Wearing optional Maroon Metallic and Beige two-tone paint, someone checked quite a few boxes when they ordered this Chevette hatchback. It even has color-matched wheels, not to mention the unusual, new-for-1981 Isuzu diesel engine, matched with an Isuzu 5-speed manual transmission. This 1981 Chevrolet Chevette Diesel 5-Speed is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Potterville, Michigan, and the seller is asking $5,500 or offer. Here is the original listing.
This is a somewhat unusual color combination with the wheel color matched to the upper, darker maroon paint rather than the lower beige color. I like it, and if a Chevette can be called sharp, this is it. I don’t believe the steel wheels came in colors other than silver, from looking at brochures of the 1981 Chevette. I like the dark wheels on this example and would keep it that way for sure. The seller says there is a bit of rust on both sides of the cowl at the base of the windshield.
The Chevette was made for only one “generation”, with a few updates but no big design or engineering changes during its 11-year run. They were made from 1975 for the 1976 model year, until the end of 1986 for the 1987 model year. As almost always with online listings, this car looks just about perfect in the overall photos, but the seller gets a big gold star for being honest and showing a questionable spot on the bottom of the driver’s door. Call me crazy, and I know most of you do, but I’ve always wondered what a Chevette wagon may have looked like. Or, yes, a Woody Convertible?
The interior looks great in this Chevette with the maroon fabric bucket seats and the all-important five-speed Isuzu-sourced manual transmission. Other than some faded plastic bits that could most likely be restored (i.e., painted), it looks great from what we can see. The seller doesn’t provide photos of the rear cargo area, but the back seat looks like new. One big issue is that one of the brake lines is leaking, and the brake pedal goes to the floor (!), but the brakes do eventually stop the car. Scary, that’s the first thing on the to-do list for sure.
The engine compartment could use some work to bring it up to the level of how the rest of the car looks. This engine is an Isuzu 4FB1, a 1.8-liter SOHC inline-four diesel, which was rated at just 51 horsepower and 72 lb-ft of torque when new. With power going through the five-speed manual to the rear wheels, it’s said to start and run well. What’s your offer on this Chevette diesel?
These engines usually outlived the cars they were installed in. I remember I came across a 80’s Imark with this engine. Great little powerplant. It’s no wonder GM tapped Isuzu to develop the Duramax engine.
I keep hearing that Foghat song, Slow Ride, when I look at this car.
“on paper” drag race with a Mercedes Benz 240d…who wins?
Marketplace link is a dead end
A dead end, as in the link isn’t working? I just clicked on the link, and it opened the seller’s listing.
Put a turbo on that little diesel, and use that with the 5 speed in anything other than a Chevette !
Chevettes were good cars, a top seller for GM. Even with a turbo, that engine is most suited for a small light weight economy car. What would you put the engine into, a Honda?
Duaney, I had a customer tried to get me to put my Mitsubishi diesel in my Chevy 1500 step side. It stood have been a huge improvement in mileage. Since 5th gear was broke in it it wound have plenty to push that 1500 along
Looks great for a discard car, very slow but great miles per gallon. Not many will be at a car show.
These weren’t purchased because you could have bought something else. This was strictly for the potential of getting 50 mpg. Many did the back and forth slog to Detroit and a car like this did the trick. In ’81 fuel was $1.25 here in SE Michigan which is over $5/gal today. The arithmetic solved itself.
Can’t say that the color scheme is factory but does look good and the interior is as clean as one could expect to find. I could trundle along the 2-lane in this.
Nelson, back in those days I was driving from Lake Orion to Flint and back every day. I did it differently. I got an 81 Coupe Deville Diesel for that trip at 30 mpg or better. A lot more comfortable that the Chevette. I did that for 275K miles. All it cost, other than fuel, was tires and brakes.
I had a 1980 Olds Custom Cruiser Diesel wagon as my first car in 1986. And Well do I remember that at that time, diesel was, for the first time, costing as much as gas. I remember about 1.25 a gallon, also southeast MI.
Andy, I’m not going to disagree with your grandfather. One bit of advice I’ll lend you as a grandfather myself, you have to make your way in life. Every generation recalls their best days which never come back around. A wise man once said to me, to always remember that in times like these there have always been times like these.
I owned the same car, an 81 with the diesel and the 5 speed. While not at all fast it would keep up with traffic and it did get near on 50 mpg. It was a great car and I thoroughly that it was great value
Belongs to a friend (Brad) I met here in mid-Michigan when he put his Renault LeCar up for sale a couple of years ago. Really nice guy!
My mistake! His last name contains “Brad”. Kam is his first name. (Silly brain!)
I had bought a diesel automatic when I was scrapping cars, I paid 40$ in the 90s because the guy didn’t like the oil stain it left in his driveway. Aside from that it was a hatchback.
Once at a gas station I said fill it up diesel, and when I looked back to make sure , the wingnut had put 10$ of gas in it, we were going to a job and had tools loaded, we didn’t have time to drain the gas, so I filled the rest diesel. That day the car had amazing performance.
A couple months later I was 1/4 mile from home and it died, I noticed the bolt that held the valve cover was loose. I got it home and noticed the belt snapped.
So I went to the parts place and my local guy looked it up and said it was an interference motor. I said oh that sounds special, what does that mean. He then said you throw the car away.
It did save a lot of money on fuel. Aside from that it was a dead turd.
Is there a big enough market for these that will support that asking price?
I guess the seller will find out.
Yeah it needs to be cheap to get a LS in it! I drive a hemi but no doubt it’s cheaper to keeper GM
Doing maintenance on these cars was interesting. The alignments required rotating the ball joints to try and find a combination that worked. (back in the day when this was unheard of) Brakes that were worse than Vegas. And was always a pain to let down off the lift to put the rear springs back in that fell out when lifting it to change oil or tire replacements. And the rust issues were unreal. They were ok cars to drive and very “tossable”.
It may be slow, but it’s uncomfortable and handles like crap too!
0 to 60…….eventually
Slowest car on the freeway for a time. Everybody having to go around a slow vehicle ahead in the middle lane…Yep, it’s a Chevette!
Listing update: the seller lowered their asking price to $4,600.
I used to have to have to work on these diesel Chevettes. If you only have a block or so to go, just jog…you’ll get there faster. The Diesel Chevy Luv trucks were just as bad.