with optional red stripe tires. The SS 396 option also removed the engine size from the front side marker found on all V8 Chevelles (and the optional 250cid I6-equipped Chevelles) and now displayed the SS 396 emblem behind the front wheels. The remaining front side marker is the same that came with all base 230cid I6 engines.

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When based on the 136xx Malibu series, the lower body molding was eliminated as part of the Z25 SS 396 Equipment option package.

Tail Lamp Housing/Cove/Tailgate

Another trim difference appears on the 300 Deluxe series Chevelles when ordered with the SS 396 option. This is sometimes found on build sheets as RPO T93, Deluxe Tail Lights. Just what are "Deluxe Tail Lights?" The Malibu series got these deluxe tail lights where the 300 Deluxe series did not. However, when a 300 Deluxe series coupe or sport coupe was ordered with the SS 396 option, these deluxe tail lights were included. Basically the difference is in the bezel itself as you can see from the photos.

On Vintage Vehicle Services in Canada documentation two additional items are listed on SS 396-optioned 300 Deluxe coupes and sport coupes, B79 EXTERIOR ORNAMENTATION REAR END and B95 REAR END PANEL MOLDING.

On Fremont build sheets for SS 396-optioned Chevelles RPO B79 is listed as *B79 EXT OR SS 396. On Framingham build sheets for SS 396-optioned Chevelles RPO B79 is listed at *B79 SS 396 EXT ORNMT. Same option, just different verbiage. Neither Baltimore nor Kansas City build sheets show RPO B79.

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An SS 396-optioned El Camino will have black painted panel on the tailgate extending to the quarter panels.

Parking Lamps

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The front parking lamps are another clue. Note parking lamps on the top two 1969 Chevelles and compare them to the parking lamps on the bottom two 1969 Chevelles. The SS 396 optioned Chevelles have bright trim around the parking lamps where the non-SS Chevelles do not.

"Eyebrow" Molding

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The Red El Camino is SS 396 optioned, the Yellow El Camino is not. The headlamp "eyebrow" trim extends to the front wheel well on non-SS 396 optioned Malibus, be they sport coupes, convertibles, or El Caminos where SS 396 optioned Chevelles stop at the bottom of the grille. The 300 Deluxe does use the same trim here as an SS 396 optioned Malibu (see photo below).

Grille Extensions & Filler Panel

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The aftermarket never seems to catch up and restorers never seem to learn. Part of the black-out treatment with the SS 396 option includes the grille extensions. Top photo is a 300 Deluxe/Malibu without the SS 396 option, center photo is Malibu with SS 396 option, and lower photo is Malibu with SS 396 option but incorrect grille extension pieces.

Canada Exceptions

Did you know that early SS 396 optioned 1969 Malibus had M A L I B U script on the rear quarter panels?

Also of interest, at least 11,323 (latest reported) 1969 Canadian Chevelle's VIN sequence beginning with 100001. How many of these are SS 396 optioned isn't known but the four above fit the criteria and more SS 396 optioned Chevelles in this span are known and documented. Currently the last known shipping date is December 28, 1968.

Vintage Vehicle Services report shows 9,612 Malibu sport coupes were built for sale in Canada and 903 of those were SS 396-optioned (RPO Z15) with 294 of those were equipped with the L34 engine and 136 with the L35 engine. Note these two engines only account for 430 of the 903 Malibu sport coupe SS 396.

The Oshawa Ontario plant also 'exported' some Chevelle models to the U.S. Numbers for Canadian-built Malibu sport coupes built for sale in the U.S. reports 10,828 with 1,598 SS 396-optioned and the base L35 engine and 769 with the optional L34 engine. The 300 Deluxe coupe (13427) and sport coupe (13437) reports 386 sold to the U.S. and 36 of those with the L35 engine.

Further Vintage Vehicle Services report shows 787 13667 Malibu convertibles were built for sale in Canada with 26 being base SS 396 cars with the L35 engine. These report example numbers have 1xxxxx VINs so the numbers only apply to those Chevelles with a 1xxxxx VIN.

GM of Canada also exported Chevelles to other countries. For example, 1,799 Malibu sport coupes were exported via G.M. Overseas Export Sales and at least was an SS 396 with the L34 engine.

It is often asked how many Malibu sport coupes (or any of the other 4 series/body styles) were built with the SS 396 option. Sadly those are figures we'll probably never know. One can calculate a mathematical distribution based on (1) the total number of Chevelles that could have been ordered with (2) the SS 396 option [346,406] and get a percentage of each of the 5 series/body styles since those numbers are known as well.

For example it is known that 5,620 V8 300 Deluxe coupes (13427) were sold. This represents 1.62% of the 346,406 possible Chevelles that could order the SS 396 option. Multiplying this 1.62% times the number of SS 396 options sold (86,307) results in a mathematical calculated number of 1,398. One can then mathematically calculate the number of each 396 engine based on the number of those engines. Again using the 13427 series/body style percentage of 1.62%, multiplying that percentage by the total number of L34 engines reported results in 281.

Does this really mean that 281 of the 1,398 SS 396 optioned 300 Deluxe coupes were built? No. First the 1,398 number is a calculated number based on the assumption that, indeed, 1.62% of all SS 396s were 13427 Chevelles. Second the 281 L34 engines is based on the assumed calculated number of 1,398 13427 Chevelles.

Vintage bucket seats may need more than seat covers if they are in bad shape. Some classic models may be able to use regular seat covers for cars, but others may require custom work to cover a factory bench seat.

Want more in-depth information on 1964-1972 Chevelles? My Facts and SS Guide program CD, my Shop Manuals & Parts Catalog program DVD, and my 1964-1972 Trim Tag and Warranty Card program CD. Check them and other informative program CDs at my https://chevellecd.net website.