1969 Chevelle Convertible Restoration

1969 chevelle convertible restoration

1969 chevelle convertible

The 1968 Chevelle got an all-new distinctly sculpted body with tapered front fenders and a rounded beltline. The car adopted a long-hood/short-deck profile with a high rear-quarter "kick-up". While all 1967 Chevelle models rode a 115-inch (2,900 mm) wheelbase, the 1968 coupes and convertibles now rode a sporty 112-inch (2,800 mm) wheelbase. The sedans and wagons turned to a 116-inch (2,900 mm) span. Tread width grew an inch front and rear. Hardtop coupes featured a semi-fastback, flowing roofline. Top-trim models (including the SS 396 and new luxury Concours) featured GM's new Hide-A-Way wiper system. Lesser Chevelles would get that change later. The Super Sport (SS 396 coupe and convertible) became series on its own. Chevrolet produced 60,499 SS 396 hardtops but only 2,286 convertibles. Black-accented Super Sports rode F70x14 red-stripe tires and carried a standard 325-horsepower 396-cubic-inch Turbo-Jet V-8 engine below the special twin-domed hood. 350 and 375-horsepower 396 engines could be substituted. The SS 396 Sport Coupe started at $2,899 - or $236 more than a comparable Malibu with its 307-cubic-inch V-8. All-vinyl bucket seats and a console were optional. The new Concours Sport Sedan focused on luxury, with special sound insulation, and a deep-padded instrument panel with simulated woodgrain accents and all-vinyl color-keyed interiors. Malibu gained a new Sport Sedan body style this year. The Concours Estate Wagon was one of four distinct Chevelle wagon models. A one year Nomad, Nomad Custom was offered. Regular Chevelle engines started with a 140 horsepower (100 kW) Turbo-Thrift six or the new 200 horsepower (150 kW) Turbo-Fire 307 V-8, but stretched to a 325 horsepower (242 kW) version of the 327-cubic-inch V-8. Manual transmission cars got GM's "Air Injection Reactor (A.I.R)" smog pump, which added complexity under the hood. New Federal safety-mandated equipment included side marker lights, as well as shoulder belts for outboard front seat occupants on cars built after December 1, 1967.

1969 Chevelles were billed as "America's most popular mid-size car." They showed only minor changes for 1969, led by revised front-end styling. A single chrome bar connected quad headlights, and a slotted bumper held the parking lights. Taillight lenses were larger and more vertical, flowing into the quarter panels. Front vent windows began to fade away now that Astro Ventilation was sending outside air into several Chevelle models. The Chevelle lineup slimmed down to two series: 300 Deluxe and Malibu. No longer a series of its own, the SS 396 turned into a $347.60 option package for any two-door model. That meant not just a convertible or hardtop Sport Coupe, but even the pillared coupe in the lower-rent 300 Deluxe series. A very few 300 Deluxe SS396-optioned pillared coupes were built, and they are solid gold for collectors. The Super Sport included a 325-horsepower 396-cubic-inch V-8 beneath a double-domed hood, along with a black-out grille displaying an SS emblem and a black rear panel. More potent editions of the 396 engine also made the options list, developing 350 or 375 horsepower (280 kW). A few hundred Chevelles even managed to acquire a 427-cubic-inch V-8, ordinarily installed only in full-size models. Chevelle station wagons came in three levels: Concours, Nomad, and Greenbrier - the last a badge formerly used on the Corvair van. A new dual-action tailgate operated either in the traditional manner or as a panel-type door. Wagons stretched 208 inches (5,300 mm) overall versus 197 inches (5,000 mm) for coupes. New round instrument pods replaced the former linear layout. Chevelle options included headlight washers, power windows and locks, and a rear defroster. Chevy's midsize production rose this year, with Malibus far more popular than their less-costly mates. Fewer than seven percent of Malibus had a six-cylinder engine, while more than 86,000 got an SS 396 option. All '69 Chevelles got a new locking steering column one year ahead of the Federal requirement, and headrests required for all cars sold in the U.S. after January 1, 1969