Im restoring a 70 chevelle. Replacing rusted areas etc. All of the interior is removed, engine and trans out. I will have the body off the frame in another month. My question is, since im basically going through the whole car and purchasing most everything new, would it make it worthwhile to make it a clone. Would it be cooler to see a car that is unique? Just looking for feedback before I start spending money.

Don't see anything wrong with it.Without the 138 vin or buildsheet most people if you try and sell will just give regular price anyway.Just if you start showing it without the buildsheet alot of car people in your class,will pick you apart if you don't advertise it as one,or say its a SS.

I would never EVER advertise it as anything other than a clone.. Im an honest person. I was also just thinking of keeping it mostly non-SS. with the exception of a cowl hood, buckets seats and console and Maybe a dash. but thats a big IF

Im never planning on selling the car, since I found the original protecto plate for it, and whoever bought it, bought it the day my mom was shooting me out so technically we are the same age. My mom got a kid, and that lady got a car. haha

Sorry to get you mad,didn't mean or your reading it wrong,not that type.Not implying youd be dishonest.Your not really cloning just modifing.Just wanting to warn you theres some really,how do you say,off there rocker people at car shows or anywhere.When someone comes in with a better car they think than theres.

I love my car as a clone. When I tell people about it, I just refer to it as a Chevelle. In my opinion, its what separates it from a just an old classic car. The bucket seats, floor shift, cowl hood, SS stripes transform the car from just a classic car to a hot rod. Now I don't show my car. I'm guessing if a ever took it to a serious show, car buffs would rip on it for being a clone, but I say forget'em. My car is a driver and I'd guess 98% of the population out there doesn't know a Chevelle SS from an Impala, to them its just a cool car. My advice is Are you interested in originality and are you going to show the car? Keep it a non-SS. or just do what do you think looks better.

If i where to buy it i'd give more if it was a real good clean job.Not anything thrown together and looks to be raced to death.Some people like the foose look some people don't.Just go with what make you can't wait to get out and drive.All of us is going to spend more on ours than we could ever hope to get for it.

I want it to be " my" car.. unique I guess. Im not going to show it necessarily. I will use it as a driver, weekend racer and just all around fun car. I also want it to be a head turner. I wasnt mad. I was just clarifying.
When it is done it will be beautiful.

Why clone it? Clones are everywhere. Build it like you want, paint it how you want, but leave the badging off and it'll definitely be different than any of the SS's or clones. Then you won't have to make excuses or have anyone "rip" on it.

BL

good point.

My car came with the SS style dash with tach and clock, floor shifter (stick or auto?), a 12 bolt (4.10's), big block, frame braces, black grill, disc brakes up front and bucket seats. Also the car now has SS badges. The guy who sold it to me without paint and trim never implied that it was an original SS car and frankly I never cared. It has all of the features I wanted without the SS car price. We plan on repainting the car next year and painting it any way WE want. Make the car look anyway you like and don't worry some people are going to be critical no matter what you do.

It's a Chevelle! Enjoy it!

Clone away, make it any way you want: with or without badges etc. I think the world needs more good clones. We will never pass the way of 1970 again in the automotive sense - and as for everything else going on in 1970 I would just rather forget.

As far as I'm concerned, all cars of a certain model that cannot be told genuine from clone should be valued the same. If some people choose to add value for a Protecto-Plate or build sheet (all of which is readily available reproduction), fine by me.

Face it guys, for financial reasons the number of clones indistinguishable from genuine is on a rapid rise. Years ago the Corvette nut hobby had to come to grips with the fact that there were more "correct" L88 Corvettes showing up than Chevrolet ever made. Now that some Chevelles are reaching into the middle 6 figure mark, everything else is rising in the same tide. Including clones.

America no longer values manufacturing or production - your worth is based increasingly on your assets: real estate, collectibles, art, etc. More money can be made through the accident of owning the right assets than through work - this is why reproduction assets like a collectible car are so hot.

Thomas

I just finished having a few beers with a buddy, He referred to this discussion as being the same as buying a AC cobra kit car. If you put the 427 side oiler and as much of the original equipment you can. Not very many people will notice the difference. I was also looking at the price differences between a nice clean non SS car, and a SS clone, the price differences are amazing.

