My Granfather in Mexico still drives a 1986 Century limited "EL DORADO" super classic ...Black with black leather seats I hope he leaves it to me... I love that car..was pure luxury in Mexico back in the 80's
The A body would turn into really reliable cars towards the end of the run. I had a '96 Oldsmobile Ciera and it never let me down. I finally had to retire it from driving on the road as a winter beater due to rust.
Well done! 🙂 Got to get my 94 Ciera going soon. Having idle issues, and ignition module went out. No more amazon parts, going to pullapart and getting factory sensors. 165k on this one, no rust, but clear coat is peeling off.
It was a step in the right direction, even if it was an awkward step. At the time the GM “A bodies” were popular. I knew people who owned a Chevy, Oldsmobile & Buick versions and they were happy with their cars. They had room, got decent gas mileage and performed adequately compared to other cars of the time and were competitively priced. Don’t try to compare an 80’s car to what we expect today
@@LearnAboutFlow I think these cars epitomize the saying "GM cars will run poorly forever." These cars were EVERYWHERE but anyone who could afford Japanese car prices probably wasn't a repeat buyer.
The domestic car industry has been purposely building cars not to last no more than 8 years. Since the 1980s. There were a few gems here and there, but overall they're not that great.
@@thystaff742 It's called planned obsolescence. That, along with added government regulations, is meant to keep the economy rolling. (Pun not intended.) If cars lasted longer, that would hurt sales and not look good on the American economy (GDP).
@Mr.Corinthians Not about the economy at all, just corporate greed. The people who buy new cars will do so regardless how long they lasted. This set up only hurts the lower middle class and those who live on a fixed income.
The 4Tech was a much better engine than the V6. It was easier to work on and completely bulletproof. It would consistently get over 30 mpg. The handling with the lighter 4 cylinder was much better.
I have always called the Celebrity, along with its Buick Century, Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, & Pontiac 6000 stablemates, GM's "Redemption Cars" as I feel that when they were first introduced in January of 1982, they fixed everything that was wrong with the X-cars which had been introduced in April of 1979. No, they were NOT perfect cars, but in terms of build quality & durability, they were orders of magnitude better than the X-cars.
I'd say they got decent around 1987. 82-86s were crap and had the same problems as the X car. Oil leaks, Transmission leaks, cheap interior pieces that break off, touchy rear brakes causing a sway, Weak AC that didn't even last 3 years, overheating, The carbureted engine would stall on queue.
This car was an instant classic. Bullet fast, reliable, surprisingly easy to drive, unbelievably efficient and quite the head turner. 🤔 Wait, I was thinking of an entirely different car.
What they were was solid, reliable, comfortable, smooth, and efficient. When they were introduced they were quite modern for the time. A lot of American cars were still huge carryover cars from the 70s that were even slower and got worse mileage.
Funny, but I'd still want to drive one of these in 2023 than an SUV. I love the early 80's models lot's of character, and I can fix a car as early 8's would need that so it's a relationship of mutual love. :)
Thank you for another GM review. Thank you for posting. They sold so many of the A Body Celebrtity in the 1980's. It came equipped so many different ways over the years. The wagon lived on until 1989 or 1990. It had a long run and the updates along the way made it look better and helped sales. Everyone remembers the Eurosport trim level. The Lumina came along to replace this car.
I had an '85 Celebrity with the 2.8 v6. Payed $3500. for it used, and drove it for 13 years. Did most of the repairs and maintenance myself saving a ton of money. My best memory of the car was that it was a tank in the snow. If it had descent tires on it was unstoppable. Had plenty of 4x4s over the years but this car impressed the heck out of me. Put it in the ditch once with not very good tires. So much snow in the ditch I couldn't open the doors. Rocked it back and forth a few times and drove it up and out. I couldn't believe it.
Had the exact same car. That carbureted 2.6 V6 would start up immediately on the turn of the key. Never let me down but the steering rack did have that morning sickness. The only other problem was that I had to charge the air conditioning every spring because the refrigerant would seep out during the winter. Heard that the problem was ceramic parts against steel and the ceramic parts wouldn't expand & contract with the temperature. Don't know if there ever was a fix for that.
These were wildly popular cars in the 80s. They were more modern-looking when they first came out than existing RWD 70s carryovers. They were comfortable, smooth, quiet, affordable, efficient, easy to service, and just good basic cars. The auto industry has strayed so far from this formula.
@@MrTaxiRob the latest trend showing up in even the cheapest cars now is digital configurable instrument clusters. To me it's so unnecessary, and it's just something else expensive to fail.
I also think of it as their final album@@landonbenford8369. When they moved to Atlantic, their sound changed too much for my taste, and from then on it seemed like they just kept making the same album over and over again (except for Clockwork Angels of course)
I understand that people hated this GM platform but in retrospect, nowadays they are rare and as someone who likes the oddball cars of the 80's and 90's I would have been happy to find a Celebrity coupe or sedan. And once they all went EFI the drivetrain's had little to no trouble. It looks like a fun car to throw around and drive. I'd take this over the 80's LeMans.
My first car was a '86 Celebrity Wagon with the 2.8L carb'd V6. It was a hand-me-down from my Mom, who bought it new. We lived in the Chicago suburbs, and by the time the car was mine it had mostly all rusted away (it was garaged too). My friends nicknamed it "The Leper" because things were always falling off of it. It was only about 11 years old at the time. Good ole GM quality! I had a lengthy list of mechanical problems with it too, turns out giving a fragile car like that to a 16 year-old gearhead like myself wasn't such a great idea...
