The Chevrolet Chevelle SS

American Muscle - Back in 1970 things looked great. The muscle car craze was in full swing introducing barrage of different V8 machines.  For 1970 horsepower and displacement were up, and there was a muscle car to fit everyone's taste from all the different vehicle manufacturers. Unfortunately high insurance costs and legislative action were catching up with the muscle car. The low-performance era was right around the corner, and by 1975 performance in most cars would die a slow and painful death. Sad but painful truth.

Since its first model year -1965, the Chevelle SS had grown in popularity. By the late 1960s, the Chevelle SS with its strong faithful following was one of the more popular muscle cars.  For 1970 even better things were in store for the Chevelle SS. 

Chevrolet Chevelle SS

Due to an internal edict at General Motors, only full-size cars and the Corvette could have engines with displacements larger than 400 cubic inches. Because of the edict the 1965 to 1969 Chevelle SS only came equipped with a 396 big block V8. However by the late 1960s Chevrolet got around this by allowing its Central Office Production Order (COPO) program to offer its full range of 427 V8’s to customers who special ordered COPO Chevelle’s and Camaro’s. Though COPO allowed the production of some legendary 427 powered Chevrolet muscle cars, total production was very low.

In 1970, General Motors decided to lift the ban and Chevrolet's response to that was the introduction of the 454 (7.4 litre)V8 as a 1970 Chevelle SS option. The 454 V8 is a member of the Chevrolet Mark IV big block V8 engine family.  The first Mark IV engine was the 396 V8, which first saw its introduction during the 1965 model year. In 1966 the Mark IV 427 V8 joined Chevrolet's engine lineup alongside the 396.

Chevrolet Chevelle SS

For 1970, the 454 was not only new to the Chevelle SS but also to Chevrolet. The legendary 427 big block V8 was the largest displacement Chevy V8 in 1969. For 1970, Chevrolet decided to increase the 427's stroke, which increased the displacement to 454 cubic inches. The 4.25 in. bore and 4.0 in. stroke of the 454 are numbers that bring a smile to any muscle car fan's face. Chevy fans cheered the increase in     displacement since larger displacement meant more horsepower and especially more  

torque.                                             

Chevy provided two separate SS options for the 1970 Chevelle, the SS 396 (Z25) option and the SS 454 (Z15) option. With the SS 396 option one could choose from 396 V8s - the 350 horsepower version and the 375 horsepower derivative. Chevy's little secret concerning the 396 for 1970 was that it no longer displaced 396 cubic inches but rather 402. Chevy added a .030 in. overbore on the 396 block pushing its displacement up to 402 cubic inches.  For some unknown reason Chevy decided it was best to call the 1970 402, a 396.

The SS 454 or Z15, a mid-year option, gave the 1970 Chevelle SS buyer two powerhouse 454 V8s to choose from - the LS5 and LS6.  The LS5 454 was rated at 360 horsepower in the 1970 Chevelle SS, but 390 horsepower in the 1970 Corvette.

Chevrolet Chevelle SS

On paper the LS6 was the most powerful production engine during the muscle car golden era. The Chevelle SS LS6 consistently obtained 13 second range 1/4 mile times in magazine tests back in the day, which is extremely impressive when you consider a LS6 Chevelle SS has a weight of around 4,000 lbs with driver and fuel. The fastest LS6 1/4 mile time recorded by an automotive magazine (back in the day) was in the November 1969 issue of Car Craft. Car Craft piloted their stock '70 Chevelle SS through the 1/4 mile in 13.12 seconds at 107.01 mph. As many people think muscle cars are, the 1970 Chevelle SS  was also no slouch around the turns with its heavy duty F41 suspension which not only included heavy duty suspension components but also 14x7 inch wheels and F70x14 tires.

By 1970 most muscle cars were leaving the dealer lots loaded with many factory options, a far cry from the stalwart muscle cars of a few years prior. The Chevelle SS LS6 with its many available options was no different. It was not cheap, it started at around $4,500 (roughly R47 370) and the price increased as more options were added. Back in 1970 the average family income was around $10,000 (R105 267), making a Chevelle SS LS6 454 an expensive purchase for the average buyer however it was worth every penny.

  

The LS6 454 returned again in 1971 but it was only available on the Corvette, producing 425 horsepower. The horsepower loss was due to a loss in compression. All GM engines in 1971 suffered a substantial compression ratio drop in order to meet new unleaded fuel standards. The party was now officially over, and the new race for auto manufacturers was to see how fast high performance engines could be detuned or eliminated. After 1971, the 454 left and never returned. And soon after, the 1973 Chevelle SS became the last Chevelle to wear the SS emblems. 