I agree with most of the others, if you like the SS look clone it, do what you want, why do you care what other people think, as long as you build a car you love thats all that matters.... my .02

Like most people would say, Its up to YOU. If you notice my sig. below it says 71 SS 454 clone, was a 71 malibu sport coupe as ID plate says. Still has the rocker side chrome, but full SS dash and interior, not trying to full any one, its all for MY pleasure, you either like it or you don't. If you like it, than be ready to spend more bucks.

When you start spending on parts do you expect to recoup some of your money if you sell it? then a nice clone would probably bring more than a nice plain jane chevelle, not to mention probably turn more heads too. I've got a 70 malibu, got it as a shell with buckets, installed a monte carlo dash, 454 turbo 400, 12 bolt, I'm looking to put a cowl hood and slap on some SS 396 fender emblems I've had since '79, if I can find a console and shifter cheap enough I'd stick that in there also but the B&M megashifter works for now, Jim

The more I hear repsonses, the more I ride this see-saw. HAHA. Well I do admit, since Im going to have to buy new interior parts, take the dash out so I can paint the whole car. I might as well spend just a few extra bucks and make it a clone. I was on e-bay today. There is no way in hell that I will end up with 20k into this thing, as Im doing all the work myself. I will never lose money, and even if it is a clone. SS's do turn more heads.

My next question is, How do you set up webpages so that I can take pictures and show the progress?

I'm into mine for less than $2000 including the 454 but I'm just cheap, and fortunately had a bunch of parts and lucked into others such as a 70 front clip and rear bumper $100 monte carlo dash, gauges , and harness for free, 454 short block $75, swapped a pair of 70 doors for the 12 bolt, trying to find a cowl hood for cheap but I think I may have to buy it new, got one free the other day but it's bent, and my wife offered to buy one for the chevelle, Jim

Yeah. I have a year to do it, so Im gonna make it a clone. It looks as though the hardest part will be finding a decent dash with working gauges.

Ebay I know a guy that bought 2 off of ebay and both of them showed up cracked when it was delivered, Jim

At the barrett jackson auction this year they had a hoist set up that you could pay 150 or 200 dollars to get your car inspected underneath and like they said people are looking at quality more then they used to. With the internet and digitial cameras its a whole new ball game, I contacted two of the larger muscle car dealers in the country and ask them if they could give me some pictures underneath the cars. You can build a clone for under a 100,000 withpratically everything brand new you show me a matching number original $90,000 LS6 then the clone has a brand new gm 454 aluminum head pump gas brand new m22 rockcrusher brand new factory original interior put in by one of the better uphosterly shops new radiator heater core this clone would be far superior to a 35 year old LS6 lighter cluch pressure with a new centerforce setup and stronger the motor and m22 are both built better actually theres no comparision as for the question to clone you probaly will show this car a lot just go ahead and clone that baby its kind of like comparing a 35 year old original chevelle to a valuable painting theres something special about them to look at but if a clone is done right which one is worth more do you want to drive it or hang it on the wall they need to terminate the words matching number and clone and get these cars out on the road and get with the program.

I can do a body off restore for helluva lot less that 100k.

I have talked to some collectors about my 71 Malibu 400 convertible and they told me that it is most likely worth more as an SS clone especially since it is an original numbers matching car since it would be difficult to tell its not an SS. A week ago I found the build sheet for it and it verifies that is a LS3 with all the SS goodies and bucket seats. I guess what they say is just like a lot people selling parts; everything is SS, LS6 or something high profile to get more out of it. They said that not many know about the Malibu 400 and I guess with very few built, in the past some have denied its existence. I have been trying to do some research before repainting because I wanted to change colors. I know it is mine and I should with it what I want but like most others with an original car I do not want to detract from its value because we put a lot of cash in them.

Build it like you want, paint it how you want, but leave the badging off and it'll definitely be different than any of the SS's or clones. Then you won't have to make excuses or have anyone "rip" on it.

