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.
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