After coming home from a two month vacation and getting back into the routine of multiple daily dog walks, I’m seeing some changes in the neighborhood. Among them was this 1969 Chevelle. And it makes no pretense of being an SS.
I never noticed this before, but it’s not just a Chevelle. It’s a “Chevelle by Chevrolet”, badged that way both front and rear. By the way, those are almost certainly the original 55 year old license plates.
But is it a 250? Or a 300? It’s both. OK, I know, but when you see the badging only a few feet apart on the front fender it seems like weird model nomenclature. A little research suggests that the 300 Deluxe was the only 300 (base) trim level, and was gone the next year, at least in the US. Canada kept it for a few more years but in the US it was just a Chevelle until the Deluxe, but not 300, designation returned with the Colonnade in 1973. The 250 cubic inch inline Six lasted until the late Seventies in passenger cars and the early Eighties in trucks, until replaced by various GM V6’es.
Further reading:
A workaday Chevelle evidently still kicking around – nice find!
Considering what seems to be a million Chevelle SS at every single auto show – this is a real find! Honest old fashioned intermediate family coupe. It is a simple machine for a simple purpose A to B transportation. It’s great that no one had bought it and turned into another SS. AND A PILLAR?!
What a great find!
I don’t think there’s a pillar – I think it’s a hardtop; what I read was that the 300 Deluxe was available as both a pillared 2 door sedan, which has a visible painted pillar, and as a hardtop with the shiny window trim. But when I walked by last night, it was under cover. And not just any blue tarp but a new-looking tightly fitting tailored black and gold cover. Custom made for a ‘68-72 A Body 2 door? I don’t know … it fit perfectly, but the color scheme looked more suited for a Smokey and the Bandit 2nd gen F Body.
That’s definitely a pillared coupe. The two-door hardtop (“sport coupe”) did not have the front vent windows after 1968.
Sad then Chevrolet dropped their pillared coupe with front vent windows while the remaining B-O-P keeped their pillared coupe until 1972. I would have liked to see a 1970 Chevelle pillared coupe unless someone create a “phantom” 1970 pillared coupe.
Two-door pillared sedans were a holdover from the pre-compact/intermediate days when there was only one, full-size model from the Big 3. They were the cheapest, most basic models.
But when the compacts and intermediates started arriving, well, it was a foregone conclusion that the larger 2-door sedans would eventually be gone.
And that’s exactly what happend in 1970. GM figured if someone wanted a cheap, Chevrolet 2-door sedan, they’d buy a Nova. With B-O-P, there was no such compact (yet) so they got to keep their 2-door sedans.
Of course, they would all soon get their own X-body and, by 1973, the only 2-door sedans left would be in the compact class.
It’s a pillared coupe. The thick window frames and the rear side window give it away.
If it gets restored, it is worth keeping original. Who needs another phony tribute SS with a dropped-in Rat motor?
I’m surprised there is a “250” badge on the front fender. You usually don’t see engine callouts for base engines.
Maybe the 250 badge is not in fact original. Maybe the owner has a sense of humor and there’s actually a 396 under the hood 😀
According to “Sixty Years of Chevrolet”, by George Dammann, in 68 all Chevelle sixes had the 230 used by the Chevy II. In the ’69 entry, no differences are mentioned. I’d guess the 250 was optional and thusly deserved the engine callout.
yes I agree the 230 was around for a few years my sister had a 73 p/u with the 230 six what a guttles truck with 3 on tree
Interesting. I had a 1976 short box step side with a 250 and a four speed as a plow truck, and it was reasonably capable. The only place it really *couldn’t*, was passing on a two lane road.
The 230 wasn’t available past 1969 or 70 in cars, and bowed out earlier in trucks.
There’s a fairly decent-diameter drainpipe coming out by the LHS rear wheel, which could of course suggest merely a generous air-expulsion system for the old six, but seems more likely to be that for something a bit more bellowing.
The 250 was optional and the dual badges on the front fender appear to be original. Picture in link below.
https://www.oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/Chevrolet/1969-Chevrolet/1969-Chevrolet-Chevelle-Brochure/slides/1969_Chevrolet_Chevelle-20.html
Thought it “unusual” as well.
It was a regular thing at that time .
Handy when searching junkyards for a new or better engine for your old Chevy too .
The 230 & 250CID thinwall i6 engines were pretty good . not going to spin the tires but easily able to move dangerously overloaded trucks .
-Nate
The 230 was the base engine; the 250 was optional.
At first I thought it was a pillar sedan but I expanded the photo and by garsh if the side windows roll down and is not fixed it becomes a nice plain coupe. A workaday Chevelle! Wonder if it has a manual column shift to compete the budget picture.
