Who remembers the Heavy Chevy Chevelle, something of a budget-minded SS 396 that was produced during the 1971-72 model years? It carried its own graphics, but unlike the Super Sport, it could be had with almost any V8 sold by Chevrolet. Most of them came with a 307 or a 350 engine, but a few also were built with the 402 cubic-inch motor, still marketed as a 396. The seller’s car is said to be one of the latter and numbers-matching, though more documentation would help. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, and available here on eBay, the bids have reached $10,400, none of which have triggered the reserve. Thanks, Tommy T-Tops for finding this car that I, for one, had forgotten about.
By 1971, the second generation of the Chevelle was starting to get a bit long in the tooth, though still selling well. With a new platform due out in 1973, Chevy decided to squeeze as much as they could out of the existing platform and cooked up the Heavy Chevy Chevelle. It would be an entry-level performance machine without a lot of the creature comforts of a Super Sport. Like Plymouth did with the Road Runner a few years earlier, the Heavy Chevy was targeted at unmarried 20-somethings looking for performance with an economy price tag.
Equipped with special graphics, a domed hood, hood pins, a blacked-out grille, Rally wheels without trim rings, and a bench seat, 6,727 of them were built in the latter half of 1971 and another 9,508 for all of 1972. Given their lower production numbers and the cost of restoring compared to a Super Sport today, this could be a good Plan B muscle car for someone who likes the looks of the early 1970s Chevelles.
The seller tells us this car is one of 387 left, but we can’t determine his source for that number. It could be because it’s in a minority that were built with a Turbo Jet 400 V8, still marketed as a 396 but actually a 402. Those motors were rated at 240 hp, but the engines had been detuned for unleaded fuel and the rating system was changed (that whole Chevelle era was a bit confusing). We’re told the motor is original to the car and when you pop open the hood, a pleasant surprise awaits: a rebuilt engine and transmission, with the former having been blinged out.
This Chevelle looks to have been kept outside with a makeshift cover over it in a humid climate, so the body and paint don’t look that great. There is no mention of rust, but the rear quarter panels and the trunk would be likely targets. The Heavy Chevy stripes and decals are gone, so the rather drab dark green paint is likely a more recent addition to the automobile. The interior likely needs work as these cars often came with rubber floor coverings. The back seat looks great, but the makeshift cover on the front seat suggests something is amiss below it. If you were to restore the cosmetic aspects of this car, you’d have a conversation piece among a bunch of SS 396 or 454 owners.
When I worked at McDonald’s,a guy who worked
there bought one new,in that medium yellow color.
You dont see these that often. I wonder if people just got rid of the decals over the years or if they just weren’t that popular in my region. There is a yellow one with black decals thats been hitting the shows the past couple seasons. Thought i had a pic of it but couldnt find it. Ive seen a white one too. Both were 350 cars. Neat option though.
I have a buddy that had one as a parts car in the 90’s. After he was done getting what he wanted. He then cut the rest up in small pieces so no one else could use anything. I thought that was wrong then, and defiantly do now.
Restoration decals are now available for these cars.
https://www.phoenixgraphix.com/gm/7172hc.php
Another source for stripes here: https://www.stencilsandstripes.com/product/1971-72-heavy-chevy-chevelle/#
I had a 72 Heavy Chevy Chevelle, Midnight Bronze/ White heavy Chevy stripes 350 4spd in floor/ no console,no carpet, rubber floor mats, door panels are specific to heavy chevy. Loved the car traded it for a 69 chevelle
SS models came with the round gauge pods and I think the Heavy Chevys came with the standard vertical speedo
The vertical speedometer was standard, though the if the option U14, tach and gauges, was ordered, it came with the round instrument cluster.
Steve R
Is Bruce right about the speedometer?
I know of a Malibu that could use an image upgrade.
Yes, all Heavy Chevy models had the same long length speedo as a Malibu, unless ordered with the tach and guage package. Then it used the same round guages found in any SS, which had the round guages dash standard with idiot lights, unless you ordered the tach in that as well, cause it was optional, it did not come with the SS option.
Wait ’till someone decides to ‘un-bling’ the motor back to stock. The proper air cleaner will set them back $1,000. The hot air assembly another $600. The proper fuel filter bracket and lines another $3-400.
This older I guy I worked with back in the mid eighties talked about his “Heavy Chevy” and how much be liked it. A 350 2 barrel model with a manual transmission. I don’t remember seeing any at all except for one in a book. I realized it was just a Malibu with grab your attention graphics and name. I figure most were scrapped years ago.
A guy I worked with always talked about the Heavy Chevy that he used to own and that he loved it. I kind of doubted the story because I had never heard of them and figured it was a name he made up for his car.
By that point he was driving a new ’82 Trans Am.
Bought a 71 Heavy Chevy new ,402 auto .After a year had a repaint , midnight bronze and added SS badges on it. Drove it another 5 7ears and sold it .Nice car but had brake problems for day one.
I never kept up with the Heavy Chevelle after 1970 and figured it was powered by a low horsspower 350 2 barrel or 350 4 barrel. If I would have known you could get the 396(402) and 454 options in a light car with few options I would have had a higher opinion of the Heavy Chevy. A 454 in 1972 in a Heavy Chevy with the LS5 option had a 9 to 1 compression rato and 270 net howerpower which was 90 horsepower off the 1970 LS5 Chevelle of 360 gross HP. The LS5 was defineley not in the class of an LS6, but had the same 500 foot pounds of torque. A Plain Jane 454 Heavy Chevy could have fooled some people on the street thinking it was only a 307or 350.
No 454 was available in the Heavy Chevy. That option was SS only. Heavy Chevy was built on the base Chevelle model, with no drip rail trim, wheel opening mouldings, and all had rubber mats, while the SS was based on a Malibu series and had trim & carpet instead.