Disclosure: This site may receive compensation when you click on some links and make purchases.

Grandma Driven: 25,704 Mile Chevy Celebrity

s-l1600 (36)

I often wonder what will happen to my cars when I meet my maker. It’s rare that an entire line of family members and friends share in your hobby to the level that you do, so I’m guessing my small collection will be sold off at some point. As they say, you can’t take it with you! That’s what is happening with this super low mileage 1984 Chevy Celebrity here on eBay, which has accumulated a mere 25,704 miles from new. It is located practically in Canada in upstate New York with an opening bid of $2,500 and no reserve. 

s-l1600 (37)

As we all know, these were not exceptional cars. They didn’t drive all that well in 1984 and by today’s standards, they may as well be considered arthritic dinosaurs. However, finding one that remains relatively untouched and free from years of neglect is a tall order, which is why a hopeless GM fanatic may find this Celebrity appealing for rounding out a collection. The bodywork remains in impressive shape, and the Rallye-style wheels retain their light coat of polish.

s-l1600 (38)

The original owner kept driving until no longer able, and held onto the car until her passing at the ripe old age of 103! The car then went to her brother, who also passed away recently and whose spouse does not wish to look after it. The interior remains in very clean shape with an un-ripped bench seat and a dash that appears to be crack-free. This Celebrity has the 2.8 V6 under the hood which churned out about 112 b.h.p. when new and was a mid-level option slotting above the 2.5L four-cylinder but below the Eurosport’s high-output V6.

s-l1600 (39)

The price doesn’t seem out of line for what you are getting, which is essentially a brand-new Celebrity. Of course, the question is whether that’s a car you’d want own in any form, low mileage or not. For a comfortable cruiser that will likely barely add a ripple to your collector car insurance policy, this seems like an easy way to steal some attention from the Camaro and Firebird crowd at the next muscle car drive-in; however, driving a car that won’t win at the stoplights or on backroads is a simple fact of life when it comes to owning a domestic sedan from the 1980s.

Comments

  1. Avatar Poppy

    My wife drove an ’84 Century with the 3.0L Buick V6 before we were married. Decent transportation but that car still had a carburetor with electronic control that often gave her trouble in cold weather. Replaced it with a ’92 Ciera after we got married which had a much improved drivetrain combo. Not sure if the 2.8s had TBI yet or not in ’84. The later A-bodies from the ’90s with larger V6s, 4-speed autos, and MFI are much more reliable, have way more power, get better mileage, and won’t cost you any more than this one. This example should either be in the “Museum of Cars that Nobody Wants” or have a blown Series II 3800 installed.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Ed P

      I had a 84 Celebrity with 2.8 L v6. It had a 2bbl carb. Power was ok for the time. The 4cyl engine was a dog, but tough.

      Like 1
  2. Avatar hearsetrax

    had an ’84 celebrity with the 2.8L V6 and 3 spd auto

    and yes it came with the TBI ….still miss that tank to this day

    the only 2 things that separate the one I had from the one above :

    mine was that crappy silver mettalic and had the floor shifter

    Like 0
  3. Avatar JW454

    This is kind of like saving a buffalo nickel… It’s worth just a bit more than a nickel. Sadly, this car is worth just a bit more than any 15 year old late model daily driver. I hope it finds a good home.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar AMCSTEVE

    I don’t understand the rash of low mileage crappy cars lately?
    I mean I get it but they aren’t that interesting at all. This one is a base model with crank windows and 0 fun factor.

    Who cares

    Like 0
    • Avatar hearsetrax

      jejeje

      this may be a base model brick….. but for what it is

      it beats walking and is both safer and I dare bit more reliable then these modern escapees from the playdoh / lego factory

      I liked my 1993 plymouth acclaim that had the 3L Mitsu V6… a bit better …

      plus this is a good safe car for the kid/s (anemic as it was by some standards)

      Like 0
      • Avatar Blyndgesser

        Safer than a modern car? Are you serious? Awful brakes, iffy handling, not much in the way of occupant protection, and it doesn’t even have size and weight on its side.

        Like 0
      • Avatar Poppy

        Two other pluses are they are cheap to insure and parts are readily available just about any boneyard. The good thing about GM bread and butter cars like these A bodies and the C and H bodies is that they usually made a jillion of them.

        Like 0
    • Avatar Pat lamb

      I think a lot of people are trading it in for these…..

      Like 0
  5. Avatar Fred W.

    In my rural town these are still everywhere, still in service for folks who simply can’t afford anything more. They must be a bit more reliable than you might think or they would have been all in the junkyards long ago.

