My gramps drove a chevette for 25 years and about 300,000 miles. Only stopped driving it because eyesight. He changed the timing components every 70k religiously and that car was really good to him. It was very similar to the yellow one. Mid 70s early 80s.
Well, a friend of mine had a Chevette. Apparently, the timing-components HAD been changed at some point. Unfortunately, the bolt that held-on crank-pulley/harmonic-balancer was "single-use" only, meaning that a new bolt had to be used whenever it was unbolted. This led to an entire weekend of break-downs for my friend, as the fan-belt would NOT stay tight, and the alternator could not keep-up a charge to the battery. The crank-pulley bolt kept backing-out, and wobbled, eliminating any fan-belt tension. There was also a metric-tools hassle, if I recall, for USA driveway mechanics, since the car had Brazilian roots.
A girl that worked for me was a struggling single mom. She bought a new chevette. The transmission Fell Out on the road at a traffic light and Dealer did nothing to make it right.
I received a brand new 1986 4 door as a high school graduation gift from my grandparents. It had A/C with a 5spd. Drove it all through college and veterinary school. It never failed to start or left me stranded.. It chugged along for 160k miles surviving on delayed maintenance and used parts. It was hardly the greatest car I have ever owned but it was nowhere near as bad as urban legend suggests.
@@darcychu9652 It had no problem cooling the car with temperatures in the high 90's with high humidity. Drove it throughout Florida Texas New Mexico and Louisiana during the summer months with no problem.
It’s like what I been telling people about the Chevette. If one had the car with a manual transmission it went well. A Chevette with an automatic and AC was a dog. I had a friend back in 80’s with a Chevette and he liked it. Good for you.👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸
@@spooderdoggy When my grandparents told me they were buying me on they asked if I wanted A/C or a automatic. Of course I chose A/C! It worked fine until the day it went to the salvage yard after being rear ended..
Finally, someone who speaks the truth about the fantastic Chevette. Absolutely perfect presentation. My first new car was a 1980 Chevette coupe. A VERY stylish, economical, reliable car. It was, and still is, one of my top 5 favorite cars that I have owned.
They weren't nearly as bad as people said they were but they absolutely sucked to have to replace the starter in, I worked in a garage throughout the 80's and the first time I had to do it I couldn't believe how hard it was to remove and replace a starter in one of them, it's like "Come on, this ain't a friggin Ferrari, there's no good reason it should be jammed up in there like that".
@@dukecraig2402 I was pretty ticked when I changed the starter in my Dad's 302 Ford Granada. You either had to disconnect a suspension-link, or, as I did, remove the main motor-mount bolt on that side, and jack the engine up (tilting it) a couple inches. I also noted the power-steering hoses had to run BENEATH the driver-side control-arms. Incidentally, other bad starter-jobs include the Ford Probe, and 58-60 Thunderbirds with the Lincoln 430 engine.
@@dukecraig2402 agreed! mine went bad as well. It was blocked by the power steering pump. I pulled the power steering pump out to replace the starter. When I test drove it after replacing the starting, and not replacing the power steering pump, I found out the car really didn't need power steering, so the pump didn't get reinstalled
@@audvidgeek Yea, come to think of it a car that small and light couldn't need THAT much power assistance to turn the front wheels, most likely it's engineered to give that tiny bit you'd need when parking and you need to turn the front wheels when you're either stopped or moving very slowly. I had a Dodge Caravan once that the power rack went out on it, it was a beatermobile anyways so I didn't bother fixing it, I'm a pretty stout guy so I just heaved on the steering wherever I went especially parking it. I found out there's a down side to that, the steering column isn't engineered to have that much force applied to it especially when parking and everything from bushings to that little U-joint in it went bad and the steering wheel had all kinds of play and flopped around after a few months, rest of the vehicle was in fairly good working order when I had to junk it because the steering column was shot.
My first car was a white four speed four door 1980 Chevette. It was a humble toaster on wheels that got it done. Easy to park, cheap to own. I'm most nostalgic for the handcrank windows and sweet maroon interior!
That last model year was cut short by three months. Originally, GM wanted to end production of the Chevette at Lakewood Assembly on March 29, 1987, but as sales of the Chevette continued slowing down as the 1987 model year wore on, they moved it up to December 23, 1986.
I saved up as a kid and then in 1976 bought my first brand new car instead of used, it was a 1976 light blue Chevy Chevette Scooter - and it was only $2,776, in celebration of the 200th anniversary year for the US and everything was priced ending in variations of 1776. It was the lowest price I could find on a new car, even lower cost than a Honda Civic. It was a 1.4 L smallest engine they ever made, 4 speed manual with no overdrive, bare bones as it gets. There was no back seat, just a plastic scooped out panel where people could sit, but no seat belts back there and basically a large storage area, like a mini-SUV would be today. Two vinyl bucket seats were in the front, no glove box door because that and the rear seat were options, the door panels were some kind of cardboard covered with black vinyl and instead of arm rests in the door, it had thick plastic straps held in place with two bolts, since arm rests were optional too. Door cranks were manual and the two doors locked and unlocked using the ignition key. Rack and pinion steering on that car was very precise and made it drive similar to an older Triumph Spitfire I had a few cars earlier. It even had disk brakes in the front which was very modern at the time. No radio, no cigarette lighter, no antenna, no day/night adjustment to the rear view mirror. But I tracked gas usage and could get 45 mpg easily out on the highway during a time that 55 MPH speed limits were the norm and strictly enforced. I installed a radio/tape-deck, cigarette lighter socket, antenna and glove box door eventually for a better comfort level. The huge back storage area with no rear seat to get in the way held a lot of cargo. Many times it carried a lot of boxes when it came time to move. The light blue paint was latex and something new that year according to the dealer's new car ad brochure which I may still have in an old box somewhere. The bumpers were silver/white paint and total metal, not cheap plastic like nowadays. There were silver plastic bezels around the round headlight bulbs to give it a square headlight appearance and the tiny front grille was also silver plastic. Everything inside was black and the floor was vinyl, no carpeting since that was also an option. Maintenance was very easy for basic things like changing the oil, sparkplugs and tuneup, changing brake pads and shoes. It was lightweight and easy to jack up off the ground. I think the spare tire was located in the back underneath the rear hatch back, you lifted it up and the full size tire and jack was there, then the rear deck cover closed down over that leaving that huge cargo area and rear hatch with two air filled lifters. That car got me everywhere and eventually got me 3000 miles to the opposite coast, then lasted me way up into the early 1990s, after which I bought a second hand Ford hatchback that became the most horrible car ever - but sadly I had already sold the Chevette and gotten $800 for it and it was still running strong and hadn't much wrong except one dent on one rear panel that wasn't so bad I couldn't have lived with it. There was some rust on the driver's side floor board and I had to fill that in with fiberglass sheeting and fiberglass gel to keep it sealed down there. I once had the engine and transmission both rebuilt at around the 135,000 mile mark. By the time I sold it I think it was getting up close to 200,000 miles but was always extremely reliable and always fuel efficient. It also used unleaded gas, which was a recent innovation back in that year too. Gas prices had already gone from 20 cents per gallon up to $1 per gallon and even/odd days and maximum number of gallons per fill up with gas lines were the norm. So gas mileage was a big factor as was the switchover to unleaded, as leaded gas cars were no longer being made and the new fuel was not good for the older style leaded gas engines and could ruin them. That was probably the best new car of my life and not a lot of electronic junk on it like nowadays. The clutch pedal was directly connected to the side of the transmission. The brake pedal had a bicycle cable that ran from inside the car, outside to the master cylinder and that broke on me one day just before coming to a steep hill and I was able to coast to the side of the road luckily and stop. I think I was able to temporarily fix it enough to get home and then had to buy a new cable from the Chevy dealer since there were no after market cables with a special sized rubber piece on one end to fit between the floor board and the brake pedal. I remember being mad I had to pay full dealer pricing for that part which was a special order item instead of finding one aftermarket at a parts store like most everything else. I laughed as car ads began showing great fuel economy by adding $20,000 worth of electronics, electric hybrid drives with expensive battery packs while keeping body weight high and adding tons of fancy equipment, like they have become nowadays. There was a way for car makers to have everyone getting 45 mpg on the highway and the technology was that 1976 little two door light blue Chevy Chevette Scooter. If they built them like that today, they could sell everyone a brand new car for under $10,000 and everyone who bought one would be commuting at 45 mpg and still have enough power with just two people on board to pass trucks and zoom around like in a little sports car, which was how it drove. My dad once told me to drive it until the wheels fall off, because it was such a good price and such a reliable vehicle. I should have taken his advice and never have sold it and I would probably still be out there driving it today.