@@zzoinks sure, Japanese cars could rust too. Anything can rust if you don't take good care of it and you live in a place where they salt the roads in the winter. I had transmission and engine failures in the year or two that I owned the car. Almost anything that could break broke. The engine spun a main bearing.
Although this car is from the early 80s, they were still around in the late 80s and 90s. The sedan was the most popular, but this car was always interesting for me to see as a kid.
The wagon versions of this platform were extremely popular where I lived at the time. I always thought GM screwed up by not putting more power into the AWD Pontiac 6000 and going head to head with Audi. It could have killed the A6 in its cradle.
@@624radicalham Yep. Most cars made in the past 25 years are way more durable than in the past and as long as you maintain them properly and don't do anything stupid with them, they will last you a long time.
So the Modern Family Car should be Absolutely Scary and Unsafe in Safety Situations in 1983... I guess I never got that Memo.. but I as just a teen back then!!
I remember seeing these on billboards, & the slogan stated Chevrolet's newest space shuttle; With all the room for cargo, & passengers; It was a Celebrity Wagon. I never heard anybody complain about these vehicles, But I only knew one person who owned one. Thanks for the retro review.
Lots of people rip on this A body platform of this generation. But it must’ve been a pretty good car considering they made it from 1982 to 1996. And sold very well! Wasn’t a bad car especially as time went on.
A lot of people just go around repeating what they've heard, only because they think it makes them appear intelligent or seem smart or it even makes them feel educated, just going around repeating what they think is fact, when in fact, what they're doing is showing that they only repeat what they've heard. It's a little code amongst skilled professionals. You know if they go around repeating what they've heard they're a good candidate to be ripped off lol 🤣 taken advantage of, taken to the cleaners if you will. Haha 🤑 Oops I think I've said too much 🙊
@@thewiseguy3529not only that, but some other people also go around repeating what they've heard, only because they think it makes them appear intelligent or seem smart or it even makes them feel educated, just going around repeating what they think is fact, when in fact, what they're doing is showing that they only repeat what they've heard. It's a little code amongst skilled professionals. You know if they go around repeating what they've heard they're a good candidate to be ripped off, taken advantage of, taken to the cleaners if you will.
Lots of years to get the kinks worked out so that those last few of years of the Ciera and Century were particularly good value for money. A friend of my grandparents had this amazing, loaded 1993 Century in light pink from the factory. She said she'd decided to go full grandma on the last car she was going to buy!
At least the rear door windows rolled down in the 4-door and wagon A-body models, even if they only went down halfway due to the rear wheel arch cut in the doors. G-bodies couldn't say that. The fuel injected 2.8 available by '85 (high output version, 1987-up 2.8 were all injected) was much better. I'm still a fan of the standard Iron Duke, but I wish the Celebrity had lasted longer to get the Cavalier 2200 engine like the Ciera and Century did in '93-'96.
With a 5 speed manual and stiffer sway bars I bet this thing would be a riot at the local autocross. Not a race winner by anymeans, but from how it handled in the video I think it could be fun. Note I'm 25 years old and have NEVER even been in a chevy celebrity.
I had use of a new loaner 2 door Celebrity Eurosport V6 in the mid 1980's when my car was being serviced. I didn't expect much but was actually impressed.
My Dad had a charcoal grey 86 Celebrity 2.8V6 CL when me and my brother and sister were kids in the 90s. Was a good car but suffered from rusting bad same goes for their 1990 Ford Aerostar too!
GMs are notorious for rocker panel rust. I had a 2000 Buick Regal and it was solid rust along the bottom from wheel to wheel after only a few years. Good in terms of powertrain, had the 3800 V6 which was a great engine and had plenty of power. The other downside was the electronic gremlins, power locks, windows, etc all broke at various points in time.
I remember when they offered the Celebrity with a Landau Roof and called it the Celebrity Classic, the Eurosport Model and the Wagon would debut for the 1984 model year. The 2 and 4 door would both disappear for the 1990 model year, just leaving the Station Wagons and they axed them in mid 1990 when the new Dustbuster Lumina APV debuted.
Dude! The smaller N-Body SFI injected Malibu/Grand Am/Alero got 6 mpgs less than this, and they were 14 yrs newer!!!! I always said that early 60 degree V6 front wheel drive GM cars we're underrated. That mileage was insane.
This car was pretty homely, especially the 2-door. They looked a lot more modern and tidy after the '86 update....especially in Eurosport trim. But the Olds Cutlass Ciera and the Pontiac 6000 STE were the lookers, IMHO. The Ciera (and the Century) were also available with the 3.8L V6 eventually.
The new-for-1982 GM A-bodies. For years, everyone bought these with the transmission-of-choice being a three-speed automatic. No overdrive gear available. The "Iron Duke" four-cylinder ran rough, and had durability problems and also lacked useful power. The Chevrolet 60º V6 wasn't that much better, generating anywhere from 115 to 135 horsepower. So the new lines of front-wheel-drive cars that GM invested over a billion dollars in making to replace the older rear-drive models cam up short. What good is going to the trouble of downsizing to come up with this car when the automatic had no overdrive gear for several years at least? The ideal powerplant for the A-bodies was the Oldsmobile Quad4 2.3-liter double-overhead-cam four-cylinder that made 150 to 160 horsepower and got better gas mileage than either the "Iron Duke" or the 60º V6. If only GM had put the Quad4 under the A-body's hood, paired with a four-speed AOD. At least Ford waited until 1986 to come out with the Taurus and Mercury Sable, and those cars had better engines and transmissions, and also more aggressive styling and aerodynamics. But GM? They had a golden chance to advance their A-bodies with the Quad4 if they had simply come out with a better transmission. As it was, no engine could improve an A-body's gas mileage while it was linked to a three-speed automatic with no overdrive gear. GM was slow with both, and that's inexcusable. What's the point of spending all that money to create a new generation of downsized vehicles if they didn't have the best engines and transmissions ready until years later?
