There are way too many variables. Use a more specific example.

 

Similar in all ways (ie. body style, drive train and fit and finish etc.). Looking for a percentage not the total value.

Frank

 

There are even examples when Clones are worth more than original examples, and as Tim stated, far too many variables when determining value on a car.

Originality
Rarity
Build Quality
Correct cosmetics vs. Modified performance
Colors
Options
Desirability (High Horse Options)

Then you have the variable of what the buyer himself finds important.


In the unlikely even you found two exact cars to compare, one original, and one not, the answer to you question would likely be different if you were comparing 396 base models, or High Horse examples.

The more expensive the car, such as an LS6, the bigger the spread between the two.

 

There's not an exact science to this, especially when true vale really lies with the buyer. The one who finally pays the money.

 

There is only one way to answer this question and that is to ask only one person and the rest of the world agree with him. Otherwise you have multiple opinions and no two cars that you can use as an exact example.

Biggest problem is I have never seen an "Exact" clone. The label gets placed on hundreds of variations. It is not difficult to show examples of true SS cars restored to the way they were built but almost impossible to produce a car that has been built to that same exactness.

It all boils down to what one particular individual is willing to pay .

 

Although I dont subscribe to this thought process, some believe that a factory built documented SS that no longer has its original motor is considered a CLONE.

As others stated, waaaay to many variables to give a percentage difference between the two.

100% agree with John, all up to what the buyer is willing to spend.

 

I have seen this many times,66 138 orig.SS ,needs restoration,20,000. OR,,66 136 CLONE,DONE,beautiful,,20,000. I passed on a beautiful 136 car in Georgia only because my wife kept saying,You dont want it,its a clone.I hate the word.I shoulda bought that car.DANGIT.

 

I have seen this many times,66 138 orig.SS ,needs restoration,20,000. OR,,66 136 CLONE,DONE,beautiful,,20,000. I passed on a beautiful 136 car in Georgia only because my wife kept saying,You dont want it,its a clone.I hate the word. I shoulda bought that car.DANGIT.

It all comes down to what we each want individually... Personally, I wouldn't mind a clone if I was looking for a nice driver, some modifications and long-term ownership...

The "true SS" will most likely be a safer investment, more likely to hold its value...

And to some, the extra buy-in just to have a real SS might hold back many of their goals or even their ability to afford a project...

 

Many times a person will sacrifice a certain amount of build quality to buy what may or may not be a true SS to fit it in his budget.

But then again I guess all of us old guys that bought these cars new were guilty of taking them from originals to clones. We sure tried hard to make 'em look like someone elses. That was back when it was fun.

 

Great Post. I was faced a dilema, Real SS or make a clone. When I bought my Malibu it had SS badges, steering wheel, door panels. I swapped out the orange front directionals, removed the vertical chrome piece in the grille, added a new repro SS dash. sold the 383 it had and added a 0.040 over 454 painted and accesorized with all GM brackets and parts to look stock, added correct square with bleeders Master Cylinder and Delco stamped booster, brake lines, stand-off valve, etc. I have a 5500 RPM '70 dash module and restored GM harness, but ended up putting the Dakota Digital because it really intrigued me.

Now with paint work being done, the Malibu mouldings removed, and a functional cowl hood with mostly NOS parts, I am getting pretty close to it being hard to tell if it is an SS.

AC will be functioning this year with all GM parts.


I would like to hear what people think the typical "clone giveaway is" I say it is mouldings and sweep dash.


I drive it hard and my son will be racing it in HS class in a few years, so it was a no brainer to not invest in the real deal, since I would never use a true SS the way I will use this clone I have.

 

I have an original 70 SS . A buddy of mine wanted to trade he offered me his 70 clone a 71 vert clone his arm his leg his left nut his wife and dog and I passed

 

All in the eye of the beholder. I doubt I could afford, or could have afforded a 66 SS 396 or a nicely done clone, so I am very happy with my converted six banger Malibu.

However, I am a total snob about my Bullitt being so much better than any old Mustang GT. Its the exclusivity that comes with the $3000 spoiler delete package, I guess. (Joking here, it was the same price when I got it) And its 22 months old with 37000 miles and a broke windshield.

I have thought about the comparison of the current Bullitt and what I would have done if I had an SS396 back in the day.

Deep philosophical stuff here.

My decision point seems to be, would it be worth me spending money to put SS trim and such on my 66, and, I have priced out most of the obvious items. It just did not seem worth it to me for my enjoyment, and certainly not for resale, to my vision of a buyer for my type of car. I certainly could do it well enough to look ok casually, but I would always be telling people, no, it's not, its really a Malibu. I have not even put 5.0 badges on my hotrod, since it was born a six banger low line GL.