My grandmother had an '84 it was so basic, but never failed to do exactly what it was supposed to do, surviving many harsh Maine winters. Good little car.
I used to manage a Budget Rent a Car office in the 80s. The Chevettes were great rental car for people getting their car worked on at the local dealerships. They just wanted to get home or to work. I do remember that the front fenders were glued on and when the glue let go, water would end up on the floor. But great in snow in New England. The complete lack of power was great for driving in snow. Would never spin the tires!
I knew a guy who had a Vega. He'd take it in with 5 things wrong, they could only successfully fix 3. It finally overheated one too many times and seized. His next car was a Chevette! It was considerably more reliable than the Vega.
I remember the jokes that went along with owning a Chevette in the later 80s. The one that sticks out is, "You don't need any brakes, just turn on the air and the car will come to a stop." And there was actually some truth to that. The air slowed the car down quite noticeably. In 1987 I managed to have two people in my circle with a Chevette. As a side note, my grandparents had a Vega in like 1976 or so, and I thought that was the coolest looking car (I was 8 then, but still). I loved that car but it mysteriously disappeared rather soon after he bought it.
I had a buddy you had a Diesel VW Rabbit back in the 1980s. He was astonished that the car could not start moving if the air conditioner was on. Back in 1991, I had a brand new Eagle Talon, all wheel drive, 2.0 L, dual overhead cam, 5 speed manual transmission, turbocharged, SILVER with a slightly darker gray interior, and the thing felt HEAVY, like a lead roller skate. On a trip across the Ohio turnpike in August, about 90°F, ~70mph in 5th gear just shy of 3500 rpm, whenever the air conditioning compressor would kick on, the turbo would have to come in to cover it, and it never got COLD. It got 25.1 mpg. I also had an ALL BLACK 1991 Ford Mustang GT, 5.0L, 5-speed manual transmission. The car felt light and lively in comparison to the Talon. On another trip across the Ohio turnpike in August, about 90°F, ~70mph, in 5th gear at less than 2000 rpm, I couldn't feel whenever the air conditioning compressor would engage. There was no sudden feeling of load, and it got ❄️ *COLD* ❄️ with a layer of frost forming on the inside of the windshield. The Mustang got 25.4 mpg. Sold the Talon, kept the Mustang. 😁
The Chevette was a seriously underpowered car. But, on the bright side it gave great gas mileage. One had to buy this car with a manual transmission to have any fun with it. Funny the word Chevette here is so old my Apple phone spell checker has the word red underlined.😂😂
My neighbors chevette hit 395,000km and finally drove it to the scrap yard. It could've reached 450,000 km had he kept it. It never had issues and always started. As for the Vega, beautiful car with more issues than the world today lol.
My dad bought a 1981, replacing the disastrous Vega he bought in 1975. It's the car I learned to drive in. He drove that thing into the ground and had to pay someone to tow it away.
I too had an 81 2 door Chevette. Manual tranny, no tint on the windows and no AC. Got me through many years of college to become a doctor. Even kept it for 5 years after college. I could have easily afforded to buy a different car but the little Chevette had gotten me through so much. I eventually sold to a colleague who used it for a beach car for another 10 years.
Had a 1981 Chevy Chevette too. I got it in '88 for $375 and lived in the rustbelt (Detroit) so the body was already pretty rotted out, but lasted another 2 years before the engine cradle was completely rusted through and had to junk the car. Still ran perfect even in the junkyard parking lot. Sad day.
Man, if I'd bought a new Vega back then, the last thing in the world I'd want to replace it with would be the newest entry-level Chevy. I would have lost all faith in GM, certainly their economy cars at least.
I owned the Japanese version of this, some 30 years ago, Isuzu Gemini. Amazingly reliable, economical and practical car that had a wonderful drive feel.
@@Bartonovich52 , and it was called the Vauxhall Chevette in the UK, plus that version of the vehicle got a lot of nice upgrades that its Pontiac (USA), Pontiac (Canada), and Chevrolet (USA/Canada) relatives could have used, which made it a nice rally, tuner, and drift car in the right hands. Also, people should not sleep on the Fifth Generation Chevrolet Nova, Holden Nova, or the regular Toyota Corolla, as they too make for decent drifter/tuner cars, as their cousins are two of the most famous drifter/tuner cars of all time in the Toyota Corolla Levin and the Toyota Sprinter AE86 Trueno, plus many of their parts also work on the cheaper vehicles as well.
I wish I could get a car this basic but 2021 model. Manual trans, roll up windows and manual locks. Power brakes and steering. A 5 speed. All with a modern fuel efficient 4 cyl with some pep and the only extra I'd ask for is Bluetooth. Like a Cobalt 2005. The last brand new car I bought and loved. I don't want or need all the junk a new car comes with. Am I the only one?
No! I dislike all the modern junk on cars also. My 2020 Kia Rio LX is basic bliss. Needs a key to unlock it. Knobs for the HVAC. SUPER RELIABLE, SUPER ECONOMICAL and actually thoroughly satisfying to drive. Only other car I’d consider is the Chevy Spark.
i detest all the trash they stick in modern cars. you dont need a friggin TV screen in your car. i dont need ridiculous warnings. people used to drive their cars and put electrical tape over the idiot lights. the Model T is still going after 100 years. how come after 15 years a modern car is ready for the junk yard, but that car is still chugging along and look the same as it did when it rolled off the assembly line in 1920?
I inherited a nearly new 1985 Chevette in 1987. For the era, it was a great commuter car. Basic transportation with an AM radio, crank windows, a/c, and a plaid cloth interior. It's big fault is you could feel the engine struggle when the a/c was on. I put 115,000 miles on it relatively trouble free. It's today's version of a Toyota Yaris w/ four doors.
@@12yearssober I got a 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid needing a battery pack. It has 1.3 liter gas motor and I have to turn off the AC when going up hills, pulling out, or trying pass on the highway when the battery has cycled low. So, I get it man. It’s like driving a Chevette at that point.😂
I borrowed my sister-in-law's Chevette in 1987. I floored it getting on the highway and I finally got to 60 mph at the next exit two miles down the road..
I was just starting out in my career as an automotive technician in the mid 80s' and the Chevette was literally EVERYWHERE. They were Chevy's little econo-tank. They ran forever with very little maintenance required. Reliable, cheap and easy to fix, and parts swapped back and forth throughout the models entire run. Were they fast? No..not at all, but they could boogie down the highway and aptly keep up with traffic once you got 'em rolling. I sort of always wanted one, so I could attempt to swap in a Small Block Chevy V8 and Transmission! LOL. My ONLY complaint about them was as a technician...I absolutely HATED having to do a full tune-up on the 1.6 with A/C......you had to completely remove the A/C compressor from it's bracketry ( but at least you didn't have to discharge the system, thankfully..) in order to gain access to the #1 spark plug and the distributor cap and rotor, as it was buried underneath the compressor. The ones without A/C only took about 20 minutes or so to change all 4 plugs, the cap, rotor and plug wires. With A/C....it took over a hour to do the same maintenance operation. Aside from that, they were pure gravy to work on. Thanks for this video @OldCarMemories .....brought a smile to my face remembering these cool little Chevy Putt-Putters!
@@ltjoseph9042 Yes, AND It's WAY more fun to drive a slow car FAST than a fast car SLOW. Remember: the rare Isuzu Impulse (Piazza) was a Chevette, but with modern body work. No one who had driven an Impulse could deny that they were fun lil' bastards. And as a "biker" a Ninja 250 is much more fun in the "twisties" than an HD Sportster! Absolute power and displacement is NOT ALWAYS the key to a good time!
I grew up in Wilmington Delaware and remember always seeing the new Chevettes on display on the roof above the entrance and on the big sign on the corner. Owned one later, great point A to B cars and easy and cheap to maintain.
