1967 Chevy Chevelle Engine Options And Power Compared

• 1967 Chevelle came with 8 engine choices: Inline-6, a 283 V-8, a 327 V-8, and a 396 V-8 with various power levels.
• Engine power varied from 140 to 375 horsepower, making Chevelle a top contender in the muscle car era of the 60’s.
• The SS model featured the powerful 396 V-8 engine, crucial when considering the value of a Chevelle today.

The Chevrolet Chevelle was first introduced in 1964 as a mid-sized automobile available in different body styles. You could have it as a sedan, coupe, convertible, wagon, and even a pickup version. But what people get excited the most about choosing the Chevrolet Chevelle they want is what engine they could get. The Chevelles came with a variety of engines with varying power levels depending on which option you chose. This was accompanied by a host of transmissions available depending on the owner’s intended purpose for the car.

1967 was the last year for the first-generation Chevelle and a few updates were made to the exterior styling as well as engine options. While the number of engines didn’t change, one had been discarded and replaced with a new engine. These engines also greatly affect the current market values of Chevelles. This article takes a deep dive into the available engines for the Chevelle and how much each car is worth depending on which engine it comes with.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including Chevrolet, Hagerty, and MotorTrend.

Red 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle

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Eight Engines Were Available For The ’67 Chevelle

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The first-generation Chevrolet Chevelle was originally offered with several engines when it came out in 1964. There were two inline-six and three V-8 engines available. By 1967, which was the last year of the first-gen Chevelle. Gone was the base 194 cubic inch inline-six which was the least powerful engine available.

The new base inline six was now the 230 cubic-inch engine that was among the original engines. But a new and more powerful 250 cubic-inch inline six had been introduced in 1966 which was an optional engine for the Chevelle. But the Chevelles were powerful muscle cars mainly known for their big V-8 engines and you had three choices.

Two Small Blocks and One Big Block

Chevrolet muscle cars have always been known to make use of small block V-8 engines which are quite powerful and there were two options available for the 1967 Chevelle. The base engine is a 283 cubic-inch V-8 and an optional 327 cubic-inch V-8 is available with two states of tune. The most powerful engine available for the Chevelle was the 396 cubic-inch V-8 which was available with three power levels depending on what option you ticked.

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Power Comparisons Of Each Engine

1967 Chevrolet Chevelle engine

These power numbers may seem small by today’s standard where some family cars make much more power. But this was almost six decades ago when 300 horsepower was a huge number and anything with over 400 horsepower was king. These were among the most powerful muscle cars of the 60’s.

The six-cylinder engines were popularly known as Turbo Thrift. Power did not exceed 155 horsepower but they made as much as 235 pound feet of torque. These engines were also featured in Chevy trucks at the time and were known as High Torque 230s or 250s depending on the engine displacement.

Engine Specifications

Engine

230 I-6

250 I-6

283 V-8

327 V-8

396 V-8

Displacement

3.8 liters

4.1 liters

4.6 liters

5.4 liters

6.5 liters

Power

140 Horsepower

155 Horsepower

195 Horsepower

275–375 Horsepower

325-375Horsepower

Torque

220 pound-feet

235 pound-feet

285 pound-feet

355 pound-feet

410-415 pound-feet

Driveline

Rear-Wheel Drive

(Source: Chevrolet)

This was a similar characteristic to the V-8 engines as they made much more torque than horsepower. Since they were all naturally aspirated engines, the big torque delivered that power much sooner. The base V-8 made only 195 horsepower and if that was enough, the optional 327 V-8 made 275 horsepower, and for a little more money you could have a 325 horsepower version of the same engine. But these were the small block engines, if you wanted as much power as possible, the big block was the only option.

The 396 was the only big block engine but was available with three power levels but similar torque numbers. However, this engine was exclusive to the SS model:

• Standard- 325 horsepower
• Medium- 350 horsepower
• Max- 375 horsepower

The ’67 Chevelle had up to Seven Transmissions

As if choosing an engine you want wasn’t a daunting task already, you had to choose which engine you wanted paired with your engine. This was done to cater to different drivers and their needs. If you wanted to take your car racing then you needed a stronger transmission that was suitable for the job. These transmissions included:

• Two manual three-speeds
• Two manual four-speeds
• An overdrive three-speed
• Two Powerglide automatics (three/four-speed)

No matter the powertrain you choose, they all send power to the rear wheels only.

