To most Chevelle fans, 1970 is the ultimate year, and that year, the top dog was unquestionably the SS 454. They also make fantastic cruisers, as this 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS tribute ably demonstrates. With features like a 5-speed transmission, a thumping big block, A/C, and a great color combination, this is a car that will be the center of attention anywhere it goes.If a subtle look is what you're looking for, painting a car Cortez Silver is a step in the right direction. However, once you add in a set of black SS stripes, a cowl induction hood, and a few SS badges, well, the jig is pretty much up. The Chevelle's muscular shape will never go out of fashion, and when they're as well done as this one, details like the subtle flared fenders and the relief line that runs from nose to tail tend to stand out even more. The chrome is nicely finished, with bright, clear bumpers fore and aft, and brilliantly polished stainless around the windshield and wheel wells. Correct SS badges have been used on the front fenders, and a correct blacked-out SS grille carries the torch up front. The paint isn't perfect, but for a driver-grade car with a big dose of horsepower and a lot of style, this one measures up.Inside, the code 791 Ivory bucket seats are so nice that I have to believe that they've been reupholstered, but the two-tone interior looks entirely appropriate to 1970. While seats, door panels, carpets, and headliner are original-style, it also adds goodies like a 5-speed shifter in the center console and a set of auxiliary gauges under the dash, including a tach. The door panels are correct SS pieces and given that the car has a round-gauge instrument panel, this might be a real SS, and the three-spoke steering wheel should look familiar to anyone who loves Chevy performance cars. The original AM radio still lives in the dash, so they were obviously careful to respect the car, but a newer Kenwood AM/FM/CD stereo was installed in the glove box where it stays out of sight and is easy to remove if you want to go full show with the car someday. It also includes factory A/C, which has been augmented with modern hardware working behind the scenes. A black power convertible top fits neatly under a matching Ivory boot, and the trunk is neatly finished and includes the amplifier for the stereo system.Powerful is the right word for the big block V8 living under the hood. The casting numbers suggest that it's a 1972 402, but the decals suggest LS6 performance, which it may just deliver. The nicely dressed big block seems made for show with liberal doses of chrome, including the air cleaner, valve covers, and accessories. Up top there's an Edelbrock intake and a Holley 4-barrel carburetor feeding a set of Edelbrock aluminum heads, and a set of long-tube headers manage the exhaust. Underneath, there's a Tremec 5-speed manual transmission, a healthy dual exhaust system, and urethane bushings throughout to improve handling. A 12-bolt rear end manages to plant the power and power disc brakes do the job of controlling the speed. Factory SS wheels replicate the original look and carry fat 225/70/14 performance radials.If you're looking for a pedigreed 1970 Chevelle, they're out there and they're expensive. But if you want something a little more potent that always seems to draw a crowd in a way that no stock Chevelle can, this gorgeous ragtop might be a smarter choice. Call today!