Is there a such thing? I haven't seen any or heard about them for 72... but have for other years. According to :
http://www.musclecarplanet.com/History/Chevrolet_72.htm

"The Chevelle Malibu SS stooped way low now- you could order the SS options with only the 307 cu.in. two-barrell 130 hp engine!"

i'm just wondering if they did make a 72 chevelle malibu SS.

~thanks
Chris

SS was alive and well in 72, could get a 350 2bbl, 350 4bbl, 396(402) and 454. I dont think anyone has seen a real 307 SS.

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Dave
70 chevelle ss396 conv
66 chevelle ss396 hdp/conv
68/72 chevelles
55/57/61 chevies
TC member #493
Never forget Earnhardt!

As far as I know,no such beast.The SS and the Malibu were 2 differant beasts,same platform with differant options and badging.This is where it gets interesting:Some of the SS models were known to have recieved malibu interior during assembly just to keep the lines going.A true SS Malibu in 72 did not exist,it was one or the other.Proud owner of a 72 Malibu Sport coupe. Later ,Manuel

This argument comes up about every two years here. The sales lit for early 72 seems to suggest that a SS could be ordered with a 307 and we had a guy on here a couple of years ago that claimed that as an assembly line worker for GM in 71 and 2 he assembled SSs with a 307 but so far no-one has come up with a documented 307 SS. The SS package was the highest grade sport model of the chevelle. The malibu was more the family version of the same car. The max engine available in a malibu was the 402. To get the 454 in 72 you had to order the SS package and it was not available in Calf. The SS was produced in large numbers with the 350s and 402 engines. The heavy chevy was availble with the 307 and the 350 and I think you could order it with a 402 but I'd have to dig out my sale lit, but not the 454. I think many people may confuse the 307 heavy which could be loaded with SS options and trim but still not be a SS with the SS line. I bought a new 454 SS in 72. I had a buddy that bought the Heavy, with the Round gage package, carpet and induction hood. It had a 350 4b with a 4 speed. He also had dealer installed SS wheels on it and chrome wheel opening and rocker trim like the malibu and some SSs. Only the striping told you it was a heavy (and of course the price, that is why they were called the poor man's SS).

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by drptop70ss:
SS was alive and well in 72, could get a 350 2bbl, 350 4bbl, 396(402) and 454. I dont think anyone has seen a real 307 SS.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

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72 Chevelle and a 70 Chevelle with a crushed roof
ACES # 4051 MCC # 448
TC # 1549 81/70 Cruisers

[This message has been edited by Professor_SS (edited 12-25-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Professor_SS (edited 12-25-2002).]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Professor_SS:
Only the striping told you it was a heavy (and of course the price, that is why they were called the poor man's SS).

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The striping is the most notable difference, but not the only way to tell the difference. The Heavy Chevy for both 71 and 72 were based on the base Chevelle and not the Malibu and can be determined by the VIN. The 71 Heavy Chevy VIN starts with "13437" while the Malibu is "13637." For 72 the Heavy Chevy VIN is "1C37" and the Malibu is "1D37."



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TC Gold #92/ACES #1709
67 SS & 67 Elky
GR8PMKN (http://www.dalesplace.com/images/chevelle/more_pics/p001182.jpg)

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Midwest Chevelle Regional Governing Council (http://www.midwestchevelles.com)
Integrity: If you have it, it doesn't matter - If you don't have it, it doesn't matter.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by nemesis1210:
Is there a such thing? I haven't seen any or heard about them for 72... but have for other years. According to :
http://www.musclecarplanet.com/History/Chevrolet_72.htm

"The Chevelle Malibu SS stooped way low now- you could order the SS options with only the 307 cu.in. two-barrell 130 hp engine!"
i'm just wondering if they did make a 72 chevelle malibu SS. ~thanks
Chris<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

If you read the info here on TC from Dan Carr at http://www.chevelles.com/shop/ss_ident.html , he says, "Some early sales literature implies that an SS-307 was available, but that is probably not the case since it was contradicted by some mid-year documents."

The Muscle Car Planet is so full on inaccuracies it's sicking. Almost every year of Chevelle information has errors.

1964: Also new on the map was the Chevelle Malibu SS, but it's 273 cu.in. cranked out "only" 230 bhp. The 327 cu.in. with 300 horses was offered later in the year... The engine was a 283 (not 273) and put out 220hp (not 230). 76,000 Chevelles were sold. Actually, 387, 119 Chevelles were sold and that included 76,860 Chevelles with the SS option.

