1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 L78

Muscle car powered by Chevrolet L78 396ci Turbo-Jet V8.

1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 sports coupe; exact-year SS396 exterior context.

Factory pathway RPO Z25 SS 396 Chevelle with optional RPO L78 engine

Advertised output 375 hp Turbo-Jet 396; L89 aluminum heads retained the same advertised rating

Reported L78 Chevelle quantity 9,486 L78-option Chevelles reported in 1969 option tables

Authentication caution 1969 SS 396 was an option package, so individual body style and authenticity require car-specific paperwork and stampings

Story

The 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 L78 is best documented as a factory Z25 SS 396 Chevelle ordered with RPO L78, the 375-hp solid-lifter Turbo-Jet 396. For 1969, SS 396 was no longer a separate series; it was an equipment option available on selected 300 Deluxe, Malibu, and El Camino body styles, so body style must be resolved from car-specific paperwork rather than assumed from the L78 name alone.

The sourced records agree that the L78 was the top regular-production iron-head 396 for the Chevelle SS 396, with Chevrolet option reporting showing 9,486 L78 Chevelles and Chevelle SS Guide engine tables preserving the JD/KD/KF and late CJD/CKD/CKF suffix evidence. L78 cars used Holley carburetion, could be paired with manual transmission or TH400, and shared the SS package's power front disc brakes, heavy-duty suspension, dual exhaust, black-accented grille/rear panel, SS 396 emblems, sport wheels, and F70-14 white-letter tires.

This page keeps trim-correctness conservative: paint, interior, axle ratio, transmission, tachometer, console, and body style are presented as source-backed availability or production records, not as facts about an individual car. Authentication should rely on original paperwork, VIN/trim-tag context, engine pad suffix and partial VIN, transmission and axle stamping/date evidence, and consistency among those records.

**1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 side view; body line and wheel context.**Sicnag via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Specs

Car type: Muscle car
Body: Factory Z25 SS 396 package; eligible 1969 Chevelle body style not fixed by target
Engine: 396 cu in L78 Turbo-Jet Mark IV V8
Horsepower: 375 hp advertised
Torque: Not entered: target-specific sourced torque record not normalized in the reviewed references
Carburetion: Holley carburetor reported for all L78 engines

Equipment

RPO Z25 SS Equipment
Power front disc brakes in SS equipment
12-bolt rear axle
Black-accented grille and rear panel
Special SS 396 emblems
F70-14 white-letter tires on 14 x 7 sport wheels

Linked Parts

Price history

Values

Nominal dollars from original price sheets, auction archives, and approved value references.

Original Price

A verified original price is not yet available for this car.

Market Observations

Price guide value $91,700

Jul 1, 2026 · Hagerty Price Guide · Current guide point
1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 two-door convertible with the 396-cid, 375-hp L78 engine in #3 Good condition. · unknown · good July 2026 model-level condition-guide observation for an L78-eligible body style. It is not an individual-car transaction or appraisal and does not establish chassis history, originality, documentation, or restoration quality. Hagerty separately displays a positive 15-percent adjustment for four-speed manual transmission.
1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 L78 valuation
Auction sale $77,000

Jan 21, 2026 · Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale
L78 396/375 four-speed Chevelle SS coupe 136379K369641 classified by the market archive as original or highly original. · survivor · unknown CLASSIC.COM records the $77,000 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale sale. Survivor classification follows the archive's original/highly-original taxonomy and is not an independent originality judgment by this project. The same chassis's 2022 sale and intervening fixed-price ask are excluded.
1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS-396 L78 136379K369641
High bid $68,500

Jun 13, 2025 · Bring a Trailer
Documented Monaco Orange L78 Chevelle SS 396 sport coupe 136379Z360079 with a warranty-replacement engine, M21 four-speed, and 4.10 Positraction rear axle. · modified · unknown Bring a Trailer records the $68,500 reserve-not-met high bid; this is a no-sale signal, not a transaction price. The car underwent cosmetic and mechanical refurbishment and retains modifications including long-tube headers and PerTronix ignition. The archive displays a build sheet, window sticker, Protect-O-Plate, and NCRS Shipping Data Report.
1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 L78 136379Z360079
Auction sale $75,500

Mar 20, 2021 · Bring a Trailer
Documented L78 Chevelle SS 396 sport coupe 136379G349556 with a Muncie M21 four-speed, 4.10 Positraction rear axle, build sheets, and Protect-O-Plate. · modified · unknown Bring a Trailer records the $75,500 sale. The represented matching L78 block was rebuilt in 2019 with a non-stock Comp camshaft, so the observation is classified as modified rather than original or survivor. Archive statements about identity, stamps, and documentation remain seller or auction representations.
1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 L78 136379G349556

Values move with paperwork, originality, options, condition, venue, and body style. High bids and guide values are labeled separately from completed sales.

