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Frequently Asked Questions & Dispelling Myths

1970 Chevelle

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Each year of Chevelles from 1964 through 1972 had unique oddities associated with them.

1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972

→ 1970 

* There are two SS options for 1970, the SS 396 (RPO Z25) and SS 454 (RPO Z15). The 325hp L35 was dropped and the 350hp L34 became the base 396cid engine for the SS 396 option. The SS 396 engine was actually 402cid but GM had a lot invested in the SS 396 name, they badged the 402 as a 396.

* On October 30, 1969 a letter was sent to all Chevrolet dealers notifying them of the new RPO Z15 option with the new 454cid engine. At this time the L78 375hp engine was dropped along with the L89 aluminum head option and the SS 396 would continue on with just the L35 350hp 402cid engine. The new Z15 option included a 360hp 454cid engine as its base engine with a 450hp LS6 engine as an option. All Z15 optioned Chevelles were limited to either the Muncie M22 4-speed transmission or the M40 TH400 Turbo HydraMatic 3-speed automatic transmission.

* Both the SS 396 and the SS 454 options included a special domed hood, power front disc brakes, SS wheels, F70-14 white lettered blackwall tires, and RPO F41 special suspension. An optional "Special Ducted Hood Air System" was available with both SS options. This option (RPO ZL2) included hood and deck stripes (hood only for the sedan pickup) and hood pins. By customer order, the stripes could be deleted from the ZL2 option.

* RPO D88 Hood & Deck Stripes were optional on any Malibu sport coupe, convertible, or sedan pickup - SS optioned or not. The stripes were NOT included with either SS option, contrary to popular belief.

* All SS optioned Chevelles came standard with a black dash, black steering column and black SS steering wheel and 3 round pod instrument display with fuel gauge, speedometer, and a blank space with warning lamps for generator, water temperature, and oil pressure.

* The "Special Instrumentation" option (RPO U14) was optional with any Malibu sport coupe, convertible, or sedan pickup whether SS optioned or not. When ordered with a non-SS optioned Malibu, the same 3 round pod dash from the two SS options was used. The instrumentation option dropped the oil pressure gauge and replaced it with a warning lamp incorporated into the tachometer.

* A new 402cid engine was offered with any Chevelle except one optioned with either SS option. This 402cid engine (RPO LS3) was a rated at 330hp but badged as a Turbo-Jet 400. A new small block 400 engine was available in full-size passenger cars and the Monte Carlo under RPO LF6 and badged as a Turbo-Fire 400. Auto repair manuals of the day often referred to these two engines as 400-4 for the LS3 and 400-2 for the LF6 since the LS3 only came with a 4-barrel carburetor and the LF6 came with a 2-barrel carburetor.

* The Monte Carlo was introduced and built along with Chevelles at the same plants and sequenced with Chevelles as 138xx series. The Monte Carlo only came in a sport coupe version although a convertible was considered but never saw production.

* An optional Turbo-Fire 400-2cid engine was available under RPO LF6 but only with passenger cars and Monte Carlos.

* The Monte Carlo offered an SS version under RPO Z20. Special badging was used on the rear tail panel and rocker panel moldings. The option included the LS5 454cid engine, Automatic Level Control, and G70x15 white stripe tires along with the special exterior badging. The LS5 could be backed by a 3- or 4-speed manual or 3-speed automatic transmission.

* All Monte Carlos were equipped with the 3 round pod dash but added a faux burl wood cover. RPO U14 Special Instrumentation was optional with any engine.

* Build sheets for all SS 396 Chevelles call out option B22 for SS emblems and have an SS emblem on the door panels in place of Malibu emblems, the door panels are identical otherwise. No SS 454 Chevelle build sheet found to date have this B22 code on the build sheet. Many early SS 454 Chevelles have Malibu door emblems since the trim shop did not see the B22 code on their copy of the build sheet. Whether dealers, owners, or the plants themselves substituted/replaced the Malibu emblem with an SS emblem this isn't known.

* The SS options included changes to body trim. The bright trim atop the fenders and doors along with the bright rocker moldings were removed as well as the bright center vertical bar in the grille. Since there was not a rear panel to blackout, a black pad was attached to the rear bumper.

* "Astro Ventilation" continued on sport coupes and Malibu convertibles.

* The 2-door pillar coupe body style was discontinued. The base model sport coupe and sedans were renamed from "300 Deluxe" to "Standard."

* While special order paint has always been available, it seems to have exploded for 1970. A lot of 1970 Chevelles have been documented with special paint via the Fleet & Special Order (F&SO) process. This little known option allowed any available color at the time to be ordered, be it GM, Ford, MoPar, etc. colors - if it was in any paint catalog one could order it.

** If you have some to add or question anything listed, contact me here.


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