1973 Chevelle Build found on TC...

77mali wrote:Applause for this guy's creativity and hard work. 3rd Gen's are more stylish & luxurious (of course that's a matter of opinion) & I think they handle much better too. While the previous gen came w/ more HP they were not bound by the environmental restrictions that came about in 73-74. If our cars did not have to "comply"...imagine what would have been. I think that's why the 73-77 a bodies are so often hot-roded & customized. These cars are the 57 Bel-Airs of my generation. I love them! Didn't mean to rant but can't stand some of the "snobbery" of most websites for the 68-72 models.

i hear you there man, and i agree with you. honestly we have 2 70 chevelles and a 72 el camino in the family, ive driven them all and i will say that id take mine over them anytime, our cars are more comfortable, handle better, and i think the earlier ones have more blind spots in them, my 74 has none, our 72 elco has a lot.

One aspect of the popularity of the 64/72 Chevelles was that they could be bought from the factory with high horsepower engines and 73/77 Chevelles had to settle with reduced HP engines. Well, I am pushing 600 HP, so that ends that argument right there. Yeh, it did not come from the factory that way, but I got it. One big differance between 64/72 and 73/77 is the width, which adds extra weight, but in a way that is good because most of that extra width is in the wheelwells where bigger tires can be fitted. JB

The log style bumpers are another argument that we have proven to overcome. Seems as if the smog equipment and extra weight are always the biggest thing that the early gen guys don't like. JB pointed out the obvious solution to one of those problems. The weight difference isn't really as bad as some people make it out to be. Just trimming the bumpers down, an apple to apple comparison of a 68-72 vs 73-77 car is gonna be negligible. No matter what, we still have them beat on handling and ride comfort.

Don't get me wrong, my list of top 5 favorite A Body cars includes a 70 Chevelle and a 65 442. I've owned just as many OBS as I have G3s & would LOVE to have a 65 Olds sometime down the road. Then again, a 73 W-30 sounds almost as nice.....

Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on the cars....but a seemingly large number of folks who dismiss the 73-77 A bodies as lesser cars. You see the same thing w/ corvette owners who dismiss cars from about 74 through 82 and pretend that vette's were not even made from 84 until the 1st ZR-1's came out in 90 or 91. Usually when I got to a show or cruise night, people are very nice and love to tell you about their cars. One of the biggest "Car Snob's" I've ever met had and 70 LS-6 (unbelievable car)...and there was a guy 2 car's down w/ a 73 SS...the real deal too. The dude w/ the 70 was talking to his buddy saying stuff like..."That one only came w/ 225 HP... I could buy 20 of those for what I paid for mine"...(You get the picture.)
I hate our bumpers too though! LOL. Planing on cutting & welding back the ends closer to the frame...anyone who's done it...please post your pics somewhere. That's my only complaint about them...again...another Federal Regulation, screwing things up.

Bumpers have been done on here by a few of us. Here's the sticky that includes all of the threads about it (found in G3Tech > Body). Lots of info in here & some pics of finished products.

http://www.g3gm.com/t2745-bumper-sink-in

Also some quick shots of my front bumper. I'll try to get out there and take better ones soon.

Awesome job they look great Rago...Thanx!