My first post of 2019 looks like it will be for a 1978 Chevrolet Chevette Scooter! How appropriate for a lover of unusual – some would say oddball – cars. This good-looking little green machine can be found here on Craigslist in beautiful Henry, Virginia. The seller is asking $2,200 for this Scooter. Thanks to angliagt for sending in this great tip!
First things first: Happy 2019, everyone! Thanks for being such an important and integral part of Barn Finds over the last year. Hopefully, 2019 will be even better for all of us than 2018 was. Ok, onto this little Chevette. This car looks like it’s in amazing condition, I almost want to start the year off right by nabbing up this one. I have never owned a Chevette but they sure tweak my giblets when it comes to unusual cars that are rarely seen on the roads today. Although, with almost three million of them produced, you’d think that they wouldn’t be so invisible today in public.
I rarely use the word cute other than with dogs and a few cars, but I’m tempted to throw it out here. This car looks great to me and it’s so.. cute! The early-1970s fuel crisis made cars like the Chevette possible, and even necessary. Most car companies were caught off guard when gas shortages happened and most car owners were saddled with giant, gas-sucking behemoths. The Scooter model was the base, base, base model, as in having a cigarette lighter was almost too decadent for this car. The Chevette was made for the 1976 to 1987 model years but the Scooter went away after 1983.
Ok, here’s where things derail a bit for me, unfortunately. The automatic zaps a bit of power and the cracks on the dash and faded and worn carpet really detract from the little jewel box that I was hoping the interior would be after seeing how nice the exterior looked. I can’t quite tell if this is a one-owner or two-owner car, it sounds like the seller bought it from the original owner. “One Owner Car, Purchased new at Bob White Chevorlet [sic] in Martinsville, Virginia from current owner”. Maybe they didn’t title it yet. That wouldn’t fly here in Minnesota to sell a car that hasn’t been titled in the seller’s name unless you’re a dealer. A back seat was an option on the Scooter but this car has one and it looks nice. Other than some cracking, the rear cargo area looks pretty good, too.
The 1.6L inline-four looks decent and as almost always, a good weekend of detailing would do a world of good here. With 63 hp and a 0-60 time of almost 13-seconds, it isn’t a fast car. The seller says that “New upgrades include: New – Monojet Carburetor, Starter, Alternator, Fuel Pump along with Tune-Up.” The seller has included a bunch of great photos which is a fantastic way to start out 2019. They have even included a couple of underside photos! Other than me, are there any Chevette fans out there in Barn Finds land?
Hate to break it, but this isn’t a Scooter, the Scooter had fiberboard door panels without any lines or patterns molded into it.
I think you’re right, Ralph.
And the Scooter had no chrome grille,no carpet, no back seat and only a 1.4 liter Isuzu four that on a really good day made about 50 horses. It bordered on being dangerously slow on the highway and only marginally adequate for city driving.
And painted (rather than chromed) bumpers.
The diesel Chevette was slower. My Bother had to drive one as a delivery vehicle. An Army deuce and a half would have blown it into the weeds!
You’re right in some regards.
But the Scooter did come with a backseat after ’76 (although it could be deleted for credit). The 1.4 was only available in ’76 and ’77, and was not an Isuzu engine (you might be thinking of the later optional diesel which was sourced from Isuzu and was a 1.8L).
Rizzo, there is a guy here where I am in Mexico that has a diesel Chevette and he is so proud of his car, I find it hard to hold my tongue as to how crappy the car has always been.
I’ve seen way nicer ones bring similar money. There is NO market for these, at least not yet. But wait a decade. Until then, this is a $1000 car – max. My big question is that why is it when one of these comes up for sale, it’s almost ALWAYS an automatic? Almost every one I remember from my youth was a stick.
If this car was closer to Wisconsin it would be in my driveway! Leave it look exactly the way it is Turbo 231 Buick Overdrive Auto Trans and drive it!!
Hey Paul
I’m in Wisconsin and have a VERY similar car to this one (except mine is WAY nicer). It will be for sale in the spring. Just a FYI>
I’d buy that beautiful light blue Chevette. Love that color. How many miles are on it?
It has 44k miles on it. Actual AND documented. Unlike all the old car ads you see that claim the miles on the odometer are actual, I’ve got the paperwork to prove it.
WHOA! milwaukee here.
let me know if paul isnt interested.
Not a Scooter. An automatic transmission was not available on the Scooter in 1978.
I saw an ex USPS Scooter that did have an auto from this vintage once, it had no back seat and all the Post Office “warning: look before backing” decals inside too, must have been available for fleet orders?
All Chevette Scooters from 1976 thru 1983 had 4 spd manual transmissions. An automatic wasn’t available on the no-frils Scooter pkg but honestly I don’t know about any built on a USPS contract. As noted by yourself, they also had plain fiberboard door cards from ’76 thru ’78:
Automatics WERE available with the Scooter. Perhaps in 1976 they weren’t, but by 1978 they absolutely were.
Don’t know what to tell you. The paperwork said Scooter as did the decal on the front fender, had the door cards and fixed passenger seat and optional rear seat. Made in Canada and had speedo and odo that read in kilometers not miles. And it was automatic.
I can’t find the pictures of the local ’78 Scooter that I went and checked out just a couple months ago (that had an automatic), but here’s some proof of an automatic equipped Chevette Scooter.
This is a cool little find. I love the sleeper look. I wonder what one could shoehorn in that engine bay with mandatory cutting torch and welder? All I can think of seeing that pic with the man standing in the door and his arm positioning is “arrivederci”.