    Like 1
  6. Avatar RichS

    I purchased my ’86 wagon in 1993 as a non-runner for $100. I wasnt planning on keeping it more than a couple months – it was ugly and had over 200K on it. A $50 ignition module later, it was up and running.

    Well, 6 years later and the odometer at 377K, the second transmission (previous owner had it rebuilt around 180K) gave up and so did I. Sold it to a guy who wanted the motor for his Fiero. Never had the valve covers off of it.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar grant

    Bought one as a work beater in about 2003. Hated that car, it was trashed. The front plastic nose piece containing the lights and grille was held on with zip ties. Fun when they broke and I drove over my own front end. But it was dead reliable, and my (at the time) wife didn’t want to replace it till it died. So one night coming home, I floored it and when it hit about 80 I put it in neutral… the damn thing made it home. Had to get hit by a sleepy 17 year old a couple months later. My point being that this isn’t exactly a collector vehicle, or exciting; but they aren’t bad cars.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Neal Stambaugh

    These were actually very common at one time. The Buick Century, Chevrolet Celebrity, Olds Cutlass Ciera, and Pontiac 6000 all shared the new for 1982 GM A body. They were actually fairly well built and reliable as evidenced by the number of them still on the road. These cars were outdated by the late 1980’s and that is one reason why no one bothered to save many of them. They will never be rare or valuable but are a great example of am automotive transitional period.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Jason

    I had an 86′ as my first car with the iron duke motor. I never used the AC because it zapped the 90 HP down to about 35 I think. My 1600 Datsun roadster has more grunt.
    Somehow I managed to get dates with that thing, it must have been my stellar mullet.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar jeff

    Did anyone else notice the ” period ” Kleenex holder with the weighted sand pockets on either side of holder — ie: to keep in balanced on the transmission tunnel :)

    Like 0
    • Avatar BMW/Tundra Guy

      Hey!!! I got that in my 1991 Cherolet Caprice Classic Wagon mountain “beater” yacht!!!!!! Don’t knock what works!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      (being funny, not really mad, actually almost embarrassed about both the car and the “holder” thingy)

      Like 0
  11. Avatar Chebby

    No actual celebrity has ever driven a Chevy Celebrity, just as no member of the elite drove a Ford Elite.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Roselandpete

      Whenever I saw Michael Jordan driving a car on TV, it never was a Chevy Blazer.

      Like 0
  12. Avatar Greg

    I still want a ’91 pontiac 6000 ste AWD 3.1 v6 4spd auto!

    Like 0
  13. Avatar patty

    I’m wondering if the ac works? and can you possibly provide pictures of the undercarriage, please? Particularly where the shock mounts are…and the engine bay. Thank you!

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Bruce

    I had 2 of them and one station wagon. They all had the v 6 motors. I loved them. Had all 3 when I live in Flordia. On my days off I would just throw all my surf fishing stuff in the back and hit the beach fishing. I even ran over an alagater one early morning going to work{4 A.M.} when I drove trucks down there. I had to back up to make sure it wasn’t a homeless person. lol..It just tore the lower spoiler off. I would love to find another low mileage wagon again.Bruce.

    Like 0
  15. Avatar Lane

    My first car was a 1984 Celebrity Eurosport, 2.5l 4 banger with a…wait for it… 4 Speed Manual! Silver over Black and solid as a tank!

    Like 1
  16. Avatar Paul Bellefeuille

    The bottoms of the doors tend to rust out.. other than that I never had all that much trouble with my ’87 Eurosport wagon with the V-6 I had to put a helicoil on the firewall side of the engine to repair the hole after the previous owner overtightened one of the a sparkplugs..and the radiator needed replacing ( I got one at a wrecking yard for $50.. it was brand new.) and then there was that pesky alternator.. the bearings would bust out of there shell once a year pretty much like clockwork..

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Tim

    Some of my favorite cars are the orphans and the unloved. This one is a car I’d really enjoy.

    Like 1
  18. Avatar patty

    My sister had one years ago. She was very content with it. She didnt do a lot of driving but it got her to work and back. and that’s all that she wanted from it.

    Like 0
  19. Avatar Alan (Michigan)

    The auction ended with no bids.
    Funny, as it seems like a decent, likely reliable, method of transportation for the opening amount of $2500.

    I think that generally speaking, what you might get for the 25 is a rusty, worn vehicle with many flaws. Unexciting, but I’d rather have this.

    Like 1

Leave a Reply to Roselandpete Cancel reply

RULES: No profanity, politics, or personal attacks.

Become a member to add images to your comments.

*

Get new comment updates via email. Or subscribe without commenting.