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What does heavy Chevy mean to you? Drag racing an early fourth-generation Camaro would teach you exactly what a heavy Chevy looks and feels like, but we’re not talking about the weight of a Chevrolet vehicle here. Those of you familiar with the early 70s Chevelles would recognize a Heavy Chevy as a doctored-up Chevelle Sport Coupe offered in 1971 and 1972. Thanks to an old advertisement we found on Chromjuwelen.com, let’s take a look at what a real Heavy Chevy was.
The Heavy Chevy was introduced in 1971 as a separate Chevelle sub-model. The only thing different between the Heavy Chevy and a regular Sport Coupe, however, was the trim package.
With a domed SS hood, locking hood pins, special blacked out grill, rally wheels, side striping and special “Heavy Chevy” decals, the Chevelle sub-model had the appearance of a high-performance muscle car without the hefty price tag. That was the idea behind the Heavy Chevy, creating a budget-friendly vehicle that still had the looks of a potent muscle machine.
Rather than the extra $1,000 or so that one would have to muster up in order to purchase the SS option, the Heavy Chevy model tacked on only about $100 on top of the Sport Coupe price. In addition to the lower sales price, the car was also cheaper to insure than its boisterous big sister.
Performance wise, you could choose any V8 engine offered in the Chevelles except for the 454cui SS engine. You also had a lot of optional components to choose from, like a Positraction rear axel, wide-ratio four-speed transmission, power brakes and a tachometer. So, while the Heavy Chevy was relatively the same weight as the other Chevelle models, it was heavy with available options.
Unfortunately for fans of the Heavy Chevy model, it only lasted two years- not surprising since it was the poor man’s SS. This just goes to show if you want a high-performance vehicle, it’s better to just buy the real thing.
