1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 Convertible

- 396ci V8
- Automatic Transmission
- 80 Miles Shown - Since Restored
- Aztec Bronze Over White Interior
- Original Protect O Plate and Documentation

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 Convertible on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of the car due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 175 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video, please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.)

“A taste of displacement” - Muscle Machines, June 2011

Autoweek remembered: “When John DeLorean started the 1960s muscle-car craze with the 1964 Pontiac GTO, it became clear that Detroit automakers could print money by dropping land-yacht engines in midsize hardtop coupes and stirring in a generous helping of hood scoops, stripes, and clever marketing. It took the Chevrolet Division a couple of years to catch up in the cubic-inch wars, at which point the Chevelle— platform-mate to the GTO— got a hairy big-block 396 engine with 325 horsepower as an option.”

Offered here is an expertly restored 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle 396 SS convertible in Aztec bronze metallic (Code M) over Cameo Beige (MV) under a matching convertible soft top. The car's odometer shows just 80 miles reflecting mileage since the restoration was completed. The car's Protect-o-Plate identification given to its first owner in North Carolina is included in the sale.

The exterior Aztec bronze metallic paint is absolutely pristine. The finish is smooth, and the surface gloss is high and uniform across the entire body. There is no damage to any sheet metal; no dings, dents, or scratches. (To best assess the quality of the paint and trim finishes, please be sure to view the close-up photographs of the car in the accompanying gallery.) Chrome finishes across the entire car are virtually showroom-new in appearance, including the front and rear bumpers, lower body-side trim, wheel-well trim, grille and headlight trim, mirror, door handles, cabin glass and windshield surrounds, and rear-panel trim all display superb finishes. The beige fabric soft top is free of damage or wear, appearing virtually brand new. All factory badging is complete and correct—including the “SS 396” front-grille emblem, front-fender “396 Turbo-Jet” engine identification emblem, rear-fender “SuperSport” badge, rear-deck “Chevrolet” badge and another “SS 396” emblem. All lighting lenses and cabin glass are free of cracks or other damage. Factory 14-inch painted steel wheels (with chrome “Chevrolet Motor Division” hubcaps and chrome trim rings) all in excellent condition are mounted with period-correct, thin-red-stripe tires.

Inside, the Cameo-beige-themed interior is a perfect Sixties design statement. Door panels include two shades of beige above a chrome trim strip with a medium-beige lower panel. Cabin carpets (and seat belts) throughout are the same medium-beige/light brown color. Lighter beige vinyl upholstery in excellent condition covers the front buckets and rear bench seats, with the same vinyl trimming rear-cabin walls, the padded dash, and the center console. Seatbacks include handsome small chrome trim pieces. Analog instruments include the 120-mph speedometer and four engine-monitoring gauges. A 2-spoke, beige steering wheel with horn ring and Chevrolet center emblem frames the horizontal-design dashboard (upper surfaces are padded vinyl while lower surfaces are beige-painted metal. Across the lower dash, pull-lever switches are mounted for various functions and the factory radio remains mounted above slide-lever controls for heating, ventilation, and factor air conditioning. The clock is prominently mounted on the center console just ahead of the shift lever for the automatic transmission and a lockable storage compartment. The car's trunk is very tidy with surfaces finished in the factory-style gray-fleck paint. (Please view the close-up photography in the gallery to assess the excellent condition of all interior surfaces.)

Under the hood, it's all big-block; the 396-cubic-inch Chevy V8 in correct Chevy-orange engine-block paint commands an engine bay as correct and pristine as the remainder of the car. An open-sided, chrome-topped air cleaner and chrome valve covers add flair; all other surfaces are clean and correct. Viewed from below, the story's the same: a clean, undamaged chassis with properly mounted components. The spotless lower sides of the engine, properly re-coated underbody, correctly routed dual-exhaust system (with chrome tips) are all visual focal points. Rust is virtually non-existent.

The car's original information and identification tags remain mounted. The sale includes the original owner's manual, the model's assembly manual in a 3-ring binder, and the previously mentioned Protect-o-Plate.

While the more than 175 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available on the GarageKeptMotors website showcase this '66 Chevelle SS 396 Convertible in detail from every angle, including from below, we expect and encourage in-person inspections at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. Please call to arrange an appointment in advance as our showroom is not open to the public. And feel free to get in touch anytime by phone or email if you have questions.

Hagerty noted the special appeal of this model: “For many, the '66 and '67 Chevrolet Chevelle represent the sweet spot of the model's styling between the original design and the larger cars that would follow.”

Add to that the convertible body style, Super Sport trim, a beautiful color combination, factory air conditioning, and—last, but far from least—that 396 cubic-inch big block under the hood, and the appeal is probably irresistible. For one fortunate individual (who's likely reading this right now), replace “probably” with “definitely.”