Authentication Inspection Uncovers Fake 1970 SS454 LS6 Chevelle Convertible In San Diego, CA 

Drive the wheels off this car and love every mile you put on it. This car is perfect for daily use.

A real one would be too valuable to drive. This one is a 70 Chevelle convertible with an LS6, TH400 and a 12 bolt. Drive it, enjoy it . Let the millionaires sit around and gawk at their real one while you are out enjoying yours.

I remember hearing an inspector say once, years ago, "There's more Chevelle SS out there now than the factory EVER built". lol

While I feel bad for the owner, in reality, you've saved him a nasty lawsuit and damages. A good clone still has value as a driver.

Well done Patrick, the potential owner has saved themselves a heap of pain, not to mention, Dollars.

Back in the early '90s I had a '72 Malibu 2 door I restored for fun. I kept it as a Malibu, but added SS stripes, removed the bench seat and added a factory console and buckets for the looks and fun of it. The buckets I got were from a '70 model which were white in color and looked incorrect for a '72 because of the pattern. I got them from a local Chevy bone yard and parts supplier who kept these seats in a storage building, so the foams and covers were still real nice, and even though they were incorrect for a '72, I installed them as-is. A couple of years went by and I decided to replace the seat foams and covers with the correct pattern ones for '72. In the process of taking the seats apart, I removed the rear plastic cover from the passenger side bucket to find the build sheet of the car these seats came out of, flat, under the seat springs. I carefully removed the build sheet and proceeded to almost have a stroke reading it. These seats were originally from a '70 SS 454 LS5 convertible featuring Muncie 4 speed, cowl induction, PS, PB, blue with white interior, Baltimore car. But perhaps the more interesting thing was down in the lower left corner of the build sheet was the name of the original dealer.....Roger Penske Chevrolet, customer order. I remember getting the rear seat out of what I was told was the same car the buckets came from, which was in the yard, what was left of it anyway. I remember thinking that it was a shame such a nice car would wind up in a salvage field. I still have that build sheet, and its still fun to read it every once and a while.

A moment of silence for the owner, he's had a bad day.

dude probably waved by, went straight in the house, and renewed his CL ad..

I’m a muscle car enthusiast, and a native San Diegan. I believe that I know the previous owner, and you’re probably in, or near, the Alpine area. There was another guy in that area that was very good at restoring mid year Corvettes, and would go to great lengths to make the car “appear” original. I really enjoy your videos, and appreciate your knowledge and expertise. Thank you.

As a buyer, I'm OK with a "clone", "recreation" or "tribute", as long as they don't try to pass it off as real. hat would make an otherwise fine car nothing more than a fake. Intentional or not. Good to know what it actually is.

When “values” are high then fraud is rampant. Numbers matching is overblown, but cars that can be driven are more fun to own. Decades ago I worked at a large GM dealer parts department in SoCal. No one cared or knew much about the “numbers.” I helped to create a lot of SS454 conversions, including with replacement LS6 engines.

A real 454 ls6 convertible is worth well in the 6 figures. That’s because roughly only 25 LS6 convertibles were ever built. That’s why it’s good to make an exact clone or tribute like this one to enjoy driving without worrying about it

I like the way you are always respectful of the individuals involved.

Nice looking Chevelle. Scary how a person can easily try to pass off a regular Malibu for an SS or LS6. I'm glad there is guys around like Patrick to dig into it.

I've been binge watching these all day. Definitely learned alot

I bet the owner was crushed to hear that.

Good to hear from you again. You provide a great service

After owning for 35 years the current owner won't lose any money, He just won't be able to .purchase that yacht he was looking at.

Patrick your service has considerable value. Stopping a potential buyer from making a costly mistake by just putting eyes on the car saved a lot of grief both financial and emotional..

I can appreciate the originality factor, I did a big block and manual swap on my 70 back in the late 90’s and I would hope someone is still loving it today

I'd rather have a clone, I can drive it and enjoy it

Well, at least it's not rotting away in a field. I would definitely put a black interior in it and enjoy it.