 

Some guys probably wouldn't even bother to clone an SS, maybe just add the hood and some emblems if that and probably just leave it in Malibu or standard trim. Call them the Car Craft and Hot Rod Magazine readers. For their purposes, they really don't need or care it it's an SS or even a clone of an SS. To others, say the Musclecar Enthusiast and Hemmings Muscle Machine guys, the true SS would be the only way to go and a clone, no matter how well done might be appreciated for the work done, but still looked down upon as a "lesser" car.
That being said, I think that all things being equal, you'd have to find one of the ME or HMM guys to pay 40% to 60% more for the SS than the clone. The CC and HRM guys just wouldn't do it, IMO.

 

If the two cars are identical save for one being real and one a clone, then what is the difference? In my mind, nothing. 40 years ago someone put a different number on the VIN? I'm not the type of person who places much value on feeling good about something and placing value on an object because a digit tells me I should. So my answer would be that they are worth the same. Everyone is different.

 

An original is usually worth more money, but that is not the whole story.

A fourty year old original SS that hasn't had panels replaced needs a really good inspection, under the car with a really good light.

So you want to be carefull on these orginal cars.

But a casual look underneath with a flash light and seeing original paint inside on the floor boards doesn't mean there isn't rust in between the spot welds.

Mine had original paint inside on the floors, and I had a good 5/16 of an inch rust scale in a couple places in the floor boards.

Back to the original question, a true SS is worth more in equal cars, but i'm not really sure an all original 40 year old chevelle will be rust free in those spot weld areas, I would like to see one.

I know we have seen pictures of them, but pictures can be deceiving.

Rob

 

The key word that everyone uses is equal. I just do not think you can show an example of each that are close enough in exactness to make a comparison. Even if you could what do you use as your basis, one person's appraisal of each one or what two people actually paid.

It truly is a question that has no answer because the items needed to make the comparison do not exist and once you involve human beings opinions are all over the place.

 

I've been torn with my tribute SS car. I spent a lot of time and money getting certain things "just right" but there's so much more to do...and money to spend. I've looked into rear sways, boxed control arms, changing to a 12 bolt, going the cowl hood route, changing the sweep dash, finding a correct radio, changing the coils to BB coils, getting the correct wheels and tires, deep groove pulleys, low rise LS6 intake, changing to a front disc setup...the list goes on and on and it's freaking EXPENSIVE.

I think I might go the modern, resto mod route. Get a set of SSBC brakes with drilled rotors, upgrade the sways, put a modern stereo inside, modern bucket seats...all of which could be done for less than what I was planning on doing and the car would be a lot more drivable. It'll never be a true SS, so...why not make it something more enjoyable to live with?

I do not understand how people drove these cars on a daily basis back in the day, especially the LS6 4 speed cars...no A/C, skinny tires...we're spoiled by modern cars.

I'm occasionally asked by people if I would consider selling the car to them. My answer is usually "You cannot afford what I would want to part with this vehicle." So there's the "value differece" right there, for me at least. If someone were dumb enough to offer me $60k, I'd probably let it go. Ain't gonna happen. LOL.

RMX

 

Along the same line.

What do you guys think about custom cars that are totally not numbers match, but they say it started as a true SS.

I just don't see the relevance.

Does anyone care that it started as a true SS?

 

I think it does, many of the true SS's no longer have the original engine or transmission, however they are still SS cars. However, they will not be worth what the matching numbers SS's are worth. But I believe they will be worth more than a matching number 283 or 327 Malibu with the 3 on the tree or Powerglide.
For example, my '67 is a 138 car, fairly loaded with factory A/C, PS, PDB, 3 spd auto, tinted glass and tilt wheel. It has a '73 454 and Turbo 350 trans instead of the original 396 and Turbo 400. This gives me some leeway in restifying the car without worrying about lowering it's value since the factory powertrain is long gone.
That being said, I would have never bought, or even looked at the car in the shape it was in had it not been a 138 car or if it did not have the options it had.

 

I'm not trying to offend anyone here, but what's wrong with a plain old Chevelle or Malibu? I love the SS, awesome car. But I like Malibus as well.
If you walk into a club, and every woman in there has blonde hair and various "enhancements", and every guy has hair and a flat stomach, you know something funny is going on.
Go to a Chevelle show, and there are no Malibus, Chevelles, El Caminos, four doors,wagons etc. Nothing but SS as far as the eye can see. Creepy man. and boring.
I understand increasing the value of your car, and HEY, it's your ride to do what you want.
But if EVERYBODY is "special" then, nobody is. I just like seeing the wide variety of the whole Chevelle family. A well restored Hot Rod Chevelle can easily be worth more than a "tribute" anyway
Don't anybody get mad, I'm just asking.

