1970 Chevelle SS L-78

This  little tutorial and marketing exercise is to sell a 1970 Chevelle SS396 with the L78  (2144 produced)option.   Sadly. I am one of the pre-eminent experts on the L78 variant which would suggest I need to get a life.   In this case.  I will use the funds to start a patented fire escape company.   Have owned the car since September of 2003.   It was delivered with 29413 miles on the odometer; it now has 32368 which represent about 300 miles per year.   I will try and not use adjectives like awesome. born. flawless. and incredible since it as the end of the day a car. but also in this case. an investment.    See the Haggerty appraisal below. according to their appraisals. the value of an L78 car it went up over $10. 00 (on the average) since April 2013. There are a few hundred LS6 cars out of (4475 produced)that are for sale on any given day.   I suspect a few more then then actually built aka: 67 Tri Carb Vettes and 69 Z-28's.   Even the $100K cars have flaws. for example the radio ground is never on any of them.   My 1394 positives selling rusty Chevelle and Corvette parts to other lunatic/correctophile nut jobs like myself have proven to be a difficult task.   There is no pleasing this crowd. (Note the questions I am going to get regarding the always car show arguments of how Kansas City made Chevelles versus Atlanta.

Please note that if you challenge some of my assertions please include the page of the assembly manual. a picture of you standing in front of your L78 or LS6 and a recent copy of USA today showing proof of life and ownership of your car while holding the build sheet.

Take notes kids:

Have original build sheet (not pictured) it is old and yellow but I took the picture.   For some reason the close up frivitz does not work on the ebay site.   Email me your address and I will send you a better picture. The block is CKO/CE and the heads set for unleaded gas.    In every way I tried my damndest to adhere to the very dog eared assembly manual.   I scored the junk yards in five states to get OEM parts whenever possible.   So. the fan. coil. alternator. oil cap. radiator cap. clips etc. are OEM.   I am too stooped to rig stuff regardless.

I  just rebuilt the carb. alternator. Added an NOS AM Radio. Changed all fluids. drained the tank well. and blew all the lines

Car has had factory console. factory buckets added by the previous owners.    I can tell you of a few junk yards in Minnesota and North Dakota where you can get a snazzy bench seat.

The paint is over 15 years old. as is the glass and bright work.    There is NO-END to what a person can spend on paint. glass and chrome.   If you plan to drive it then keep this in mind. It will go down the road just swell with its current paint.  

The car is a high end driver. you cannot eat off the chassis as it is factory rustproofed and my aforementioned no life did not include this removal process for a driver. I have never been to a car show where the couple with the lawn chairs that match the paint on the car were dining off the floor pan. These under lithium control types always have that “Look but Don't Touch” sign on their life defining Chevelle.   It on the other hand. under the hood is a tour de force' in technical correctness.   Non-correct. if you're keeping score:

The Brake booster is a repop with Delco Moraine on it. OEM should be upside down on the passenger side.   The radiator is a four row but not OEM.    The new water pump is correct but has a 1970 code date.

The shifter mechanisim is a Hurst. not a Muncie.

The radiator cap in the picture (opps) is the incorrect stainless RC15 replacement.   I have the correct galvanized cap (OEM). Note the repops script is not the correct font and you will be happy to know this saves you. the buyer a couple hundred and is a good thing to check on the other 1970 Chevelles you lust for. Point it out at a car show and watch the owner lose 3 inches in height.   The Corvette guys have been known to "borrow" this low hanging fruit from each other at car shows.

The fenders were replaced at some point.   The height of the SS emblems appears to be 2. 1334 inches to high.

The alternator bolt is wrong but it has been corrected. I woke up screaming after I had time to reflect on this gross and obvious transgression.  

The battery is modern with a Delco cover; the current/correct spring battery cables are new.

I will give a free under hood radio ground to the first emailer who sends the page in the assembly manual.   Note the even the $100K up cars for sale lack this glaring example of factory and coucours dooming correctness.    When I sit in front of the computer late at night in my underwear and tin foil hat. I scan the pictures of competitors for this and other serious life changing flaws .  

Since the 2003 purchase. all the wiring harnesses have been replaced. tires (OEM). brakes. gas tank. exhaust system (OEM style not flowmaster or other annoyingly loud system). carpet. span >  headliner. brake lines. fuel lines. alternator. span >  fan. span >  fuel pump. horn relay. voltage regulator. span >  entire dash. radio. speakers. all the wiring harnesses and anything  else that could catch fire or contribute to one.   Trunk and jack . spare are correct. I am a bleeder. crybaby and a coward. I have about $18K in receipts for some of these baubles. Tiny dent towards driver side front of hood.