Glad u are here to help us all patrick ! I am so more informed about real chevelle ss info now! Since watching you channel i feel i can spot a fake alot easier!

Merry Christmas Patrick! We appreciate your passion and look forward to every post.

Lord, he owned the car for 35 years and never noticed the upside down emblem on the fender. Or he installed it upside down!

Nice investigative work Patrick! Merry Christmas to you and yours.

I enjoy hearing people describe things that they really know and are passionate about.

you're always gracious as can be Patrick. Hope this guy recovers what he can.

Thank you, I learn a lot from each video. Stay safe and have a great Christmas Central California Watching

Nice work Patrick. That's the type of scrutiny I like to see. It's helpful to the owner too. Information is power. Even negative information. If something goes against you, you want to know that it does. Then you can make the right move for the circumstances. With all that said, it's still a great car. Big block chevy in a straight body. How bad can that be?

Money well worth being spent on having an expert verify a clone. Bravo! 👏👏👏 no worse feeling that being conned or scammed, directly or indirectly.

I just found your videos and I love them, now a new subscription. Thank you.

The joke back in the 90s about these was that they still made red w/ black stripe 70-72 chevelles in Mexico because there were so many of them! Literally every other malibu got cloned into one.

Guys will pay 50 grand for it. No wonder I can’t afford one...80% of Chevelles you see at car shows were not an SS from factory.

I've got a '70 Malibu coupe, nothing special but I like it. A few years ago I got to see a real 1970 SS convertible in person, all original and pristine that was still owned by the original owner. It was gorgeous and a real treat to see.

Because of your videos I was able to stop my uncle from buying a 70 “ss” last summer. First thing I looked at were the lower trailing arms. The dash was the second thing flat dash but had the tack in it. Saved him 25 k

Well, look on the bright side, he has owned it for 35 years and whatever he bought it for back then I'm willing to bet it is worth more than he paid here in 2020. Even replicas have a market. Also, if he's had it all those years, he might as well drive it and continue to enjoy it. Who wouldn't want to cruise around town on a summer weekend in that?

More SS and Z/28s than Chevrolet ever made on the road now. Love the videos!

Your vast knowledge is worth its weight in gold! Great video.

God, I wait for your next videos. I keep thinking I'm soaking up your knowledge but you tune us in to 50 more details. If only I'd have paid this much attention in high school

These were the cars on the road while I was falling in love with automobiles

I still love it!!! I'm so glad guys like you stop the fraudulent stuff with chevelles. I see it all the time in the Corvette world. Corvettes and 70 chevelles are truly my passion. I don't care if they are original, but they should not be sold as something they aren't! That is theft!!! Period!!! Love your videos!!!

In 1977, I was a 16 year old kid looking to buy my first hotrod. My first stop was at the local Cevy dealer. On the front row was a 1970 Chevelle SS LS6. White on orange convertible with white interior and top. I passed it up because they wanted way too much for it. Yep, $4,500!

My friend Mark traded in his low mileage LS6 to JM Pontiac, in Hollywood Florida, for a new Pontiac in 1978. They gave him $1200.00 trade in value. I keep reminding him.

So basically it’s a 70’ Chevelle SS Clone? Still a nice looking ride

Thank you Patrick.

your knowledge is amazing! Happy holidays

Great job, love your work! Keep it up brother, love the video’s!

You need authentication when spending the big dollars.

I looked at a 1970 Chevelle SS 396 convertible about ten years ago. Although it was a beautiful Mulsanne blue with white interior, it was only in fair, running condition and needed a complete restoration. I knew even less about Chevelles then than I know now, which is not a lot, but I was able to determine that it was not a true SS, but instead a Malibu that was converted probably in the 1980s. The Malibu dash was the tell. Still, it had a great “patina” look then, and would have looked like a million bucks restored, even if it was an SS clone.

Damn Patrick! I gotta say YOU have one of the BEST JOBS in the whole world lookin at all these beautiful classics! So Jealous...