Pretty much any GM v-6 is an easy swap. The 60º two-barrel 2.8 liter from the trucks made 115 hp and 150 lb/ft, or about twice the power of the Isuzu-sourced 4 banger in this little cutie.
If you wanted to get bonkers, GM’s 90º 4.3 liter motor came with a 4bbl in 1985 and 1986; that made 150 hp and 230 lb/ft of torque. Compared to the original 60 horses and 77 torques, well… 2.5 times the power and three times the torque ought to be enough to chirp the tires.
That’s what GM should have done in the first place,it don’t take much torque to move a light body…..think of the fuel savings and if to was the 4.3ltr it would probably run forever
In the 80,s I had a dark blue one I purchased from a buddy for a couple hundred. Mine was a 76 (I think) Pontiac Acadian. I put a header and a 2 barrel carb on it. Crager mags with 60 series tires blacked out the rusty chrome tinted the windows and put a 2,000 watt stereo in it which meant an alternator upgrade and a dual battery system. It was one of my favourite cars. Unfortunately the salt used on the roads in Canada ate it.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ulmVJrVR73M
Outstanding!
Now THAT’S a “Scooter”!
Holy cow !!
Super SLEEPER.
How the heck did they fit that in there?!?
I had a 1980 Chevette, a light blue 4-door, in the early 1990s. It had a bad head gasket or water passages or something because it would go through its coolant very quickly.
That was not good since I was relying on it to deliver pizzas.I’d always have to remember to keep the radiator full, and I’d carry gallon bottles of water in the back. But sometimes when we were busy I wouldn’t be able to keep up with it and the car would overheat.
I got so frustrated with it one time that I popped open that little radiator cap visible in the engine photos above, unzipped, and pissed right in it in the parking lot of the pizza restaurant I was working at! Very immature but I got a lot of satisfaction out of that. Still brings a smile to my face to this day :-)
It overheated so much that the GM blue engine block was a light powder blue by the time I got rid of it. Yet the little cockroach kept running. I will give it that
I could easily be mistaken but isn’t this the Pontiac version hood?
No, this is the correct hood/grille inserts for ’78 (and ’78 only).
The ’77 and ’76 had same hood, but different grille inserts.
Hot Rod Magazine put a 500 inch big block in a Chevette. I think they had to remove most of the firewall to do it.
I reckon they just rolled the fire wall up and used it for smoking papers
Aw, leave the poor Chevette alone. This is an outstanding example of what we all wish car makers would offer again. It’s the modern Henry J or Studebaker Scotsman. Maintained properly ( which almost no one did) and didn’t rust away, they easily went hundreds of thousands of miles, delivering 40+ mpg, cheap, simple, economical, IDK, sounds like the perfect car for today. Anybody else recognize that steering wheel? Right out of an Opel. Lot of people put a lot of miles on these cars. Great find, for sure.
I think Mom paid about that same amount for her chevette brand new and it had a stripe!!! oh, and a 4 speed so you could get up a hill without being in everybodys way.
‘they sure tweak my giblets’
Poetry, Scotty. Poetry.
This one goes right up my flue as well.
The one I listed on Barn Finds several years ago is running around to this day! Cracks me up every time I see it.
I had a new 79 Scooter auto that was brought down out of Canada cuz you couldn’t get them due to the gas situation. Cardboard door panels and passenger’s seat bolted to the floor, no adjustment. Driving on icy roads or the hilly turnpike in MA/NY was an adventure. My mom’s Fiat was faster.
Most cars roller skates and bicycles with flat tires were
They had fiberboard door panels. I worked at a large Chevrolet dealer when these cars were available. The dealer had a promotion, they would “throw in” a Chevette scooter if you purchased a new loaded Blazer.
whatever it is … it is an oddball
I remember the Scooter from my days at a dealer during those years. We had a sale for 99 down, 99 per month for 48 payments. Total price. Not many choices besides color. Sold a ton of them! Cheapest new car I had seen until the 3990 Yugo in ’87.
Take a look at the new chevy spark. Not too far off. Almost 40mpg on the highway, 29 in town. You can get it with crank windows and a 5-speed. 1.4 liters, 98 hp 2200lbs. Plus, much better safety eq. If you still want basic by chevy, it’s there!
Those things weren’t worth that much new…..it certainly ain’t worth that much now…..my cousin had one of them bought it new it was down hill for that thing ever since. If memory serves me I overhauled the transmission once and put 3 long blocks in it……the last two engines in the same week…..I’m thinking it was just a modern day Vega, which had worse troubles than them sheeeeeevetttts had
$ ?? I would be intrested thanx
As ive said before ive had a fleet of these cars back in 80s all years and highest price was $200 . All gas engines were gm not isuzu . Every year had auto or 4spd. Im yet to see a scooter or any that didnt have a back seat . I did alot of shock towers as they rotted quickly ! The diesels were best for milage with the 5speed , automatic was as ive said the worst . The best i had was a 76 i dropped in a 1980 231 turbo v6 from a monte carlo. Easy swap and effective for power to weight ratio. Best sleeper ever ! Id buy another if i could find one but people think they are worth a bundle and they aren’t. Great little cars and easy to work on .
https://goo.gl/images/WBVPPs
This car has always bothered me as the steering column is in there at an angle.
I always thought that if there wasn’t room for the steering column, there wasn’t room for my legs and knees.
i learned to drive in the Pontiac T1000 version in Driver’s Ed!
When I went to buy a new Sunbird in 1987 the salesman said he had a new T-1000.
I asked him if he was kidding…