Chevrolet Chevelle 396 Super Sport Coupe

by

Model number: AMM1066

Review of the model:

When it comes to classic cars I have always had a soft spot of big, wide and finned American cars from the period 1957-1962. And indeed they are big with fantastic fins. They also come from a time where the two or even tri-tone color combinations where in fashion.

So how will a midsize non finned car from 1966 fit in that equation will some ask? Yes Ill will admit this Chevrolet Chevelle 396 SS at first glance is a misfit placement in the above époque. But to understand the evolvement from the finned cars to the dawn of the muscle cars there were only a few years between the new trends among the youth of the potential buyers in the early sixties. The idea of mixing a sporty looking car with a heavy performance car was not new, just look at the Impala/Galaxie war. One thing for sure  the game changer was the Ford Mustang 1964 the car that sat the benchmark for years to come and remember; Chevrolet was caught with their pants down, as the Camaro first came as soon as 1967.

Therefore the Chevrolet Chevelle 396 SS is a vital example of the cars that filled the gabs between the old and new style in these years.

Auto World / Ertl have been a producer of fine model cars with a special attention to the race and muscle car segment. And they have done it with great result, as the fans are many. The best models from Auto World are compelling or better than Sun Stars in some cases, but they also make models with lower details and fewer real chrome trims (just as Sun Stars as well) But Auto Worlds best models is one of the best models out there for the money! – So an intensive research of pictures, on the net, before the purchase is recommended.

When I do an ordinary review of a model, I always try to first enhance the pros and then call out the cons and hereafter give a fair judgment of detail richness contra price. I can do it too with this model, but let’s try something different here: What do I not like?

Actually there is not much I don’t like on this model! If we look at the four fenders they all have emblem that are tampon printed in great details, but I had whished they were metal etched just like on the Sun Stars Platinum series. On the rear a big Chevelle emblem is molded and painted silver – It will have been great if it also were etched metal. The taillight have nicely painted red and white lenses that looks very realistic, but imagine if they have been in real colored plastic!........That’s it!

All other and I mean ALL other things is perfect! Often underneath model cars, the details of other makers are so and so, but on the models from Auto World you get real red primer coat paint, a drive shaft with small painted balance rings on it …and it turns when the back wheels is turning! This is a feature that signals the makers of this model do care.

Take a look at the interior - Wow what an interior. I bought this model for the interior alone! The colors, the material and the attention of details are breathtaking. Even the glove compartment can be opened….but the turnkey is missing! But hey – you get seatbelts and moving backrest on the front bucket seats. If you have the patience of studying the interior in detail you can surely spent some joyfully hours here.

All doors and lids are matching perfect and they fit like a hand in glove. If you preferences lay in engines, just look at this miniature 375Hp 396 cu/in Turbo-Jet big block, from Chevrolet. All the wires and stickers are here. And the party is not over yet, as the trunk has all the bells and whistles you can hope fore: Carpet, jacks, wheels and stickers inside the deck lid. I could go on and on, but you get the picture I really like this model from Auto World and I promise you will be amazed how good this 1:18 scale Chevrolet Chevelle 396 SS is.

In 1966 Chevrolet had a slogan that sill can be used on this model…..”Most popular value of its size”
 

I will give this model 6 out of 6 stars  ******

Below here are pictures of the model, historical description, old brochures, technical data and some movie clips for the real car. So please enjoy!

History:

1966 Chevelle SS396 - America's Musclecar
For generations of Bow Tie lovers, the 1966 SS396 was their first ride

by Paul Zazarine.

When baby boomers born in the 1950s got their driver's licenses, many of them wanted a 1957 Chevy. Nothing represented "cool" better than a '57, regardless if it was a top of the line Bel Air, a Nomad or a humble 210. They were cheap, easy to work on, and there was nothing to dropping a 327 in place of a tired Stovebolt or an anemic 283. Add a Duntov cam and lifters, bolt on a four-barrel carb and intake, and a set of headers to make that '57 would howl. Ripping the bolt action three-speed off the column in favor of a Hurst floor shifter, adding a set of Cragars and a radio, and cruising Main Street on Saturday night looking for some stop light action was as good as it got.

Those born 10 years later found their own version of the '57 Chevy. It also wore a bow tie, but came in a more potent package. It was the 1966 SS396 Chevelle, and over the years it has become America's favorite muscle car. After all, wasn't it all about "baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet"?

Like the '57 Chevy, a used '66 SS396 was inexpensive (the base price for a new SS396 was just $2,276 for the coupe). They were plentiful; Chevrolet built 66,843 SS396 hardtops and 5,429 convertibles (which base priced at $2,964). And they were powerful. The standard engine was the L35 325hp 396-cid engine. Two other 396s were offered that year, the L34 396 that produced 360 hp and the iron-head L78, rated at 375 hp and a bargain at just $236.

Countless numbers of Chevy gear heads cut their teeth on a second-hand '66 SS396. By the time these cars were hitting used car lots, many had been unmercifully beat on by their first owners. That didn't matter to a 16 year old with enough bread to buy a tired SS396. To him, it was a diamond in the rough, and he had already planned a hundred different ways to build it. The big-block was a ready-made powerhouse that lent itself to modification. The fact it had lousy gas mileage wasn't important; at 24.9 cents a gallon, you could cruise all night on $5 of gas.

Since most SS396s were equipped with the 325hp base engine, the first thing that went in the trash was the black single snorkel air cleaner in favor of an open element with chrome lid. The Rochester Q-Jet also went south, replaced by a huge Holley jug. When the budget allowed, a set of headers and pipes were next. Crane cut a lot of different cam grinds, and your choice wasn't determined as much technically as you just liked the "rumpity rump" sound of a high-lift cam.

