Of the 72,000 Chevelle SS 396 cars made during the 1966 model year, just 5,429 of them were convertibles.
This make this Regal Red, frame-up restored, Chevelle SS a very desirable and rare car. The restoration was back in 1994 but it has clearly been looked after since then.
In addition to the “396” fender badges, the twin power blister hood was a sure sign of what powers this beautiful Chevelle.
Despite being made just a fraction on an inch larger for the 1966 restyle, the Chevelle now looked much larger than the previous year.
Inside, this SS enjoys a black all-vinyl interior – one of 9 different colors available that year. The padded dash, an option during 1964 and 1965 had become standard in 1966. This interior was redone around five years ago.
Other items such as bucket seats and a center console remained options in order to keep the price down and therefore give more people the opportunity to own one.
Under the hood sits the mighty 360 horsepower, 396 cubic inch V8. This one is a replacement engine mated to a correct dated 4-speed manual transmission. It’s a combination that was a $210 option when the cars were new (a 325 horsepower version was the base V8 and would have cost $105 with a 4-speed).
The Convertible SS396 was the most expensive Chevelle available during the 1966 model year with its price starting at $2,984.
This 1966 Chevelle SS 396 is currently for sale on eBay. (follow the link for lots more photos)
My favorite year as I had one and this one has bench seat with 4 speed and knee knocker tach just like mine. My car also had the optional L-78 @ 375hp.