Is there such a thing as seeing too many Chevettes? I think not, although some are more interesting than others, spec-wise. A manual transmission in a small vehicle is nice, not that it isn’t nice in a big vehicle. This 1983 Chevrolet Chevette sedan is posted here on craigslist in Verona, Pennsylvania, and they’re asking $5,000 or best offer. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Tony P. for the tip!
We know some of you would rather put it in D and get on with your lives, as far as transmissions go. You can’t physically operate a clutch pedal anymore, or you just don’t want to for whatever reason, and that’s ok. As with the color red compared to blue, green, yellow, or four doors compared to two doors, we all like what we like, and nobody’s opinion is more correct than anyone else’s. Well, mine is, but I mean other than… er… cough. Just kidding, obviously. This 1983 Chevette video here on YouTube is the best six minutes you’ll spend today.
There was no second-generation Chevette; Chevy made them for model years 1976 through 1987 in one run. Models varied, from cardboard-door-panel Scooters to fancier models with nicer trim and features, but none had power windows or anything approaching a fancy car. They were meant to be inexpensive vehicles, or maybe a second car. This example has a few dings here and there, but the seller says it’s been a southern car and has been garaged while they’ve owned it. We don’t get to see too much of the interior, and there aren’t any underside photos, but when a craigslist seller includes an engine photo, life is good. There is a little more damage on the right rear corner, but hopefully that can be massaged out.
The seats have been changed, as you can see. I’m sure they’re super comfortable and so much nicer than the original Chevette bucket seats. Still, I’d want to bring this one back to the original spec for weekend car shows, so these seats would have to go. The back seat looks perfect, and that’s what I’d want for the front. We don’t get to see the dash at all other than a photo showing the gauges with an odometer reading of 83,248.7 miles.
The clean engine is, I believe, Chevrolet’s 1.6-liter OHC inline-four with 65 horsepower and 80 lb-ft of torque. It sends “power” through a three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic transmission to the rear wheels, and the seller says they have replaced the “brakes, radiator, head gasket, steering components, ball joints. Full stainless exhaust.” I always want a manual transmission in a small car like this Chevette, otherwise I wouldn’t mind owning this one. Any thoughts on this Chevette?
65 horsepower……and an automatic – no speeding tickets
with this one.
Turning on the AC would probably serve as a great emergency brake in the event of hydraulic failure.
Except on some ridiculously marked 25 mph roads – 1 seen some that are 4 total lanes with such a limit.
My oldest brother kept many lawyers in business with his speeding tickets back in the day so he sold all his cars and bought a 56 Ford panel truck governed to 55 mph. He drove it for over a year until he called me one day and said he got a ticket going down a hill at 65 so he asked me what was the fastest car to buy. I told him it was not the fastest but a Roadrunner would gitRdone. That was 1968, he bought a roadrunner that day and outrun his first patrolman two days later.
Best quote of the day, “It sends “power” through a three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic transmission to the rear wheels.” Love that Scotty!!! A stick is definitely a good way to go. Considering this is a Chevette, and the fate of the vast majority of these, this one has held up rather well.
I wouldn’t take one of these evil little tin cans for free. That said, I’m sure there are people out there that get the warm and fuzzys, when they see one of these. Your first car, mom’s grocery getter or your cheapskate uncle’s new family cruiser.
I would guess they were better than the Vega, which it outlasted in production by a few years, and they were certainly better than a Yugo. It’s a car that does well what’s expected of it and nothing more.
Dogs from Hell. I’d take the 5K and buy a Honda. And I have owned two of these soul sucking evil things.
Listing already taken down. Seller couldn’t take the teasing he’s getting.
Not surprised to be honest,…
And what’s with the BMW rims on this example: some kind of sympathetic magic thing going on where the BMW-ness supposed to somehow rub off on the Chevette and increase its value? Optional and aftermarket rims Can be desirable at times but this one just doesn’t work,…
Powerwash them and give the red paint a cut-and-polish and it would come close to being a case of “the wheels make the car”. It would really need the optional chrome trim around the wheels, with the B and C pillars within them blacked out (as was standard on the Pontiac 1000) to really sell the look, though.
He/she was asking for it from the get-go with that asking price!
My dad had one, it was one of the first few production years, low option with a 4spd and AM radio. It was the car me and my sister were allowed to borrow in the evenings and weekends. He didn’t have it long, which was unusual for him, he’d typically buy a used economy car that was a few years old, drive it for several years, then replace it with something else. His went through several timing belts, worse yet, it felt cheap when compared to a couple of imports he’d had just prior.
