• Home
• 1964 *
• 1965
• 1966
• 1967 *
• 1968
• 1969 *
• 1970
• 1971 *
• 1972
• FAQ *
• Abbreviations *
• Contributors *
• Facts Guide *

1967 SS 396

1967 SS 396 Interior

See trim codes page for interior colors

The SS 396 was available in six interior trim/seat colors; Medium Bright Blue, Medium Blue, Medium Red, Black, Medium Turquoise, and Medium Gold. An all vinyl bench seat was standard with bucket seats being optional.

Bucket seats did not require a console to be ordered, the console was still optional under RPO D55. The majority of buyers ordering bucket seats did opt for the console as well, but not all; 79,475 Malibu and SS 396 Chevelles were optioned with RPO A51 Strato-Bucket seats but only 71,482 also checked off on the console leaving 7,993 Malibu and SS 396 Chevelles with bucket seats but no console. When bucket seats and no console was ordered on an SS 396 the various manual transmissions would still be floor shifted while the Powerglide and Turbo-HydraMatic automatic transmission would remain column shifted. A Malibu ordered with bucket seat and no console still has the manual 3-speed transmission column shifted along with the optional Powerglide automatic transmission. All manual 4-speed transmissions were floor shifted regardless of series.

Around the second week of December, 1967 the console added retainer clips for the seat belt buckles. The manual transmission console has the seat belt retainer clips on the top of the console between the storage compartment and the shifter boot while the automatic console has the seat belt retainer clips on the side of the console adjacent to the shifter when in the Park position. Lacking these seat belt retainer clips indicate an early model year console. The center console was color coordinated with the interior color, i.e., black for black interior, blue for blue interior, gold for gold interior, etc.

A manual, column-shifted 3-speed transmission was the standard transmission regardless of series or body style or engine with the exceptions of the SS 396 series and any sedan pickup with one of the three optional 396 cubic-inch engines where the standard manual 3-speed transmission shifter was floor mounted with or without a console.

The 1967 model year saw some safety upgrades, one being the front seat(s) incorporating a locking system to help prevent the seat from falling forward in the event of a crash. The chrome button on the side of seat(s) released the lock to allow the seat to fold forward. Station wagons and 4-door sedans did not have these since the seats did not need to fold forward for rear seat entry. The plastic 'chrome' trim was only used around the back of the bucket seat and never on the bottom seat cushion.

Instruments

All Malibu and SS 396 series came standard with an electric clock; the clock was optional in the 300 and 300 Deluxe series. Gauges were optional under RPO U14 with any Malibu sport coupe, convertible, or sedan pickup with any V8 engine and the SS 396. These gauges included electric water temperature, ammeter, mechanical oil pressure, and, a tachometer. The tachometer by itself was optional in the same selection of Chevelles with a V8 engine under RPO U16. The tachometer was located on the top left of the dash under the switch panel. Since it blocked the location of the left turn indicator lamp, this indicator lamp was relocated into the face of the tachometer itself earning it the nickname of “blinker tach.” Two variations of the tachometer were used with an SS 396 depending on the horsepower rating of the engine. Both the L35 325 and L34 350 horsepower engines have a redline at 5400 RPM while the 375 horsepower L78 moved the redline to 6000 RPM. Unlike 1966, all 1967 tachometers have an overall RPM range of 0-7000 RPM.

The wiper knob on the 1967 dash is moved approximately 5/8-inch to the right from the 1966 location to facilitate collapsible steering column and hazard warning flashers that became standard on the 1967 model year. The 1966 switches measure approximately 2 3/4-inches from headlamp-to-wiper while the 1967 switches measure approximately 3 3/8-inches.

Both the Malibu and SS 396 were equipped with a clock in the right-most dash pod. When bucket seats and console were ordered the clock moved to the console and, if gauges were not ordered, a blank plate was used and a clear plug was used to cover the clock adjustment stem hole. When the optional gauges were ordered with the Malibu or SS 396 without a console, the clock was moved to the floor on the transmission hump; a rather awkward location.

A standard (no gauge option) dash has some minor changes from 1966 even though they look alike at first glance. A fuel gauge with horizontal sweep occupied the leftmost pod while an electric clock occupied the rightmost pod. The two warning lamp pods on either side of the steering column have from left to right, oil pressure warning lamp, water temperature warning lamp, generator lamp and parking brake lamp. The high beam headlamp indicator lamp was moved to the speedometer face just under the “10” on the mph scale.

Typical dash cluster lamp layout without Special Instrumentation. This Chevelle also happens to be optioned with the optional speed warning system (RPO U15).

Typical dash cluster lamp layout with Special Instrumentation. This would be correct for any manual transmission or either automatic transmission with console. An automatic transmission SS 396 without a console would have the gear indicator between the two lamp pods.

When U14 Special Instrumentation was ordered, a number of changes had to happen. The leftmost pod now has the fuel gauge and battery (amp) gauge while the rightmost pod has the water temperature and oil pressure gauge. All 4 gauges have a vertical sweep. Since the gauges eliminated the need for several warning lamps, the 2 warning lamp pods now are used for the high beam headlamp indicator and parking brake warning lamp. Since the high beam indicator lamp is now located in the leftmost warning lamp pod, there is no lamp on the speedometer face itself. As noted earlier the left turn indicator lamp was covered with the tachometer so the left turn indicator lamp was moved to the tachometer face. Mandated safety requirements required a collapsible steering column so, while the 1967 column is similar to the 1966 steering column, they are not readily interchangeable.

Dash Gauge/Clock Matrix

With the option of Instrument Panel Gauges, many warning lamps and the clock changed position depending whether bucket seats were ordered.

If only the tachometer (RPO U16) was ordered, only the left turn indicator lamp was affected.

The SS 396 series received a black ‘wrinkle-finish’ strip across the top of the dash where controls for wipers, headlamps, lighter, and ignition switch are. Optional U16 tachometer and/or optional U14 Special Instrumentation was available on all Malibu and SS 396 sport coupes, convertibles, and sedan pickups. The tachometer could be ordered without the four gauges but the four gauges could NOT be ordered without a tachometer.

Two tachometers were used depending on which 396 cid engine the Chevelle had. The top photo was used with both the 325-hp and 350-hp 396 engines and features a redline at 5400 RPM. The bottom photo was used with the 375-hp 396 engine and redlines at 6,000 RPM. The top photo tachometer was also used with the L79 325-hp engine when gauges were ordered. A third tachometer with a redline at 5000 RPM was used on all 283 cid engines and the L30 275-hp 327 cid engine.

If RPO U14 gauges were ordered on a bench seat or bucket seat with no console SS 396, the clock would be located on the transmission hump

Steering Wheel/Radio

The standard SS 396 steering wheel was changed from a 2-spoke to 3-spoke design for 1967 and featured "SS" on the horn cap. The standard steering wheel color was color-coordinated with the interior trim color, i.e., a red interior got a red steering wheel, blue interior got a blue steering wheel.

 A wood grained plastic steering wheel available on any 1967 Chevelle under RPO N34 and 5,462 were checked off the order form.

The radio faceplate was ribbed to match the ribbed bezel atop the glove box. When no radio was ordered a radio hole cover was used in place of the radio itself. Since any radio was optional, the term “radio delete” is a misnomer; you can’t delete what you don’t order.