I always wondered why/how GM could put sooo many 3 sp. automatics into cars so far into the 90's when 4 sp. auto overdrives had become the norm. It was like GM's transmission contractor was working 3 shifts.😮
My parents bought one of these to coincide with my birth, it began to disintegrate immediately. Ironically, it was replaced with a 1980 Malibu, which was our family car from 1989 to 1996, whereupon it was sold to the next door neighbors kid as his first car. We got a Camry to replace it which failed several times due to ignition and transmission problems. I'm not going to say that a 1980 Chevy Malibu is the most reliable car ever built but given the data it sure seemed that way.
My family had the 1988 two-door Coupe Oldsmobile Ciera with a 3.8 V6 and the four-speed automatic. That was a fun car to drive. My father traded it in for a 1995 Buick Century four-door sedan with the 3.1 V6 four-speed automatic that car was just as much fun to drive and both vehicles were very reliable. Extremely hard to find but I liked the Chevy Celebrities I think it was 1988 Eurosport VR. It came in a coupe, wagon, and sedan.
The coupes were always rare, even the later rounded Buick-Olds ones. They should've used that money to have the wagons available at launch rather than 2 years later.
That was part of GM's stupid 'environmental push' where they claimed they could get better gas mileage by not having opening rear windows on a lot of their cars of this era.
@@LearnAboutFlowAnd that sounds much better than "We've cheaped out and saved money by not designing and installing the hardware to make the rear windows functional.
In 1988 I bought a 4-door '83 Celebrity trade-in that had been a police detective car at the Chevy dealer with the state government fleet sales contract for that year. Two factors helped me get it for next to nothing ($800). They had so many trades coming in from various government entities that they were very motivated to keep them moving off their lot. It was also showing signs of the notorious GM failing paint issue on the hood, roof, and trunk that was so common on pre-clear coat '80s and early '90s vehicles. While watching this video, I wondered how long it took for the paint to fail on that Celebrity. Aside from the crappy GM paint and the fact it was pretty typical of the overall crappy vehicles of that era, there was nothing wrong with it. It came with all maintenance records since new, including receipts from the new crate engine it had gotten installed just a few thousand miles before it was scheduled for trade-in (the original had a piston failure). It was mid level for that era of much more basic vehicles, with just AC, auto, and power steering and brakes as the only major options. I thought it was a pretty uninspiring car even for back then, but I bought it as a spare car for commuting to work and Midwestern winter driving to allow my newer, fancier car to stay in the garage, so that was ok. It had everything it needed to do its job, was reliable (grading on an '80s curve), good in the snow, and I didn't worry about it getting a scratch or dent. Maybe the best part was that after about five years I sold it for more than I paid for it.
That grille is very striking! And i like the way the roofline in the back of the coupe looks while clearly accommodating for leg and headroom of backseat passengers. I'd have one for around town!
The Chevy Celebrity Eurosport was good looking, yet it still needed that pop, in sense of steering and suspension tweaks, and power. I liked it as a kid growing up in the early 80s.
I remember these from back in the day and I’ve always regarded them as the most under-styled car ever made. Seriously, if you asked someone with absolutely no artistic ability whatsoever to draw a car, this is what they would draw. It’s like they asked a single member of the design team to draw a car in less than 10 seconds.
It got as good or better gas mileage than a lot of todays rolling computers and a lot less complicated and you didn't have to take a second mortgage on your house to have it repaired.
I was fortunate to drive a pizzeria Celebrity every shift for a couple years. It was my first foray into FWD and a very good car at a time when many were not.
In my town there's a 4 door Celebrity with a bumper sticker that says "Certified Shitbox" hahaha. It's rustier than hell and and any remaining maroon paint is totally faded but I see that thing running around town all the time! The front end looks a little different than the one in this vid I think, but still has quad headlights so I'm guessing it's an '84-'86 model. Probably has the Iron Duke 4 banger in it. Slow as hell but pretty reliable.
Oddly enough the remaining Century/Cutlass Ciera twins in the early-mid nineties had a pretty good reliability reputation although they were way outdated
They actually in 96 were the best selling model for both Buick and Olds in their last year. The A body cars might be some of the best cars ever made from any brand.
I had rented a Celebrity in 1983, and a friend bought a new 1984 Celebrity Eurosport (likely the secret project car the narrator was taking about). I liked both of them. They were awesome on long trips.
My mommy had a 87 four door sage green with the 2.5 iron Duke. It sure was not fast..... decent on gas for the automatic. But it was sure was comfortable riding family car. We drove it to 2001. And can we say huge trunk.
Collectively my family members have had at least 4 A body cars in my 39 years. Two Euro sport Celebrities one base model Celebrity and a Pontiac 6000 LE. All were nice but all had issues.
You guys are all making fun of these but for GM vehicles from the 80s, or any cars from the 80s these weren’t all that bad. They were comfy daily drivers and I used to still see some around until the last 5 years or so. Same with the Pontiac and olds versions. Probably were later 80s/early 90s models but regardless they weren’t that bad. And trust me I’m no fan of general mess but I’ll admit a decent car when I see one. Not that these were nice to look at lol
It's amazing to here John open with how short-term Americans thinking was about buying more fuel-efficient cars, even back in the early 80's. Nothing's changed in 40 years; people still buy the biggest cars they can afford and then complain about gas prices. Inexplicable.
135k miles lol But seriously at about 170k miles they were toasted. The odometer flipped once and by the time it hit 70k again the car was shitted out.
