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i need help trying to figure out if my 79 elco is a true ss

821 Views 5 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  cobalt327
hi im trying to figure out if my 79 elco is a SS the only thing it has is a 350 the dash pad on it has the ss badge and has the front fiberglass under the bumper like the ss's have
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jtheshowstoppper said:
hi im trying to figure out if my 79 elco is a SS the only thing it has is a 350 the dash pad on it has the ss badge and has the front fiberglass under the bumper like the ss's have
Decode the VIN HERE.

GM Build Codes.

Below are some codes that might possibly be found on your body tag, as well as the build sheet (look under the seats, stuffed into the seat springs, behind the seat, under the carpet, etc.).

Build Sheet Numbers
B22 Door trim pad emblem " SS "
PM7 F60-15 White letters, SS models. (also Sprint SP models).
X11 Style Trim for base car or SS
X22 Style Trim for SS with 396
X55 Base SS with 350
X66 Base SS with 396
Z27 SS equipment
Z15 SS equipment. (454 in '70)

Engine Codes
SS350= P
SS396/325hp= N
SS396/375hp= K
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Cobalt, did you miss the fact that this is a 1979 Elky?, there wasn't a BBC in sight for about 5 years by then, this is a metric chassis. I'm not sure there is any vin or code tag info that will indicate a true SS in these cars. By this point in time, it was pretty much just a "sticker" SS, an appearance package mostly.

I'd try a Monte SS message board or forum as they tend to include these cars.
I own an '80 Malibu, so yes, I'm aware of the engines that were available in them.

These are all of the "SS"- related codes I could find, I made no delineation as to year or engine size. This is to help ID an SS- any year, not just the OP's '79- should anyone do a search for "ID 19xx SS (El Camino, Impala, Nova, etc.)", for instance.

The list is not complete and does not contain all codes that might pertain to a SS car. However, if a car has any of these codes, it's one indication of it being an authentic SS.
Were big blocks available in anything besides trucks during that time and into the 90's?
cranky1 said:
Were big blocks available in anything besides trucks during that time and into the 90's?
'76 Impala's were the last car to get a big block, IIRC.
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