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From: Daven Anderson
Email: [email protected]
Date: January 20, 2002
I used this example to 'rub it in' to the Chevy crowd,but of course there IS a mitigating factor as to why the Chevy is heavier in that case. That would be its 'stovebolt' 235 six,which is substantially heavier than the competing Ford or Plymouth sixes. Chevy had the heaviest sixes,BUT the lightest V8's of the big 3 that year. So if we change all 3 business coupes to base V8 cars the weights then become Chevy= 3159 lbs. (265 V8), Ford= 3267 lbs. (272 V8), Plymouth= 3315 lbs. (277 V8). Yes,the Chevy LOSES 9 lbs. by getting the 265 V8 in place of the 'stovebolt' six! The Ford and Plymouth gain weight as V8 cars,but the weight of all 3 V8 cars is in proportion to their lengths. The '57 V8 Plymouths seem to weigh around 150 lbs. more across the board than comparable V8 '57 Chevys,which is not that much more really and they ARE bigger cars. Example: 1957 Belvedere 2-door Hardtop 301 V8= 3415 lbs. 1957 Chevy Bel-Air 2-door Hardtop 265 V8= 3274 lbs. Chevys of 1958 and 1959 would not even have that much weight advantage over 1958-9 Plymouths, many '59 Chevys are heavier than the comparable '59 Plymouth models.