Reference records

Options, Colors & Components

Source-backed details for trim, chassis, production, and authenticity.

Transmission

Factory transmission floor-shifted heavy-duty 3-speed manual (SS standard per guide)
Factory transmission M20 4-speed wide-ratio manual
Factory transmission M21 4-speed close-ratio manual
Factory transmission M22 heavy-duty close-ratio 4-speed manual
Factory transmission M40 Turbo Hydra-Matic TH400 automatic for L78

Options

Z25 SS 396 Equipment required · performance · 1969 SS 396 became an option package; included base 325-hp 396, power disc brakes, dual exhaust, heavy-duty suspension, SS trim, sport wheels, and F70-14 white-letter tires per SS guide/options records.
L78 375 hp Turbo-Jet 396 Engine required · performance · Target-defining engine option; option table reports 9,486.
L89 Aluminum cylinder heads for L78 optional · performance · Same advertised 375-hp rating; source reports 400 Chevelle cars. Not assumed present on target.
M20 4-Speed Wide-Ratio Transmission optional · performance
M21 4-Speed Close-Ratio Transmission optional · performance
M22 Heavy Duty 4-Speed Close-Ratio Transmission optional · performance
M40 Turbo Hydra-Matic TH400 Transmission optional · performance · Chevelle SS Guide reports L78 could be ordered with manual transmission or TH400.
D96 Special Body Side Accent Stripes optional · appearance
F41 Special Performance Front & Rear Suspension optional · chassis · Available with SS 396 but not treated as standard for 1969.
U14 Special Instrumentation optional · interior · Not SS-only; L78 tachometer redline noted at 6000 rpm when U14 was ordered.

Paint

**1969 Chevelle SS 396 sports coupe in LeMans Blue; front-quarter trim context.**Sicnag via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

10 Tuxedo Black optional · solid
40 Butternut Yellow optional · solid
50 Dover White optional · solid
51 Dusk Blue optional · solid
52 Garnet Red optional · solid
53 Glacier Blue optional · solid
55 Azure Turquoise optional · solid
57 Fathom Green optional · solid
59 Frost Lime optional · solid
61 Burnished Brown optional · solid
63 Champagne optional · metallic
65 Olympic Gold optional · metallic
67 Burgundy optional · metallic
69 Cortez Silver optional · metallic
71 LeMans Blue optional · metallic
72 Hugger/Monaco Orange optional · solid
76 Daytona Yellow optional · solid
53/50 Glacier Blue / Dover White optional · other
53/51 Glacier Blue / Dusk Blue optional · other
51/53 Dusk Blue / Glacier Blue optional · other
65/50 Olympic Gold / Dover White optional · other
55/50 Azure Turquoise / Dover White optional · other
61/63 Burnished Brown / Champagne optional · other

Authenticity

**1969 Chevelle SS 396 sport coupe front-quarter view; restoration-era exterior context.**MercurySable99 via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

1969 SS identity path RPO Z25 documentation rather than a unique SS VIN series · Original window sticker, build sheet, Protect-O-Plate/dealer paperwork; trim/VIN alone is insufficient for many U.S.-built cars · fraud detection
L78 engine suffix evidence JD/KD manual L78 suffixes or KF TH400 L78 suffix; late 402 rows CJD/CKD/CKF reported · Engine pad stamping and partial VIN/date consistency · numbers matching
L78 automatic transmission code CX-coded TH400 tag reported for 375-hp 396/427 COPO use · TH400 passenger-side tag with code/date/serial · numbers matching
Rear axle family 12-bolt rear axle; casting number #3917124 reported by SS guide · Rear axle housing casting and stamped axle code/date · date correctness
Optional gauges U14 Special Instrumentation was optional, not proof of SS by itself; L78 tach redline 6000 rpm when equipped · Instrument cluster/tachometer and option paperwork · trim correctness

Still Researching

brakes Sources verify power front disc brakes in Z25 but this run did not normalize detailed drum/disc dimensions or master-cylinder part numbers.
suspension Sources verify heavy-duty suspension and optional F41 but detailed spring/shock/bar part numbers were not normalized.
production No known GM records in reviewed sources break L78 production by exact body style, paint, axle, or transmission as final assembled cars.

Codes & names