1967 SS396
1967 Chevelle SS396 with VIN 138177K189797. Last seen in the early 70s in the Kansas City area. Black with black bucket seats, factory gauge package, factory wood steering wheel, Muncie 4-speed with Hurst Competition Plus shifter and 4.10 Positraction rear end. Engine was 350HP with L78 camshaft, rectangle port heads, and Corvette tri-power setup. Wheels were 14-inch chrome reverse and note there is no Chevelle nameplate on the SS hood. I am sure much has changed on the car if it is even still out there. Car was sold to a young man from Desoto, KS.
Car was purchased with the help of my parents in December of 1967. I was home on "Christmas vacation break" between basic and advanced training for the U.S. Army. I only got to enjoy the car for a couple of weeks at home before I was off to Fort Sill, OK. for my advanced training. Luckily I was able to take the car with me and drive home to Mission, KS. (suburb of Kansas City) almost every weekend before going to Korea for over a year. During that 13 months the car sat in my parent's driveway with my mother occasionally taking the car out for a drive to keep it loose. Dad was never really into cars but mom enjoyed driving spirited cars and owned a 1962 Buick Skylark 4-speed at the time and previously a 1956 Chevy 265 w/3-speed.
The Tuxedo Black, black bucket seat, 4-speed car had already been
modified a bit by the original owner. Original engine was the 350 horsepower
version of the 396 but had the heads, intake, carburetor, and solid
lifter camshaft from a 427/435 horsepower Corvette; previous owner worked
at a local Chevrolet dealership and did the work there. Other minor
mods were the removal of the red SS stripes along the lower belt line
and the addition of chrome reversed wheels and narrow white line tires.
I still have the warranty Protect-O-Plate for this car and have been
searching for the car for years without luck.
Car was fairly
well optioned for the time, L34 engine, M21 4-speed, gauge package,
factory 'wood' steering wheel, and 4.10:1 Positraction. About the only
thing it didn't have that I'd order now (over 50 years later) would
have been power steering, disc brakes and maybe even air conditioning
and power windows.
As is was my "used" car loan cost
me $86 a month and I was only making $100 at the time in the Army.
My parents were kind enough to help out with some of the payments and
insurance while I was away in Korea.
Feel free to contact me at with any information on this car.