There seems to be some disagreement here though it sure LOOKED like a pillarless hardtop (Sport Coupe in Chevy parlance), not a plain Coupe or 2 door sedan. It’s hard to find photos of the pillared version with windows down but some photos with windows up suggest the pillar was body color. But maybe the shiny trim (chrome? stainless? aluminum?) was an option.
The trim was Regular Production Option B90 – “Bright Door and Quarter Window Frame Scalp Molding”, available on models 13327 (6 cyl.) and 13427 (V8), the 300 Deluxe two-door coupe.
You’re right. Thanks.
dman: there is no visible chrome window surrounds on the hardtop, as in the one below. And that one is a 300 Deluxe SS396, as the SS396 package was also available on that model.
Well if its been a six cylinder its whole life, it should stay that way. Im thinking Toyota 2JZ with a turbocharger the size of a watermelon. About 1000hp and a 7 second quarter mile time slip should really get all the big block chevy gray beards riled up.
I think the 250 was called a TurboFire so it does have a turbo, even if only in name. And if it has a THM and not a PG then it’s a twin turbo.
According to “Sixty Years of Chevrolet” in 68 all Chevelle sixes had the 230 used by the Chevy II. In the ’69 entry, no differences are mentioned. I’d guess the 250 was optional and thusly deserved the engine callout.
Nevertheless….it’d be much more interesting if it were a sleeper with a 396 under the hood!!!
Now, in a digression as to that badge, it appears to contain a side indicator, or marker, which means one thing and one only: we need The Doctor. Call The Doctor!
Doctor Stern, paging Doctor Stern. Please attend Ward Chevelle on CC.
How many badges have been indicators, in your expert opinion? Why, I’ve never seen anything like it. Can we remove it it without leaving a scar, or is it benign?
396 or how about going for something more bigger like the 427 who was used in the Yenko Chevelle or even 454? 😉
Even if it’s a 427 or 454 instead of a 396 you can still have fun to play “SS-396” by Paul Revere & the Raiders. 😉
‘SS396’ by Paul Revere and the Raiders started life as a promotional recording for Chevy dealers. Not a particularly bad car song, it came later and kind of missed the whole car song era, just never having the kind of catchy melody like ‘Little GTO’ or ‘Hey, Little Cobra’.
And to think then Paul Revere & the Raiders did a song for a commercial featuring the GTO Judge.
FWIW, the SS396 package was, indeed, available on the 1969 300 Deluxe. It was Chevrolet’s effort to combat the stunning success of the bargain-basesment 1968 Road Runner. Ford was a bit more successful with the similar 1969 Fairlane Cobra that came with the smoking 428CJ engine.
It’s worth noting that the following year saw the introduction of the somewhat strange, 70 1/2 Falcon pillared coupe which, like the ’69 300 Deluxe SS396, could be had with the 429CJ engine.
Unfortunately, by 1970, auto insurance surcharges based on power-to-weight ratios had all but killed the market for big-block musclecars.
Interestingly, I once saw what appeared to be an original 1969 300 Deluxe SS396, only to find out that it was just another ‘tribute’ car. The funny thing was the owner stated that he just built it without any idea that they were available from the factory.
It is definitely a 2 door post coupe. I rather like the lack of trim in the rear. the band of chrome or blacked out trim between the taillights worked well in 68 as it continued the line of taillights. However, the more vertical non wrap around taillights used in 69 actually look better without the connecting trim. This is an honest maintained coupe. A great example that has even managed to shed its cheap aftermarket side trim. Clean it up, realign the dront bumper, a set of factory dog dishes, an original color respray. and she can hold her own at car shows.
I like it .
Lightweight and the optional 250CID i6 could be tuned for decent power if never spinning the wheels .
I hope it gets saved and restored, it’s a bit past ‘survivor’ status as RUST NEVER SLEEPS .
Extra points for the original black & yellow Ca. license tags, IIRC it was in 1970 they went to blue and yellow .
-Nate
250 six: same engine in my mother’s 1967 Bel Air, 155 hp (gross). I learned to drive in that car; it had a 3-on-the-tree. As Nate says, the engine’s power was adequate.
Looks like Ace Ventura car before he rolled it, lol.
I realize now it is a pillared coupe, thanks Paul and others. The bright trim threw me off but I realize it is thicker and not just window trim. I went back for a second look tonight but it was still under cover.
“Plain muscle car” or “regular muscle car”
The pillared 2-door sedan is sought after, not just for its rarity, but is also sought by racers because they are lighter than a 2-door coupe.
Apparently, the elimination of a b-pillar necessitates a stronger, and thus heavier, chassis in order to maintain structural rigidity.
Or so I’m told.