Let’s go racing! In this Pure Stock drag strip showdown, we have a 1967 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport versus a 1968 Plymouth GTX. Before we get to the racing, let’s take a look at the competitors.
1967 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport
In 1967, the Chevrolet Impala Super Sport could be had with a 427 cubic-inch Big Block V8, or as a completely separate model called the SS 427. The SS 427 had a different stripe of 427 from the Super Sport 427. The Super Sport 427 produced 385 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. Our featured Impala Super Sport is equipped with a four-speed manual gearbox and aggressive 4.56 rear gears. Overall weight with driver is a portly 4,480 pounds. Car Life magazine tested a Super Sport 427 in May of 1967, and managed an 8.4-second zero to 60 mile per hour time and a 15.75-second quarter-mile time at 86.5 mph. However, the testing was done with an automatic transmission-equipped model with 3.07 gears.
1968 Plymouth GTX
The challenger in this match-up is a 1968 Plymouth GTX with a 440 cubic-inch V8 producing 375 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. It is equipped with a three-speed automatic transmission and 3.23 rear gears. The weight with driver is 3,830 pounds, a 650-pound advantage over the Impala Super Sport. In February of 1968, Car Life magazine tested a 1968 Plymouth GTX, and saw a zero-to-60 mile per hour time of 6.8 seconds, and a quarter-mile elapsed time of 14.6 seconds at 95.6 mph.
First Race
In the first race of this best-of-three challenge, the Impala Super Sport had a 13.30-second elapsed time at 106.01 miles per hour, versus the Plymouth GTX’s 13.65-second time at 102.05 miles per hour. However, the Impala red-lighted (started before the light turned green), automatically giving the win to its adversary. WINNER: GTX.
Second Race
On the second pass, the Impala Super Sport ran a 13.50-second elapsed time at 104.38 miles per hour, and the Plymouth GTX laid down a 13.61-second run at 102.40 miles per hour. The Impala would have won on the better elapsed time, but the GTX red-lighted, which gave the Impala the win regardless. WINNER: Impala.
Third Race
On the final run, both cars got a proper start. The Impala Super Sport won on the narrowest of margins with a 13.50-second pass at 105.65 miles per hour against the GTX’s 13.53 seconds at 102.62. This challenge was a testament to the Impala’s 4.56 rear gears, as the extra 650 pounds the Super Sport was carrying should have crippled it from the jump.
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