Chevelle Restoration and Authenticity Guide 1970-1972. Dale McIntosh

1970 Malibus that were special ordered and equipped a bit differently from normal-production-run Malibus, but these are limited to minor items such as requesting a different paint color from the normal selection, changing D88 Hood and Deck stripe color from Chevrolet’s suggested color, or not having D88 Hood and Deck stripes painted when the RPO ZL2 Special Ducted Hood Air System is ordered, since stripes were part of the ZL2 option. These changes were ordered through the Fleet & Special Order (F&SO) process, not the COPO process.

       1964–1965 Malibu SS Features

      The 1964 and 1965 Malibu SS was Chevelle’s sporty option. Both years of the Malibu SS could be ordered with any 6- or 8-cylinder engine available at the time; they were the only SS Chevelles to hold this distinction. Bucket seats were standard equipment in both years and, when ordered with either the 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission or the 4-speed manual transmission, would also include a center console.

      Bucket seats were only available as an option in Malibu-series El Caminos of the day, not as regular production option (RPO) A51 but simply an optional seat and color choice for the interior. Bucket seat color choices were limited in the 1964 model year El Camino to light fawn, medium aqua, and medium red. In 1965, the El Camino was limited to light fawn, medium turquoise, and medium red. Bucket seats would not become an RPO until the 1966 model year.

      The 1965 model year saw the introduction of the blacked-out grille and tail panel area for the Malibu SS with the exception of black Malibu SSs that received silver highlighted tail panels. The 1964 and 1965 Malibu SS Chevelles were the only years an amp gauge, oil pressure gauge, and water temperature gauge were standard equipment.

       1966–1968 SS396 Features

      The Malibu SS series of 1964 and 1965 gave way to the SS396 series in 1966 and would continue as a separate series through the 1968 model year. These years continued the blacked-out grille and, to a limited number of 1966 SS396s, a blacked-out tail panel. It is believed some very early 1966 model year and possibly some very late model year 1966 Atlanta-built SS396 Chevelles had their tail panels blacked out, but for the most part, 1966 SS396s have lower body panel colored tail panels.

      The SS396 was now more performance-oriented with only three 396-ci engines available. The 396/325-hp engine was the base V-8 in the SS396 with two optional 396-ci engines: RPO L34 (rated at 360 hp in 1966 but 350 hp in 1967 and 1968) and RPO L78 396-ci engine rated at 375 hp.

      Bench seats were standard equipment along with a heavy-duty 3-speed manual transmission. Optional were several 4-speed manual transmissions, the 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission, and for 1967 and 1968 the 3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 400 automatic transmission.

      Bucket seats and gauges (including a tachometer) were options, even on the SS396. The term “SS Gauges” is a misconception. The RPO U14 gauge option was available on any V-8 Malibu or SS396 sport coupe, convertible, or sedan pickup.

       All SS396 and SS-optioned Malibus (as well as 300 Deluxe coupes and sport coupes in 1969) came standard with a bench seat. Bucket seats and/or console were optional on all Malibu sport coupe, convertible, and El Camino Chevelles after 1965. The 1970 Chevelle shown here has the optional all-vinyl bench seat option. (Photo Courtesy L78 Registry)

       1969 Chevelle SS Features

      In 1969, the SS396 as a series was gone. The SS396 was an option under RPO Z25 SS396 Equipment. Still available in the Malibu-series sport coupe, convertible, and El Camino, 1969 also offered the Z25 option with the 300 Deluxe coupe and sport coupe.

      Bench seats were standard equipment along with a heavy-duty 3-speed manual transmission. Optional were several 4-speed manual transmissions and the 3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 400 automatic transmission. The 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission was no longer available with the SS396 Equipment option. For the first time, power front disc brakes were included in the SS396 Equipment option package.

      Bucket seats and gauges/tachometer were options, even on the SS396, but bucket seats were not an option in the 300 Deluxe series.