My Dad was a little league coach and we would haul all the equpment to the games in the back of one of these for years. .. I'd forgottten about that until I watched this. Thanks for bringing back a great childhood memory.
I LOVE Camaros and Corvettes! I also love the Chevette. My first experience was delivering Chinese food and the restaurant had several '76 Chevette delivery cars. Man it was slow!! So the only way to drive it and try to make as many deliveries as possible was just keep your foot to the floor(auto) and stab the break with your left foot when needed. Those cars got beat on hard!😆 But in later years I was unemployed and needed something cheap and bought an '86 4dr auto. Much improved since '76 and I really enjoyed having it.😊👌 The car is part of the Opel family that GM had a stake in. It deserves a lot of credit!!!👍
I rented a Chevette in 1980 for about 3 weeks and was extremely impressed with this car. It even went through the snow in January very well, was excellent on gas and started reliably even in a very cold climate. Although it wasn't a race car I found it fun to drive and I ended up missing this car when I had to turn it in. I agree best small car GM ever made and would rank right up there with the best small cars of all time foreign or domestic, in my view.
That was fantastic! Knew someone who had a diesel Chevette. It had a 0-60mph time of possibly. So slow an actual slug jogging passed it. Great memories indeed!
Friends had these. I remember thinking how durable they were and if my friends actually did maintenance on them, the cars would have easily hit over 200,000 miles.
Don't remember ever hearing anything negative about the Chevette but my best friend in high school bought his first new car, a Vaga. He was so proud of that car but within six months, it had a rust hole at the base of the windshield that he could put his thumb through. Chevrolet's response was, "sorry, not our problem." The car was less than a year old and literally rusting out from under him. It didn't leave him, or me, very impressed with GM products.
@@buttsexandbananapeels And then front shock towers RUSTED OUT suddenly tearing out the front shocks and making big dents in the hood ! Car was simply TOO cheap IMHO. I replaced mine with a used Volvo 240 - PROBLEM SOLVED !
The ONLY time a Chevette was ever mentioned in a negative light was by "Muscle car" guys or snobs. The Chevette was actually PERFECT in it's role as...a car. It was not intended to be a GTO or a Cadillac. It was an economy car that was a REAL economy car. Modern "economy" cars (electrics/hybrids) are money pits! The Chevette was as cheap to run AND maintain as a small motorcycle. (A Honda Rebel 250 of the car world!). A few products deliver what they promise, The Chevette DID. Horrifically underrated cars!
My first car was a brand new 1987 Pontiac Acadian 2 door hatchback (Canadian Chevette) two tone grey paint like the one in this video. Yes, the car was gutless, but very good on gas and always started in the harsh cold winters. I had it until 1995 with almost 400,000 km`s on it, had to let it go due to underbody rust. These were great cars and everyone I knew that had one was happy with them.
The Chevette was a good car. It has to be compared to other cars of its era and its mission. They were very reliable and the engine was durable as an anvil. My dad drove one as a commuter car. I had one as a college student. My college roommate had one with a 5-speed. They served their owners well with economy and reliability.
I remember this car being sold here in NZ in the mid-late 70s under the name Vauxhall Chevette and the tv ads calling it "the extraordinary Chevette"-it was a good practiical car and good value for money
I had a 1979 Chevette. It was the only year with the newer front end and the older tail lights. It was my workhorse for over 10 years. I now own a Corvette, but affectionately call my Chevette my 1st Vette.
In 1990 I learned to drive a manual transmission in my dad’s ‘84 Chevette. I’ll never forget that car. Sluggish and noisy, it was already well beyond its service life having almost 100K miles on the odometer. She went to the crusher 6 months later. RIP little Chevy, and thank you.
I had a 85 2door when I was 17 and I loved it lol I slammed it to the ground and had a sound system that blew the rear side window hinges off lol man these cars seriously do bring back memories 😁👍🏽✌🏾
My first car was a 1976 Chevette 2 door with a standard transmission. I got it to go 110 miles per hour... In the Need for Speed I put an X11 H.O. Citation V-6 motor in it.... the Chevette was silver with orange rally Stripes over the hood and down the side lower rocker panel. It had black Enkei Wheels 60 series tires. I thought I was cool. Especially with the Pioneer Super Tuner Stereo, Pioneer 6 by 9 speakers and a Fosgate amplifier. IT ROCKED....AND ROLLED
I remember a brown Chevette being featured in the pilot episode of "Beverly Hills 90210" as Brandon Walsh's car. After the pilot episode, Brandon then drove a late 70's Mercury Cougar XR-7 for a short time, then he went on to his most well known car on the show, a beige 65 Mustang convertible.
I remember that as well as Sydney drove a brown Chevette on Melrose Place. I remember a scene where she was at a valet and he gave her a dirty look and she replied not everyone drives a Rolls Royce.
@@joshuagibson2520 Yup! Being a truck based UA-camr I’d love to see it! Heck we revived a 70 D100 and drove it 3000 miles! (Video is on our channel) So ya know we have have a thing for old trucks!
The Black (or was it brown?) and Gold GMC Gentleman Jim would have to be my favorite. We had one in the family back in the early 80s when I was about 5. Don't think I could find one today if I wanted one. Def not locally.
Great video! I really enjoy your videos. They are all so interesting and give me a new appreciation of the cars you feature - even cars that I did not think were very special. Thank you.
Wonderful looking car. Never had one but in the early 90's I had a late 80's YUGO convertible. With gas prices as they are now I wish I had a little 2 door Chevette!!!!!
My first car was a 1980 Chevy Chevette and, I loved that little 4 speed manual. I still would like to have another one they are fun to drive!!! It made me feel down to earth!!! 😎😀
I had a blue two-door 1979 Chevette and I loved it. It was impractical for me. I play bass guitar, and my huge bass Amp did not fit. Fortunately, the band had a GMC full-size van, where I left it between gigs. Eventually, I changed bands and had to get a station wagon. My blue Chevette had a racing stripe on the side. Still searching though old photos for a picture. Thanks for the video!
I had one, 2 door stick. My truck needed work so I bought it used as stop gap transportation. It was not powerful or fast, but it always started and ran great. I have it to a friends son for a first car when I was done with it. It wasn’t the sporty car he dreamed of, but everyone knows that first car is a magic carpet.
I think the Chevette was the first ever succesfull "world car" beeing build in several shapes in every countries GM had a division i can't think of a platform having so many variants before or after that
I had a 1980 Chevette with some kind of McClaren inspired suspension. That thing handled incredibly well, and I could keep up with my buddy’s MG through the twisties.
In 1980 my Dad bought a brand new Chevette. It was blue with a 4 spd. About 2 years into having it my Dad decided to buy a ski boat. In our family of 6, we used that Chevette to pull that ski boat to the lake. If you've ever seen the movie, Pineapple Express, yeah about smoking weed, there is actually a scene where you see a Chevette pulling a boat. Since that is so strange of a car to pull a boat with, maybe they were at Arkabutla Lake in Mississippi circa 1982 and maybe seen us and thought wow, that's the strangest thing to pull a boat. The only thing that killed it was my Mom got hit head on by a Mercury Colony Park station wagon. The front of the Chevette was totally destroyed, battery hanging off the side, she had to shut the engine off . The only problem we had was a clutch cable that kept coming loose. Very unique and fond memories of that car.
I have NEVER been in a slower “car” in my life, but man, what gas mileage. 0-60……count in minutes. Little 1.6/55 hp, tin can, useless in the winter, BUT everyone had one as a 2nd/3rd car for the wife or teenagers to get around town.
I had an '87 chevette scooter and tortured it to death dogged it to redline through all 5 gears and spun the tire at every stoplight. It was like the super go kart. Tons of fun. A couple oil changes, a couple clutches and quite a few back tires was all (self inflicted)+ maintenance was all I ever had to do. It never failed me and I outran a few pintos, automatic base cavaliers, and b210s in it
Reliable is an understatement. My friend Barb had a 81 4 speed. We drove it from southeast Massachusetts to northern New Hampshire and back over a weekend. Even with over a hundred thousand miles it ran great and did it on only 2 tanks of gas.
