Thirty or so years ago, "clones", which is any lesser model of a car that appears to be a more expensive one, were verboten; you didn't make them let alone buy them. In the last ten, fifteen if not twenty years or so, they've become more acceptable as affordable desirable classics have become harder and harder to come by. Clones are harmless but only to a point. They become troublesome when people start asking the same amount of money for them as the "real" cars they're emulating. Like this 1967 Chevelle SS clone hailing from bucolic Dayton, Ohio. Here's the listing.
Looks to me like someone spent a freaking boatload on restoring this car and is looking to recoup a large part of their investment. Good luck with that, buddy. At least they had the decency to disclose it's a clone - not that they're going to get this "SS" past any self-respecting Chevelle cognoscenti. They might be worse than Corvette people - and we know how anal those people can be.
Up through 1965, Chevrolet was putting "SS" and "Super Sport" badges on everything from Chevy II's to Impala wagons and it meant next to nothing. Yes, there was a 396 engine available on "Z16" '65 Chevelles but they're rarer than unicorns. "SS" was little more than a trim level akin to "Caprice" being a trim level of Impala and "Malibu" and "300" being levels of the Chevelle. That all changed when Chevrolet made the 396 the exclusive engine of the Chevelle Super Sport starting in 1966.
Available on 1966 and 1967 Chevelles in two states of tune - 325 and 360 (gross) horsepower, those very large and heavy engines gave the Chevelle SS straight line performance akin to its muscle car cousin, the Pontiac GTO. However, the engine here in our '67 Chevelle SS clone is not a 396 - it's not even a 327 - it's a handsomely dressed up 283. Tells me our car here may have been born as a low ball Chevelle 300. So, out my windshield, I see this car as not even a "real clone". Even if this 283 has been hopped up to be as strong if not stronger performer than any 396 could be, quite possible, it's still a Chevelle clone with a 283.
A 283 car with its original two speed "Power Glide" - ad claims 3 speed Power Glide - sorry - Power Glides were two-speed automatics. There's something to be said for numbers matching but sometimes it's best to package the original running gear with the sale of the car and replace it all with something at least more robust if not modern. An LS1 swap and a modern four or six-speed automatic might make this "SS" worth the asking price. Especially with as nice a restoration job as this thing has gone through. Then again, an LS1 swap would mean this car was actually something more akin to a "resto-mod". Those cars are becoming even more envouge than clones and those are many times worth what folks are asking for them.
Again, clones are dicey propositions. Had the engine and transmission been upgraded on this SS clone would it make a difference? To me, somewhat - especially if the original engine and transmission come along as part of the package but I still think this car is way over priced and it makes no sense since it's not even a "real clone" (if that makes sense). It's also historically incorrect as it sits now and the owner wants Chevelle SS concours condition money for it. You can do better. Look the other way.
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