Some things to check on the competition car auctions: The oil cap should be chrome with a small SE stamp on it. The dip stick should have a small yellow tip and natural steel.   The radiator cap needs to be galvanized with a strong script on the cap.   The top cover should have a reinforcement tap on the driver side.   The 4 speed knob on the L cars should be silver (there is a nice diagram on the console if you get confused).    The distributor cap should have Patent Pending and a small R to note resistor plugs. but no Patent Number.   The patent was issued in 1957 and ran for 17 years.   You can buy these caps for a few hundred.   See? There is no end to it.   The concours de elagnace crowd does not allow working man cars on the closely groomed lawns regardless. (see the Haggerty evaluation). Chevelles are generally regulated to the hot asphalt.   Perhaps. however we could start something to respond to the Corvette wave.   Say "strength and honor" chest pump from the movie Gladiator.

I am starting a business and need the funds. I got a patent because the idea is a tad stoopid and simple for a moron like me.   I do not need a trade nor will I entertain the concept of a 1970 Duster with a blower motor etc. . or whatever POS style car /motorcycle/ Zepplin your wife wants you to get rid of.   Or else the Female Fun Limitation Factor will kick in. and you know what that means. But on the flip side show her. your banker or her father in law what a canny INVESTMENT this little pile of bolts can be. Resist the temptation to rig. chrome or anything to customize it.   It will only cost you money and decrease it's value.

Below is the Haggerty insurance value pasted and stuck right off thier website.    This car is somewhere between a 3 and a 4 on the Haggerty list. as I wrote it needs paint and some other cosmetics dependent on your insanity and financial largess.   Do the math kids. you can ballpark the realistice value of this car to determine your bid. Looks like a good paint job. nbsp;new glass and chrome will cost you X. but add 28K to the base value to get it to a 2. If you like finger sandwiches the trip to Pebble Beach will cost about 40K plus the custom trailer and the 3/4 Silverado to pull it there.   Regardless. go to Haggerty web site to confirm what I am saying.   Use it to smoke out other Chevelles to objectively judge what you are interested in versus the diatrides and adjectives used on some other ads.   The 1970 Chevelle L78 variant beats most stocks and is a clever alternative to say. a Bass Boat.  

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396

2dr Hardtop Coupe 8-cyl. 396cid/375hp 4bbl L78

49. 59* (average value)

#3 cars could possess some. but not all of the issues of a #4 car. but they will be balanced by other factors such as a fresh paint job or a new. correct interior. #3 cars drive and run well. but might have some incorrect parts. These cars are not used for daily transportation but are ready for a long tour without excuses. and the casual passer-by will not find any visual flaws. "Good" is the one word description of a #3 car.

#4 cars are daily drivers. with flaws visible to the naked eye. The chrome might have pitting or scratches. the windshield might be chipped. Paintwork is imperfect. and perhaps the fender has a minor dent. The interior could have split seams or a cracked dash. No major parts are missing. but the wheels could differ from the originals. or the interior might not be stock. A #4 car can also be a deteriorated restoration. "Fair" is the one word that describes a #4 car.

Vehicle Value Details

Date

Condition 4

Condition 3

Condition 2

Condition 1

Dec 2013

$36. 00

$49. 00

$64. 00

$86. 00

Aug 2013

$36. 00

$48. 00

$63. 00

$84. 00

Apr 2013

$27. 00

$45. 00

$57. 00

$78. 00

Dec 2012

$26. 00

$44. 00

$55. 00

$75. 00

Aug 2012

$26. 00

$44. 00

$55. 00

$75. 00

Apr 2012

$26. 00

$44. 00

$55. 00

$75. 00

Dec 2011

$26. 00

$44. 00

$55. 00

$74. 00

In the long standing tradition of Barrett Jackson I WILL NOT GIVE OUT THE RESERVE! I WILL NOT GIVE OUT THE RESERVE! I WILL NOT GIVE OUT THE RESERVE!  Also. if your boss caught you sleeping at the dealership do not call me for a price either.   Please no more dealer calls  or emails to bypass the E-bay process and offer to sell the car for me. I simply know more then you do and have faith in this process. Have at least 10 eBay's bids and the same spotless record I enjoy before you low ball me.

Feel free to ask questions. car is in Vadnais Heights Minnesota.    I will answer and publish any serious questions and publish the really stoopid ones where I get to slice and dice the people stuck with 1971/72 low compression cars.   Good luck.

Uncle Johnny