This rare 1970 convertible in Fathom Blue and white convertible top with RPO L78 engine was optioned with RPO ZL2 Special Ducted Hood Air System and complemented with white stripes. Given the short life span of the L78, engine availability in 1970, and being a convertible, these are highly sought after by Chevelle enthusiasts. (Photo Courtesy L78 Registry)
A two-door station wagon made a brief comeback in the Chevelle lineup, but it only lasted for two years: 1964 and 1965. The two-door station wagon was only available in the base Chevelle 300 series. One can only imagine the interest these would have sparked if they had been a Malibu SS series with the nostalgia chrome trim on the tailgate.
As with any collectible item, rarity doesn’t always mean desirability or potential value. There were quite a number of low-production-volume Chevelles built between the 1964 and 1972 model years. One example is the 1968 Malibu four-door station wagon with a 6-cylinder engine; only five were built and only a few people would consider them collectible and spend the money necessary to bring one back to showroom condition. On the other hand, the 1964 and 1965 Chevelle 300 two-door station wagon brings back the nostalgia days of the 1955–1957 Nomad station wagon. Owners will spend the money to restore them, particularly those with the optional high-horsepower V-8 engine of the day and 4-speed manual transmission.
COPO Chevelles
Many think the COPO acronym is magic and that anything outside the norm is a COPO Chevelle. The only true COPO Chevelles were 323 Malibu sport coupes built in 1969 with Chevrolet’s RPO L72 427 425-hp engine. Because General Motors had a 400-ci limit on engine size prior to the 1970 model year, these 323 1969 Malibus were built under the COPO process with several COPO codes for various performance items.
There are a number of 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
