SoCal 1970 Chevelle SS 396 with original Fathom Blue paint
 

This Chevelle SS is talking my language, wearing its original factory Fathom Blue paint with a cloth bench seat, 4-speed, cowl induction, white stripes and vinyl top, etc. Wow!

The car is sporting a 454, Tremec 5-speed and different gears, but the original drivetrain is still with the car. I wouldn’t be in a big hurry to make any changes.

I get so jacked up by original paint cars that I’m very biased in their valuations. Is this car priced fairly at $35k? If you’re looking for a car like this but you think it’s over-priced, where else do you find another car like it?

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto...968949795.html

also comes with original power train 396 motor, 4speed, and 3:11posi gears motor is not bin correct but year and model correct......Translation,you get $1000 worth of parts with the car that you wont use

Original paint is neat,but it doesnt trump the fact that in the end its a hydraulic lifter car with the wrong drivetrain IMO

If this car had solid lifters, you wouldn't touch it at this price. So, I think the price and drivability is what makes this Chevelle so attractive. This is a "pack up the family and go for ice cream" or "take your wife out to dinner and the movies" kind of car that could also attend any car show and get a lot of attention. I think it would be a good buy in the high twenties?

Any mechanical improvement that keeps this car out on the road more often is OK with me (IMHO), as long as it can be preserved and perhaps put back to original one day.

I always put a premium on original paint anything, then I find out when Im selling the next guy is planning on a paint job and doing the "how much is it going to cost me to restore it" accounting that always leads to nowhere , and the premium I put on it is gone as a resale perk.Happens time and time again, but never keeps me from buying original cars.Ive just learned not to sell them . Everyone will buy a perfect unrestored car, but very few of us will step up for driver quality survivors,right James???!

I hear ya. Whether that potential next guy would really repaint an original paint car remains to be seen, but a lot of guys seem to play that card and tell you how much paint is going to cost them. When a potential buyer starts talking about repainting an original paint car of mine, I show them to the door saying "Apparently this is not the right car for you...."

Seats have been retrimmed at some point.
I'm usually optimistic with this kind of stuff but think it's overpriced.

What makes you think the seats were retrimmed? I thought they look incredibly well preserved for the hot California sun... judging by how much the paint has faded.

Those seats have not been retrimmed. Those are 100% original.

I spoke with the seller this am... I originally sent him my number and he called me.

He seems more motivated to sell the car than he was originally. Apparently $25k or so would be acceptable. I also confirmed that the 396 and 4-speed he has, is correct but not the original. He’s going to send me additional photos of the build sheet and few rust areas, but I cannot buy a project like this right now. I hope someone here gets the car and treats it right.

Wow-
so read this whole thread earlier and then came back to it in afternoon- only to realize that car is literally 2 miles from my office!
I've lived in the area my whole life and never seen this car before- funny huh?
There's a "cars & Coffee" type event tomorrow close by, I should ping him and say to bring it out!