There’s been lots of discussion about demand for a basic cheap transportation vehicle. Here is a time capsule, blast from the past. A perfectly preserved 1978 low kilometer, Chevy Chevette 4 cylinder, automatic for sale from our friends in Canada.
0 to 60 mph in about a minute, 40 mpg or so on the highway, crank windows. Bulletproof reliability, but dull as dry white toast.
They only want $5000 CA, that’s about $4200 or so USD these days. Anybody interested in basic transportation?
I recall working on and driving several Chevettes. And while I wasn’t enamored with the vehicle it was quite acceptable. And as for speed I particularly recall working on one that was equipped with a roof top light that would supposedly exceed 90 mph. In fact the beginning of my business with my largest fleet account (142 vehicles) began with a hasty timing belt job on that 90 mph Chevette which was used to transport blood between hospitals.
I didn’t want one back then, sure don’t want one now…
“I didn’t want one back then, sure don’t want one now…”
I agree. My wife was given a Pontiac T-1000 (Chevette clone) to use as a company car. On the first day she came home complaining about the lack of power and how dangerous it was to drive on the interstate. I drove the car down to her boss the next day and he exchanged it for a new Celebrity. It was safer…with more power but it didn’t drive much better than the T-1000. The T-1000 didn’t need a speedometer because you could use a calendar instead because it was so slow.
I have a table of road test data, 1800 road tests in all, from the '60s through 2006. How many of those 1800 cars were faster than the Chevette? 1788!
The Chevette is one car that did improve with age. When the floor boards rusted out, the cars went faster as the driver could then pedal to assist the engine. This may even have been the first hybrid.
My sister had one as their second car, and you really had to wind it through the gears to get any performance. It was a thoroughly unlovable car (based on the German and Brazilian Opel Cadet) and a stopgap by GM to get an economy car on the road. The project manger had orders to keep the weight “under 2000 lbs”.
Having said that, it was infinitely more reliable than the VEGA which followed it.
My sister’s Chevette lasted 10 year without major repairs, but by then the body was rusted out.
The Chevette followed the Vega.
"texases I stand corrected! The Vega proved that GM USA did not really know had to design a decent small car; the Vega was a corporate effort with all division chipping in.
It appeared in 1971, according the the US car yearbook and lasted till 1977. The Chevette had been in production a long time in Germany and Brazil, and was adapted to the US market in 1976 and lasted till 1987.
Since it was based on proven components the reliability was decent.
. Bulletproof reliability, but dull as dry white toast.
I wouldn’t call it bullet proof reliable. It was acceptable. Rusted out quickly…Engine was fine (think it was the Iron Duke. The back seat was optional.
Not the Iron Duke, Mike, THAT would have been a “performance” engine at 2.5 liters and 110 hp!
Oh nooo, the Chevette came with a 53 hp 1.4 liter or the “big” 60 hp 1.6 liter engines from Brazil. The fuel sipper of the bunch in 1981 was a 1.8 liter Isuzu diesel… 0-60 in about, well, never. I’m not sure it would actually hit 60 mph.
The under-stressed engines would last longer than the floorpans or the front springs. Both rusted through in about 4 years. Easy fixes and the cars would run with few other problems. I knew a few guys whose teenage kids all went through used Chevettes in their teen driving years. (hated their parents for it, too!) Wreck 'em, scrap 'em, buy another for $400.
Speaking of $400, that’s about what the car is worth, not the $5000 the owner wants.
“I wouldn’t call it bullet proof reliable.”
One of my co-workers bought one, and wound up stranded on a bridge with no shoulder when the differential broke on his 3 year old Chevette.
I recall him saying that the diff on Chevettes was made of plastic, but I never knew whether he was serious or just being sarcastic. However, I do know that I never wanted one of these pathetic little econoboxes.
Many years ago, one of my neighbors–an elderly woman who only drove once or twice a week to the grocery store–had the Pontiac clone of the Chevette. For her purposes–extremely low-speed local driving–it was fine. For anyone who needed to take their car out on the highway…not so much…
$4,200 for a Chevette?
Really?
On an often travelled route I pass a blue Chevette that seems to be the daily driver and only car regularly seen at an immaculately kept modest home. Salt is never used here so rust is not a great isue and the car is mechanically quite basic but I wonder who keeps it maintained since all the “seasoned” mechanics have retired and while it is basic it has its idiosyncrasies. Replacing the starter can be a pain.
Interestingly enough, in Europe, the equivalent was the Opel Kadett C, which actually came with an even smaller engine . . . ! . . . than the Chevette. While it wasn’t a high class car, I don’t seem to remember it being considered a POS, either
A college roomate in the US had a Chevette, and it was a horrendous POS car. His fuel tank actually rusted out. He was wondering why his fuel economy was so lousy, and it was because it was leaking out! I think he fixed it with some kind of epoxy, but I don’t know how long the repair lasted
At some point, he had enough money to buy something better, but nobody wanted to buy his Chevette. Can’t say I blame them. Anyways, he brought it to the junkyard . . . with a full tank of gas. The full tank of gas was probably worth more than the car
In fact the beginning of my business with my largest fleet account (142 vehicles) began with a hasty timing belt job on that 90 mph Chevette which was used to transport blood between hospitals.
Was Robert Gift driving for you back then? 
That Chevette in the ad probably has 131000 km or 231000 km
For the right price it wouldn’t be a bad little car. Unfortunately, 5 grand ain’t anywhere near the right price.
Some guy in this area has one of those in the same color. His car has a built 454 in it along with a narrowed Ford 9" rear axle, and slicks. It’s brutally fast but I think he hedges his bets and backs off it a bit on every run at the drag strip as the handling looks to be a bit squirrely on the high end.
Probably something to do with that front/rear weight ratio and short wheelbase…
Not the Iron Duke, Mike, THAT would have been a "performance" engine at 2.5 liters and 110 hp!Oh nooo, the Chevette came with a 53 hp 1.4 liter or the “big” 60 hp 1.6 liter engines from Brazil. The fuel sipper of the bunch in 1981 was a 1.8 liter Isuzu diesel… 0-60 in about, well, never. I’m not sure it would actually hit 60 mph.
Gee, why do you suppose they didn’t slap the Iron Duke in there? It would have been an economical choice (the tooling and R+D long ago paid for), pretty good performance for the time in a 2000# vehicle, and reliable (that engine is what the USPS wanted in their “Long Life Vehicle(s)”: a staggered-track S-10 with a Grumman Al body).
One thing the Chevette had that I wish was at least available today is a RWD configuration. Part of an “economy” car is economy of repair…and transmitting power to articulating front wheels is complex and a source of higher-than-usual repair frequency. OTOH, a live-axle RWD setup is about as bone-simple and reliable as you can get, and I wish was still an option in a small, cheap car.
One combo GM did test in the Chevette was the 2.8 l V6, went like stink. But mpgs were critical, so they didn’t make it.