What was the Heavy Chevy Chevelle?

[Oddjob]

Was it just a stripe package, or did it come with other options? What colors were available? I've only ever seen one, about 20 years ago. They must be really rare. I'm not referring to the Heavy Chevy pick up trucks which came out a few years later.

[silver_chevelle]

1971-1972 was the heavy chevy....it was just a stripe kit. weather or not they actually weighed more im not sure of...but yah, stripes on the side that say "Heavy Chevy".

[vinman]

I had a friend that had one. Plain chevelle with 350 4 barrel. Plain bench seat and rubber floor mat, kinda like a nova.

[68chevelle]

umm i think they actauly did weigh more. i think i read something somewhere about them weighing more becuase of insurance prices were rising and it was a way to make insurance cheeper, but dont take my words as gold. i only slighly remember soemthing like that i could be totaly wrong.

[Chevelle71]

inofrmation about these cars is scarce. i have found some sites a while back that mentioned the heavy chevy's to have the same options as the ss except for the 454 engine. I dont recall colors. if i read the cowl tag right, then my 71 is a heavy chevy, i think the numbers were 13437, i dont quite remember and i cant check right now since its in the shop.

[molhannah]

Along with those 19,293 Super Sports, Chevrolet sold another 6,727 "Heavy Chevy" Chevelles in 1971. Introduced midyear, the Heavy Chevy package, RPO YF3, was an obvious response to changing attitudes, as well as an attempt to sell performance imagery to those who probably couldn't afford to operate or insure one of Chevrolet's few surviving super cars. RPO YF3 was nothing more than window dressing, although buyers could equip a Heavy Chevy with any V-8, from the standard Chevelle's Turbo Fire 307 to the LS3 Turbo Jet 400 (the LS5 was not available). YF3 features included the Super Sport's domed hood with tie down pins; special body stripes; Heavy Chevy decals on the hood, fenders, and deck lid; black accente grille and headlight bezels; and 14x6 Rally wheets without trim rings. Instead of $1000, the approximate askig price for the stillborn 1971 LS6, RPO YF3 added slightly more than a hundered bucks to a 1971 Chevelle sticker. Whether that represented an attractive offer or not is your call.

[DPelletier]

Good info Molhannah,
The Heavy Chevy had nothing to do with the car's weight!
It was a low dollar/cheap insurance sport version quite similar to Oldmobiles Rallye 350 and Pontiac's GT-37.

Dave

[droveahevychevy]

I was reading your comments and just had to add some information about the 71 Heavy Chevy that I owned. I bought it new off the lot in 1971. I lived in Victoria, Texas and was one of four in the surrounding counties to have one. Of course the other three were guys. These were the only ones I every saw anywhere I went. I know there was one yellow with white stripes, one was red with black stripes, a silver one with black stripes and mine was the color of a brand new penny with white stripes. It was a 350 with three speed on the floor. All the basics that you mentioned, but I was told when I bought it that it had a heavy duty rear end suspension. I paid $3,200. right off the lot. I sure wish I had that car now. God I loved it, had a close friend of mine taught me how to speed shift it and I though I was in the Indy 500 everywhere I went. We lived in a small town and we did a lot of street racing. Great times were had in that car. :0)

[kitten2686]

not much difference with the heavy chevy. mainly cosmetic.

[dandy_lion]

Mine was a 1972 Heavy Chevy, orange with black vinyl top, stripes were black. Had hood wires/pins. I paid $3400. Made 11 mpg!! Of course gas was 25cents a gallon. Was absolutely worthless in snow, rear-wheel drive and all. Supposedly had "posi-traction" but really didn't notice. I wish I had that car back too. But at 7 years of age (the car, I mean) at the time I sold it, it was worn out. It had about 105,000 miles on it.

[sub006]

Chevy was also tapping into the Road Runner thing, an inexpensive car that looked like a serious performer.

And you didn't even have to take the performance if all you wanted was "the look".

According to a four-car Motor Trend comparison test around 1973, the HC package also included some handling parts in the front and rear suspension. Other cars tested were Ford Gran Torino, Pontiac GTO and Dodge Charger.

[gonefshn0192]

My '71 Heavy Chevy had a 4 bolt main instead of the normal 2 bolt main. Mine was the blue with white stripes, like the one in the attached picture.


I never tested it to the limits, but did come close one time.......
Scared my girlfriend really good that night!