 

When these chevelles were new and in the showroom, which one would you be looking at.

 

To me, the car being an L78 would pose a dilemma, that being the top dog SS for '66. A base SS, not so much. There are still "date correct" L78 motors to be found and even a NOM, but real L78 would bring good money should you want to sell it.
If you plan to "never" sell it, then it shouldn't matter, build it to suit yourself.
However, should you complete the resto and decide to sell, you more than likely would have enough money to buy a base Chevelle, modify it as much as you wanted and have money left over.
Your long term history with the car might make it more difficult to part with though.

 

I just gotta crack up to all those magazine cars of the 80s and 90s. So many began with, "Timmy looked high and low for a Real SS454..." to which he did all kind of crap to to get it into the magazine! Kandy paint, full up engine chrome, flares!, sunroofs, 'mod of the week' variety stuff. I wonder how many made it through this and are still around.

My 68 Vette is a factory 427/390 car. Though the engine was replaced, it is a nice car, nice paint, and I seldom drive it. OTOH, I bought the Elky pretty well cloned. Added 454 power, now I drive the living crap outa it, not worried about dents and all in the parking lot.

 

...some believe that a factory built documented SS that no longer has its original motor is considered a clone.

The way I see it, what's to "document" on an "SS 396" that has a 454 pick up truck motor or a crate motor under the hood?
Such a car is no longer investment quality nor highly collectible...it must now be judged on build quality alone.

When these chevelles were new and in the showroom, which one would you be looking at?

But Rob, when these Chevelles were new and in the showroom, the SS's were numbers matching, documented, real deals.

Could you post pictures of your Prowler Orange Chevelle? That's about the best looking Orange going IMO.

Agreed.
Prowler Orange is one of the colors I'm considering for my '68.
Either that or Corvette Atomic Orange.

Regards,
-Greg

 

Around here, Marina Blue is the most popular color by far. Believe it or not, I have never seen a factory Bolero Red Chevelle in person, only in pictures. (My current car was originally a Bolero Red SS, but it was in primer when I bought it).
Really though, there are just not that many early Chevelles in the area, lots more '68 -'72's.
Even back when they were new, Marina Blue was the top color, then Butternut Yellow and Grenada Gold, (my first Chevelle SS's factory color), and to a lesser extent white.

 

Around here, Marina Blue is the most popular color by far. Believe it or not, I have never seen a factory Bolero Red Chevelle in person, only in pictures. (My current car was originally a Bolero Red SS, but it was in primer when I bought it).
Really though, there are just not that many early Chevelles in the area, lots more '68 -'72's.
Even back when they were new, Marina Blue was the top color, then Butternut Yellow and Grenada Gold, (my first Chevelle SS's factory color), and to a lesser extent white.[/Q
Marina Blue is definatly the #1 color here as well with Bolero Red running a not so close second by about 4 to 1.

Seldom see a butternut Yellow or Grenada Gold car here. Funny how some colors are more common in certain areas of the country.
I vacation yearly in central Florida every winter where I see far more Tuxedo Black and white with black vinyl top cars than I see at home.

 

There is a local guy that I run into occasionally at the parking lot car shows around here that has a deeper, darker blue '67 with black vinyl top that he bought online from Florida several years ago. Owner claimed it was a repaint in a factory color, but definitely not Marina blue. I believe there was another blue available then, but haven't seen one of them either.
There is one black '67 that I see at the shows every once in a while from Louisiana and one white with black vinyl top car that comes every couple of years to the local regional show from the Greater Houston area, Conroe I believe.
'El Caminos are about as numerous as Chevelles and there appear to more GTO's around than early Chevelles.
(my "other" car is a '67 GTO HO 4 speed)
I just love the lines of the '66/'67 GM A bodies.

 

That would be deepwater blue a seldom seen color anywhere these days as is the original color of my now orange Chevelle which was Maderia Maroon.

What about 2 tone cars . I know they were manufactured but I have never actually seen one in person

 

There was a guy here in town that had a Butternut yellow Chevelle with black painted top back in the '60's. That's the only one I can recall seeing. If I remember right, the top was not full gloss, more of a satin black like the tail panel on the SS's.

 

For what it's worth, I saw a 70 SS clone (blue, white stripes) hammer at $23k at a local auction today. Car was okay, I think mine is nicer. About 15 min later a decent green/white stripe true 70 SS 396/350 hammered at $29k. Lots of things incorrect with the 396 but I thought it was a decent buy.

RMX