BL

Good point here even though I refer to mine as a clone. I had my 72 Malibu painted Chrome Yellow (not a 72 color) with the black SS stripes. There is an SS emblem on the grille but I changed the inset color to yelllow. There is the "Chevelle by Chevrolet" on the trunk but there are no other markings on the car. I had the body guy weld up all of the emblem holes. I love the car the way it is because that is the way I want it. I get asked all of the time if it is an SS and I just tell them "nope, its a Malibu". Then I get the reply of "that's a nice ride". Bottom line - do the car the way you want it!
Frank

One more point:
I've owned Chevelles since 1973, SS, Malibu and 300 Deluxe and as the years have passed, I see more and more parts coming from China and Taiwan. They are, of course all repro's and unless your shiny jewel was rarely used and sored in a climate controlled garage for the past 30 years, SS or clone, it's going to be, to a large degree composed of parts made in a third world country. Is that a real SS?
Make the car the way you see fit and totally ignore the critics. When it comes down to a sale, be honest and say "it's a clone" Everybody's happy.
Rich

After I sold my last chevelle 14 yrs ago, I swore to myself that I will never let that happen again. I will not sell this one when Im done unless my life depends on it. Im gonna put some of the SS stuff on it. ie. emblems, functioning cowl hood, dash and gauges, bucket seats and console. I want to paint it a color of my own choice ( viper blue w/ cadillac pearl white stripes) I already have the 454 and 4 speed I want to use. I will install a Ford 9" rear end. That is the plan as of now..

Make it how you want it. I think you can do better than GM did in the 70's. Lots of good options out there (like bigger motors :D ) to make your car "your" car.

Have fun with your car and build it the way you want. I believe that often the term clone is being used incorrectly anyway. To me a clone would be identical to an authentic car with the exception of numbers and documentation. Adding an SS hood, emblems, dash, stripes etc. will certainly improve the apperance of the car but quite a bit more is required to make it a true clone. It is amazing though how many people change only the hood, paint some stripes and add the emblems and then figure their car is now worth twice what it was when it was a small block Malibu. The point is it's your car, do as much or little to make it what you want and then enjoy it.

Yeah. I have a year to do it, so Im gonna make it a clone. It looks as though the hardest part will be finding a decent dash with working gauges.

Aren't the guages and dash panels now available as repros? Probably cheaper than buying and restoring originals...


I was also just thinking of keeping it mostly non-SS. with the exception of a cowl hood, buckets seats and console and Maybe a dash.

Non-SS cars were available with buckets, consoles and "SS" guages as options... Only the cowl hood would be SS only (and the round pads with idiot lights)...

I made mine into a clone but i didn't do it till i made sure i had everything to switch it over. I made sure everything was like it would be on a real ss. I cant afford a real ss but i always wanted one, now i have one. I don't pass it off as a real ss and never would. If i had to sell it it would be advertised as a malibu, ss clone. ITs you car do what makes you happy, because its your and your money.

"To use the search feature or not to use the search feature, that is the question"

;)

The 1970 through 72 SS chevelles were simply malibu customs with several options. There was not a separate SS Model as there was in 1967 through 1969. The only cars that can be verified as SS during those years
are cars that came with 454 engines. The metal tag under the hood shows
a specific engine code which I think is "W" but am not sure that was only available on SS cars. Otherwise there is no difference between the Malibu Custom and the SS except for options. Therefore I see no reason to not clone because that is all that the factory did.

The 1970 through 72 SS chevelles were simply malibu customs with several options. There was not a separate SS Model as there was in 1967 through 1969. The only cars that can be verified as SS during those years
are cars that came with 454 engines. The metal tag under the hood shows
a specific engine code which I think is "W" but am not sure that was only available on SS cars. Otherwise there is no difference between the Malibu Custom and the SS except for options. Therefore I see no reason to not clone because that is all that the factory did.

A couple of slight errors there.

The rule only applies to USA built cars.
1964 thru 1968 was the model years that the SS was a seperate model, starting in 1969 The SS option was just that, an option.
1972 had the "W" (454 engine code) on the metal tag on the dash (VIN tag)

I hate the term Clone, I consider it remanufactured. I had my first chevelle 26 years ago and at that time i converted my malibu to an ss using parts off an original ss because i liked the look, It definately was not for resale value since i only got $500 trade in on a firebird.I'm still sick about that one but who knew.

If youre worried about people at car shows, you can park it next to mine once its done of course! My will be a clone, I don't care... The SS and Malibu are the same basically, It's not like your putting a Cobra R wing on a V6 Mustang, That really makes me mad... Why don't you build it just like an SS, just leave out the emblems?

Ive already made up my mind, that Im gonna build "MY" car. It will be totally different than any other car. It will be worth less than an SS on the auction block, but it will be worth more to me because it will be MY car.