1965: The regular production model engine for the Chevelle was the 327 cu.in. with 300 bhp..." The regular production engine for the Chevelle in 1965 was NOT the 327/300. The 6-cyl was still the base engine with 283 and 327 V-8's optional. 72,500 Mailbu SSs left the dealerships.... Actually, 72,527 Malibu SSs with a V-8 were made plus 8,585 Malibu SSs with equipped with the 6-cyl.

1966: The L-78 option offered even more- 375 horses, but was ordered on only 100 cars. The L-78 was ordered on 3,099 66 Chevelle SS cars.

1967: ...adding "Super Sport" script to the rear fender and the option of power disk brakes for the first time. Engine choices were of course the 396 with 325 and 350 bhp. A 375 bhp version was available, but not officially, so numbers are not known. The "Super Sport" script was on the 66 Chevelle SS as well. The 396/375 (RPO L-78) was ordered on 612 Chevelle SS cars.

1968: The Chevelle SS 396 was now it's own series instead of an option package... Wrong. The Chevelle SS 396 was its (not it's) own series in 1966; 1968 was the LAST year to be a separate series. 57,000 SS396 rolled off the lines. The count is actually 57,595 and if you add in the 5,190 SS 396 El Caminos the number jumps to 62,785.

1969: It was now the Chevelle MALIBU SS 396 and the SS package was available on all coupes and convertibles.... There is no such animal as a MALIBU SS or MALIBU SS 396. The SS package was available on ALL coupes to include the 300 Deluxe which negates the MALIBU SS statement. At least 50 "COPO" Malibu SSs were built with the L72 427 cu. in. 425 bhp engine. There were 99 (technically, at least 50 I suppose) COPO Chevelles.

1970: The suits at GM lifted their restrictions on anything over 450 cubes and the boys at Chevy took the big-block 427 and gave it a longer stroke. The GM ban was anything over 400 cid in the A-body, not 450 cid (although the 402 was allowed to slip by). The 396 was of course still available.... Actually it was a 402. 49,800 SS 396s were sold along with 3,770 SS 454s. 53,599 SS 396s (Z25 option) were sold (including Canadian built) and 8,733 were SS-454 (Z15) equipped.

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TC Gold #92/ACES #1709
67 SS & 67 Elky
GR8PMKN (http://www.dalesplace.com/images/chevelle/more_pics/p001182.jpg)

Dale's Place (http://www.dalesplace.com) Team 67 (http://www.team67.com)
Midwest Chevelle Regional Governing Council (http://www.midwestchevelles.com)
Integrity: If you have it, it doesn't matter - If you don't have it, it doesn't matter.

[This message has been edited by Dale McIntosh (edited 12-25-2002).]

I have seem HC's made into SS's in the past. I was around during the time. I ordered a mew 1970 Chevelle SS454.

I recall when the HC's hit the dealer lots. Most of the ones I ever saw were pretty basic cars with few options. I do recall one guy around here who had 1972, don't recall if he bought it new or used. But he had it decked out with a lot of SS looking items, the emblems, hood and deck lid stripes, etc. All of which he added to the car. I used to get persons telling me, I see Larry has an SS just like yours. It used to get sicking to argue with these people, who would insist his car was a SS just like mine. But I do recall his beeing a 307 engine with A/T on the tree. I am sure someone late got that car and assumed it to be a SS.

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Mike
2002 Pontiac Tran Am WS6 (Ram Air LS1) "Last of the Breed" #3124 of only 12,516 WS6's built in 2002!
2001 GMC SLT Ext Cab Z71

The 402 was available in the HC and Malibu, but not the 454. Most of the SS options were available on the HC, but some were not. One of the easiest ways to identify an original HC from a Malibu or SS is the interior. The SS had basically Malibu door panels (except the emblems), the Malibu upholstry, and carpet. The HC had the base model interior which had different door panels, upholstry and a rubber floor mat in lieu of carpet. Order forms do not show carpet as an option on the base model cars. Although the order forms (at least 72) seem to indicate you could order a cowl induction hood with the 402, to my knowledge none have been documented.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Matching72:
A true SS Malibu in 72 did not exist,it was one or the other.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not true. The SS option was available on the Malibu.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by nemesis1210:

