Right now, there’s a faded black 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle sitting on Craigslist for $125,000. It comes with an alleged street-racing past, decades of storage, much of its original paint, and one of the most desirable big-block drivetrains Chevrolet offered during the muscle-car era.
Its current condition is deliberately imperfect. The white stripes are weathered, the body wears scars accumulated over decades, and the seller says the LS6 hasn’t been started in years after the car was put away following its former owner’s racing days.
The Craigslist listing in Payson, Arizona, describes the Chevelle as a genuine SS454 LS6 retaining its original engine, Turbo 400 automatic transmission, and 4.10-geared 12-bolt rear axle. The seller says documentation includes a partial build sheet, an NCRS dealer report, and certification supporting the drivetrain’s authenticity.
The mechanical pedigree is compelling enough on its own, although the history attached to the car gives it another layer. According to accounts from people familiar with its late owner, this Chevelle once spent its nights surprising racers around eastern Kentucky before disappearing into storage in 1988.
The LS6 Was Chevrolet’s Heavy Hitter
Under the cowl-induction hood sits Chevrolet’s 454-cubic-inch LS6 V8, factory rated at 450 horsepower. The seller identifies the engine as the car’s original CRR-coded unit and says its stamped partial VIN matches the Chevelle.
Backing it is the original CY-coded Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 automatic, while the rear axle carries the CRW code associated with a 4.10:1 Positraction setup. The Craigslist ad also lists ZL2 cowl induction, U14 instrumentation with tachometer and gauges, black bucket seats, and a console shifter.
The car left the factory in Tuxedo Black with white stripes, and much of that paint is said to remain. Its odometer currently shows 58,273 miles, though the seller doesn’t provide enough documentation in the listing to independently verify that figure as actual mileage.
Its Owner Used It As A Street-Racing Sleeper
The most colorful part of the Chevelle’s history comes from stories about a former owner named Danny Banks. In a Backyard Barn Finds YouTube video from last year, the car’s then-caretaker said Banks bought it from the original owner when he was 17.
According to that account, Banks would sometimes arrive at local gatherings in a Ford Pinto, arrange a cash race, then return with the black Chevelle. The story says he removed the 454 badges, fitted slicks, uncapped the headers, and kept the LS6 tucked away when it wasn’t being raced.
Those stories are part of the car’s oral history rather than documented competition records, so claims that it was unbeatable are best treated as local legend. The old slicks reportedly used with the car have survived, however, and the previous caretaker said they would accompany it.
It Was Parked In 1988
The Chevelle reportedly stopped seeing regular use in 1988 and remained stored after Banks’ street-racing days ended. Backyard Barn Finds was told that Banks refused repeated offers to sell the car while he was alive, and that it remained with his family until after his death.
When the car eventually changed hands, preservation appears to have mattered more than restoration. The previous caretaker described himself as exactly that — a caretaker — and resisted the temptation to strip the car down or erase the evidence of how it had actually lived.
That decision left plenty of original details intact. The seller points to the factory drivetrain, interior, paint, original-style components, and even production-specific details that would disappear or be recreated during a conventional restoration.
The Seller Says The Drivetrain Is Still Numbers-Matching
The current Craigslist ad says the Chevelle is listed in an LS6 registry and comes with a certificate authenticating its original drivetrain. A damaged partial build sheet was reportedly recovered from behind the rear seat, with enough information remaining to identify the VIN and LS6 equipment.
An NCRS data report is also said to trace the car to King Chevrolet in Cincinnati, Ohio. The seller understandably plays up the coincidence of an LS6 — often described by enthusiasts as a king-of-the-street muscle car — having originally been sold through a dealership carrying the King Chevrolet name.
Not everything is untouched, and a previous inspection of the car identified items such as replacement wheels, ladder bars, and a replaced door. Those changes haven’t erased the characteristics that make this particular Chevelle interesting, especially its weathered factory appearance and reportedly original major drivetrain components.
$125,000 Buys The Car And Its Story
The asking price is firmly in serious collector territory, especially for a car that hasn’t been restored and apparently hasn’t run in decades. The appeal here isn’t polished paint or concours presentation, however; it’s the possibility of preserving an LS6 Chevelle largely as it existed when its active life stopped.
We think the future owner faces a difficult choice. At $125,000, its next caretaker will have to decide how much that originality — and the stories attached to it — are worth.
This Chevelle is a remarkably raw artifact from an era when cars like the LS6 were still simply fast used cars rather than six-figure collectibles. Restoring it could produce a spectacular Tuxedo Black SS454, while recommissioning it mechanically and leaving the exterior alone would preserve the scars, modifications, and details tied to its reported street-racing past.