The 1970 model year saw the undisputed summit of the muscle car era. A new decade also saw the end of the General Motors corporate directive prohibiting engines with displacements more than 400 cubic inches being placed in intermediate models, which included the Chevrolet Chevelle. Dropping this directive saw nearly every model and body class available with a performance option. Arguably the king of the muscle car era, Chevrolet’s 1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS6 model possessed one of the most powerful stock engines ever placed in an American car.

The SS 454 LS6 engines were assembled to tight tolerances at Chevrolet’s engine production facility in Tonawanda, New York. Assembly workers began with a special four-bolt block featuring a track-ready external oiling setup. Inside the block, a forged-steel crankshaft was cross-drilled to maximize oil flow. Eight forged-steel connecting rods tied to forged aluminum pistons, which squeezed the fuel and air mixture to a lofty 11.25:1 compression ratio. An enormous 780 CFM Holley four-barrel carburetor mounted atop an aluminum intake manifold fed the fuel mixture into the engine.

A single-snorkel, steel air-cleaner with rubber seal secured the intake to a true, cowl-induction hood with the Chevelle’s famous throttle actuation. Power was transferred to the road through a choice of either the M22 Muncie, “rock-crusher,” four-speed, manual transmission or the M40 TH400 three-speed automatic. While rated for insurance purposes at an already heady 450 horsepower, legend has it that a stock 454 LS6 engine would put out 500 horsepower on an engine dyno.

Built during the third week of January 1970 in General Motors’ Kansas City, Missouri production facility, this Chevelle is a genuine, restored example of one such 500-hp monster. Notably, the car retains its numbers-matching LS6 engine and is said to have benefitted from a bare-metal respray performed in January 2022 by Custom Paint Services to the factory-correct paint color of Black Cherry with dual white racing stripes. It is also believed to be fitted with its numbers-matching engine as well as date-code-correct, heavy-duty Muncie M22 four-speed transmission and date-code-correct, 12-bolt Positraction rear axle. Power steering and brakes round out the performance options, while Chevrolet’s gray, five-spoke SS wheels wearing raised, white-letter tires complete the period look.

Presented with photos showing the bare-metal respray process, this documented true LS6 is ready to awe its next caretaker.