Every once in a great while a freak of nature occurs, something so different from the average or norm that it blatantly stands out. In 1970 the Chevelle SS LS6 was just that - a freak of nature. It was the complete apex of an era of skyrocketing horsepower ratings when it seemed like the sky was the limit. Looking back now, it's quite clear the 1970 Chevelle SS LS6 was the Mount Everest of the muscle car golden era.

Drifting (Motorsport)

The art of Drifting, the most exciting Motorsport globally, originated in Japan in the 1960's. Drifting is one of the most unique forms of racing, it requires a intricate diving technique which can be fatal if its not done right. When you see a car Drift your eyes are just glued to the car and you'll get nervous because it always gets close to crashing. Concentration, self discipline and loads of experience is what makes a great drifter.    

Mad Mike Drifting Crown Range In New Zealand

When drifting the driver intentionally or unintentionally oversteers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels or all tires, while maintaining control from entry to exit of a corner. A car is drifting when the rear slip angle is greater than the front slip angle, to such an extent that often the front wheels are pointing in the opposite direction to the turn (e.g. car is turning left, wheels are pointed right or vice versa, also known as opposite lock). Please don't try it just from reading that to all the armatures out there..

In the 1960's, the Motorsport Drifting was first popular in it's home town Japan which made the All Japan Touring Car Championship races very exciting. Motorcycling legend, Kunimitsu Takahashi, was the foremost creator of drifting techniques in the 1970s. This earned him several championships and a legion of fans who enjoyed the spectacle of smoking tires. The bias ply racing tires of the 1960s-1980s lent themselves to driving styles with a high slip angle. As professional racers in Japan drove this way, so did the street racers, and til today you would still find many Petrol Heads totally obsessed with Drifting.

Keiichi Tsuchiya the Drift King

Keiichi Tsuchiya, known as the "Dorikin/Drift King" became particularly interested by Takahashi's drift techniques. As they say  Kunimitsu invented it but  Keiichi perfected it.. Keiichi pushed himself to be the best in drifting. He practice on the beautiful mountains of Tokyo which brought a lot of attention. Keiichi's reputation stood out the most among the racing crowd.

In the late 80's the media became drawn to Keiichi, several popular car magazines, film producers and other forms of media all had a scoop of Keiichi's drfiting skills. The video, known as Pluspy, became a hit and inspired many of the professional drifting drivers on the circuits today.  

Top Gear Meets Keiichi Tsuchiya

The annual event Revlife, by Goodhope Fm at the Killarney racetrack in the Western Cape, has many exciting items on its program such as sound off's, drag racing but the one that stood out the most had definitely been the Drifting.. 

The international Drift King for 2013 James Deane and Cape Towns favourite Sean February had been there and actually raced against each other. Even though Sean won the audience was more blown away by the beauty of two race cars drifting in sync.  

Sean February at Killarney Racetrack

American Muscle

Tough, masculine and high performance – Those are just some of the words used to describe the classic muscle car. There are no automotive products that is more unique than the American muscle car, and is considered as some of the finest examples when American vehicle production was at its peak.

American Muscle 

While the rest of the world fettled with small, sporty 4 cylinder engines in the 1960’s, over in the United States of America, powerful V8 engines were being stuffed under the hoods of coupes and convertibles. It was an instant hit amongst the youth market, with performance, power and its physical prowess the main attractions.

Back in the day the streets were filled with these beasts, with the grumbling sound of its V8 ready to race.When you hear or think of the word “American Muscle” examples like the Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Camaro and the Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 immediately spring to mind. Power, speed and performance will always be associated with an old school American muscle car- there is no doubt about that.

Ford Mustang

When you look at muscle cars produced today, it just doesn’t have the same meaning and tradition it did back in the 1960’s. For instance, if the modern day version of a Ford Mustang is released it would most probably be met with reactions like “Oh, is there a new Mustang out?” or “I wonder how fast this one is.” An older Mustang would certainly scream attention and break a few necks with its appearance and sound even though it might not have the latest technology. Even today many petrol heads consider the cars from the 1960’s as true muscle cars.

Chevrolet Muscle Car 

American muscle cars have taken an even bigger significance ever since the very first The Fast and the Furious movie was released. Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel’s character in the movie), is the brains behind the machine, showcasing the raw power and performance of his muscle car – the 69’ Dodge Charger.

Not everyone is into American muscle but a quick blip on the go faster pedal will definitely sway a few opinions after hearing the roar of the V8.

Classic muscle cars are pretty amazing pieces of machinery. One that is restored and in mint condition is worth a lot of money. As the years tick on, there are fewer and fewer muscle cars roaming around which makes them even more valuable to collectors and enthusiasts alike.They are very much like Dinosaurs, once the rulers of the road but have faded away over time.

Custom Hot Rods

There is so much you can say about these beautiful machines and seeing one in reality is pretty much a rarity these days. Like they say, old school American muscle never dies it gets better with age like a fine wine. So if you are lucky enough to get your hands on one, hold onto it because it is gold!