I have been told by a dealer (Michael Canfield - Sales Manager at Corvette Mike's in Anaheim, CA) that "you could not get a 396 el Camino that was not an SS in 1969. Since the original motor still has its factory stamp and a protecto-plate, this truck had to be an SS."
Much as I have no reason to doubt his sincerity, this statement by him left me wondering ... could he possibly be right?

Yes that is correct. While you may find one that was a fleet car and was not an SS is possible, I don't think there would be many of any ELC's like that.

I think someone posted here that the Air Force used Elkys for chase vehicles for the B-52's back then that were 396 cars and might not have been SS's.

Same holds true for 70 and 71. In 72 the SS was still an option (not a model) but the only engine that required the SS option was the 454. The opposite is true for 66 and 67s. You could order any big block in those years El Caminos, but no SS since the SS was a separate model; 1968 was the only specific model SS El Camino (13880). :D

I would agree that, if the 69 in question has a verified (correct block, stampings, POP) L34, L35, or L78, then it should be an SS as you was told.

Same holds true for 70 and 71 70, 71, and 72 were different than 1969. The LS3 big block was available in V8 Chevelle models, including the El Camino, without the SS package in 70, 71, and 72. These models had "400" badging. The base engine with the SS package in 1970 was the 350HP L34. The LS3 was available in 71 and 72 with or without the SS package.

Thanks guys ... that sheds the appropriate light on a truck I'm looking at - I should be able to rule out the Air Force / fleet possibilities as I have been provided a verifiable chain of ownership from 2nd through current 3rd owner who has put the truck in the hands of the dealer.

Originally posted by LeoP:
I think someone posted here that the Air Force used Elkys for chase vehicles for the B-52's back then that were 396 cars and might not have been SS's. The plane was the U2...


The U-2 is a single-seat, single-engine, high-altitude, reconnaissance aircraft. Long, wide, straight wings give the U-2 glider-like characteristics. It can carry a variety of sensors and cameras.

The first flight was in August 1955. It was the U-2 that photographed the Soviet missile installations in Cuba in October 14, 1962.

http://www.jamesshuggins.com/i/u-2a/www.af.mil---photos/images---020619_50_thumb.jpg
A “mobile” follows behind a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft in a chase car to assist the pilot with altitude and position calls. Mobiles are U-2 pilots who assist pilots during taxi, takeoff and landing.

A 1970 El Camino SS396 if I recall. The story that Joan London did on the same plane a few years back had them using Z28 Camaros as the chase car as shown in the photo above.

Reference this SITE FOR MORE INFO (http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=129)

Thanks for the correction, I forgot about the U-2's. smile.gif