I took my '77 Chevette (basically on a dare) from NW Illinois to Tempe, AZ on a straight, non-stop (except for gas, etc) 38 hr/2200 mile run in 1996 with over 220K on the original engine. I had $200 in cash and a bag of tools with me. No cell phone....and I crossed the high NM Desert alone on a tertiary road at night, no help for miles. I was rewarded with a grand surprise I'll never forget....I found myself outside of Socorro, NM at sunrise, frost covering the desert...when I realized that I was driving through the VLA...the Very Large Array of giant dish radio telescopes on railroad tracks. I surprised a friend in Tempe...stayed a few days...did the return as a straight run back to DeKalb, IL. Almost 5000 Miles....and I I only had to tighten a few lines on the radiator coming from the trans. Still have that car...though she hasn't run in ten years or so. My retirement project in 6 years....maybe we'll bomb straight for AZ alone together with a bag of tools and no &^%$# cell phone!
It is interesting and informative that GM’s best cars have foreign roots, like the Chevette. My (final generation) Impala traces its roots to Opel from Germany and has been a fantastic car so far. The Pontiac G8 and Chevy SS are both rebadged Holdens from Australia and are excellent vehicles.
Had a 84 4 door with a 1.6L. Was a reliable little beast and the heater was freaking awesome. Warmed up the car in no time and it didn't use much gas which was a bonus.
I bought a 1987 Chevette brand new, and had very little trouble at all with it. Engine still ran great when rust got it at 214,000 miles in 2014. Sure do miss that car!
As an iranian who is obsessed with everything american and of course american cars , i recently found out about your reviews on the history of american car industry and I'd like to say that you're doing a fantastic job. Keep up the good work. Your channel is the first youtube channel to which I'm going to subscribe.
I owned two remember the steering wheel off center. Installed a Weber carburetor helped with off the line. Not bad in the snow if one knows how to drive going straight from the driver's door window point of view. Did not seem to rot out like Toyotas of the era.
I kinda dig them. There's something I can appreciate about a totally unpretentious appliance that doesn't pretend or try to be anything but what it is. An honest vehicle.
When I was in the Army one of my friends had one his Mom bought him a brown one for graduating basic infantry training!! It lasted him 11 years and was pretty reliable, and I SWEAR it got better fuel economy than today's cars!! One trip we drove from Toronto Canada to Las Vegas!!!
I bought a 1976 powder blue Chevette Scooter in late '75 while still in college. It was the perfect car for a young, budget-minded single adult. I drove my manual 4-speed all over the Western states. It never broke down, except for a timing belt issue. I tricked it out with an 80 watt sound system way before SoCal made the trend popular. The gas mileage and hatch back made it one of the best cars to have at the time!
If the Chevette gets to be more sought after, the "woodie" models of 1976 would probably be the one to seek. Also of interest perhaps is that Drew Barrymore drove a Chevette in "The Wedding Singer".
Brandon Walsh drove a brown 2 door Chevette in the piolet episode of Beverly Hills 90210 and Sydney from Melrose Place also drove a brown 2 door Chevette. I remember the scene where she was a a valet and told the guy - not everyone drives a Rolls Royce and to be careful the accelerator pedal sticks.
I had a 1984 PONTIAC ACADIAN SCOOTER when my wife and I got together in 1999. THE BEST little car I ever owned. Would plow snow that was right to the top of the hood. Was a 4 speed manual. Boy I miss that car.
My Grandad had a Pontiac T1000 that was basically a Chevette clone with Pontiac badging. I learned to drive in that car on the dirt road next to his farmhouse. Those were good memories and from what I remember about that car, I thought it was nice.
we had an 87 chevette. Loved it. it was uncomfortable, noisy and cold in the winter, and no power steering, but we loved it. cant even put a finger on why. We would complain about it, but it never broke down, or gave us issues. Basic and to the point is what it was. I would love to find one today and restore it.
Back in the late 80s my sister-in-law had a red 1981 Chevette, and rather than scrap it she gave it to me. I remember it being a fun little car to drive, and with its 4-speed manual tranny I could goose it to have a little more giddyup than a Chevette with an automatic. I did have to rip the cheap felt headliner out since it was sagging, but other than that it got me to work and back dependably. I kept it for three years, then sold it for $300.
I had a navy blue one in the early 90s. It was a get go party car with mad screaming 6x9s bagging LLCoolJ down the block or hwy. didn't matter who wanted to ride, it was a fun time!🤘
"Yeah Baby, I got a Vette....CHEVette, that is..."😆😆👍🏻
That's what the dealer told my dad to tell his friends: "I just bought a 'vette,"
@@davidbroughall3782 Lol! Well, he Technically wouldn't be lying...just stretching the truth a little. 😆👍🏻
I used to joke about that too.
"Shov-vette", lol
We had these in our driver's Ed class in high school.
My gramps drove a chevette for 25 years and about 300,000 miles. Only stopped driving it because eyesight. He changed the timing components every 70k religiously and that car was really good to him. It was very similar to the yellow one. Mid 70s early 80s.
Well, a friend of mine had a Chevette.
Apparently, the timing-components
HAD been changed at some point.
Unfortunately, the bolt that held-on
crank-pulley/harmonic-balancer
was "single-use" only, meaning that
a new bolt had to be used whenever
it was unbolted.
This led to an entire weekend of
break-downs for my friend, as the
fan-belt would NOT stay tight, and
the alternator could not keep-up a
charge to the battery. The crank-pulley
bolt kept backing-out, and wobbled,
eliminating any fan-belt tension.
There was also a metric-tools hassle,
if I recall, for USA driveway mechanics, since the car had
Brazilian roots.
@@jimstrict-998 wowsers want A drag one problem after other
A friend bought the 2 seat Scooter package and drove it forever. He was finally in an accident that stopped the Chevette.
A girl that worked for me was a struggling single mom. She bought a new chevette. The transmission Fell Out on the road at a traffic light and Dealer did nothing to make it right.
I received a brand new 1986 4 door as a high school graduation gift from my grandparents.
It had A/C with a 5spd.
Drove it all through college and veterinary school.
It never failed to start or left me stranded..
It chugged along for 160k miles surviving on delayed maintenance and used parts.
It was hardly the greatest car I have ever owned but it was nowhere near as bad as urban legend suggests.
Great to hear someone's good Chevette experience and good for you for keeping it for so long.
AC was terrible!
@@darcychu9652 It had no problem cooling the car with temperatures in the high 90's with high humidity.
Drove it throughout Florida Texas New Mexico and Louisiana during the summer months with no problem.
It’s like what I been telling people about the Chevette. If one had the car with a manual transmission it went well. A Chevette with an automatic and AC was a dog. I had a friend back in 80’s with a Chevette and he liked it. Good for you.👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸
@@spooderdoggy When my grandparents told me they were buying me on they asked if I wanted A/C or a automatic.
Of course I chose A/C!
It worked fine until the day it went to the salvage yard after being rear ended..
Finally, someone who speaks the truth about the fantastic Chevette. Absolutely perfect presentation.
My first new car was a 1980 Chevette coupe. A VERY stylish, economical, reliable car. It was, and still is, one of my top 5 favorite cars that I have owned.
They weren't nearly as bad as people said they were but they absolutely sucked to have to replace the starter in, I worked in a garage throughout the 80's and the first time I had to do it I couldn't believe how hard it was to remove and replace a starter in one of them, it's like "Come on, this ain't a friggin Ferrari, there's no good reason it should be jammed up in there like that".
@@dukecraig2402 I was pretty ticked
when I changed the starter in my
Dad's 302 Ford Granada. You either
had to disconnect a suspension-link,
or, as I did, remove the main motor-mount bolt on that side, and
jack the engine up (tilting it) a couple
inches. I also noted the power-steering hoses had to run
BENEATH the driver-side control-arms.
Incidentally, other bad starter-jobs
include the Ford Probe, and 58-60
Thunderbirds with the Lincoln 430
engine.
@@jimstrict-998 The worst starter I ever did was a late-90's Cadillac with the Northstar V8. Not fun.
