Frequently Asked Questions

Question:
Is my Chevelle a Malibu?

Answer:
Maybe, maybe not. More →

Question:
How many 1970 Fathom Blue Chevelle convertibles were built with white interiors, a 396 (or 454) and 4-speed?

Answer:
All of Chevrolet's historical records were destroyed in the late 1980's. While there are known numbers of individual models in a given year, a known number of interior colors/type for most years, and a known number of individual options, there are no known records of any combinations of them. One can calculate a statistical distribution of any single item but, at best, it's still just a statistical distribution. See the Z25/Z15 breakdown here.

Question:
I have bucket seats but no console, what gives?

Answer:
The 1964 and 1965 Malibu SS series came standard with bucket seats. For these two years, a buyer only got a center console when either the optional Powerglide automatic transmission or optional Muncie 4-speed manual transmission was ordered. The 1964 and 1965 Malibu series sedan pickup (El Camino) could be ordered with buckets seats but not as a bucket seat option (RPO A51) as such but rather just one of the available all vinyl seat color options. Although many owners today 'upgrade' their 1964/1965 El Caminos with bucket seats and often add a center console, a center console was not used in early El Caminos even when a bucket seat trim code was ordered.


Bucket seats (RPO A51) and center console (D55) were two separate options beginning with the 1966 model year. Bucket seats could (and often were) ordered without a center console. The center console required bucket seats but bucket seats did NOT require a console - regardless of transmission type. See bucket seat vs. console breakdown here.

Question:
Didn't all SS 396 Chevelles and SS optioned Chevelles come with bucket seats?

Answer:
No. Except for the 1964 and 1965 Malibu SS, bucket seats were always optional under RPO A51. A front bench seat was standard on all 1966 through 1972 Chevelles, SS 396/SS optioned or not. The 1969 Chevelle 300 Deluxe when ordered with the SS 396 option could not order bucket seats since bucket seats were not an option on that particular series. Bucket seats were only an option on a Malibu sport coupe, Malibu convertible, or Malibu (Custom) El Camino and SS 396 Chevelles.

Question:
My 1970 SS 454 does not have a tachometer or gauges? Is this a fake car or factory error?

Answer:
Only the 1964 and 1965 Malibu SS series came standard with gauges although the tachometer itself was optional under RPO U16.

The tachometer/gauge option (RPO U14) was always optional on any V8 SS 396, V8 Malibu sport coupe, Malibu convertible, or Malibu (Custom) El Camino through 1969.

In 1969 the U14 option could be ordered in the 300 Deluxe coupe and sport coupe but ONLY when SS 396 option was ordered with the SS 396 option.

The U14 option could be ordered in 1970, 1971, and 1972 in any V8 sport coupe, V8 convertible, or V8 El Camino regardless of series.

In 1966 and 1967, a tachometer could be ordered without the oil/amp/water temp gauges under RPO U16. When RPO U14 was ordered, a tachometer was part of the U14 option. A bit of trivia, the oil pressure gauge changed from a mechanical unit to electrical in 1968. In 1970, the oil pressure gauge was removed in favor of just a warning lamp.

Question:
My Chevelle came with bucket seats but no console. What gives?

Answer:
Beginning with the 1966 model year and up through the 1972 model year, bucket seats under RPO A51 and consoles under RPO D55 were two individual options. The RPO D55 console required RPO A51 bucket seats but a buyer could order bucket seats but not order a console. Anywhere from approximately 5,000 to almost 10,000 bucket seat options were sold without a console for a given year. To check, pick a year from 1966 through 1972 and click the respective "Regular Production Options" link and compare RPO A51 sales to RPO D55 sales for that year.

The 1964 and 1965 model years are a bit different. While the Malibu SS came standard with bucket seats (and RPO A51 did not exist), these two years only received a center console when either the optional manual 4-speed transmission or the optional 2-speed automatic transmission was ordered. With one caveat, bucket seats were NOT available in any 1964 or 1965 Malibu; that one exception is the Malibu series El Camino. While RPO A51 was still not a bucket seat option, both 1964 and 1965 Malibu series El Caminos could get bucket seats in limited colors simply by ordering a specific interior trim code. The bucket seat trim codes for 1964 and 1965 Malibu series El Caminos were unique to the El Camino and were not available as color choices in the respective years' Malibu SS series although some colors of bucket seats were available in both the El Camino and Malibu SS, their trim codes are different. You would need to check the "Interior Trim" link in both 1964 and 1965 model years to see these.

Question:
My 1966/1967 Custom El Camino has a 396 engine; is it an SS 396?

Answer:
No. The only year for the SS 396 El Camino as its own series is 1968 and its VIN will begin with 13880. In 1966/1967 all three 396 engines were available as an option in both the 300 Deluxe and Custom Malibu series El Camino. These 1966/1967 El Caminos ordered with a 396 engine did NOT receive the SS 396 badging or blacked-out grille. They also did NOT include the SS 396 hood although it is a popular owner add-on. Special Instrumentation (gauges), bucket seats, manual 4-speed transmissions, the TH400 3-speed automatic transmission (1967 only) could also be ordered in the El Camino.

Question:
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Chevelle Facts Guide 1964-1972