Finally, a set of wide Mickey Thompsons on the rear with chrome reverse wheels all around were essential for street racing. To clear the big M/T meats, a set of air shocks was required. That gave your SS396 a mean rake. It wasn't very sophisticated, and you took a serious bounce over speed bumps, but the Mickey's could really hook up.

The 396 engine had been released in mid-1965 to replace the old "W" head 409. The bottom end was beefy, and, with a bore and stroke of 4.094x3.76, it had gobs of torque way past its peak of 410 lb-ft at 3200 rpm. The base L35 had drop-forged steel rods and a cast nodular crankshaft. The heads sported 2.06-inch intake and 1.715-inch exhaust valves with 1.70 rockers and a hydraulic camshaft ground with 322* of intake and exhaust and an overlap of 95*. Because of the valve's splayed position in the head, the 396 was nicknamed the "Porcupine." That unusual valve arrangement; positioned the intake valves at a 26* angle to the bore, while the exhaust angle was 17*. -This provided better gas flow, since the ports benefited from a larger radius turn and was not siamesed. Either a Holley four-barrel or the new Rochester Quadra-Jet was mounted on a cast-iron intake manifold.

The introduction of the 396 placed Chevrolet right in the thick of the growing muscle car wars, however it was only available in the big Chevy and the Corvette. Chevelle fans eager to get their hands on a 396 to go GTO hunting would have to wait. To showcase what was coming for 1966, Chevrolet dropped the 396 into a specially equipped 1965 Chevelle and named it the Z16. Officially designated the "Chevelle Special Equipment Option," the Z16 was powered by a 375hp version of the 396. Unmodified, the Z16 could run the quarter in the high 14 seconds zone at 98 mph. And, as Popular Hot Rodding magazine noted, "This car will turn 105 with low 13 second est.’s by incorporating some of the standard drag strip tuning tricks such as slicks, jetting, headers and lower rear-end gears."

The Z16 was more than just an engine transplant. It was a complete supercar package, with chassis upgrades, bigger brakes and beefier suspension. Inside, an AM/FM with stereo multiplex was included, along with a special 160-mph speedometer and upgraded interior. The Z16 wasn't cheap. It added $1,501 to the Malibu's base price of $2,590, but it demonstrated that Chevrolet could engineer the ultimate muscle car that could accelerate, handle, corner and stop better than any car short of the Corvette. Chevrolet built only 201 Z16s, and most of these cars found their way into the hands of celebrities and VIPs. It set the stage for the 1966 SS396.

When the 1966 SS396 hit the showrooms with its new styling and handsome bucket seat interior, buyers also found a long list of options to choose from. Street freaks opted for the 360hp version, matched to a Muncie M21 close ratio four-speed transmission and 4.11:1 Posi rear. Right out of the box, the 360hp SS396 ran in the mid 14s. Popular Hot Rodding magazine coaxed 14.42/100.22 mph out of a L34 four-speed SS396 in their June 1966 issue. In C/Stock racing, SS396s would clean house at drag strips all across the country.

Some buyers chose to go the other direction, and build a luxury sport sedan with plenty of muscle. That's how Rick Treworgy's Madeira Maroon SS396 is dressed. Starting with the L35 396, it's equipped with a four-speed transmission, air conditioning, gauge package, "knee-knocker" tachometer, console, wood wheel, power windows, power steering, power brakes, four-way hazard flasher and AM/FM radio (the rally wheels were added later and were not offered in 1966). For less than $3,500 sticker price, this combination made for an outstanding sport touring sedan that could reduce GTOs to rubble.

Regardless of how it was equipped, the 1966 SS396 was the first big-block Chevelle that would launch a legacy of affordable performance. From street racer to luxury cruiser, the SS396 could be custom tailored to just about anyone's desires. And when original owners finally traded in their well-worn '66 SS396s, there was a long line of young hot shoes ready to shell out money for a chance to own America's muscle car.

Chevelle SS wasn't truly brought to market until 1966, when those classic forward-thrusting front fenders, special wheel covers, red-line tires and black-out grill were added to show off the car's bold new look. The 1966 Chevelle SS 396 was only produced in about short numbers, highly prized today. In fact, the high end of resale has gone from $28,000 to $369,000 in the last decade alone.

 

Technical specification:

Chevrolet Chevelle SS-396 Sport Coupe 375-hp 4-speed close (man. 4) , model year 1966, version for North America U.S.
2-door coupe body type

RWD (rear-wheel drive), manual 4-speed gearbox

Characteristic dimensions: outside length: 5004 mm / 197 in, width: 1905 mm / 75 in, wheelbase: 2921 mm / 115 in

Reference weights: base curb weight: 1595 kg / 3516 lbs

Gasoline (petrol) Turbo-Jet engine with displacement: 6489 cm3 / 396 cui, advertised power: 279.5 kW / 375 hp / 380 PS ( SAE gross ), torque: 570 Nm / 420 lb-ft.

Top speed: 224 km/h (139 mph)
Accelerations: 0- 60 mph 5.5© s; 0- 100 km/h 5.8s

Fuel consumption and mileage: average estimated 22.1 l/100km / 12.8 mpg (imp.) / 10.7 mpg (U.S.) / 4.5 km/l

Number built: 72,300 (all Chevelle's 1966)
 

Old brochures of the car

Video of the real car from YouTube

If you have any question or comment your are free to contact me at: aeronautic@stofanet.dk

Dealers are welcome to get their models reviewed too.

Aeronautic Oct. 2018

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