1970 Chevelle SS Marketing Photos

[Lee Stewart]

Originally Posted by BCreekDave

Noticed in the first post the omission of the solid lifter L78 and LS-6 engines from the engine options. Was this pretty typical of Chevy back then?

Yes - none of the brochures showed the L78 396 option (Nova, Chevelle or Camaro) nor the LS6 for the '70 Chevelle.

AFAIK and this is speculation . . . both options defied corporate's ban of engines in mid sized cars that were less than 10 pounds per 1 horsepower. Yet in 1966 the L79 was in the Chevy II brochure.

[Lee Stewart]

[BCreekDave]

Originally Posted by Lee Stewart

Yes - none of the brochures showed the L78 396 option (Nova, Chevelle or Camaro) nor the LS6 for the '70 Chevelle.

AFAIK and this is speculation . . . both options defied corporate's ban of engines in mid sized cars that were less than 10 pounds per 1 horsepower. Yet in 1966 the L79 was in the Chevy II brochure.

How did the 1970 Z28 fit into this? In the corporate vision did it weigh more than 3600 lbs? Maybe like the L79 Chevy II it slipped through th cracks.

Maybe it was because the Z28 was a complete option package and not just an engine option? Who knows.

[Lee Stewart]

Originally Posted by BCreekDave

How did the 1970 Z28 fit into this? In the corporate vision did it weigh more than 3600 lbs? Maybe like the L79 Chevy II it slipped through th cracks.

Maybe it was because the Z28 was a complete option package and not just an engine option? Who knows.

Remember - the ban was lifted for the 1970 model year. That's when the 455s came out in the 442 and GTO along with the 454 for the Chevelle SS. So a 360 HP engine in a 3340 pound Camaro wasn't that big of a deal. And again there is no mention of the L78 396 for the 1970 Camaro (or Nova) in the brochures.

By 1970 the Muscle Car Era was perched on the edge of a cliff so to speak. Pushing it to that point was the Insurance Industry along with the Fed. One year later - it fell off that cliff.

[BCreekDave]

True. I forgot about the ban being lifted in 1970, but I guess that's what confused me a little. The brochure in the first post was from 1970 and it didn't list the solid lifter engine options. Maybe the brochure was designed-printed prior to the ban being rescinded.

[442w30]

I think I've seen 396/375 mentioned in literature several times, but that's the exception. I'd have to look to see which items I've seen 'em in.

[Lee Stewart]

AFAIK this ad was the only time the L78 375 HP 396 is ever mentioned