I bought an 83 from an old lady around Y2K. Got it running after changing the rusted out gas tank, only to find out 2nd gear didn't work. At least the 2.8 could somewhat compensate for it. I think I drove it for a year or two then scrapped it. I forget if it broke down or I just gave up on it. It was forgettable 😂
I got rear ended in December of last year in my 2009 MKZ. The repair bill came to be over $6000, so the insurance company totaled the car instead of fixing it.
I got my '87 Celebrity EuroSport fully loaded 4 door, 72k miles, moonroof and all, in 1998; before internet chatrooms. Almost immediately I had issues with the 2.5L FI Iron Duke. 4 and 1/2 years & 2 Iron Dukes later, (none of which made it to 100,000 miles), my mechanic & g'friend Finally convinced me to give it up! A month later I bought a brand new Saturn Ion 3 which I was VERY happy with!!!!! Later I read somewhere those Iron Dukes had a notorious rep. for failing at 100,000 miles for no good reason! (Gee, thanks for telling me that NOW!!!) No one ever found out why. I'll be kicking myself in the @$$ for the rest of my life as a co-worker offered me $1,500 for it just a month after I got it (slightly more than what I paid for it)!! I shoulda taken his money and RAN!!!!! It woulda saved me a WHOLE Lot of time & money!!!!!😪 I did hear & see that a lotta v6 Celebrities lasted awhile, though.
The A bodies were one of the best transverse mounted front wheel drives they've ever made, only the 1985-99 H-C body cars were the best the general never topped either one, since then or now.
They say the 1970s were the Malaise era, but let’s face it, that era lasted until at least 1989. How the Big 3 survived decades of churning out crap after crap after crap like this, we’ll never know.
Hard to convey how radical these looked when new. All other sedans were a series of straight lines then. The original homerun Taurus was nearly a carbon copy of this (although with better stance. Can't believe I'm saying that😂😂😂)
My Granfather in Mexico still drives a 1986 Century limited "EL DORADO" super classic ...Black with black leather seats I hope he leaves it to me... I love that car..was pure luxury in Mexico back in the 80's
The A body would turn into really reliable cars towards the end of the run. I had a '96 Oldsmobile Ciera and it never let me down. I finally had to retire it from driving on the road as a winter beater due to rust.
Well done! 🙂 Got to get my 94 Ciera going soon. Having idle issues, and ignition module went out. No more amazon parts, going to pullapart and getting factory sensors. 165k on this one, no rust, but clear coat is peeling off.
The cutlass ciera has always been a favorite sight of mine on the road.
@@robjones8733 Coat the underside in a lanolin based undercoating if you want it to survive the rust.
Had a 87 Celebrity Eurosport. Fantastic car in every way.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I’m sure that’s the sporty model the narrator was talking about. Do you think it was too late?
Shit I’m keeping mines forever forever
Loved mine! Wrecked it, otherwise I'd still have it.....
@@ljj2397 Celebrity wagon 85-88 is my favorites
It was a step in the right direction, even if it was an awkward step. At the time the GM “A bodies” were popular. I knew people who owned a Chevy, Oldsmobile & Buick versions and they were happy with their cars. They had room, got decent gas mileage and performed adequately compared to other cars of the time and were competitively priced. Don’t try to compare an 80’s car to what we expect today
Funny, I knew people who owned Chevy, Oldsmobile, and Buick versions and they never, ever bought American again.
@@LearnAboutFlow I think these cars epitomize the saying "GM cars will run poorly forever." These cars were EVERYWHERE but anyone who could afford Japanese car prices probably wasn't a repeat buyer.
The domestic car industry has been purposely building cars not to last no more than 8 years. Since the 1980s. There were a few gems here and there, but overall they're not that great.
@@thystaff742 It's called planned obsolescence. That, along with added government regulations, is meant to keep the economy rolling. (Pun not intended.)
If cars lasted longer, that would hurt sales and not look good on the American economy (GDP).
@Mr.Corinthians Not about the economy at all, just corporate greed. The people who buy new cars will do so regardless how long they lasted. This set up only hurts the lower middle class and those who live on a fixed income.
The Celebrity was one of my favorite front wheel drive cars ever. My mom had a Celebrity wagon with the 2.8 V6 and it was a very good car.
The V6 made that a pretty good car.
The 4Tech was a much better engine than the V6. It was easier to work on and completely bulletproof. It would consistently get over 30 mpg. The handling with the lighter 4 cylinder was much better.
@@user-tb7rn1il3qplease don’t bring any modern stuff in here, please…
@@unitedcity_mc4421 The 4Tech Iron Duke I4 predated the V6.
I have always called the Celebrity, along with its Buick Century, Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, & Pontiac 6000 stablemates, GM's "Redemption Cars" as I feel that when they were first introduced in January of 1982, they fixed everything that was wrong with the X-cars which had been introduced in April of 1979. No, they were NOT perfect cars, but in terms of build quality & durability, they were orders of magnitude better than the X-cars.
That’s like saying Syphilis is a better STD than Genital Herpes.
I'd say they got decent around 1987. 82-86s were crap and had the same problems as the X car. Oil leaks, Transmission leaks, cheap interior pieces that break off, touchy rear brakes causing a sway, Weak AC that didn't even last 3 years, overheating, The carbureted engine would stall on queue.
They were total junk.
Interesting take. Glad to hear some positivity on this car, seems to have potential that previous X cars didn't.
@@TeeroyHammermill yes fuel injection made GM's entire line way more reliable, I think it was implemented everywhere but trucks in '86
This car was an instant classic. Bullet fast, reliable, surprisingly easy to drive, unbelievably efficient and quite the head turner.