Steve R
I wonder if the air conditioner still works?
If it does, with it on you probably won’t get over 45 MPH.
True that!
FWIU it has the same compressor as a big Caprice, meaning it would blur the line between “air-conditioned car” and “self-portable fridge”.
Chevy’s original slogan for the Chevette was “it’ll drive you happy”. With that automatic, it will drive you nuts trying to get on the freeway most likely. Yet while they were tinny, plasticky and never felt close to anything with quality, unlike their predecessor the Vega, they were at least reliable. This car, while it appears in good shape, is not going to bring the asking price unless there’s a fanatic out there.
So they don’t even want the best offer, just any offer?
Well, after wanting a few more zeros cut from the Porsche, THIS is what remains,,,classic champagne taste on a beer budget. It’s okay, I’d probably get booted from my assisted living, wheeling in with a Porsche. A windfall of sorts, perhaps? They are very picky about that, and rightly so. This would grace the parking lot much better, and not a hint of shenanigans.
I say this on every Chevette post, it never outlived the shadow of the Vega. It was an okay car, an Opel in blue jeans, and still used a timing belt, so same stuff, different shovel. It’s odd how some belt driven cam cars, had trouble with belts, but I never recall a Chevette shredding one, although I’m sure they did. Non-interferrence, so only a minor lapse of reason.
Belt or not, GM sold a whopping 2.8 million Chevettes in its 9 year run. It kept the great folks of Wilmington, DE. busy, for sure. While the Chevette wasn’t a great car, as Americans, we didn’t have much choice, and for a Yankee Doodle Dandy, like me, that’s 2.8 million foreign cars that didn’t make it. USA, USA,,
Um,,,that’s an 11 year run( ’76-’87), forgiveness please. Never was good at math. Anything over 13 ( speeds) was useless to me, :)
When I was 19 or 20, I was driving a Chevette DIESEL home from the seller’s and it did shred the timing belt (with a bang) on the highway. Fortunately, I was approaching a downhill exit ramp, so I shifted the slushbox into neutral, and coasted down the ramp.
While still rolling, I quick-checked left and right as I approached the stop sign at the end of the ramp. Nothing coming either direction, so I blew the sign and coasted into a parking space at the convenience store/gas station on the other side of the 2-lane road.
Yes, that also served as a great emergency brake, though unwanted/unnecessary.
I watched your YouTube link Scotty. I never knew that a 5 speed manual transmission was optional. I’ve never seen one. Must be rarer than hen’s teeth!
Well, I got Mr. Peabody to let me borrow the Way-back Machine… jumped back 20 years and showed people the ad for the $5k used Chevette… …they’re all still laughing…
The front seats and wheels add a bit of panache to this humble little shaker 😉. These were never meant to set hearts a flutter, only to do the job of shuttle for less money. Judging by many stories we heard of these and other lowly cars we can conclude that they did just that. These good experiences are just that. It doesn’t mean anyone is going to necessarily chase this car down today.
I had a 1980 base model in college. It liked to regularly pop the clutch cable e-ring. I kept a supply of the e-rings on hand at all times! After it popped on the George Washington Bridge one night on my way home, It was time to let it go. 5K for this car (any Chevette) is a little offensive….
Having driven one for a couple of years back when they were plying the roads in force; I certainly wouldn’t want another go around. I’m not going to bash the Chevette as I’ve already shared my disdain for it in previous remarks. I’m just surprised how many of what was essentially a throwaway car seem to still functional after forty plus years.
Bought one for the wife, she wanted a small car for around town. It was an 87 and figured by then they had the problems resolved, nope they had not! I always had bought Chevys from the local dealer, then there was a new owner of the dealership, and since that “new” car was continually in the shop, the new owner didn’t want to take it in on a trade in. His mistake, went a few miles down the road and traded it in and got close to 2 grand more for a trade in. He learned a lesson on a loyal customer, and from then on, they treated me right.
They were almost bearable with a stick. My dad had one. He then got a Corsica which was like beast compared to the Chevette. I drove the Corsica and it was fun…
wow, the memories this stirs up….My best friend from high school dated a girl with a Chevette, and she ALWAYS had a girl lined up for me when we were out and about. He would always say meet up at the parking lot, where would drink some beers and figure out what the night would bring [we were maybe 19 at the time, lol] Then his girl would cruise up in the Chevette with the “friend” for the evening ….ah good times, that girl had a LOT of girlfriends