Crash course education needed...Chevette

No my automotive ADD hasn't kicked in again...well, maybe, but this isnt for me.

My dad finds himself in need of a cheap beater DD and wants something unusual(ish)

The quest started with VW bugs but in his budget not much worthwhile is coming up, so he mentioned Chevettes and some other 80s boxes to add to my search.

Well I turned up what looks to be a clean 85 2 door chevette 4 speed with 65,000 miles for Cheeeap.

Going to check it out tomorrow night but not really sure what I should look for.

I owned one of these in HS and all I remember is it took the merciless abuse of a 16 year old with little automotive knowledge and it had 100,000 miles on it at the time. Bought it for $100 (an 81 purchased in 87, should give you an idea of the condition) and flogged it for about 10,000 miles in a year. Never drove a stick before but figured it out on the way home, that kind of abuse.

So what should I be checking for. Looks like these little buggers actually have timing belts, anyone ever changed one or did the cars just get scrapped when they needed a new one. Dad needs to get 12-24 months out of this thing so I'd like to go through the basics to make sure its as ready as it can be for him.

At the asking price I'll probably buy it unless its actively on fire when I show up, but it remains to be seen if it will be good for pops or not.

JThw8 wrote: No my automotive ADD hasn't kicked in again...well, maybe, but this isnt for me. My dad finds himself in need of a cheap beater DD and wants something unusual(ish) The quest started with VW bugs but in his budget not much worthwhile is coming up, so he mentioned Chevettes and some other 80s boxes to add to my search. Well I turned up what looks to be a clean 85 2 door chevette 4 speed with 65,000 miles for Cheeeap. Going to check it out tomorrow night but not really sure what I should look for. I owned one of these in HS and all I remember is it took the merciless abuse of a 16 year old with little automotive knowledge and it had 100,000 miles on it at the time. Bought it for $100 (an 81 purchased in 87, should give you an idea of the condition) and flogged it for about 10,000 miles in a year. Never drove a stick before but figured it out on the way home, *that* kind of abuse. So what should I be checking for. Looks like these little buggers actually have timing belts, anyone ever changed one or did the cars just get scrapped when they needed a new one. Dad needs to get 12-24 months out of this thing so I'd like to go through the basics to make sure its as ready as it can be for him. At the asking price I'll probably buy it unless its actively on fire when I show up, but it remains to be seen if it will be good for pops or not.

Check the Anti-Lock Brakes - They won't lock up even if they are on the floor. They have to have the world's worst braking system.

They are tough little cars otherwise. Slow POS, but otherwise you can beat on them pretty good.

should be an iron duke engine, no timing belts (pushrods). Some valve adjustments needed if your feeling frisky. KJ

In addition to rust check for chassis flex in the front sheet metal. The shock towers get weak and try to kiss each other. They all have horrible computer controlled carbs. The later interiors turn to dust easily. If its in decent shape tint the windows ASAP. The steering wheel is angled towards the driver and feels very awkward even after driving the car for a year. The defroster is barely adequate in the winter with more than one person in the car. The 4peed will sing on the highway but should be better than my 76 automatic (with 81 drivetrain, it went from 61 to 87 hp!). It is one car that doesn't suffer from having an 80mph speedometer-it will only get that high downhill with a stiff tailwind. Make sure the flashers work for long uphill stretches. The brakes seriously suck. Parts were hard to find even in the 90s. Hopefully the internet will make things a bit easier. All these things can be fixed, some of them cheaply. The easiest way is to send it to me and buy something else for a DD.

Kendall_Jones wrote: should be an iron duke engine, no timing belts (pushrods). Some valve adjustments needed if your feeling frisky. KJ

I keep finding references to a timing belt change for them and parts catalogs list the belt ?

Kendall_Jones wrote: should be an iron duke engine, no timing belts (pushrods). Some valve adjustments needed if your feeling frisky. KJ

Never did the Chevette have an iron duke. That would have been a huge improvement. It has an all iron Brazillian based SOHC lump.

Chevette Wiki

Junkyard_Dog wrote: The easiest way is to send it to me and buy something else for a DD.

If it was for me I'd send it on. Pops needs a $1000ish DD type that can take abuse and be fairly simple.

He's really stuck on VW bugs, which at least I could keep running well for him, but $1000 bugs are usually not quite what he remembers them to be.

He's in a bind right now and needs to find something quick and he caught me at one of the few times I dont have something to loan him, seems he doesnt want to commute in DC in a Studebaker or 1 ton dually

wait wait wait....your last sentence is a kicker.

HE COMMUTES TO DC.

No way, no how is a car as slow as a Chevette appropriate for a commute into DC on any of the highways, for two reasons:

1. If his commute consists of gridlock and stop-and-go, he needs to get a car with good brakes. Because he uses them alot, and thanks to lousy DC drivers, he will be using them unexpectedly alot. Chevette brakes are garbage.

2. If his commute is against traffic (like mine) or during an hour where it isn't bumper-to-bumper, then traffic will be moving 80mph. In a car that struggles to do 60, that's bad news - plus you need at least a little bit of oomph to actually get onto the highway without getting run over (even in my 280hp wtx, I still have to lay on it sometimes), because people will NOT get over to let your slow-ass on.

And keep in mind, if the Chevette does get up to, say, 70 to move with traffic.....traffic will invariably come to a complete halt around the next bend. Once again, brakes become an issue.

Also, do they even have A/C. I commuted to DC for a year in a car with no A/C and summers were misterable creeping at 10mph for an hour getting baked.

