Muscle Car of the Week: 1970 Chevelle!

1970 was perhaps the pinnacle year for powerful muscle cars, delivering many beefy choices that are highly sought after for restoration today. This power was evidenced by the fact that the GTO, Grand Torino and Chevelle all had engines that produced more than 350 horsepower! Sadly though, this new generation of bigger and badder engines was short lived, as regulations on size and performance would soon cripple the industry and end the muscle car era as we knew it by the mid 1970s.

The Chevelle came in six different body styles in 1970, but only three were allowed the coveted 'SS' upgrade that opened the door to those extra HPs. These were the Malibu Sport Coupe, the Malibu Convertible, and the El Camino Pickup. While styles similar to these were available the previous year, upgraded sheet metal made them slightly boxier in 1970, which only added to the car's more powerful persona.

The interiors of every Chevelle model was redesigned as well, offering, however, a limited selection of only three colors to choose from. Of these, the consensus here at our auto restoration shop is that dark green was the most attractive, although the black and blue looks were nice as well.

Like previously mentioned, under the hood the Chevelle was ahead of the pack. This was because in the 'SS' package, Chevy offered a massive 454 cubic inch LS6 V8 that kicked out 450 horse power and did 0 to 60mph in just five and a half seconds.

In 1970, you could get a Chevelle at the affordable price tag of right around $2,600. Nowadays, a fully restored 'SS' Convertible can go for up to $95,000!

Image Credit: www.antiqueoldcars.com