We’ll start with the “base” offering for the 1969 Chevelle SS 396. The standard variant of the 396 that served as the starting point for the Chevelle SS 396 was known as the L35. It was certainly no slouch. With a Rochester four-barrel carb setup and a 10.25:1 compression ratio, it put out a plentiful 325 horsepower and an impressive 410 pound-feet of torque. The L35 is identifiable by its black “side-snorkel” air cleaner, wherein the filter is entirely contained in the black housing with a long snorkel jutting out toward the driver-side headlight assembly. Stepping up to any of the available optional engines came with an open-element air cleaner assembly where the filter is plainly visible all around the air cleaner stack.
Of course, in the world of high-performance cars, “enough” is never really enough. In that light, the first optional engine offering for ’69 Chevelle SS 396 customers was the upgraded L34 engine. It’s very similar to the base engine except for an added steel crankshaft and a more aggressively cut camshaft. This bumped the power output to 350 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. Stepping up to this option cost buyers a cool $121.15. In today’s money, that’s a little over $1,000. You’ve got to pay to play when it comes to big-block power!
