427 Impala SS convertible

Prefectca · Poncho Master!

427 Impala SS convertible

ABC123 · Uber Guru

There are two 1969 Impala 427s around me.

Both originally M-20s.

I would love to know the gear ratio.

As they say, a salesman back then would never argue with a customer.

Maybe the customer was a Saginaw shareholder biggrin

GLHS60 · Poncho Master!

Be curious as to how the Chevrolet SS 427 came to be ordered this way.

A member here said he had a 1966 L-72 4 dr sedan with a 3 speed on the column.!!

I believe he said it was originally the Edmonton Fire Chiefs car.

Thanks
Randy

CdnGMfan · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

In '66 Chevrolet used a Borg-Warner T-16 3-speed for the heavy duty rpo M13 applications. In '69 they switched to a so-called Muncie (rpo MC1), but the ratios seem to match the Dearborn HD 3-speeds with a 2.42:1 low. In '69 they were required for the LM1 350s through the 427s, even the L72, yes that's right!

That SS427 convertible would have defaulted to a 3.31:1 axle ratio, with 3.07, 3.55 & 3.73 a check-mark away.

Speaking of Heavy Duty 3-speeds, there was a Butternut Yellow '69 Chevelle SS396 sold out of Maurice Carter Chev-Olds in Hamilton with a solid-lifter L78, an MC1 3-spd on the floor (factory Muncie shifters were almost as bad as the column shift for 3 & 4-speeds), 4.10 Posi out back, and rare in '69 F-41 suspension. Unfortunately it was taken out by an 800-lb. black bear a while back in Parry Sound. Tim the owner wasn't really hurt but the car was flipped and destroyed. No passenger mercifully as any passenger surely would have been killed. I digress...

69postss · Veteran Member

As Cam mentioned......

Speaking of Heavy Duty 3-speeds, there was a Butternut Yellow '69 Chevelle SS396 sold out of Maurice Carter Chev-Olds in Hamilton with a solid-lifter L78, an MC1 3-spd on the floor (factory Muncie shifters were almost as bad as the column shift for 3 & 4-speeds), 4.10 Posi out back, and rare in '69 F-41 suspension. Unfortunately it was taken out by an 800-lb. black bear a while back in Parry Sound. Tim the owner wasn't really hurt but the car was flipped and destroyed. No passenger mercifully as any passenger surely would have been killed. I digress...

Here are pics of said Chevelle....

GLHS60 · Poncho Master!

WOW, what a shame.

Still curious as to how some of these performance cars ended up with 3 speeds.

The only one I remember with a story was the 1968 Nova L-79

Thanks
Randy

Beaumontboy · Veteran Member

Well , it was the normal base option as I recall ,.4 speed was extra I have one of them
Terry Knutsens , Bill Weirheims old butternut yellow SD 396 convertible was originally a 3 speed

GLHS60 · Poncho Master!

Right, 3 speeds were standard equipment on many cars back in the day.

I find it strange that anyone buying a performance car wouldn't spring for a 4 speed.

Or an automatic if they weren't proficient with a clutch.

Thanks
Randy
.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

GLHS60 wrote:
Right, 3 speeds were standard equipment on many cars back in the day.

I find it strange that anyone buying a performance car wouldn't spring for a 4 speed.

Or an automatic if they weren't proficient with a clutch.

Thanks
Randy
.

I think maybe the problem was maybe a $3000 car with a transmission that cost close to 10% of the cost of the car? Some people just had X number of dollars to spend I guess.

GLHS60 · Poncho Master!

Or maybe the buyer wanted the cheapest 427 convertible money could buy??

No power steering either, says it was added later.

Thanks
Randy

ABC123 · Uber Guru

I'm thinking of the dynamics of the 60s.

Bigger families, 6-seaters, were more desired.

And if you did not have children yet, your girl wanted to sit beside you without being elbowed biggrin

MC · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I would imagine a number of them were dealer stock. Boxes were checked by somebody whose job it was to order stock, but not necessarily into performance cars. Base SS engine and transmission with a few popular options and colour combos to hit a price point for 'sport models'. I suspect there was a procedure to it, but probably a lot of random box checking happened as well.

Then, when you think about it, each one of these cars was sold to somebody, so somebody wanted one enough to plunk down their cash for it.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

For what its worth standard equipment was always listed and 3 speed manuals were standard. My Lemans is an odd duck too because bucket seats were standard in a LeMans Sport so whoever ordered my car in for dealer stock naturally assumed a console and floor shift would accompany the buckets.....WRONG, they were optional so my car has buckets no console and column shift. Would have been awesome had they left well enough alone and just accepted the standard Heavy Duty 3 speed on the floor.

Gillis · Addicted!

My dad had a 69 SS 427-390 HP m20 Impala convertible. Back in the late eighties to early 90s. We never knew what we had at the time as we didnt know trim tag codes or stuff like that. Motor and tranny were long gone and had a SBC and TH400. It was a 20 footer but we had fun cruising in it.
Years later we came across some old paper work and photographs which also showed the cowl tag and a-pillar tags, indicating what it was. Wouldve been really cool to have it as it was when new.