@@dukecraig2402 agreed! mine went bad as well. It was blocked by the power steering pump. I pulled the power steering pump out to replace the starter. When I test drove it after replacing the starting, and not replacing the power steering pump, I found out the car really didn't need power steering, so the pump didn't get reinstalled
@@audvidgeek
Yea, come to think of it a car that small and light couldn't need THAT much power assistance to turn the front wheels, most likely it's engineered to give that tiny bit you'd need when parking and you need to turn the front wheels when you're either stopped or moving very slowly.
I had a Dodge Caravan once that the power rack went out on it, it was a beatermobile anyways so I didn't bother fixing it, I'm a pretty stout guy so I just heaved on the steering wherever I went especially parking it.
I found out there's a down side to that, the steering column isn't engineered to have that much force applied to it especially when parking and everything from bushings to that little U-joint in it went bad and the steering wheel had all kinds of play and flopped around after a few months, rest of the vehicle was in fairly good working order when I had to junk it because the steering column was shot.
I was the service director for a Chevy dealership back then and I LOVED Chevettes. People would try to drive them into the ground but few succeeded.
I wish GM could bring it back: affordable though....under $10.000
@Bo Blu Lol....my prez????
Did you get a lot in with egg-shaped cylinders? Tons of them around here and all ended up scrapped.
My first car was a white four speed four door 1980 Chevette. It was a humble toaster on wheels that got it done. Easy to park, cheap to own. I'm most nostalgic for the handcrank windows and sweet maroon interior!
The 1987 last year production was my first car. I went everywhere with that car! Reliable. 👍🏻
That last model year was cut short by three months. Originally, GM wanted to end production of the Chevette at Lakewood Assembly on March 29, 1987, but as sales of the Chevette continued slowing down as the 1987 model year wore on, they moved it up to December 23, 1986.
I saved up as a kid and then in 1976 bought my first brand new car instead of used, it was a 1976 light blue Chevy Chevette Scooter - and it was only $2,776, in celebration of the 200th anniversary year for the US and everything was priced ending in variations of 1776. It was the lowest price I could find on a new car, even lower cost than a Honda Civic.
It was a 1.4 L smallest engine they ever made, 4 speed manual with no overdrive, bare bones as it gets. There was no back seat, just a plastic scooped out panel where people could sit, but no seat belts back there and basically a large storage area, like a mini-SUV would be today.
Two vinyl bucket seats were in the front, no glove box door because that and the rear seat were options, the door panels were some kind of cardboard covered with black vinyl and instead of arm rests in the door, it had thick plastic straps held in place with two bolts, since arm rests were optional too. Door cranks were manual and the two doors locked and unlocked using the ignition key.
Rack and pinion steering on that car was very precise and made it drive similar to an older Triumph Spitfire I had a few cars earlier. It even had disk brakes in the front which was very modern at the time.
No radio, no cigarette lighter, no antenna, no day/night adjustment to the rear view mirror. But I tracked gas usage and could get 45 mpg easily out on the highway during a time that 55 MPH speed limits were the norm and strictly enforced.
I installed a radio/tape-deck, cigarette lighter socket, antenna and glove box door eventually for a better comfort level. The huge back storage area with no rear seat to get in the way held a lot of cargo. Many times it carried a lot of boxes when it came time to move.
The light blue paint was latex and something new that year according to the dealer's new car ad brochure which I may still have in an old box somewhere. The bumpers were silver/white paint and total metal, not cheap plastic like nowadays. There were silver plastic bezels around the round headlight bulbs to give it a square headlight appearance and the tiny front grille was also silver plastic. Everything inside was black and the floor was vinyl, no carpeting since that was also an option.
Maintenance was very easy for basic things like changing the oil, sparkplugs and tuneup, changing brake pads and shoes. It was lightweight and easy to jack up off the ground. I think the spare tire was located in the back underneath the rear hatch back, you lifted it up and the full size tire and jack was there, then the rear deck cover closed down over that leaving that huge cargo area and rear hatch with two air filled lifters.
That car got me everywhere and eventually got me 3000 miles to the opposite coast, then lasted me way up into the early 1990s, after which I bought a second hand Ford hatchback that became the most horrible car ever - but sadly I had already sold the Chevette and gotten $800 for it and it was still running strong and hadn't much wrong except one dent on one rear panel that wasn't so bad I couldn't have lived with it.
There was some rust on the driver's side floor board and I had to fill that in with fiberglass sheeting and fiberglass gel to keep it sealed down there.
I once had the engine and transmission both rebuilt at around the 135,000 mile mark. By the time I sold it I think it was getting up close to 200,000 miles but was always extremely reliable and always fuel efficient. It also used unleaded gas, which was a recent innovation back in that year too.
Gas prices had already gone from 20 cents per gallon up to $1 per gallon and even/odd days and maximum number of gallons per fill up with gas lines were the norm. So gas mileage was a big factor as was the switchover to unleaded, as leaded gas cars were no longer being made and the new fuel was not good for the older style leaded gas engines and could ruin them.
That was probably the best new car of my life and not a lot of electronic junk on it like nowadays.
The clutch pedal was directly connected to the side of the transmission. The brake pedal had a bicycle cable that ran from inside the car, outside to the master cylinder and that broke on me one day just before coming to a steep hill and I was able to coast to the side of the road luckily and stop. I think I was able to temporarily fix it enough to get home and then had to buy a new cable from the Chevy dealer since there were no after market cables with a special sized rubber piece on one end to fit between the floor board and the brake pedal. I remember being mad I had to pay full dealer pricing for that part which was a special order item instead of finding one aftermarket at a parts store like most everything else.
I laughed as car ads began showing great fuel economy by adding $20,000 worth of electronics, electric hybrid drives with expensive battery packs while keeping body weight high and adding tons of fancy equipment, like they have become nowadays.
There was a way for car makers to have everyone getting 45 mpg on the highway and the technology was that 1976 little two door light blue Chevy Chevette Scooter. If they built them like that today, they could sell everyone a brand new car for under $10,000 and everyone who bought one would be commuting at 45 mpg and still have enough power with just two people on board to pass trucks and zoom around like in a little sports car, which was how it drove.
My dad once told me to drive it until the wheels fall off, because it was such a good price and such a reliable vehicle. I should have taken his advice and never have sold it and I would probably still be out there driving it today.
Longest comment ever but very well written. Nice job. 🏆 👀
Great story. Miserable to be in, great car to save money. Ignition key was square, but the doors opened with the round key.
My grandmother had an '84 it was so basic, but never failed to do exactly what it was supposed to do, surviving many harsh Maine winters. Good little car.
I used to manage a Budget Rent a Car office in the 80s. The Chevettes were great rental car for people getting their car worked on at the local dealerships. They just wanted to get home or to work. I do remember that the front fenders were glued on and when the glue let go, water would end up on the floor. But great in snow in New England. The complete lack of power was great for driving in snow. Would never spin the tires!
I knew a guy who had a Vega. He'd take it in with 5 things wrong, they could only successfully fix 3. It finally overheated one too many times and seized. His next car was a Chevette! It was considerably more reliable than the Vega.
Yea, but when you'd stuff a V8 in one of them man would they fly.
the vega was a death trap. when they first took it out on the GM test track the front end fell off. it didnt get much better from there.
I remember the jokes that went along with owning a Chevette in the later 80s. The one that sticks out is, "You don't need any brakes, just turn on the air and the car will come to a stop." And there was actually some truth to that. The air slowed the car down quite noticeably. In 1987 I managed to have two people in my circle with a Chevette.
As a side note, my grandparents had a Vega in like 1976 or so, and I thought that was the coolest looking car (I was 8 then, but still). I loved that car but it mysteriously disappeared rather soon after he bought it.
I had a buddy you had a Diesel VW Rabbit back in the 1980s. He was astonished that the car could not start moving if the air conditioner was on.
Back in 1991, I had a brand new Eagle Talon, all wheel drive, 2.0 L, dual overhead cam, 5 speed manual transmission, turbocharged, SILVER with a slightly darker gray interior, and the thing felt HEAVY, like a lead roller skate. On a trip across the Ohio turnpike in August, about 90°F, ~70mph in 5th gear just shy of 3500 rpm, whenever the air conditioning compressor would kick on, the turbo would have to come in to cover it, and it never got COLD. It got 25.1 mpg.
