1966 SS 396 Chevelle Barn Find and legendary street racer with 427

The Chevrolet Chevelle Series was given new body designs for 1966, including forward-protruding front fenders, redesigned body contour lines, a revised rear body cove treatment, and a wider-appearing aluminum grille.

The basic Chevelle 300, Chevelle 300 Deluxe, Chevelle Malibu, and Chevelle SS-396 series made up the 1966 Chevelle lineup. The base-level Chevelle came in two and four-door sedan configurations. Its sparse decoration served to set it apart from its brethren at the upper-trim level. A single rear light with integrated backup lights, four headlights with anodized aluminum bezels, front bumper mounted park/turn lights, tiny hubcaps, venti-pane frames, fender series badges, and moldings around the windshield and rear window were all present. Additional modifications included a grille outline and a rear-cove Chevelle nameplate.

28,600 Chevelle 300s were manufactured by Chevrolet, the most of which had six-cylinder engines. The 192 cubic inch, six-cylinder engine produced 120 horsepower and included hydraulic valve lifters and a Rochester one-barrel carburetor. With 283 cubic inches of displacement and close to 200 horsepower, the overhead-valve V8 was powerful. There were only 5,300 V8s installed in the Chevelle 300 Series engine compartment. The starting price of the 4-door sedan was $2,200, whilst the 2-door model was $2,175.

Complete bodyside moldings, rear fender nameplates, and painted rear quarter reveal moldings were installed to a Chevelle 300 Deluxe Series vehicle. On the station wagon body types, they also had an emblem and tailgate molding. The 300 Deluxe’s interior included a two-spoke steering wheel with a horn ring. They had a bottom panel trim strip and an upper instrument panel that was color-keyed. There were integrated ashtrays in the backseat armrests. Vinyl and fabric were used to upholstered the interiors.

The 2-door model of the 300 Deluxe started at $2,240 in price. With a starting price of $2,550, the station wagon was the most costly body style. Chevrolet sold 37,500 300 Deluxe models overall (not including station wagons). Once more, the vast majority had six-cylinder engines, 10,500 of which were V8s.

In 1966, the highly sought-after Chevelle Malibu sold 241,500 units (not counting the station wagons). In contrast to the previous series, the Malibu range (189,300 units) was mostly powered by V8 engines. Along with extra features and design upgrades, the Malibu line comprised the same components as the base 300 and Deluxe series. They had Malibu rear fender nameplates, a narrow body sill, and wheelhouse moldings. A hood window-split molding and a rear cove emblem with Chevrolet lettering above the deck lid were two further unique elements. Surrounding the single-unit rear lights, which had built-in backup lighting, was a rear cove outline molding. The tailgate Chevelle nameplate, full-width molding, and vertical light units were featured on the station wagons.

The Malibus’s inside was upholstered in vinyl and fabric. The upper half of the instrument panel had a black crackle finish, and the steering wheel had two spokes. A glove compartment light and a rearview mirror were among the additional features.

Station wagon, sedan, 2- and 4-door hardtop, and convertible were among the available body types.

Chevrolet marketed the Chevelle SS-396 to enthusiasts who were interested in performance. These Super Sport vehicles featured twin simulated air intakes, Super Sport writing on the rear fenders, and SS-396 grille and rear cover badges. They also had distinct wheel covers, five nylon red-stripe tires, a body sill with color accents, and lower moldings for the rear fender. The vinyl interiors included bench front seats. These cars came in two different configurations: hardtop and convertible.

An overhead valve V8 engine with a displacement of 396 cubic inches and a powerful 325 horsepower powered the SS-396. They included hydraulic valve lifters, five main bearings, and a downdraft four-barrel carburetor. They had a heavy-duty 7.75×14-inch saddle.