1972 Chevrolet Chevelle SS

Description

This 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle SS is a car that was built be driven all the time. Not just by anyone, I mean you, the person waiting for a great muscle car that's turn-key and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. It's absolutely dialed-in, has a great small-block powertrain, bright red paint, and a comfortable A/C interior inside, adding up to a car that's a great balance of features and value. If you're interested in a slick Chevelle that makes no excuses and drops jaws everywhere it goes, then keep reading because this '72 checks all the boxes.

Quite honestly, you just can't go wrong with a bright red Chevelle. There are some who like the look of the twin-headlight 1970 models, but you can count me among those who prefer the single headlight setup on this '72. The red paint certainly helps with a very smooth deep shine that really highlights the bodywork which is familiar to anyone who has been to a cruise night, from the peaked front fenders to the gently bulging quarters. Painted-on white SS stripes, a cowl-induction hood, and a blacked-and-chrome grille are all SS trademarks that work best on a red car. It's definitely a car that aches to be driven, the sheetmetal is very straight, the gaps are great, and the details are right; just check out the hood pins! The presentation is punctuated with SS badges that let everybody know what time it is, and the chrome and stainless trim shines bright and adds great bling to this read-and-white beauty. It all works together to create a car that gathers crowds at almost any venue, making this the ideal car to go out prowling on Friday night.

White buckets flanking a factory center console make this Chevelle a lot more desirable than most of its bench-seat-wearing siblings from 1972. The pleated white seat covers, matching SS door panels, and black carpets are all in great shape showing only very light wear that's totally in line with the age of the restoration. If you're an avid reader of ours, then you already know we love the horseshoe shifter here at Streetside Classics and you'll be surprised by how naturally it falls to hand once you start driving the car. The only obvious change from stock inside that cab is a set of back-lit Dakota Digital gauges that were stuffed into the SS-spec bezel, but they do a much more accurate job of monitoring the engine's vitals, including a digital/analog tachometer that keeps an eye on revs. The factory A/C system now uses modern R134a refrigerant, so it's easy to service, blows hard and cold, and doesn't cost a fortune, while the original AM/FM radio was swapped in favor of a retro-style AM/FM digital stereo that fits neatly inside the dash. Pop the trunk and you'll find properly painted floors, a correct mat, and a spare tire and jack set that could very well be the original unit. How cool is that?!

The 'J' in the VIN means this was originally an 350 L48 V8 car, but that also means that the upgraded 350 cubic inch V8 that's in the car now just slides right in without any modifications at all. The engine itself features all the usual performance goodies, including an Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor, Edelbrock intake manifold, MSD ignition, and a set of long-tube headers to help make torque. It's really nicely finished, too, with black Chevrolet Valve covers with red script, a chrome open-element air cleaner, and very clean inner fenders and firewall that really set the engine off nicely. Power steering and power front disc brakes are always welcome in a full-sized bruiser like this, and the TH350 3-speed automatic transmission the block is married to shifts very smoothly up and down the throttle. The H-pipe dual exhaust uses Flowmaster mufflers for a deep, throaty sound that never gets old and someone obviously invested a lot of time, effort, and money in the undercarriage, because it's rare for a car in this price range to look this good. The suspension is augmented with fresh shocks, bushings, BMR lowering springs and a fat sway bar and coilovers in the rear, and it sits on US Mag wheels and staggered 235/45/17 front and 295/40/18 rear Nitto performance radials that finish off the look perfectly.

This is a heck of a lot of bang for the buck, and it definitely looks the part. If you like Chevelles, horsepower, and getting attention, there aren't many better combinations than this. Call today!