🤔
Wait, I was thinking of an entirely different car.
Which one. I need it
Haha this is my favorite comment that I’ve seen on this video
What they were was solid, reliable, comfortable, smooth, and efficient. When they were introduced they were quite modern for the time. A lot of American cars were still huge carryover cars from the 70s that were even slower and got worse mileage.
löl
Funny, but I'd still want to drive one of these in 2023 than an SUV.
I love the early 80's models lot's of character, and I can fix a car as early 8's would need that so it's a relationship of mutual love. :)
Thank you for another GM review. Thank you for posting. They sold so many of the A Body Celebrtity in the 1980's. It came equipped so many different ways over the years. The wagon lived on until 1989 or 1990. It had a long run and the updates along the way made it look better and helped sales. Everyone remembers the Eurosport trim level. The Lumina came along to replace this car.
The Lumina didn't seem to last as long on the road, and the more traditional styling of the Celebrity was easier on the eyes IMO
@@MrTaxiRob Total agree, have always thought the Lumina is too rounded at the corners.
Loved the Eurosport with the 2.8L V6. Even the wagons were cool
AMEN to That! Today people perf EV and I call it HELL NO!
I had an '85 Celebrity with the 2.8 v6. Payed $3500. for it used, and drove it for 13 years. Did most of the repairs and maintenance myself saving a ton of money. My best memory of the car was that it was a tank in the snow. If it had descent tires on it was unstoppable. Had plenty of 4x4s over the years but this car impressed the heck out of me. Put it in the ditch once with not very good tires. So much snow in the ditch I couldn't open the doors. Rocked it back and forth a few times and drove it up and out. I couldn't believe it.
Yup Yup, we had a freak snow here, and my Ciera got us home ☺ was fun driving around all the spinning pickups, Camaro's, and Mustangs
Had the exact same car. That carbureted 2.6 V6 would start up immediately on the turn of the key. Never let me down but the steering rack did have that morning sickness. The only other problem was that I had to charge the air conditioning every spring because the refrigerant would seep out during the winter. Heard that the problem was ceramic parts against steel and the ceramic parts wouldn't expand & contract with the temperature. Don't know if there ever was a fix for that.
Was that the first year of fuel injection or the last year of a carburetor on the 2.8?
Those paraphernalia pockets are the first place the cops will search!
Those are map pockets.
These were wildly popular cars in the 80s. They were more modern-looking when they first came out than existing RWD 70s carryovers. They were comfortable, smooth, quiet, affordable, efficient, easy to service, and just good basic cars. The auto industry has strayed so far from this formula.
Too much gadgetry in cars today, nobody needs even half of it. I just want a car with a radio and A/C, I don't need an "infotainment center."
@@MrTaxiRob the latest trend showing up in even the cheapest cars now is digital configurable instrument clusters. To me it's so unnecessary, and it's just something else expensive to fail.
@@MrTaxiRobAnd how excited were we if we had Power Windows?!?!?, hence the name of Rush's final album!!!!!😁
I also think of it as their final album@@landonbenford8369. When they moved to Atlantic, their sound changed too much for my taste, and from then on it seemed like they just kept making the same album over and over again (except for Clockwork Angels of course)
They along with their four door mates went on lead amazing lives and win many awards. Loved hearing the 4tech (iron duke) during heavy acceleration.
My first car was a Celebrity! Will always have a special place in my heart :)
5:38 Brakes have come a long way in 40 years. The guy out there was getting overwhelmed from tire smoke.
Not really. A decent driver could stop with minimal wheel lock up and in a straight line.
i love these retro videos!! i have a thing for 80s cars (especially early 80s) so these are like a time capsule
Gotta love the “John sits on the car” style reviews.
A fine, comfortable, and reliable cruiser.
those seats look comfy AF
I understand that people hated this GM platform but in retrospect, nowadays they are rare and as someone who likes the oddball cars of the 80's and 90's I would have been happy to find a Celebrity coupe or sedan. And once they all went EFI the drivetrain's had little to no trouble. It looks like a fun car to throw around and drive.
I'd take this over the 80's LeMans.
My first car was a '86 Celebrity Wagon with the 2.8L carb'd V6. It was a hand-me-down from my Mom, who bought it new. We lived in the Chicago suburbs, and by the time the car was mine it had mostly all rusted away (it was garaged too). My friends nicknamed it "The Leper" because things were always falling off of it. It was only about 11 years old at the time. Good ole GM quality! I had a lengthy list of mechanical problems with it too, turns out giving a fragile car like that to a 16 year-old gearhead like myself wasn't such a great idea...
The Japanese cars were also victims of rust too, right? Was it the engine or transmission that kept breaking on you, out of curiosity?
@@zzoinks sure, Japanese cars could rust too. Anything can rust if you don't take good care of it and you live in a place where they salt the roads in the winter.
I had transmission and engine failures in the year or two that I owned the car. Almost anything that could break broke. The engine spun a main bearing.
Although this car is from the early 80s, they were still around in the late 80s and 90s. The sedan was the most popular, but this car was always interesting for me to see as a kid.
The wagon versions of this platform were extremely popular where I lived at the time. I always thought GM screwed up by not putting more power into the AWD Pontiac 6000 and going head to head with Audi. It could have killed the A6 in its cradle.
Not uncommon to see 20 year old cars driving around today ...
@@624radicalham Yep. Most cars made in the past 25 years are way more durable than in the past and as long as you maintain them properly and don't do anything stupid with them, they will last you a long time.
So the Modern Family Car should be Absolutely Scary and Unsafe in Safety Situations in 1983... I guess I never got that Memo.. but I as just a teen back then!!
