The 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS454 stands out as one of the great all-time vintage muscle cars. The LS6 454 cubic-inch V8 delivered shock-and-awe levels of performance with 450 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. Chevy produced 4,475 copies of the Chevelle with the LS6 motor that year, making them incredibly rare.
According to Patrick Glen Nichols on his YouTube channel, this Chevelle SS454 is located “a couple of hundred miles south of Salt Lake City and a couple of two to three hundred miles east of Las Vegas,” which narrows the location down to about half the state of Utah. It’s probably a good idea to be ambiguous about the location because the car is a legit well-optioned LS6 Chevelle, painted white with black stripes and a black vinyl roof.
Currently, the Chevelle does not have the original engine. Even so, there are a number of key indicators that identify the car as an LS6 manufactured at the Chevrolet plant in Van Nuys, California. These include the radiator supports, plastic inner fenders, and early cowl-induction hood with hood pins.
The body is in good shape, considering it has sat outside for an extended period of time. Southern Utah has a very dry climate which helped minimize corrosion. Unfortunately, that same dry climate is not kind to vinyl. The black vinyl top and interior have seen better days.
What makes this car interesting is its mix of original and replacement parts. It’s not a 100 percent original, low mileage car or a concours winning restoration. It’s a car that’s been used. Parts wore out and were replaced. The driver’s door was damaged in an accident and replaced with a door from a Malibu. According to Hagerty’s Valuation Tool, a show-quality 1970 Chevelle SS454 is worth around $150,000. Fair-condition cars with visible flaws like scratches and tears in the upholstery and non-original parts still are worth $68,000.
While the car is rare, it’s not the first barn-find 1970 Chevelle SS454 LS6 we’ve seen. Last year, Patrick Glen Nichols showed a black one on his YouTube channel. But now that we’ve seen two 1970 Chevelle SS454s in that span of time, it’s enough to make you wonder how many more are out there.
