Chevrolet Chevelle 1970 SS 454 LS6 450HP Convertible

This 1970 Chevelle SS convertible carries the LS6 454, a 450-horsepower engine that, for one year only, out-rated even the Corvette. Chevrolet built just 4,475 SS454 LS6 Chevelles in 1970, and historians estimate only 20 to 25 were convertibles. That makes this one of the rarest muscle cars Chevrolet ever put a price tag on.

Vintage LS6 454/450HP 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS Convertible with Cortez Silver Paint, Pearl White interior, Upgraded Tremec 5-Speed, Cowl Induction Hood, Tachometer, High Performance Built…

For one year only, Chevrolet let a mid-size Chevelle outrank the Corvette on paper. When GM lifted its corporate ban on big-block engines over 400 cubic inches for mid-size cars in 1970, Chevrolet dropped a 454 into the Chevelle SS and gave it a rating no Corvette that year could match: 450 horsepower. Buyers who wanted the convertible version got something rarer still. Chevrolet built only 4,475 SS454 LS6 Chevelles that year across every body style, and historians estimate as few as 20 to 25 of those were convertibles, making this configuration one of the rarest Chevelles Chevrolet ever produced. How many of those two dozen or so cars are still on the road today?

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The Engine That Beat Chevrolets Own Numbers

The LS6 454 made its 450 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 500 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm, built on an 11.25:1 compression ratio with a forged steel crankshaft, forged aluminum connecting rods, a solid-lifter camshaft, an aluminum intake manifold, and an 800 cfm Holley carburetor. That rating made the LS6 the highest factory horsepower figure General Motors offered for 1970, outranking every Corvette engine on the order sheet that same year.

Rarer Than the Numbers Suggest

Originally, LS6 buyers could pair the engine with a Muncie M22 Rock Crusher 4-speed or a Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic. This particular car has picked up an upgraded Tremec 5-speed alongside its Cortez Silver paint, Pearl White interior, and factory Cowl Induction hood, modern touches layered onto a drivetrain that was already exceptionally rare when it left the factory in a convertible body style.

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