Not Your Grandma's Grocery-Getter: Unassuming 1967 Chevrolet Bel Air Wagon Runs 9s

Spotted at Byron Dragway in Illinois, this sixth-generation Bel Air looks like it just emerged out of a barn. It's missing trim, the paint is a mess, and some body panels are anything but straight. However, there's a reason why the hood has a massive bulge on top. This unassuming wagon packs a beefed-up big-block V8 that displaces 496 cubic inches (8.1 liters).

It sounds like hell is about to break loose when the pedal hits the metal, and it packs way more punch than the regular 1967 Bel Air. How much oomph, you ask? Well, the owner doesn't say, but there's enough power to push the grocery-getter down the quarter-mile in less than ten seconds. That's a big deal, given that this Bel Air tips the scales at a whopping 5,500 pounds (2,495 kg).

And you're into specifics, the owner of this Bel Air claims his fastest run stopped the clock at 9.30 seconds at 145 mph (233 kph). That's about three-tenths quicker and five mph (eight kph) faster than a Dodge Challenger Demon. And only four-tenths and six mph (ten kph) slower than the Challenger Demon 170. And you know what's completely baffling about it? This Bel Air still rides on its stock suspension.

Unfortunately, the footage below doesn't include a sub-10-second run. But you can still see the wagon covering the quarter-mile quicker than any muscle car from the era. The owner completes a solo run in 11.76 seconds and then goes against a Fox-body Mustang to stop the timer at 11.66 clicks.

This grocery-getter is part of the sixth-gen Bel Air iteration, which Chevrolet produced from 1965 to 1970. The car got a significant makeover design-wise, which included a more angular front fascia and bulging rear fenders. The rear fascia included three-piece taillights.

Three body styles were available that year: two-door sedan, four-door sedan, and a station wagon. The latter came with two or three rows of seating, which provided room for six or nine passengers respectively. As before, the Bel Air slotted between the Biscayne and the Impala. At the time, Chevrolet had recently introduced the Caprice as the range-topping model.

Chevrolet sold more than one million full-size vehicles that year. The production run included about 152,000 station wagons of all trims. But even though this grocery-getter is far from rare, it's an exotic sight at the drag strip. Hit play to check it out.