This 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 sport coupe was built at the Fremont, California, assembly facility in May 1968 before being acquired by the first owner through Ostram Chevrolet of Montebello, California, in July of that year. It remained with the same owner until 1995 and was subsequently refurbished in the mid-2010s. Work involved disassembling and stripping the body prior to a repaint in Grotto Blue, re-trimming the bench seats in black vinyl upholstery, and rebuilding the Turbo-Jet 396ci L35 V8 with oversized pistons. Shifting is through a Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 three-speed automatic transmission linked with a 12-bolt rear end, and the car is equipped with a sport suspension, front disc brakes, and 14″ five-hole Rally wheels. Further details include a twin-domed hood, a black vinyl roof, and chrome bumpers with guards as well as a push-button Delco AM radio, air conditioning, and power windows. Acquired by the selling dealer in July 2020, this SS 396 is now offered a 1968 purchase record, refurbishment records, a collection of photographs, California black plates, and a clean Tennessee title.
The car left the factory finished in Grotto Blue with a black vinyl roof (D2) and was disassembled, stripped, and repainted as part of the aforementioned refurbishment completed in the mid-2010s. Details include a twin domed hood, a black-accented grille, SS 396 badging, hideaway windshield wipers, dual side mirrors, and door-edge guards as well as chrome bumpers with guards.
The 14″ five-hole Rally wheels wear finned center caps and are wrapped with Goodyear Wide Tread redline tires. The car was factory equipped with an F40 sport suspension as well as power steering and power-assisted front disc brakes.
The front and rear bench seats have been re-trimmed in black vinyl upholstery sourced from Legendary Auto Interiors. The split-front bench is said to be a factory Buick-style unit, and further interior appointments include a Delco AM radio, air conditioning, power windows, and seatbelts for five occupants.
The SS-branded steering wheel is mounted to a tilt column. Instrumentation consists of a roller tachometer flanked by a 120-mph speedometer and a combination gauge housing an electric clock encircled by readouts for amperage, oil pressure, temperature, and fuel level. The five-digit odometer shows 110 miles, and total mileage is unknown.
The Turbo-Jet 396ci L35 V8 was factory rated at 325 horsepower when new. It was bored 0.060″ over and fitted with replacement pistons as part of a 2014 rebuild performed by Haas Machine Co. out of Louisville, Kentucky.
Power is routed to the rear wheels through a Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 three-speed automatic transmission and a 12-bolt rear axle.
Decoding the data plate reveals the following production information:
- Build Date: 05C – Built the third week of May
- Style: 68-13837 – 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle sport coupe SS396
- Body: BF12196 – Assembled in Fremont, California
- Trim: 765 – Black vinyl seat
- Paint: D2 – Grotto Blue with Black roof
A 1968 sale contract from Ostram Chevrolet lists a total cash price of $4,069 and will accompany the car along with a collection of documents, service records, and photos from the refurbishment process that can be viewed in the gallery.
