Collector Car Corner / Cars We Remember; Reader’s impressive ’70 Chevelle SS454 and outrunning a Ford 429 Interceptor police cruiser

By Greg Zyla —

Q: Greg, I enjoyed your July 21 article where you reminisce about the days you raced your 396/375 ’68 Camaro on the street. Since I was almost certain that the car had mechanical (solid) lifters, I searched the web and came across another one of your articles from May 2018 where you spoke of the ’68, and it indeed had mechanical lifters. 

For 40 years I have owned a 1970 Chevelle SS 454/450 car with mechanical lifters. I bought it in Mountain Top, Pa. in 1984. Like you and many others, I bought this car back in the mid-‘80s for a cheap price. It was rough, but had most of its important components.  

The car has given me much pleasure working on it myself and pacing the expenses by spreading it out over time. In the last few decades I have tried to put it all back to stock configuration that retained the original ignition system (points), cast iron exhaust manifolds, stock mechanical cam, etc. Essentially it is a vintage muscle car close to the original. Similar in many ways to your ’68.

The joy is not only driving these cars, but being able to work on them in your own garage. You are so right about the Internet and YouTube. I learned a lot that way.  

I reminisce of the old days when youngsters could (and would) work on their own cars. Sometimes I feel sorry for the young kids that cannot work on today’s modern cars. They should get a ‘60’s car and have fun, with room under the hood to work.           

Some find it a little crazy that guys like us still enjoy changing spark plugs, oil, grease, wires, ignition points, vacuum canister, springs, and occasionally set mechanical valve clearance with feeler gauges.   

Keep writing about these cars Greg, we love it! — Gary Latta, Vestal, N.Y.

A: Gary, thank you so much for your kind words. You are in possession of one of the most desired muscle cars ever built when you purchased your 1970 Chevelle code LS6 SS454/450 back in 1980. I’ve always looked at 1970 as the best year for muscle cars as creeping up was the unleaded fuel era, government cleaner burning mandates, and all the horsepower grabbing smog items that started appearing under the hood of these classic cars. 

By 1974, gone were the Hemi Cudas, 440 Six Packs, 455 Buicks, fast GTOs, all the Chevy big blocks with solid lifters, and those fine running Cobra Jet Mustangs. Detroit car builders had to lower the compression ratios to adhere to the lower quality gasoline, and in my opinion that’s the first “hit” that deemed muscle cars were in grave danger of obsolescence.

Of course you could still buy a crate engine that produced enormous power. My cars included the car you mentioned, my 1968 Camaro SS/RS L79 code 396/375 that I bought when I finished active duty at Fort Jackson, S.C., thanks to my mom co-signing for me. My Camaro was purchased at a Ford dealer in Vineland and was sitting atop a revolving display, with $2,995 written in shoe polish across the windshield. I noticed those fabulous “396” badges on the front fenders, so I knew it had the engine I was looking for – a big block Chevy.

When the salesperson stopped the rotating display I was able to get the hood open and I knew then I would buy it ala the no haggle way, meaning a “no trade sale.” I might have missed out on a few hundred less, but that L79 was sitting there producing 375 horsepower, according to the decal on the air filter housing. Did I mention it was an SS/RS? Yes, it was.

Most important to me back then is the fact that the L79 code 396 is the same identical optional engine offered in the 1965 Corvette, and it was rated at 425 horsepower back then. Also, 1965 is the only year a Corvette 396 was ever offered, although countless 427s and 454s were to follow.        

Two other 396 engines were available for the Camaro, the base 325 horsepower engine and a 350-horsepower variant, both nice and both with hydraulic lifters. As you have found out, Gary, being that our cars are and were solid lifters, it meant two things. First, a more radical camshaft could be used and second, making sure you checked your valve lash, which for me was on a weekly basis. I enjoyed taking care of “setting the valves” in my driveway, and once you become accustomed to this valve maintenance it became a necessary routine to make sure all cars with solid lifters were running well.

So, there I was, home from active duty and a true muscle car waiting for me to put through the paces. Everything else about the car was exactly what I wanted, including a “rock crusher” M22 Muncie 4-speed and 4:10 gears. The only immediate upgrade I did was order a set of Hedman Hedders (spelled with two “d” s instead of the usual headers spelling). 

When the headers arrived my friend, Bernie Cardia, put them on at his new garage and I swear it added an additional 20-horses, if not more. Cardia had a butternut yellow ’66 Chevelle SS396 with aluminum heads and two four-barrels on what started as an L79, too. It was one of the fastest big blocks around and he usually ran 4:88 gears on the street.   

Before I get to the next engine that I owned and pertinent to this column, that 1968 Camaro was famous around the city and even more so when I took it to college in Emmitsburg, Md. I did have one problem, though, after seeing what that car could do it became obvious no one wanted to race me, except for one person.

I remember well that one night in Emmitsburg, Md.  As I was on Route 15 that led to Hagerstown, Md., a car pulled up on my bumper immediately after I pulled out of a gas station. Being I was still in first gear, I decided to do a quick run, speed shifting that M22 and pulling away from the tailgating offender, but not as quickly as other experiences in dealing with people riding my bumper.

The reason I didn’t add as much distance between us is because the car was a Ford police car, and I was pulled over quickly after seeing the lights flashing when I hit 4th gear. The police officer who pulled me over was a nice guy and as car crazy as me. 

When he came to my window he wanted to know all about my Camaro, as he told me he had just received delivery of his 1971 Police cruiser that had a 429 Police Interceptor under the hood. I obliged to every question and opened the hood to show him the engine. 

This experience ended well, as the officer told me he tailgated me on purpose to push me to the result of an acceleration contest – with a police officer no less. Thankfully he did not ticket me and admitted he pushed me into a full throttle experience. After that, we became friends.  

On to my next big block that I ordered as a crate engine in early 1979. As I mentioned above, your LS6 454/450 horse engine was to be succeeded by the LS7 454, putting out 465 horses and featuring open chamber cylinder heads instead of the close chamber LS6 design. Both featured 2.19 intake valves and 1.88 exhaust. I remember I paid $1,480 for the crate engine at Campbell Chevrolet in Shamokin, Pa. and it had decals on the valve cover stating, “For off road use only.” 

This is the engine I put in my 1972 Vega econo-funny car, and after a rebuild by drag racing legend Jack Kulp it ran 9.65 at 135 with just a flat tappet cam change (Isky) and a double-pumper 800 Holley. My funny car had an ATI Turbo 400, ATI converter, and 4:88 gears inside the bullet proof Pontiac-Olds rear from back in the 1950s. 

Looking back, I feel the 4:88s were a bit too tall, as I would go through the finish line at 7,100 RPMS, which is too much for a stock big block Chevy. I believe 4:56s would have resulted in quicker and faster times with little worry about throwing a rod out the side of the block.

In summary, these L79 and LS6 and LS7 big blocks are respected to this day as some of the most powerful muscle car engines ever built. Since you live in Vestal, N.Y. and not too far from me, let me know when you take your precious 1970 Chevelle SS454 to a car show as I’d love to see it in person. 

Thanks again for your kind words.

(Greg Zyla is a syndicate auto columnist who welcomes reader input on classic cars, auto nostalgia or motorsports at greg@gregzyla.com.)