I also had an ALL BLACK 1991 Ford Mustang GT, 5.0L, 5-speed manual transmission. The car felt light and lively in comparison to the Talon. On another trip across the Ohio turnpike in August, about 90°F, ~70mph, in 5th gear at less than 2000 rpm, I couldn't feel whenever the air conditioning compressor would engage. There was no sudden feeling of load, and it got ❄️ *COLD* ❄️ with a layer of frost forming on the inside of the windshield. The Mustang got 25.4 mpg. Sold the Talon, kept the Mustang. 😁
The Chevette was a seriously underpowered car. But, on the bright side it gave great gas mileage. One had to buy this car with a manual transmission to have any fun with it.
Funny the word Chevette here is so old my Apple phone spell checker has the word red underlined.😂😂
Probably they drove it into the woods and euthanized it.
@@ontopoftheroof Yeah if it was an automatic.😂🥳
You must be from down south, in the northern tier of states a Chevette with a/c was a unicorn.
My neighbors chevette hit 395,000km and finally drove it to the scrap yard. It could've reached 450,000 km had he kept it. It never had issues and always started. As for the Vega, beautiful car with more issues than the world today lol.
Yep, if GM could have built a car with vega's styling, and Chevette's reliability, they could have really had something!
@@audvidgeek so true
My dad bought a 1981, replacing the disastrous Vega he bought in 1975. It's the car I learned to drive in. He drove that thing into the ground and had to pay someone to tow it away.
I too had an 81 2 door Chevette. Manual tranny, no tint on the windows and no AC. Got me through many years of college to become a doctor. Even kept it for 5 years after college. I could have easily afforded to buy a different car but the little Chevette had gotten me through so much. I eventually sold to a colleague who used it for a beach car for another 10 years.
Had a 1981 Chevy Chevette too. I got it in '88 for $375 and lived in the rustbelt (Detroit) so the body was already pretty rotted out, but lasted another 2 years before the engine cradle was completely rusted through and had to junk the car. Still ran perfect even in the junkyard parking lot. Sad day.
Man, if I'd bought a new Vega back then, the last thing in the world I'd want to replace it with would be the newest entry-level Chevy. I would have lost all faith in GM, certainly their economy cars at least.
@@frankburns8871 Misplaced loyalty.
I owned the Japanese version of this, some 30 years ago, Isuzu Gemini.
Amazingly reliable, economical and practical car that had a wonderful drive feel.
I had the cleverly disguised Chevette called a Pontiac T 1000.
Loved that little car and that thing would bust through snow without getting stuck!
Also called the Pontiac Acadian in Canada.
@@Bartonovich52 That's interesting, I didn't know that.
@@Bartonovich52 , and it was called the Vauxhall Chevette in the UK, plus that version of the vehicle got a lot of nice upgrades that its Pontiac (USA), Pontiac (Canada), and Chevrolet (USA/Canada) relatives could have used, which made it a nice rally, tuner, and drift car in the right hands. Also, people should not sleep on the Fifth Generation Chevrolet Nova, Holden Nova, or the regular Toyota Corolla, as they too make for decent drifter/tuner cars, as their cousins are two of the most famous drifter/tuner cars of all time in the Toyota Corolla Levin and the Toyota Sprinter AE86 Trueno, plus many of their parts also work on the cheaper vehicles as well.
Your voice helps me fall asleep every night. So soothing. Thank you.
I wish I could get a car this basic but 2021 model. Manual trans, roll up windows and manual locks. Power brakes and steering. A 5 speed. All with a modern fuel efficient 4 cyl with some pep and the only extra I'd ask for is Bluetooth. Like a Cobalt 2005. The last brand new car I bought and loved. I don't want or need all the junk a new car comes with. Am I the only one?
No! I dislike all the modern junk on cars also. My 2020 Kia Rio LX is basic bliss. Needs a key to unlock it. Knobs for the HVAC. SUPER RELIABLE, SUPER ECONOMICAL and actually thoroughly satisfying to drive. Only other car I’d consider is the Chevy Spark.
Try Toyota Yaris 4 door !
In fact, it is a rebadged Mazda 2 4-door sedan.
i detest all the trash they stick in modern cars. you dont need a friggin TV screen in your car. i dont need ridiculous warnings. people used to drive their cars and put electrical tape over the idiot lights. the Model T is still going after 100 years. how come after 15 years a modern car is ready for the junk yard, but that car is still chugging along and look the same as it did when it rolled off the assembly line in 1920?
@@chukzombi Amen to that. Truth.
Thanks everyone. Glad to hear I'm not alone on this.
Good point. All this fancy Dan stuff is just more stuff to malfunction. And having it repaired can get pricey too. 💸
Dad had a 1976 2 door 1.6L 4 speed manual. Price was $3,595. This car was also the first car I drove.
I inherited a nearly new 1985 Chevette in 1987. For the era, it was a great commuter car. Basic transportation with an AM radio, crank windows, a/c, and a plaid cloth interior. It's big fault is you could feel the engine struggle when the a/c was on. I put 115,000 miles on it relatively trouble free. It's today's version of a Toyota Yaris w/ four doors.
Yes with AC on they could barely climb a hill.
@@12yearssober I got a 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid needing a battery pack. It has 1.3 liter gas motor and I have to turn off the AC when going up hills, pulling out, or trying pass on the highway when the battery has cycled low. So, I get it man. It’s like driving a Chevette at that point.😂
@@spooderdoggy
As long as it runs!!!!
Mark Stuart of Audio Adrenaline sang the song "My Chevette." He remembers laying in the back looking out the hatchback. Great song!
"No A/C, No FM, and no regrets, in my chevette"
Window cranks, and zero to sixty sometimes...
UK version, the Vauxhall Chevette (1975-84), had a couple hot hatches in the line up: the 133hp HS and 150hp HSR, both very collectable now.
Vauxhall also made a pick up truck on this platform. Too bad that never made it to the states.
I borrowed my sister-in-law's Chevette in 1987. I floored it getting on the highway and I finally got to 60 mph at the next exit two miles down the road..
At least you eventually made it to 60.
@@perryegolson833 only going down hill
Great video ! Ahh the memories growing up in the 80s these Chevrolet Chevette's were everywhere a very simple and reliable little car .
I currently daily Drive a 1983 Chevette 4 door she's the best little car I've ever owned.
Have a picture?
@@paulzammataro7185 not sure how I'd post one lol
We never should have stopped making chevettes ..the diesel chevette was really good also and they're easy to work on
I was just starting out in my career as an automotive technician in the mid 80s' and the Chevette was literally EVERYWHERE.
They were Chevy's little econo-tank. They ran forever with very little maintenance required. Reliable, cheap and easy to fix, and parts swapped back and forth throughout the models entire run. Were they fast? No..not at all, but they could boogie down the highway and aptly keep up with traffic once you got 'em rolling.
I sort of always wanted one, so I could attempt to swap in a Small Block Chevy V8 and Transmission! LOL.
My ONLY complaint about them was as a technician...I absolutely HATED having to do a full tune-up on the 1.6 with A/C......you had to completely remove the A/C compressor from it's bracketry ( but at least you didn't have to discharge the system, thankfully..) in order to gain access to the #1 spark plug and the distributor cap and rotor, as it was buried underneath the compressor. The ones without A/C only took about 20 minutes or so to change all 4 plugs, the cap, rotor and plug wires. With A/C....it took over a hour to do the same maintenance operation.
Aside from that, they were pure gravy to work on.
Thanks for this video @OldCarMemories .....brought a smile to my face remembering these cool little Chevy Putt-Putters!
Chevettes were a bit fast with
a manual.
@@ltjoseph9042 Yes, AND It's WAY more fun to drive a slow car FAST than a fast car SLOW. Remember: the rare Isuzu Impulse (Piazza) was a Chevette, but with modern body work. No one who had driven an Impulse could deny that they were fun lil' bastards. And as a "biker" a Ninja 250 is much more fun in the "twisties" than an HD Sportster! Absolute power and displacement is NOT ALWAYS the key to a good time!
I grew up in Wilmington Delaware and remember always seeing the new Chevettes on display on the roof above the entrance and on the big sign on the corner. Owned one later, great point A to B cars and easy and cheap to maintain.