       1970 SS Features

      The 1970 model year saw two SS Equipment–option packages. RPO Z25 is the SS396 package, and RPO Z15 is the SS454 package. Both were available as options on the Malibu-series sport coupe, convertible, and El Camino.

      A bench seat was still standard fare for 1970 Chevelles, even when optioned with one of the two SS option packages. The Malibu sport coupe bench seat is a cloth and vinyl combination with an all-vinyl seat option costing an additional $12.65. Both the Malibu-series convertible and El Camino came standard with an all-vinyl bench seat. Bucket seats and/or console were optional-cost items.

      RPO Z25 was the SS396 option package that included the 350-hp 396-ci engine as the base engine with the RPO L78 375-hp engine as an option. The L78 engine would only last through early to mid-December, while the L34 would remain the entire model year. The LS5 454 is the base engine for the Z15 option with the LS6 being optional.

      Since the 396-ci L34 and 454-ci LS5 were the base engines in the two SS option packages, they were not considered “options” as such, and there are no published figures for the number of L34 or LS5 engines that went into Z25 or Z15 Malibus. However, since the 396-ci L78 and 454-ci LS6 were optional engines, one can easily calculate how many Z25s were built with the L34 or L78 and how many Z15s were built with the LS5 or LS6. Sales reports show there were 53,599 Z25 options sold in 1970. By subtracting the number of optional L78 engines (2,144), you can see there would be 51,455 SS396 Malibus with the base L34 engine. Likewise by subtracting the number of optional LS6 engines (4,475) from the total number of Z15 options sold (8,773), you can see there were 4,298 LS5-powered Malibus and actually fewer LS5 Malibus than LS6 Malibus in 1970. The number of LS5 engines sold in Malibus does not include the 3,823 LS5 engines sold with the Monte Carlo SS option; those are separate.

      The cowl-induction hood, RPO ZL2, is one of the very few options one could only order with one of the two SS options. While the RPO LS3 402-ci Mark IV big-block was available in all non-SS Malibus in 1970, the ZL2 hood package was exclusive to an SS-optioned Malibu; no LS3-powered 1970 Malibu could order the ZL2 hood package. It is believed the 4.10:1 gear ratio was only available with the LS6 engine option as well because no other engine package has been found with a documented 4.10:1 gear set to date.

      Any exterior paint color and any interior color were available with any Chevelle within restrictions imposed by Chevrolet, such as a green interior could not be in a red or blue Chevelle. Since both SS options could only be ordered with a Malibu sport coupe, convertible, or El Camino, any interior seat/material available for a non-SS-optioned Malibu was also possible with the two SS options. No special colors or interiors were reserved for the two SS options.

      RPO D88 stripes were optional on non-SS-optioned Malibu sport coupes, convertibles, and El Caminos as well as optional on both SS options when the ZL2 option was not ordered. D88 stripes were part of the RPO ZL2 package, along with hood pins, but could be deleted on request. In this case, the term “stripe delete” would be appropriate, and the stripe deletion required approval from the F&SO office. On an SS-optioned Malibu without the ZL2 option, stripe delete is no more appropriate than radio delete, positraction delete, etc. If someone did not order an option, it cannot be considered a “delete” item.

      Aside from the engine size, the two SS options (RPO Z25 and RPO Z15) were pretty much the same as far as standard equipment went. Both came standard with front power disc brakes and F41 suspension, except El Caminos. While the Z25 SS396 option could be ordered with the wide-ratio Muncie M20, close-ratio Muncie M21 4-speed transmission, or the M40 Turbo-Hydramatic 3-speed automatic transmission, the Z15 SS454 option required either the heavy-duty close-ratio M22 4-speed transmission or a heavy-duty M40 Turbo-Hydramatic 3-speed automatic transmission. The Z15 did come with a stronger rear end than its Z25 counterpart.

      Both SS options came standard with a black dash carrier assembly, black steering column, and black steering wheel with a centered SS emblem. A Cushion Rim steering