1967 Chevelle SS396

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The 1967 Chevelle SS396 was a separate series from the 300, 300 Deluxe & Malibu series and can be readily identified by both the Fisher Body Number plate (a.k.a. trim tag, cowl tag, etc.) and the Vehicle Identification plate (VIN).

The 1967 SS396 was available in both sport coupe (17) and convertible (67) models and the 396 cid Mark-IV engine was the base engine. The Fisher Body style numbers 13817 & 13867 and VINs beginning with 13817 & 13867 will note an SS396. As with all years of Super Sports, the VIN only depicts the base engine and does not indicate any optional engine. The base 396 engine was the (L35) 325hp engine with two optional 396 engines, a L34 350hp version and a L78 375hp version.

Although the El Camino could be ordered with any 396 engine, there are no SS396 1967 El Caminos; no SS396 badging, no Super Sport hood and no SS396 rocker panel moldings. A 396-optioned El Camino would have the 396 Turbo-Jet flags on the front fender however. The dash also retained the appropriate (13480 or 13680) upper dash strip and not the black crinkle-finish of the SS396

Contrary to popular belief bucket seats, gauges, and 4-speeds were not standard equipment. A front bench seat, no gauges (except speedometer, clock, and fuel gauge), and a 3-speed heavy duty floor shifted transmission were standard with the SS396.

Distinctive blacked out grille, Super Sport trim, a special SS396 hood with faux twin scoops, SS396 emblems on the grille and rear cove, Super Sport script on the rear quarter panels, and ribbed rocker panel moldings.

Note special SS396 hood with twin faux scoops, blacked-out grille with SS396 emblem, blacked-out headlamp bezels, and blacked-put grille extensions. Also note the two horizontal bright bars left in the grille, headlamp bezels, and grille extensions as well as the grille cutouts at either end next to the headlamp bezels. The 300, 300 Deluxe, and Malibu grilles were also blacked-out but had more bright horizontal bars and the two ends next to the the headlamp bezels were filled in as noted on the Malibu below as well as a different grille emblem.

Unlike the controversy over the blacked-out rear cove on 1966 SS396 Chevelles, all 1967 SS396 Chevelles had this feature. The SS396 emblem is centered in the rear cove.

A ribbed rocker molding remained but the piece behind the fender well was eliminated. The SS396 Turbo-Jet flags remained on the front fender but the Super Sport script on the rear quarter panels was now split on two lines instead of only one.  Also new for 1967 were disc brakes, although not limited to the SS396 series, requiring the rally wheels shown here. The side stripes shown were standard fare for the SS396. Many owners removed these vinyl stripes soon after taking delivery or when they began to loosen and peel.

Optional on the SS396 were the D96 sport stripes that included a larger lower stripe and stripes over the wheel wells.

The SS396 dash received a black crinkle-finish dash strip and a Super Sport emblem on the bezel above the glove box.

It should be noted that Canada produced a Malibu SS in 1967. This was a standard 135/136xx Malibu with a special package called The Sports Option. This Malibu SS continued to use the Malibu SS quarter panel trim from the 1965 Malibu SS but could be ordered with any available engine. It wasn't until January that the Canadian market saw a true SS396. See The Obscure Malibu SS of 1966/67 for more specifics on this Canadian option.

All SS396 Chevelles came with a 12-bolt rear end but Positraction was still an option; an open rear end was standard. However, a 12-bolt rear end, as well as Positraction, was available on non-SS396 Chevelles as well so the presence of a 12-bolt (with or without Positraction) is not an indication of a 1967 SS396 Chevelle. All SS396 Chevelles also came with rear frame reinforcements but could easily be added to any Malibu coupe or convertible.

Many people mistakenly think numbers stamped in the trunk area of the quarter panels show whether the car is a Malibu (13617) or SS396 (13817). This is not the case. These stamped numbers have nothing to do with the Chevrolet series. The top two examples are from Malibus and the bottom example is from an SS396. Also note the number "4" in the top example is stamped upside down, this 'anomaly' has been seen on several Malibu/SS396 Chevelles. Both 1967 & 1966 Chevelles had these stampings.

Want more information on 1967 Chevelles in general? Take a test drive of my 1967 Chevelle Reference CD.