My Dad was a little league coach and we would haul all the equpment to the games in the back of one of these for years. .. I'd forgottten about that until I watched this. Thanks for bringing back a great childhood memory.
I LOVE Camaros and Corvettes! I also love the Chevette. My first experience was delivering Chinese food and the restaurant had several '76 Chevette delivery cars. Man it was slow!! So the only way to drive it and try to make as many deliveries as possible was just keep your foot to the floor(auto) and stab the break with your left foot when needed. Those cars got beat on hard!😆 But in later years I was unemployed and needed something cheap and bought an '86 4dr auto. Much improved since '76 and I really enjoyed having it.😊👌 The car is part of the Opel family that GM had a stake in. It deserves a lot of credit!!!👍
I rented a Chevette in 1980 for about 3 weeks and was extremely impressed with this car. It even went through the snow in January very well, was excellent on gas and started reliably even in a very cold climate. Although it wasn't a race car I found it fun to drive and I ended up missing this car when I had to turn it in. I agree best small car GM ever made and would rank right up there with the best small cars of all time foreign or domestic, in my view.
That was fantastic! Knew someone who had a diesel Chevette. It had a 0-60mph time of possibly. So slow an actual slug jogging passed it. Great memories indeed!
Friends had these. I remember thinking how durable they were and if my friends actually did maintenance on them, the cars would have easily hit over 200,000 miles.
I had a 83 Chevy shove it love that car took a beating 500 thousand km on it when I got rid of it and the guy drove it another 4 years
Had a 4 door 4 speed I bought new...it was one of the most relightable cars I ever owned
I had a Chevette once. I still miss it 😪 I think it's a good looking car. Especially the later ones
My uncle had 4 or 5 of these. The harder you beat them the better they ran.
He even had one with a slant 6 from a Chevy 2.
Great video - Great little car and simpler times! Wish they would make a simple cheap car again that was reliable....
Don't remember ever hearing anything negative about the Chevette but my best friend in high school bought his first new car, a Vaga. He was so proud of that car but within six months, it had a rust hole at the base of the windshield that he could put his thumb through. Chevrolet's response was, "sorry, not our problem." The car was less than a year old and literally rusting out from under him. It didn't leave him, or me, very impressed with GM products.
Yeah… and GM never really learned their lesson.
@@buttsexandbananapeels And then front shock towers RUSTED OUT suddenly tearing out the front shocks and making big dents in the hood ! Car was simply TOO cheap IMHO. I replaced mine with a used Volvo 240 - PROBLEM SOLVED !
If you found a Vega with only a little rust, it was still on the assembly line
The ONLY time a Chevette was ever mentioned in a negative light was by "Muscle car" guys or snobs. The Chevette was actually PERFECT in it's role as...a car. It was not intended to be a GTO or a Cadillac. It was an economy car that was a REAL economy car. Modern "economy" cars (electrics/hybrids) are money pits! The Chevette was as cheap to run AND maintain as a small motorcycle. (A Honda Rebel 250 of the car world!). A few products deliver what they promise, The Chevette DID. Horrifically underrated cars!
@@buttsexandbananapeels But they DID, That was the point behind the Chevette! (Of course, they "lost the plot" later...)
My first car was a brand new 1987 Pontiac Acadian 2 door hatchback (Canadian Chevette) two tone grey paint like the one in this video. Yes, the car was gutless, but very good on gas and always started in the harsh cold winters. I had it until 1995 with almost 400,000 km`s on it, had to let it go due to underbody rust. These were great cars and everyone I knew that had one was happy with them.
When I worked for Budget Rent A car in 1985 at a freezing Canadian city the Chevette was the car to grab when it was 35' below. It would always start.
The car's advertising slogan was: "Chevy Chevette, it'll drive you happy"
The Chevette was a good car. It has to be compared to other cars of its era and its mission. They were very reliable and the engine was durable as an anvil. My dad drove one as a commuter car. I had one as a college student. My college roommate had one with a 5-speed. They served their owners well with economy and reliability.
We had 2 growing up . I get excited if I see one now still on the road lol
Except you don't see them.
@@GeeEm1313 I do once in a blue moon . Guy across the bridge from me had 2 for years ! Awesome little cars
Always enjoy your content… thanks
I loved these cars and always wanted one. I think they were awesome little cars. Great video, thanks for the walk down memory lane!
I remember this car being sold here in NZ in the mid-late 70s under the name Vauxhall Chevette and the tv ads calling it "the extraordinary Chevette"-it was a good practiical car and good value for money
I had a 1979 Chevette. It was the only year with the newer front end and the older tail lights. It was my workhorse for over 10 years. I now own a Corvette, but affectionately call my Chevette my 1st Vette.
In 1990 I learned to drive a manual transmission in my dad’s ‘84 Chevette. I’ll never forget that car. Sluggish and noisy, it was already well beyond its service life having almost 100K miles on the odometer. She went to the crusher 6 months later. RIP little Chevy, and thank you.
I had a 85 2door when I was 17 and I loved it lol I slammed it to the ground and had a sound system that blew the rear side window hinges off lol man these cars seriously do bring back memories 😁👍🏽✌🏾
Mom bought one when I was 11 or so for 300 bucks and drove that thing until I graduated.
fun fact: this car shared it's platform with the Isuzu Impulse (first gen) and that car is a work of art. its like a delorean and an AE86 had a child
No wonder!
It has Isuzu engine inside!
I loved my impulse that was probably the best car I ever owned!
@@darcychu9652 the only Isuzu engine was the 1.8 diesel.
The 1.4 and 1.6 gasser engines were Brazilian Chevette engines.
My first car was a 1976 Chevette 2 door with a standard transmission. I got it to go 110 miles per hour... In the Need for Speed I put an X11 H.O. Citation V-6 motor in it.... the Chevette was silver with orange rally Stripes over the hood and down the side lower rocker panel. It had black Enkei Wheels 60 series tires. I thought I was cool. Especially with the Pioneer Super Tuner Stereo, Pioneer 6 by 9 speakers and a Fosgate amplifier. IT ROCKED....AND ROLLED
I remember a brown Chevette being featured in the pilot episode of "Beverly Hills 90210" as Brandon Walsh's car. After the pilot episode, Brandon then drove a late 70's Mercury Cougar XR-7 for a short time, then he went on to his most well known car on the show, a beige 65 Mustang convertible.
I remember that as well as Sydney drove a brown Chevette on Melrose Place. I remember a scene where she was at a valet and he gave her a dirty look and she replied not everyone drives a Rolls Royce.
I’d love to see ya do something with all the special edition trucks available in the 70’s!
Yessss. There were many.
@@joshuagibson2520 Yup! Being a truck based UA-camr I’d love to see it! Heck we revived a 70 D100 and drove it 3000 miles! (Video is on our channel) So ya know we have have a thing for old trucks!
The Black (or was it brown?) and Gold GMC Gentleman Jim would have to be my favorite. We had one in the family back in the early 80s when I was about 5. Don't think I could find one today if I wanted one. Def not locally.
I always wanted a Dodge Warlock truck.
68 to 72 Chevy longhorn with the 8 1/2 foot long bed
Cool, a friend of mine in collage in the mid 1990's had a 2 door red stick shift hatchback. 😀
👍👍👍👍👍👍 I had a 77, 78, and 79 Chevette and they were great little cars. Thank you.
Great video! I really enjoy your videos. They are all so interesting and give me a new appreciation of the cars you feature - even cars that I did not think were very special. Thank you.
The Chevette are far better than any junk that GM makes today.
Wonderful looking car. Never had one but in the early 90's I had a late 80's YUGO convertible.
With gas prices as they are now I wish I had a little 2 door Chevette!!!!!
My first car was a 1980 Chevy Chevette and, I loved that little 4 speed manual. I still would like to have another one they are fun to drive!!! It made me feel down to earth!!! 😎😀
I had a blue two-door 1979 Chevette and I loved it. It was impractical for me. I play bass guitar, and my huge bass Amp did not fit. Fortunately, the band had a GMC full-size van, where I left it between gigs. Eventually, I changed bands and had to get a station wagon. My blue Chevette had a racing stripe on the side. Still searching though old photos for a picture. Thanks for the video!
