The SS 396

Just as Pontiac had their GTO and Oldsmobile 442, Chevrolet made their own little (hah!) muscle car.  The success of the Chevelle caught Chevrolet off guard.
    In mid-'65, Chevy droped a 396 V-8 under the hood and VROOM!!-instant muscle!  Untill that magical moment when that 396 was offered, the SS option could be little more than a trim package.
     The SS, or Super Sport option had origionally meant special deck emblems, blacked out grill, bucket seats, center console with floor-mounted automatic, or four speed.  The engine was either the 283 V-8 or the 194 in-line 6 (A Chevelle SS and a 6 cylinder?).  After '65 that emblem ment that this was NOT a car to mess with!
     The SS 396 was developed with the same philosophy as the GTO.  Her was a car that  a young guy could afford.  It was cheap to maintain, fun to drive, and potant where it mattered most.  There was still a trunk with room and a real rear seat (even better for those guys with girlfriends . . .), but the car had a racier look than it predecessors.
     These cars were real attention getters, especially among some highway patrol officers.  Many of these young teenage males soon learned that even at 50 mph, this car could draw attention.  Those highway patrol officesrs stayed right on your butt to make sure you stayed at 50 or 60.  Quite a few young teenagers/criminals found a way around this problem, simply by going faster than the cops could comprehend. 
     This actually worked for quite a while, untill  the cops got their hands on hilocopters.  But befor that happend, they did wise up and got themselves a few muscle cars, mainly Mustangs.  Actually, the highway patrol still uses Mustangs to this day.  But untill they got their own muscle cars, there were actually a great many car chases that the cops lost.  You just don't hear about them, because the cops want you to think that you can't beat them.  But you can when you have your hands on one of these babys.  Your the king of the road in this car.

Price:  $2,900
Overall Length:  196.8"
Wheelbase:  112"
Width:  76"
Hight:  52.6"
Weight:  3,475 lbs.
Engine:  OHV 396 / 6.5 liter V-8
Compression:  10.25:1
Bore x Stroke:  4.09" x 3.76"
Carburator:  Single 4 barrel
Horsepower:  325 @ 4800 rpm
Rear Axle Ratio:  3.73:1
Transmission:  3-speed Manual
                     4-speed Manual (optional)
                     Turbo Hydra-Matic