I got a good chuckle when John Davis said paraphanelia at 3:17
because "you can put your weed in there"
I remember seeing these on billboards, & the slogan stated Chevrolet's newest space shuttle; With all the room for cargo, & passengers; It was a Celebrity Wagon. I never heard anybody complain about these vehicles, But I only knew one person who owned one. Thanks for the retro review.
Lots of people rip on this A body platform of this generation. But it must’ve been a pretty good car considering they made it from 1982 to 1996. And sold very well! Wasn’t a bad car especially as time went on.
A lot of people just go around repeating what they've heard, only because they think it makes them appear intelligent or seem smart or it even makes them feel educated, just going around repeating what they think is fact, when in fact, what they're doing is showing that they only repeat what they've heard. It's a little code amongst skilled professionals. You know if they go around repeating what they've heard they're a good candidate to be ripped off lol 🤣 taken advantage of, taken to the cleaners if you will. Haha 🤑
Oops I think I've said too much 🙊
@thewiseguy3529 stay off the drugs
@@thewiseguy3529; You sound like a broken record. 😅
@@thewiseguy3529not only that, but some other people also go around repeating what they've heard, only because they think it makes them appear intelligent or seem smart or it even makes them feel educated, just going around repeating what they think is fact, when in fact, what they're doing is showing that they only repeat what they've heard. It's a little code amongst skilled professionals. You know if they go around repeating what they've heard they're a good candidate to be ripped off, taken advantage of, taken to the cleaners if you will.
Lots of years to get the kinks worked out so that those last few of years of the Ciera and Century were particularly good value for money. A friend of my grandparents had this amazing, loaded 1993 Century in light pink from the factory. She said she'd decided to go full grandma on the last car she was going to buy!
At least the rear door windows rolled down in the 4-door and wagon A-body models, even if they only went down halfway due to the rear wheel arch cut in the doors. G-bodies couldn't say that. The fuel injected 2.8 available by '85 (high output version, 1987-up 2.8 were all injected) was much better. I'm still a fan of the standard Iron Duke, but I wish the Celebrity had lasted longer to get the Cavalier 2200 engine like the Ciera and Century did in '93-'96.
You got lucky with your Iron Duke 'cuz my 1987 2.5L FI's Sucked!!!!!
I bought this car in 1984. I remember the car well. I kept for two years and traded.
I still remember my uncle CornPop giving us a ride to the pool in one of these.
My parents had a 85 with the 4 banger.
I am no gm fan but my parents traded that thing in with over 430000km on it.
Lasted is a long time
They must've done a lot of driving!
On the original transmission?
My late father had the Eurp Sport Wagon and the sedan as well. I LOVED the Eurp Sport Wagon by far than the boarding Clavier.
Had an 88 cutlass ciera 2.8, an 84 buick century 3.0 and a 96 cutlass ciera . Very reliable cars no issues
Don’t forget the Celebrity Diesel
We had one until the engine started knocking two years later
“Internal cavities are generous” 😅
With a 5 speed manual and stiffer sway bars I bet this thing would be a riot at the local autocross.
Not a race winner by anymeans, but from how it handled in the video I think it could be fun.
Note I'm 25 years old and have NEVER even been in a chevy celebrity.
I had use of a new loaner 2 door Celebrity Eurosport V6 in the mid 1980's when my car was being serviced. I didn't expect much but was actually impressed.
My parents purchased a brand new 1984 and then a gorgeous 1986. Two of the best cars I've ever had the pleasure to ride in and then drive to school.
My Dad had a charcoal grey 86 Celebrity 2.8V6 CL when me and my brother and sister were kids in the 90s. Was a good car but suffered from rusting bad same goes for their 1990 Ford Aerostar too!
GMs are notorious for rocker panel rust. I had a 2000 Buick Regal and it was solid rust along the bottom from wheel to wheel after only a few years. Good in terms of powertrain, had the 3800 V6 which was a great engine and had plenty of power. The other downside was the electronic gremlins, power locks, windows, etc all broke at various points in time.
I remember when they offered the Celebrity with a Landau Roof and called it the Celebrity Classic, the Eurosport Model and the Wagon would debut for the 1984 model year. The 2 and 4 door would both disappear for the 1990 model year, just leaving the Station Wagons and they axed them in mid 1990 when the new Dustbuster Lumina APV debuted.
And the Buick-Olds sedan and wagon were offered all the way up to 1996.
@@nlpnt I miss those A Body Station Wagons
Dude! The smaller N-Body SFI injected Malibu/Grand Am/Alero got 6 mpgs less than this, and they were 14 yrs newer!!!! I always said that early 60 degree V6 front wheel drive GM cars we're underrated. That mileage was insane.
I miss the days when cars had headroom, comfort and great visibility.
This car was pretty homely, especially the 2-door. They looked a lot more modern and tidy after the '86 update....especially in Eurosport trim. But the Olds Cutlass Ciera and the Pontiac 6000 STE were the lookers, IMHO. The Ciera (and the Century) were also available with the 3.8L V6 eventually.
