Pre Production 1970 Chevelle SS Features Firestone Wide Oval Tires
November 03, 2016
The Chevelle SS has always been a desireable muscle car, dating back to its debut in 1964. The car represented mid-size coupes and sedans, available for regular transportation, or big time fun, depending on the engine and power train options. By 1966, Chevrolet offered a big block version of the Chevelle SS, and then changed the body style a few more times before landing on the iconic design that ran from 1970 to 1972. As with any drastic body style change, the new for 1970 look was in the works long before the cars hit the streets. We happened to run across a very nicely restored pre-production 1970 Chevelle SS, owned by David Harter while making our way around the 2016 SEMA Show.
The car had signage to reveal its special features, but it wasn't until we spoke with David that we truly understood how many special items were included on the pre production cars. Typically, pre-production pilot cars were destroyed before they could be made available to the public. The cars were hand built, so some details were nicer than standard production models, while other features were a little more crude. However, David's Chevelle SS is anything but crude--it's a perfectly restored car with dozens of small details that separate it from a standard production 1970 Chevelle SS. The car has a 396ci big block Chevy engine, backed by a TH400 transmission and a 12 bolt rear end. This is car #42 out of 49 pre-production models and it's the oldest known existing pre-production Chevelle. David's Chevelle was hand built by Chevrolet in May of 1969, well before the fall debut of the new and improved body style. Chevrolet also made 49 pre-production Monte Carlos in 1970.
The restoration of David's 1970 Chevelle SS pilot car was an intense process that left him scratching his head quite often. He handled a lot of the work at home, but called up on Doug Call to take care of the bodywork and paint, which is flawless. David called Steve Jackson at Coker Tire and ordered a set of Firestone Wide Oval F70-14 raised white letter tires and mounted them to Chevelle SS wheels. The new tires and restored wheels were the icing on the cake for this one-of-one Cranberry Red 1970 Chevelle SS pre-production pilot car. Take a look at this rare piece of muscle car history and always pay attention to the VIN on your old car--you never know when an extremely rare model will land in your lap!
The car had signage to reveal its special features, but it wasn't until we spoke with David that we truly understood how many special items were included on the pre production cars. Typically, pre-production pilot cars were destroyed before they could be made available to the public. The cars were hand built, so some details were nicer than standard production models, while other features were a little more crude. However, David's Chevelle SS is anything but crude--it's a perfectly restored car with dozens of small details that separate it from a standard production 1970 Chevelle SS. The car has a 396ci big block Chevy engine, backed by a TH400 transmission and a 12 bolt rear end. This is car #42 out of 49 pre-production models and it's the oldest known existing pre-production Chevelle. David's Chevelle was hand built by Chevrolet in May of 1969, well before the fall debut of the new and improved body style. Chevrolet also made 49 pre-production Monte Carlos in 1970.
The restoration of David's 1970 Chevelle SS pilot car was an intense process that left him scratching his head quite often. He handled a lot of the work at home, but called up on Doug Call to take care of the bodywork and paint, which is flawless. David called Steve Jackson at Coker Tire and ordered a set of Firestone Wide Oval F70-14 raised white letter tires and mounted them to Chevelle SS wheels. The new tires and restored wheels were the icing on the cake for this one-of-one Cranberry Red 1970 Chevelle SS pre-production pilot car. Take a look at this rare piece of muscle car history and always pay attention to the VIN on your old car--you never know when an extremely rare model will land in your lap!