Dad had a 1980 Four door with 5 on the floor. Never broke down!
I bought a 1984 chevette new for $4995, I drove it for 14 years and put 229,000 miles on it when it finally died, miss that old car
Had three of them two four doors with automatic transmission and one two door four speed loved them all
I have owned 5 Chevettes, a 78,79, 82, & 1985. I still have my 1983 " Little Red Chevette " :)
I loved my Chevette. It was a 1984, bought used in 1986. Had it for 9 years
It was my first car back in the early 80’s. I had three 79’ , 80’ and a 85’. Great little car, very reliable
I had one, 2 door stick. My truck needed work so I bought it used as stop gap transportation. It was not powerful or fast, but it always started and ran great. I have it to a friends son for a first car when I was done with it. It wasn’t the sporty car he dreamed of, but everyone knows that first car is a magic carpet.
The little engine that could!
not
my dad bought 1981 diesel silver 4 door great memories, i learned to drive and got one for my self, I still tell people my first car was a 'vette
I think the Chevette was the first ever succesfull "world car" beeing build in several shapes in every countries GM had a division i can't think of a platform having so many variants before or after that
Who didn't want to own a 'Vette back in the 70s?
I had a 1980 Chevette with some kind of McClaren inspired suspension. That thing handled incredibly well, and I could keep up with my buddy’s MG through the twisties.
In 1980 my Dad bought a brand new Chevette. It was blue with a 4 spd. About 2 years into having it my Dad decided to buy a ski boat. In our family of 6, we used that Chevette to pull that ski boat to the lake. If you've ever seen the movie, Pineapple Express, yeah about smoking weed, there is actually a scene where you see a Chevette pulling a boat. Since that is so strange of a car to pull a boat with, maybe they were at Arkabutla Lake in Mississippi circa 1982 and maybe seen us and thought wow, that's the strangest thing to pull a boat. The only thing that killed it was my Mom got hit head on by a Mercury Colony Park station wagon. The front of the Chevette was totally destroyed, battery hanging off the side, she had to shut the engine off . The only problem we had was a clutch cable that kept coming loose. Very unique and fond memories of that car.
I have NEVER been in a slower “car” in my life, but man, what gas mileage. 0-60……count in minutes. Little 1.6/55 hp, tin can, useless in the winter, BUT everyone had one as a 2nd/3rd car for the wife or teenagers to get around town.
They were insanely slow. I don't think most people understand how slow we mean lol. I guess it just has to be experienced to understand.
Yep, I've seen people jog up hills faster....
0-60 measured with a sundial.
You never drove a Renault LeCar, 0-60 in 60 minutes.
@@christopherconard2831 😅😅😅 perfect.
I had an '87 chevette scooter and tortured it to death dogged it to redline through all 5 gears and spun the tire at every stoplight. It was like the super go kart. Tons of fun. A couple oil changes, a couple clutches and quite a few back tires was all (self inflicted)+ maintenance was all I ever had to do. It never failed me and I outran a few pintos, automatic base cavaliers, and b210s in it
Reliable is an understatement. My friend Barb had a 81 4 speed. We drove it from southeast Massachusetts to northern New Hampshire and back over a weekend. Even with over a hundred thousand miles it ran great and did it on only 2 tanks of gas.
I took my '77 Chevette (basically on a dare) from NW Illinois to Tempe, AZ on a straight, non-stop (except for gas, etc) 38 hr/2200 mile run in 1996 with over 220K on the original engine. I had $200 in cash and a bag of tools with me. No cell phone....and I crossed the high NM Desert alone on a tertiary road at night, no help for miles. I was rewarded with a grand surprise I'll never forget....I found myself outside of Socorro, NM at sunrise, frost covering the desert...when I realized that I was driving through the VLA...the Very Large Array of giant dish radio telescopes on railroad tracks. I surprised a friend in Tempe...stayed a few days...did the return as a straight run back to DeKalb, IL. Almost 5000 Miles....and I I only had to tighten a few lines on the radiator coming from the trans. Still have that car...though she hasn't run in ten years or so. My retirement project in 6 years....maybe we'll bomb straight for AZ alone together with a bag of tools and no &^%$# cell phone!
Had a 1981 Chevy Chevette in High School. Lot of good memories!
It is interesting and informative that GM’s best cars have foreign roots, like the Chevette. My (final generation) Impala traces its roots to Opel from Germany and has been a fantastic car so far. The Pontiac G8 and Chevy SS are both rebadged Holdens from Australia and are excellent vehicles.
Had a 84 4 door with a 1.6L. Was a reliable little beast and the heater was freaking awesome. Warmed up the car in no time and it didn't use much gas which was a bonus.
I bought a 1987 Chevette brand new, and had very little trouble at all with it. Engine still ran great when rust got it at 214,000 miles in 2014. Sure do miss that car!
As an iranian who is obsessed with everything american and of course american cars , i recently found out about your reviews on the history of american car industry and I'd like to say that you're doing a fantastic job.
Keep up the good work.
Your channel is the first youtube channel to which I'm going to subscribe.
I owned two remember the steering wheel off center. Installed a Weber carburetor helped with off the line. Not bad in the snow if one knows how to drive going straight from the driver's door window point of view. Did not seem to rot out like Toyotas of the era.
The Chevette was a criminally underrated car.
I had two of them. Both were great cars!!!
I kinda dig them. There's something I can appreciate about a totally unpretentious appliance that doesn't pretend or try to be anything but what it is. An honest vehicle.
When I was in the Army one of my friends had one his Mom bought him a brown one for graduating basic infantry training!! It lasted him 11 years and was pretty reliable, and I SWEAR it got better fuel economy than today's cars!! One trip we drove from Toronto Canada to Las Vegas!!!
I bought a 1976 powder blue Chevette Scooter in late '75 while still in college. It was the perfect car for a young, budget-minded single adult. I drove my manual 4-speed all over the Western states. It never broke down, except for a timing belt issue. I tricked it out with an 80 watt sound system way before SoCal made the trend popular. The gas mileage and hatch back made it one of the best cars to have at the time!
If the Chevette gets to be more sought after, the "woodie" models of 1976 would probably be the one to seek. Also of interest perhaps is that Drew Barrymore drove a Chevette in "The Wedding Singer".
Brandon Walsh drove a brown 2 door Chevette in the piolet episode of Beverly Hills 90210 and Sydney from Melrose Place also drove a brown 2 door Chevette. I remember the scene where she was a a valet and told the guy - not everyone drives a Rolls Royce and to be careful the accelerator pedal sticks.
I had a 1984 PONTIAC ACADIAN SCOOTER when my wife and I got together in 1999. THE BEST little car I ever owned. Would plow snow that was right to the top of the hood. Was a 4 speed manual. Boy I miss that car.
My Grandad had a Pontiac T1000 that was basically a Chevette clone with Pontiac badging. I learned to drive in that car on the dirt road next to his farmhouse. Those were good memories and from what I remember about that car, I thought it was nice.
we had an 87 chevette. Loved it. it was uncomfortable, noisy and cold in the winter, and no power steering, but we loved it. cant even put a finger on why. We would complain about it, but it never broke down, or gave us issues. Basic and to the point is what it was.
I would love to find one today and restore it.
I miss cars like that, really practical. I also remember the Pontiac version, the T1000. You saw lots of both back in the eighties.
Back in the late 80s my sister-in-law had a red 1981 Chevette, and rather than scrap it she gave it to me. I remember it being a fun little car to drive, and with its 4-speed manual tranny I could goose it to have a little more giddyup than a Chevette with an automatic. I did have to rip the cheap felt headliner out since it was sagging, but other than that it got me to work and back dependably. I kept it for three years, then sold it for $300.
Was my brother's first car, some good memories cruising around
I knew someone who had a Chevette and loved it very much.
THEY WERE GREAT..STILL AROUND TOO
Oh my I remember driving one of these YEARS ago with the a/c and automatic. It seemed even slower than my 3 cylinder Chevrolet Sprint with a/c
I had a navy blue one in the early 90s. It was a get go party car with mad screaming 6x9s bagging LLCoolJ down the block or hwy. didn't matter who wanted to ride, it was a fun time!🤘