THIS 1970 SS454 LS6 CHEVELLE IS STILL SITTING OUTSIDE

In 2023, Chevelle hunter Patrick Nichols got a call from deep in the Utah desert about a Chevelle SS454 sitting in a side yard on cinderblocks. The car had the stripes and the Cowl Induction hood, the big block V-8, and all the parts from a real SS. The scene fit all the barn-find clichés, but was it real?

“The car was found east of Las Vegas in the Utah desert,” says Nichols. “It has been sitting in the same spot for years when the owner called me looking for a stamp of approval.”

What Nichols discovered was a 1970 Chevelle SS454 with the 450hp LS6 engine that was built in Van Nuys, California. It was unknown to the Chevelle community of restorers and collectors because of its remote location and non-running condition. It had been modified by the original owner with some “day two” modifications like a new grille, and more importantly, a non-numbers matching 454 V-8 was swapped in before it was sold to the current owner.

“The owner knows where the original engine is,” says Nichols. “It is in a truck in the vicinity.” He went on to say, “The car had been raced with 5.13:1 gears so the owner pulled the rear end out and swapped it for another one from a 1970 Chevelle SS.”

The car was ordered from the factory in white with black stripes, with a black vinyl roof, an LS6 454 cu. inch. V-8, floor-shift automatic, the U14 gauge package that includes a 6,500-rpm tach, and the 4.10:1 axel ratio 12-bolt rearend.

There are many original parts on the Chevelle including the radiator, power brakes, and most of the interior. Over the years, the wheels were removed and the seats were partially recovered. Overall, the car is in great shape for something that has been outdoors for decades. Nichols attributes this to the desert air.

As this is written, the Chevelle is still sitting on blocks in the Utah desert. Nichols authenticated it as a real SS454 Chevelle with an LS6 and left it where it was. From the photos you can see that the owner pulled the fuel tank out to find the broadcast sheet (it was missing), and the brake drums off to verify the car’s authenticity. We are guessing that owner is going to continue to keep the car in its current state. Whether he is willing or able to get it running or not is known only to him.

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2024-08-21T22:57:28Z dg43tfdfdgfd