You ability to identify is bolstered by your obvious depth of knowledge. Several of your more detailed comments were delivered as "...oh, by the way" remarks rather than factual brags. It was a pleasure following this critique. It's always enjoyable being in the company of a dedicated person - even if separated by a video camera. Thank you for sharing...

Amazing the trouble some people would go through to tell...or sell...a lie, when telling the truth is always easier.

Years ago when I was high school my friends uncle owned a junk yard. He could make you anything you wanted.

You have immense knowledge of these crs and are putting it to good use preventing a lot of collateral damage. What a shame for the current owner. You did in fact do him a favour though in making him aware of this before he had passed this car along to another unsuspecting buyer who might have taken serious umbrage and made the current owner's life a misery of legal ramifications. As you say; an overall very sound and nice car for someone who would be happy knowing what it is and just wanting to drive a fun car; or a serious restorer with deep pockets to put it back to original. Myself; I'd be in the former group and just give the guy fair value for a "replicar" and enjoy the top down summer back-road cruises.

Patrick I Love your work man...The Most knowledgeable Chevelle guy I've seen...so I don't need you to come inspect my "True" SS '67 Chevelle 396 4 spd lol

35 years with a car and I'll know it better than my wife. I believe owner had a feeling it wasn't real deal but hoped buyer wouldn't figure it out.

Now that's some serious Harsh tokes.

Thanks for what you do. So awesome the information you have

It just makes you wonder how many peoole out there don't really know what they have or are buying and how many cars for sale out there are being misrepresented as the real deal. Thanksfor posting!

Still a beautiful car... and worth the wked drive around town

Hell even with the "real" information on the car. The owner will still want stupid money. I ran across that when buying my corvette. I must of looked at 50 within my area. Wanna hear something funny? I didn't see one that wasn't "special" in one way or another. I finally found one that wasn't special, but was a nicely kept car. Now I drive the hell out of it.

I'm not really into America muscle cars at all but I am glad their are people like you that know their stuff and try to keep people honest and bc of that you have gained a subscriber.

Beautiful car , Great Job identifying

A few years ago, a customer of mine, came into the shop asking about how to identify Chevelle. True SS. Because he had found one on Craigslist, for $47,000. Which was a red flag, because that car should have been upwards of near 70,000. Maybe 80. But I looked at the communications between the seller, and the buyer, who was also my customer. And told them that, if that's a real SS Car, it would be worth purchasing for $47,000. So the gentleman and his son, went and withdrew 47 grand, in cash, and went to go meet the seller. The seller was very smart. He had already pre-qualified them for the sale. And was insistent, that they bring the cash with them. Unfortunately, when they arrived at the pre-arranged meeting location. Six armed men surrounded them. And my customer, and his son, were ordered to exit the vehicle, and present the cash. His son came out of the driver side of the vehicle, was a 357 Smith & Wesson. Shot and killed three of them on the spot. My customer was armed with a 45, he was able to kill two of them. And wound the Third. My customer and his son, we're never criminally charged. And the wounded man, will be serving, life in prison. The moral of the story is. It's Murphy's Law. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

upside down SS emblem was the first clue LOL happy holidays PGNMBF

Nice job Patrick on finding out it was cloned,thats still a really nice clean convertible, I know you love those 70 chevelles,i own a 71 chevelle Malibu,i did a complete resto on it,but i hade to put the cowl hood an the hood an decklid strips on it,with a 500 horse 355 in it an a 12 bolt, My uncle who passed away has an original 72 ss,its like a Marina blue with black hood and decklid Stripes,it has the ss 396 emblems on the fender ,but i think its a 402, Its like a Survivor car it's been garage kept for 40 plus years has the original cragars, everything is original on it ,untouched, bucket seats black interior, round gauges in the dashboard,funny story,back in the late 70's my father told me he was gonna buy the car,an he was on his way with the money,i think he said like 2 grand at the time,but when he got there my uncle beat him to it😂😂an there it sat in his garage in N.J for decades ,only taking it out to the local car hops in town,the car is rust free,only a few little minor dings an maybe one little dent in the bumper,i think from backing out the garage all tuned up😂😂from what i know now after he passed away it was left to his daughter,my cousin,an its now in her garage,just sitting,at least its out of the wheather,,man i would love to get my hands on that one,i know for a fact he has the build sheet,i remember him showing me an my dad some years back,i think it was under the back seat🤔but in 72 all them motors had really low horsepower,i think its only 240 stock,in that 402 that 402 big block🙄o well,maybe i can talk my cousin into selling it to me one day,lol Good video,🤘thanks for sharing,an letting me share,