Oh wow lol, we had a Pontiac 6000, brings back memories, best thing about it was that AC Delco tape deck lol 😆
Yep AC Delco sound systems with those rear dash 6x9s really pounded for what they were😁
The new-for-1982 GM A-bodies. For years, everyone bought these with the transmission-of-choice being a three-speed automatic. No overdrive gear available. The "Iron Duke" four-cylinder ran rough, and had durability problems and also lacked useful power. The Chevrolet 60º V6 wasn't that much better, generating anywhere from 115 to 135 horsepower. So the new lines of front-wheel-drive cars that GM invested over a billion dollars in making to replace the older rear-drive models cam up short. What good is going to the trouble of downsizing to come up with this car when the automatic had no overdrive gear for several years at least? The ideal powerplant for the A-bodies was the Oldsmobile Quad4 2.3-liter double-overhead-cam four-cylinder that made 150 to 160 horsepower and got better gas mileage than either the "Iron Duke" or the 60º V6. If only GM had put the Quad4 under the A-body's hood, paired with a four-speed AOD. At least Ford waited until 1986 to come out with the Taurus and Mercury Sable, and those cars had better engines and transmissions, and also more aggressive styling and aerodynamics. But GM? They had a golden chance to advance their A-bodies with the Quad4 if they had simply come out with a better transmission. As it was, no engine could improve an A-body's gas mileage while it was linked to a three-speed automatic with no overdrive gear. GM was slow with both, and that's inexcusable. What's the point of spending all that money to create a new generation of downsized vehicles if they didn't have the best engines and transmissions ready until years later?
I always wondered why/how GM could put sooo many 3 sp. automatics into cars so far into the 90's when 4 sp. auto overdrives had become the norm. It was like GM's transmission contractor was working 3 shifts.😮
My parents bought one of these to coincide with my birth, it began to disintegrate immediately. Ironically, it was replaced with a 1980 Malibu, which was our family car from 1989 to 1996, whereupon it was sold to the next door neighbors kid as his first car. We got a Camry to replace it which failed several times due to ignition and transmission problems. I'm not going to say that a 1980 Chevy Malibu is the most reliable car ever built but given the data it sure seemed that way.
My family had the 1988 two-door Coupe Oldsmobile Ciera with a 3.8 V6 and the four-speed automatic. That was a fun car to drive. My father traded it in for a 1995 Buick Century four-door sedan with the 3.1 V6 four-speed automatic that car was just as much fun to drive and both vehicles were very reliable.
Extremely hard to find but I liked the Chevy Celebrities I think it was 1988 Eurosport VR. It came in a coupe, wagon, and sedan.
Paraphernalia pockets? Well, I guess we know what John used them for now.
The coupes were always rare, even the later rounded Buick-Olds ones. They should've used that money to have the wagons available at launch rather than 2 years later.
Once GM got rid of the awful carburetor and went EFI, these cars were bullet proof. Many people I knew that had one got well over 150K out of them.
3:43 John: BUT THEY’LL HAVE TO MAKE DUE WITH UN OPENABLE REAR WINDOWS! LOL
That was part of GM's stupid 'environmental push' where they claimed they could get better gas mileage by not having opening rear windows on a lot of their cars of this era.
@@LearnAboutFlowAnd that sounds much better than "We've cheaped out and saved money by not designing and installing the hardware to make the rear windows functional.
In 1988 I bought a 4-door '83 Celebrity trade-in that had been a police detective car at the Chevy dealer with the state government fleet sales contract for that year. Two factors helped me get it for next to nothing ($800). They had so many trades coming in from various government entities that they were very motivated to keep them moving off their lot. It was also showing signs of the notorious GM failing paint issue on the hood, roof, and trunk that was so common on pre-clear coat '80s and early '90s vehicles. While watching this video, I wondered how long it took for the paint to fail on that Celebrity.
Aside from the crappy GM paint and the fact it was pretty typical of the overall crappy vehicles of that era, there was nothing wrong with it. It came with all maintenance records since new, including receipts from the new crate engine it had gotten installed just a few thousand miles before it was scheduled for trade-in (the original had a piston failure). It was mid level for that era of much more basic vehicles, with just AC, auto, and power steering and brakes as the only major options.
I thought it was a pretty uninspiring car even for back then, but I bought it as a spare car for commuting to work and Midwestern winter driving to allow my newer, fancier car to stay in the garage, so that was ok. It had everything it needed to do its job, was reliable (grading on an '80s curve), good in the snow, and I didn't worry about it getting a scratch or dent. Maybe the best part was that after about five years I sold it for more than I paid for it.
That grille is very striking! And i like the way the roofline in the back of the coupe looks while clearly accommodating for leg and headroom of backseat passengers. I'd have one for around town!
The Chevy Celebrity Eurosport was good looking, yet it still needed that pop, in sense of steering and suspension tweaks, and power. I liked it as a kid growing up in the early 80s.
4:50 I wonder if the "experimental" Celebrity John is referring to became the Celebrity Eurosport.
I remember these from back in the day and I’ve always regarded them as the most under-styled car ever made. Seriously, if you asked someone with absolutely no artistic ability whatsoever to draw a car, this is what they would draw. It’s like they asked a single member of the design team to draw a car in less than 10 seconds.
but you can also see the design cues going back to the previous decade's full size cars
I enjoyed mine.. great car very dependable and comfortable.
It got as good or better gas mileage than a lot of todays rolling computers and a lot less complicated and you didn't have to take a second mortgage on your house to have it repaired.
I was fortunate to drive a pizzeria Celebrity every shift for a couple years. It was my first foray into FWD and a very good car at a time when many were not.
This is the car that Larry Phillips and Emil Matasareanu used in the the North Hollywood Shootout in 1997
That damn model Eurosport lasted longer than mine!!!!!😡
The A cars have to be the last 2 door Sedans( even if they called it a coupe) where there is just as much back seat room as the 4 door.
In my town there's a 4 door Celebrity with a bumper sticker that says "Certified Shitbox" hahaha. It's rustier than hell and and any remaining maroon paint is totally faded but I see that thing running around town all the time! The front end looks a little different than the one in this vid I think, but still has quad headlights so I'm guessing it's an '84-'86 model. Probably has the Iron Duke 4 banger in it. Slow as hell but pretty reliable.
