NOVEMBER 2019 II CHEVY HIGH PERFORMANCE 71
✶ For reasons unknown, Chevrolet assigned the 1968-’71 Concours
wagon with a style code starting with 138. Here, on this 1968 model, we
see the full style code reads 13835. With all the fuss made over “real 138
cars,” it becomes important to read all five numbers of the style code.
The first three are only the tip of the iceberg. It isn’t so common in the
modern computer age, but in earlier times more than a few Concours
station wagons had their VIN tags swapped onto six cylinder and small-
block Chevelle hardtops for a quick and dirty SS396 makeover.✶ We love faded muscle car plumage. Here, the missing remains of this 1967
SS396’s metal quarter-panel emblems reveal mounting pin holes that were filled
on a frantic assembly line five decades ago. Chevelle SS396 sales dropped from
72,272 to 63,006 in 1967 as the midsize muscle car marketplace filled up with
newcomers from competing makes—and large numbers of eligible buyers got
sent to Vietnam.
✶ The original paint and remnants of the RPO D96 Wide Side Stripe on this 1969
SS396 hardtop confirm its big-block status. Being a ’69, its 13837 style code
and VIN sequence are shared by 307 and 350 small-block–powered economy
models. After paint stripping and mediablasting of the body, these vital clues
disappear and suspicion grows. 1969 was the only year the RPO Z25 SS396
package could be had on a Chevelle 300 Deluxe pillar coupe.✶ Chevelle convertibles are more prone to body shake and door latch problems
than closed-roof hardtops and coupes. To restore strength, GM devised weld-on
plates that capped the existing side beams (finger points). These “boxed” frames
were installed under all Chevelle ragtops, regardless of engine. The plates and
welding add just over 90 pounds to a standard hardtop and coupe frame unit.
And, yes, the convertible frames are interchangeable with closed body frames.
Smart Chevelle shoppers looking for improved handling and a vault-like ride
checked the box next to RPO F35. For a mere $12.35, the “Guard Beam Frame”
upgrade swapped the standard C-channel frame for the stiffer, boxed convertible
unit. A similar deal was offered in Oldsmobile, Buick, and Pontiac showrooms.✶ If you are one of the many who claim the mighty 396 big-block only came
with a four-barrel carburetor, think again. While the vast majority of 396s—and
402s—were factory fitted with Holley or Rochester four-barrel carburetors, in
1969, Chevrolet released the seldom-seen L66, a one-year-wonder 396 topped
by a single Rochester two-jet carburetor. Marketed as the V-8 for buyers who
demanded the torque of a big-block with the efficiency of a small-block, the L66
was rated at 265 horsepower and had unique 9.0:1 pistons—a full point lower
than any other 396. We found this one in a 1969 Impala four-door sedan. Never
say never!