Wow excellent work thank you for the excellent content

Huge value here. The best part is shes beautiful.

That car just become the cheapest ls6 convertible on the planet. Nice job Patrick!

PGN visited my town! Cool. 🤙🏻Hope you enjoyed the California weather. Could have had you look at my Camaro.

Nice that you saved the potential buyer from a huge mistake. Still a nice car I would drive it as is. But I hope that the previous owner didn't buy it thinking it was a real LS6 convertible. You should write a book on Chevelles Patrick.

Has some rare options. PW,DL, seats

Seller, "The reason it's so expensive is because it was featured on RU-vid".

They did a good job cloning it,except no bucket seats and console.I had a 68 SS 396 convertible,wish I never sold it.ive learned alot about these cars since I subscribe s to your utube,Thanks

Still and nice fun head turning ride. Bow-tie all the way! Merry Christmas all.

Just clean it up and have fun in that San Diego sunshine!

In 35 years, he couldn't figure it wasn't what he was advertising? 1st trip to parts store for simple maintenance would have tipped him off. He's a Scammer

this guy is a smart individual,he knows his stuff

Fascinating, thank you for the education. We Mopar guys are spoiled with fender tags and easier to authenticate VINs.

Nice car none the less. 🤘

The owner was bamboozled

I am happy to see you sorting out the fakes. They are a plague to the car community.

Interesting. Thanks for sharing. More proof of why you never make a big purchase like that without taking an expert along to verify.

Could you imagine getting that news as the owner? Value just went rock bottom... Damn

This is the reason no one can buy a muscle car anymore, they have fluffed them up to these rare authentic super sport special order builds so that the normal guy with a Malibu thinks he’s got a 100k car, sad

I got a Johnny lightning one I drive all the time on my hot wheels track...my budget was only $6.00...true rarety for sure.

Love old Chevy's, owned a 1966 Impala SS in autumn yellow, black interior, for years. My wife's wearing it on her finger now in the form of an engagement ring. Would love to have another 60's Chevy but they're getting so expensive now that it's not an option.

When a seller says something like "as far as I know" , it's a red flag. Not saying that happened here just saying from experience.

Just wondering... was this car misrepresented by a seller in the past? Sure seems like someone tried awfully. Mr. Nichols agreeably is being diplomatic in this video. Cloning is fine but fraud is fraud. Keep up the great authentication work!

Patrick, good to see you out at these fish frys

Are you selling any of the cars you collected iam 75 years old and I love the info you tell .I had a 69 and sold it while I was in Vietnam The payment were high and my mom couldn't come up with the extra amount while I was in Vietnam, keep up the good work, folks like myself really thank you.Merry xmas

Alright alright alright, not melba toast 🍞 regular bread 😀

Trying to reach through my screen to rip those damn upside-down SS emblems off!!!!!

Good work on the discovery.

Still a nice car, AMEN to that brother, God bless you and your family Mark from Tennessee, ☺☺

Ford Kept all there Documents past 1966 You can get a Marti Report Designating how the car was Sold New from the factory......That's why i love Fords because i know for sure that im buying the REAL DEAL.

Was the owner asking the big bucks, or did he have it priced low? I find it hard to believe that he did not know it was a clone. Probably didn't expect someone like you showing up.

wow this guy knows his stuff! excellent.nice job

The one SS emblem being placed on UPSIDE DOWN was actually very funny and surprising