"Paraphernalia pockets" should be a thing.
Oddly enough the remaining Century/Cutlass Ciera twins in the early-mid nineties had a pretty good reliability reputation although they were way outdated
They actually in 96 were the best selling model for both Buick and Olds in their last year. The A body cars might be some of the best cars ever made from any brand.
Thats a name i haven't heard in a while. One of my buddies had the euro sport. Roomie with decent power.
I had rented a Celebrity in 1983, and a friend bought a new 1984 Celebrity Eurosport (likely the secret project car the narrator was taking about). I liked both of them. They were awesome on long trips.
It’s strange back,then that so many people would buy a two door car for their family
My first car in high school was an '84 Celebrity coupe. That was a great car.
My mommy had a 87 four door sage green with the 2.5 iron Duke. It sure was not fast..... decent on gas for the automatic. But it was sure was comfortable riding family car. We drove it to 2001. And can we say huge trunk.
I love the 80s
I love GM A Bodies. Some tell you they're falling apart right out of dealership, some tell you they last forever.
Collectively my family members have had at least 4 A body cars in my 39 years. Two Euro sport Celebrities one base model Celebrity and a Pontiac 6000 LE. All were nice but all had issues.
My grandmother had a Celebrity a long time ago and I remember it being the kind of car that would break down if you even thought about it.
I had a Celebrity with a V6 and I thought it was pretty cool at the time !
My Father swore for years and years. That my Uncles 85 Celebrity had the coldest AC he's ever experienced. And my Father was master mechanic
You guys are all making fun of these but for GM vehicles from the 80s, or any cars from the 80s these weren’t all that bad. They were comfy daily drivers and I used to still see some around until the last 5 years or so. Same with the Pontiac and olds versions. Probably were later 80s/early 90s models but regardless they weren’t that bad. And trust me I’m no fan of general mess but I’ll admit a decent car when I see one. Not that these were nice to look at lol
The Chevrolet Celebrity Eurosport was pretty good. I would personally get the Eurosport VR, which was offered for 1987 and 1988
1983-1985 6000 STE Pontiac road test please
It's amazing to here John open with how short-term Americans thinking was about buying more fuel-efficient cars, even back in the early 80's. Nothing's changed in 40 years; people still buy the biggest cars they can afford and then complain about gas prices. Inexplicable.
"2 Paraphernalia pockets" it really was the 80s wasn't it? Lol.
I wonder what the max mileage that was achieved on these cars through the years?
135k miles lol
But seriously at about 170k miles they were toasted. The odometer flipped once and by the time it hit 70k again the car was shitted out.
19.9 Quarter mile. Smokin'
I bought an 83 from an old lady around Y2K. Got it running after changing the rusted out gas tank, only to find out 2nd gear didn't work. At least the 2.8 could somewhat compensate for it. I think I drove it for a year or two then scrapped it. I forget if it broke down or I just gave up on it. It was forgettable 😂
Paraphernalia (weed) pockets?
I took Driver's Ed in a blue 2 door celebrity.
Back when John drove the cars in the videos.
The commentary has me dying 🤣🤣🤣
Today it would be a $5000 fender bender. 😆
I got rear ended in December of last year in my 2009 MKZ. The repair bill came to be over $6000, so the insurance company totaled the car instead of fixing it.
I got my '87 Celebrity EuroSport fully loaded 4 door, 72k miles, moonroof and all, in 1998; before internet chatrooms. Almost immediately I had issues with the 2.5L FI Iron Duke. 4 and 1/2 years & 2 Iron Dukes later, (none of which made it to 100,000 miles), my mechanic & g'friend Finally convinced me to give it up! A month later I bought a brand new Saturn Ion 3 which I was VERY happy with!!!!! Later I read somewhere those Iron Dukes had a notorious rep. for failing at 100,000 miles for no good reason! (Gee, thanks for telling me that NOW!!!) No one ever found out why. I'll be kicking myself in the @$$ for the rest of my life as a co-worker offered me $1,500 for it just a month after I got it (slightly more than what I paid for it)!! I shoulda taken his money and RAN!!!!! It woulda saved me a WHOLE Lot of time & money!!!!!😪 I did hear & see that a lotta v6 Celebrities lasted awhile, though.
The A bodies were one of the best transverse mounted front wheel drives they've ever made, only the 1985-99 H-C body cars were the best the general never topped either one, since then or now.
My aunt had a maroon (early 80’s) Celebrity sedan. Her mother had a late 80’s or 1990 pale blue Celebrity wagon
My grandpa had the 4-door version of this car. I think he had the '86.
Probably the 1985 and newer ones were the best ones to get
I remember with the 4-banger, if you mashed the throttle in a passing situation, the AC compressor would disengage until you let up....weird quirk.
Gotta think not even a lot of the coupes were equipped with the bucket seats and console shifter. DId GM switch to a 4 speed auto at some point?
With so little interior room I could never understand how anyone could consider them a mid-size let alone a "big-car".
Ahhh, the "get in the backseat and go to the dentist with mom" car. We had one.
A friend had a handed down 4 door 4 cylinder Celebrity. I think it was slower than the Beetle it replaced.
LMAO
The V6 was the only one to have.
They say the 1970s were the Malaise era, but let’s face it, that era lasted until at least 1989. How the Big 3 survived decades of churning out crap after crap after crap like this, we’ll never know.
A modern family car with future potential, take that musk
i had an 86. loved it
Hard to convey how radical these looked when new.
All other sedans were a series of straight lines then.
The original homerun Taurus was nearly a carbon copy of this (although with better stance. Can't believe I'm saying that😂😂😂)