Sorry, but I have a Chevelle question for someone. How should the VIN number read for a true SS 1972 Chevelle to insure it is not a clone?

Try Chevelles.net (http://www.chevelles.net)

68 was the last year the VIN would verify an SS car.

The VIN on a 72 should indicate which engine was in the car and therefore prove an SS or not.

Thanks for all of the responses.

fyi

The is only one engine (454) in a 1972 Chevelle that will confirm as SS. All the other engines were available to any Chevelle model. The 454 could not be ordered unless Z15 SS option was also ordered.

There were 3 engines possible with the Z15 SS option (besides 454)/

1972 Chevelle & Malibu optional engines. SS (Z15) required an optional engine)
2-bbl 350
4-bbl 350
4-bbl 402 (SS396)

Only the 454 had any fender emblems to signify SS 454, all the others just said "SS" on the fender.

6 cyl and 307 V8 were standard engines, and thus could not have been included with the SS option.

fyi
There was a "poor mans" available in 1971 and 1972, called the Heavy Chevy (HC). Any V8 except the 454 was available. It included some SS look alike options, i.e. doomed hood, hood pins but came with rubber floor covering. They did this because the SS was being attacked by insurance companies for the high HP engines etc and this was a way to boost lagging Chevelle's sales. Any option in the Chevelle list could be ordered but no Heavy Chevy could get the SS option. BTW-Many HC have found themselves transformed into SS by owners.

Confused yet??

72 chevelle SS could be ordered with 307 I worked for Chevy back then and saw one convertable and coupe SS with 307 engines

edd,

did you work in the production plant for chevy? which model.

thanks
angel

Originally posted by edd Gordon:
72 chevelle SS could be ordered with 307 I worked for Chevy back then and saw one convertible and coupe SS with 307 engines This contradicts all Chevrolet ordering instructions.

How can you recall with certainty that it was a 307 engine?

They did indeed put small blocks in the SS but you could not get a 307. I had a 1972 El Camino SS 350. I shopped for a Chevelle but settle for the elky. I can recall talking with several dealers in the Grand Rapids area about engine as I traded a 1970 SS454 and did not want another gas pig and insurance money pit. Only small block you could get was one of two 350 engines, a 2-bbl and 4-bbl version. The 307 was the base engine in the Malibu. The SS option required an Optional Engine. Now if Chevy had such a 307 and did not make it a RPO item then you can't say you could get one.

Today many people confuse the Chevelle Heavy Chevy as an SS model when it was not even close. The HC was a called the "poor mans SS} because it would be had with any engine and a lot of the SS pkg items did come with it although you could ordered them if desired. The dead give away for a HC is the model number, 13437 or 13467.

Also there are many parts that go into the SS pkg and they are not compatible with the base engine configurations.

Even if such a thing existed it would be extremely rare and most like not very desirable car.
http://www.synthetic-oil.com/images/Z15rpo.jpg
http://www.synthetic-oil.com/images/72ElcaminoSS.jpg
http://www.synthetic-oil.com/images/1970SS454.jpg