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Price Differences For Each Engine Option

Burgundy 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle

Just like adding options to your brand-new car today, you could do the same with cars back in the day. For the Chevelle, these options had RPO (Regular Production Order) codes that were assigned to each accessory to help identify them easily. Even the engines each had RPO codes to identify them since they were used across a variety of Chevy cars and trucks.

The base engines that come with the Chevelles are a no-charge option since they come standard with the vehicle. But if you wanted more power, you had to pay extra for it. The table below shows the available engines and codes attached to them as these were used to identify what engine and power level you wanted.

Engine Options and Prices

RPO Code

Engine

Power

MSRP

Adjusted for inflation

Base

230 I-6

140 Horsepower

L22

250 I-6

155 Horsepower

$26.35

$260.73

Base

283 V-8

195 Horsepower

L30

327 V-8

275 Horsepower

$92.70

$917.27

L79

327 V-8

325 Horsepower

$198.05

$1,959.71

L35

396 V-8

325 Horsepower

$182.95

$1,810.30

L34

396 V-8

350 Horsepower

$117.85

$1,166.13

L78

396 V-8

375 Horsepower

$237.00

$2,345.12

(Source: Chevrolet)

These codes were mainly made available for vehicles with the same engine but different power levels. The Chevelle was available in different body styles and each one could be had with almost any engine available. All you had to do was pick the corresponding option you wanted as long as you were willing to pay extra for it. But there was one engine you couldn’t have unless you chose the top trim Chevelle.

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The SS Had The Biggest And Most Powerful Engine

Blue 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu Convertible

The SS represents the top trim and most powerful models of the Chevelle since the first gen and the most powerful engine was the 396 cubic-inch V-8. It was the biggest and most powerful engine available for the Chevelle in 1967, but you could only have it with the SS model. Unlike the previous base options, even in its standard form of 325 horsepower, you had to pay to get one since that instantly signified that you wanted an SS version.

You could only have them as two-door coupes or convertibles since these were the only body styles allowed to have the SS designation. These cars were further reinforced to handle the power and had better suspension to improve the handling characteristics of the vehicle. If you wanted a Chevelle that was drag-strip-ready and could easily compete with other top contenders, you chose the SS trim.

The 396 Was Known As The SS Engine.

The 396 cubic-inch V-8 became synonymous with the Chevelle SS as it was the most powerful engine available at the time. This was also the same engine featured in the Corvette at the time so it was well known as a performance powerhouse. When the next generation of cars came around, this engine was still retained because of its durability and reliability but was now the entry-level engine.

A parked 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS

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The ’67 Chevelle’s Worth Depends On The Engine

Blue 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu

The Chevelles have become classic muscle cars and have now reached collector status. In recent years, the values of these cars have continued to creep up steadily. Your car’s worth today depends on many factors but the engine plays a huge role in how much it could be worth. The inline-six engines are worth significantly less than the V-8-equipped cars which command a much higher premium.

1967 Chevrolet Chevelle Values

Even equipped with the V-8 engine, the optional engines fetch a bit more money than the standard engines.

Engine

Power

Values

327 V-8

275 horsepower

$14,300-$39,700

327 V-8

325 horsepower

$23,600-$72,700

396 V-8

325 horsepower

$41,800-$98,700

396 V-8

350 horsepower

$47,300-$106,000

396 V-8

375 horsepower

$41,300-$130,000

(Source: Hagerty)

The table above shows a good example of the price differences between V-8-equipped cars. The 327 engine with more power is more valuable than the standard engine configuration. We see the same price difference with the SS-equipped 396 models, the price differences are most notable at the top end as concourse-level cars have significant price gaps between them.

Convertible versions of these cars are very rare compared to the coupe models so they command an even higher premium when equipped with similar engines. These cars are so rare that they’re worth more even with a lesser engine. A great example is the 283 cubic-inch equipped V-8 which is worth between $23,000-$60,900 which is on par with the 327-equipped V-8 coupes.

The 1967 Chevelle is now a valuable car which is no surprise since cars of this era have gained similar values. It may not be the most desirable year but that hasn’t stopped them from gaining some appreciation status among enthusiasts and car collectors. Many of these cars are being treated as future investment pieces and it is justified since the Chevelle was one of those historical cars that helped shape the muscle car era of the 60’s and 70’s.