i'm just wondering if they did make a 72 chevelle malibu SS.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes. Malibu is a particular 'Model' of the Chevelle. So all Malibus are Chevelles. SS was an option that was available on Malibus.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by 72Conv:
The 402 was available in the HC and Malibu, but not the 454. Most of the SS options were available on the HC, but some were not. One of the easiest ways to identify an original HC from a Malibu or SS is the interior. The SS had basically Malibu door panels (except the emblems), the Malibu upholstry, and carpet. The HC had the base model interior which had different door panels, upholstry and a rubber floor mat in lieu of carpet. Order forms do not show carpet as an option on the base model cars. Although the order forms (at least 72) seem to indicate you could order a cowl induction hood with the 402, to my knowledge none have been documented.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


You are correct but thats assuming is still original, those trim items can easily be installed. The VIN gives it away, as Dale mentioned.

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Mike
2002 Pontiac Tran Am WS6 (Ram Air LS1) "Last of the Breed" #3124 of only 12,516 WS6's built in 2002!
2001 GMC SLT Ext Cab Z71

you want to also remember that dealers installed a lot of options back in those days. I worked at a chevy dealer washing new cars during my Sr. year of high school. I can remember a new 69 comaro that the dealer did up for a customer with a engine upgrade, traction bars, a vinyl top http://www.chevelles.com/forum/eek.gif after market mags and the body shop put a funky looking stripe on it. We also had a pickup truck that the dealer installed a vinyl top on http://www.chevelles.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

The Heavy I told you about had carpet and chrome trim and an induction hood installed by the same dealer in 72. It also had a dealer installed AM/FM 8 track. The car was a heavy and of course the Vin would give it away, but what I meant was the dealer did the car up so that if it hadn't had the correct striping few would have recognized it as a heavy.

This was not a COPO type thing. This was a local dealer that was interested in high permformance cars (the owner's split window vette was displayed in the show room for as long as I can remember). You could get almost anything you wnated back then, either factory special order or dealer modified.

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72 Chevelle and a 70 Chevelle with a crushed roof
ACES # 4051 MCC # 448
TC # 1549 81/70 Cruisers

I think you could have ordered anything on the Chevelle as long as it was allowed to be put on according to the way the body style was supposed to be built. They would not build something on the assembly line that was going to be a conflict. Now a dealer on the other hand probably could install carpet in a Heavy Chevy or yank the 307 out and put a LS-7 in it's place.

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69 Malibu 406 3680lbs Turbo 350 2400 stall, 3.73,XE274, Performer RPM Q-JET, 800 Q-JET, Sportsman2 64cc 11TO1 12.65@105.5 mph on Drag Radials

ACES Member #3635
Tri-State Chevelle Member# TSC-010
Larry G.

This is from a post at The Supercar site, som emay find it interesting..
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>

First off, when we were building these COPOs and "special" paint cars and trucks, we had no idea that some of these vehicles would become so collectible and valuable years later. If I had known, my garage would have been stuffed with a lot more cars than I have today!!!

We at Chevrolet never refered to a "special" paint order as being a COPO. Nor did we concider a car or truck with a non-recommended color/trim as being a COPO, although they would come through our office.

A COPO order was only issued on a car or truck that had "special" Chevrolet Engineering equipment installed on it. Most of these COPO orders were for taxis, police cars, the telephone companies and other municipalities. Does that make one of the many taxis that we built for New York City, or a telephone truck for Pacific Bell a collectible and valuable COPO vehicle???........Hardly!!!

Chevrolet never defined what the collectible COPOs were! The collector community did! It has always been my understanding that the definition of a collectible or valuable COPO car is a vehicle from one of the few "factory hot rod" programs that came through Chevrolet Engineering and Chevrolet Fleet & Special Order Departments in the 60's and early 70's.

Jim Mattison
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

70Z15 ,you seem to have misread the question and quoted me out of context.He asked if 72 chevelle malibu SS were produced.All SS and malibu are chevelles but in 72 there is no Malibu SS.You either had a chevelle SS,chevelle Malibu ,or chevelle Heavy Chevy.Options were not the question.I`d be very intrested in seeing a documented 72 chevelle Malibu SS. Manuel

they did make a 72 chevelle malibu ss because i have one, i have the build sheet and everything. its a 1972 chevelle malibu ss with a 454 engine 4-11 gears th400, 12 bolt posi reaer end