The 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS454 stands out as one of the great vintage muscle cars of all time. The 454 cubic inch LS6 V8 offered impressive levels of performance with 450 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. Chevy produced 4,475 examples of the Chevelle with the LS6 engine that year, making them incredibly rare.
According to Patrick Glen Nichols on his YouTube channel, this Chevelle SS454 is located “a few hundred miles south of Salt Lake City and some two to three hundred miles east of Las Vegas”, which narrows the location down to about half the state of Utah. It’s probably a good idea to be ambiguous about the location, since the car is a well-optioned Chevelle LS6, painted white with black striping and a black vinyl roof.
Currently the Chevelle does not have the stock engine. Even so, there are a number of key indicators that identify the car as a manufactured LS6 at the time. Chevy factory in Van Nuys, California. These include radiator supports, plastic inner fenders and the first induction cowl with cowl pins.
The body is in good condition, having sat outside for a long time. Southern Utah has a very dry climate which has helped minimize corrosion. Unfortunately, this same dry climate is not favorable to vinyl. The black vinyl top and interior have seen better days.
What makes this car interesting is its mix of stock and aftermarket parts. This is not a 100% original, low mileage car or a contest winning restoration. It’s a used car. Parts have worn out and have been replaced. The driver’s door was damaged in an accident and replaced with a door from one malibu. According Hagerty Assessment Tool, a show-quality 1970 Chevelle SS454 is worth around $150,000. Cars in good condition with visible defects like scratches and tears in the upholstery and non-original parts are still worth $68,000.
Although the car is rare, it is not the first 1970 Chevelle SS454 LS6 that we have seen. Last year, Patrick Glen Nichols showed a black on his YouTube channel. But now that we’ve seen two 1970 Chevelle SS454s in this time frame, one only has to wonder how many more there are.
