As an effort to tap into a greater portion of the performance car market, Chevrolet added the “Heavy Chevy” to the Chevelle lineup in 1971. It was something of a poor man’s Super Sport, the idea being to keep the cost of buying and maintaining the car low (like the original Plymouth Road Runner). The seller claims this is a Heavy Chevy Chevelle, but it doesn’t have any of the typical clues and was an option package rather than a separate series anyway. Located in Brunswick, Georgia, this Chevrolet is available here on eBay where $15,100 is the current bid.
If you’ll recall, the insurance industry was coming after muscle cars hot and heavy by 1970, so the Heavy Chevy was an attempt to avoid that. The car was largely an appearance thing, with Heavy Chevy graphics, a bench seat interior, rubber floor mats, and a 307 cubic inch V8 as standard equipment. It was based on the base Chevelle Sport Coupe, not the Malibu, which the VIN the seller provides does confirm. You could get a Heavy Chevy with any V8 above the 307 except the 454. The 350 was a common middle ground.
About 6,700 Heavy Chevy’s were sold in 1971 plus another 9,500 in 1972. And then it was gone. As the story goes, this Chevy was bought new in Colorado and was used for 20 years before being parked in a barn. It stayed there for another two decades before the second owner came along. The seller bought it in 2013 and went about fixing it up, which included dropping in a rebuilt 396 V8 to replace whatever was there to begin with. It was likely a manual shift car to start as the three pedals under the dash indicate, but an automatic is in play now.
If this were a Heavy Chevy, it has lost many of the usual signs. The domed hood is gone. There is no fully blacked-out grille. The graphics are missing, too, as the car appears to have been repainted. The bench seat is also MIA, replaced by buckets and the interior is a work-in-progress. The seller did spend a lot of money to get the vehicle where you see it today, with one invoice alone totaling more than $5,000.
The seller is moving and the Chevelle isn’t in the future plans. We’re told that it wouldn’t take a lot to turn this car into a daily driver, just finishing some of what the seller started. With only 50 miles on the engine, the Chevy is said to run as it should. While the auction is going full steam ahead, the seller will consider offers – at least ones above where the current bid lies. If you’re looking for a car that has the performance of an SS 396 without the identification, does this Chevy pass muster?
Heavy Chevy was based on the Deluxe model so buckets and console were unlikely. Malibu 400s are probably equally as rare. Nevertheless a lot can happen in fifty years. I doubt that anyone would swap in an SS steering wheel cover rather than a three or four spoke wheel. Nice looking car that may be half finished for you.
The seller should have left the car the way it came from the factory!
How many Chevelle owners did that, and why woulld you???
Need to find the original build sheet, probably located under the sound barrier (which would be under the carpet) to determine if it’s a real heavy chevy or something other than.
The column shifter is still there, in addition to the clutch pedal, meaning this one originally had a 307 or a 350. Both were available on the Heavy Chevy and the Chevelle SS.
Let’s see. An SS steering wheel, bigger motor, no graphics, trans swap, most regular badges(trunk and fenders).. Mmm.. I’m more inclined to believe it’s a standard chevelle, starting out with a 307, and 3 speed on tree. So, bidders beware. With that many $’s on the line, and no documentation, yeah be aware.
You can’t rule out that it’s a Heavy Chevy, but there is no evidence it is. Definitely a small block, receipts don’t mean a much since it doesn’t even tell you what size engine was installed. If it is a real Heavy Chevy, why did someone install a flat hood before painting it, if the original domed hood was bad, reproductions are available and relatively inexpensive. It looks like a home built “hot rod” without and underlying plan. There is no reason to bid a premium for the Heavy Chevy claim, only as it is presented in its current form.
Steve R
You’re not kidding about there being no evidence that this is a Heavy Chevy. The grille is wrong, the headlight bezels are wrong, the hood is wrong, the steering wheel is wrong, the interior is wrong, the wheels are wrong, and the stripes are gone. There isn’t a trace of the Heavy Chevy package here.
…and I see holes in the trunk lid where the Chevelle badge would be, so my guess is that this was originally a standard, non-Malibu Chevelle. Still would make a nice driver, just don’t pay Heavy Chevy money for this one.
Car has a clutch pedal, a saddle shifter auto w/console, and is that a column shifter too? Whatta mess.
I don’t know why no one has said anything about the fact that all the receipts except the one from Summit say this car had a 350 in it. It’s obvious the transmission was swapped out and it would be easy enough to change the front seat into buckets and a center console. If this is a true Heavy Chevy it’s a real shame the motor was lost in time. Very few of these survived and unfortunately it is no longer nor will it ever be original again. May as well build it however you want. Definitely be nice finished. If there’s a way to prove it’s a true Heavy Chevy it should be made to look like one again. At least paint wise. Super Sports show up at shows all the time but the Heavy Chevy is non existent. Either way it’s a nice car.
What’s with the console automatic shifter? The column shifter and clutch pedal are still there. Shaking my head!
It could be a Heavy Chevy, it has the standard wipers, not the hide aways. You can’t fake that. The location is different and would require a lot of work to change that. It is a shame that he opted for the Malibu interior. The car would have been much more valuable with the base interior. ( which is different from the Malibu interior)This car has the correct taillight lens ( no trim ) it is lacking the drip-rail chrome( that’s correct). Yes, there is a lot missing, but the stuff that’s left is really strong evidence that it it a Heavy Chevy. If it isn’t then it is a base model Chevelle.
Heavy Chevys I remember never had power steering
How much
After building 3 Heavy Chevys, they all had the build sheet on top of the gas tank. The build sheets all had Heavy Chevy in large bold letters. All three had rubber floors instead of carpet. One was green with white HC stripes, one was silver with black HC stripes the other was gold with black HC stripes. All 3 had non functional cowl hoods.
A 134 vin base model Chevelle with a v-8. All the items Mike Grady mentions would be correct for that model. Deck lid is pierced for Chevelle emblem. 134 model, yes. YF3 Heavy Chevy, no.
My 71 Heavy Chevy had factory power steering, air conditioning and column shifted automatic
Bought a 71 Heavy Chevy new and traded in a Vega ,my Heavy Chevy was midnight bronze white stripes.Came with rally wheels and no trim rings. This one came with a 402 auto and no posi amfm radio no ac Bench seat. Sad to say drum brakes all around.Just the dome hood ,no flipper in it.Paint went bad in less than 3 years ,had it painted same color and added all the SS badges.It lived the first 7 years in Ohio
I’m not saying it’s not a heavy chevy.. but all the heavy Chevy that was made had a decal on both rear quarter panel. The guy should have put new ones back on..you can actually still get them now from a buy out person that’s buys gm old stock an resells it..
Bought my 71 new and it came with decals trunk and bottom of both front fenders.Plus the long white stripes on both sides.
For what it is and in good shape, it’s worth the $16. I’d have to go back to a stick though. It does have the wheels I like and hopefully has the caps for them. It looks like a lot of suspension wirk was done too. The interior wouldn’t be hard to finish either. I wou want to pay much more since I don’t want the automatic.