'70 Chevelle SS L78 Convt.

[70 Forest Green Zee]

[ QUOTE ]
Apparently someone decided they liked buckets better, and switched it. Personally, I would have left it the way it was.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm with you Rick.....I would have left it the way it was born too but never the less I would park this car in my garage with pride! Trouble is this car will sell for way more then my budget will allow for.

[Stefano]

Does this car have the original Born with Engine?

[ohhawk]

Yes, it was out of the car when purchased but the previous owner had it in his garage so it was transported home via the trunk of the convertible which was driven cross country to its new home. Articles indicate everything was there except the smog pump. It had a dropped valve and some internal damage but all has been repaired in the initial restoration performed by C.Hanson. Total #'s car according to the series of articles.

[Mr70]

Auction ended with $197,899.00 bid ..Reserve not met

[ohhawk]

$200,000 level seems like pretty good money for this car to me but apparently not enough to the current owner. I noticed this car has been on the auction block at several auctions in the last several years.....2004 and 2005 at two different auction sites. The last where the car was bid up to $172,825 but not listed as sold.

[Rainer]

Chuck shared a little about the car over at Team Chevelle, including that when he sold it about 4 years ago he got just over a third of what it bid to on the auction.

http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=163395

[jbsides]

Steve,

I just did the quick reply thing with a general observation that there appears to me to be a trend that build sheets are now fake vice real somewhat automatically. It was not meant to be a reply to any post.
Although my experience is more with Camaros, I did not really see anything suspect with fonts and codes on this one, but the interior points are certainly valid. Would not be the first time one was wrong or the configuration was changed. Again, just my two cents. Nothing more.

JB

[Mr70]

I've seen this very nice car upclose in person,and it is the real "BORN with" block.
The CON VIN is stamped down by the oil filter,(and done in typical Baltimore fashion),and the 2 buildsheets are authentic too.
This car originally was built with a red bench seat,incorrect 1969 SS396 interior door emblems as well as a 5500 dated redline tach.Chuck corrected the last two,and a later owner converted it to bucket seats & console.
Some other interesting details:
*It came with a manual top
*It's 3:55 but not a Positraction
*It's a non Flapper Cowl car,yet customer did opt for the RPO D-88 Hood & deck stripes so those are correct.

As ohhawk mentioned,the story of it's discovery & resto are documented in various past "Chevelle World" issues.
Chuck H. did a great job in documenting this resto,as well as showing it at past ACES events.

[redeuce]

This car has been around a long time. Chuck had it back when there were only 5 known- the black, white, and silver ones we had in the showroom, Mike Gabbard's blue one, and Chuck's. I had conversations with Chuck on this car back then. His ride back was one that will go down in Chevelle folklore. I still have copies of the build sheets on the first 5. I sold the white one to John- he re-restored it and sold it. The silver one went down south. The black one was sold to a young man in Chicago, who took it to a few Chevelle-a-brations. He then sold it. I sold all 3 in the same year. We found another blue one that sold at Mecum last spring. I think this red car was just sold recently at auction in Florida. I lost track of all of them over the years. Because of rarity and lack of info, I think these are the most underrated Chevelles ever. Seems to me in the late 80's rixls6 and I went to Volo to check one out that they had, was in pieces. Wasn't real.(maybe that was an LS6- too long ago to remember) It was gold Rick, remember? This one has more ink on it than any other one out there.

[Mr70]

Do you know where the silver one is today?
I saw it down south,before it was sold soon afterwards I was told.
I'm familiar with the ones you've mentioned and have located a total of 13 authentic/documented 1970 L-78 convertibles still standing.
Only one is a TH400.