--

My suggestion: go find him a late-80s civic, or a 1st-gen Integra. I bought my 87 teggy in great shape with 80k miles on it for $1000, and that was over a decade ago! It went to 230k with no repairs other than a CV axle. Hell, I never even changed the timing belt! That, or an early-90s Corolla can probably be found cheap and fast. I even see 90-92 Accords quite often on CL under $1500 in decent shape (I look, because I miss my 92 EX coupe sometimes...)

Worst case, an old Cavalier or Taurus or something.

Just please don't sign his death warrant by having him commute to DC in a slow car with bad brakes and pretty much no safety features. Chevettes should be left to LeMons, GRM challenge donors, and poor people in the middle of Kansas that don't have to go far or fast....

DC CL possibilities as of right now:

civic... http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/cto/1814308646.html

2nd gen integra... http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/1814188892.html

lexus...http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/1814023827.html

protege... http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/ctd/1813955821.html

sentra.... http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/cto/1813609367.html

92 accord... http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/1813607170.html

They go 60 mph, and it feels like you are breaking the sound barrier. There is exactly zero crashworthiness, the brakes suck, and they are dead slow.

The do have a timing belt, which is easy to change. Buy the front seals at the same time.

Better than a Beetle, but not by much. Buy him a Neon.

irish44j wrote: Chevettes should be left to JD for GRM challenge donors, and poor people in the middle of Kansas that don't have to go far or fast....

Fixed it for ya. If it'll qualify for BABE I'd want it even more.

I wont disagree with you, but he will sadly. Im still trying to talk some sense into him or at least find him something cheap enough that when he comes to his senses I wont mind buying it back so he can get the right thing.

A/C is a non concern with him, he never used it in his last car, god knows why.

His issue with "newer" beaters is he has had problems with "good" cars of the newer era and realizes he knows nothing about them. He is competent enough to deal with older cars with less computers etc. Basically he wants something very dumbed down that has very little to go wrong with it and can be maintained at home if needed.

I've given up arguing with him and can only try to help him find the best car I can within his constraints.

I drove a Chevette in DC for a few years as a teen and never had an issue. I also believe his commute is actually from the Frederick area to the rockville metro station mostly via backroads, he doesnt actually drive in the city most days.

well, if he wants to be unsafe on DC area roads, but wants something old and unusual, I do have a 71 GT6 Mk3 for sale, needs some work....

seriously though....if he wants something old that he can work on that doesn't have any creature comforts or performance, I'd be more compelled to have him look at something bigger American (LTD, caprice, etc) from the 80s. At least they're big and can take a collision with the a-hole drivers around here

Tried that route too, he needs better fuel economy.

Hell he's been banging around in a Hyundai Accent for years so safety is not his primary concern ;)

Funny as we were discussing cars that he would be interested in the subject of Triumphs came up...not in a positive way though, my sister drove a Spitfire through HS.

Id still rather put him in a bug if I can find one. I have a ghia disk brake beam sitting here I could upgrade it with and I know those cars so well I could be sure he was getting a good one.

I'm tempted to buy a banger for myself and give him my car for awhile, Im better suited to on the fly repairs if needed and I dont my driving the dually if the beater is down for a day or two.

JThw8 wrote: He is competent enough to deal with older cars with less computers etc. Basically he wants something very dumbed down that has very little to go wrong with it and can be maintained at home if needed.

This is the very opposite of a mid-80s GM Computer Controlled Carb. You need to look at (early) Pintos or Monzas for that kind of simplicity in an econobox. There were even a few for sale down here recently. Since RWD is not an issue-and is probably a plus to his thinking- may I suggest something in a 4 cyl. S-10? Still way cheap but an early (dirt simple) TBI engine plus it actually goes and stops worlds better then the best stock Chevette ever made. Much better parts support too.

Honestly I'd drive the Stude, and I can't figure out why he would pass on it. How about any 140/240 Volvo? Cheap as hell, run forever, and 4 wheel discs FTW. If I wasn't enjoying it so much I'd offer the 70 142S with some kind of trade deal.

Yeah, an older volvo would be to my liking and I'd force it upon him, getting hard to find good examples around here. MD inspection is pretty tough on rust.

He sees truck and thinks poor economy, even if its a 4 banger.

I keep poking around for the right thing, honestly I hear what y'all are saying about the chevette but I never really thought it was that bad to drive, maybe I need to go drive this thing to refresh my memory.

I wouldn't drive the Stude in traffic, slow underbraked and heavier than a Chevette for sure. Not to mention Im pretty sure he'd be worried about messing it up, its not a $1000 beater.

Take pics. If he comes to his senses I might want it. Or if he buys it and comes to his senses before he hits a truck I might be interested.

A kid on turbobricks did a B230FT swap and added Fiero front brakes. An S-10 rear can be narrowed with Camaro discs to get the right bolt pattern and a nice upgrade. Several have done 60 degree V6 swaps that address the power problem without hanging huge weight on the front end.......but none of that is a quick fix for a DD. It IS my plan for a challenge car/next project. Or I'll do a street rod. Save me before I go down that expensive road!

JThw8 wrote: ...I owned one of these in HS and all I remember is it took the merciless abuse of a 16 year old with little automotive knowledge and it had 100,000 miles on it at the time. Bought it for $100 (an 81 purchased in 87, should give you an idea of the condition) and flogged it for about 10,000 miles in a year. Never drove a stick before but figured it out on the way home, *that* kind of abuse.

I had an '80 Chevette Scooter in HS right around the same time you had yours. I learned cheap tires in the rain while taking the back road on the way to school you don't downshift to slow down coming up on that curve. Also learned that morning it was pretty easy to put it on its side. It was weird seeing the ground coming up in the passenger windows. We all walked away so it couldn't have been that unsafe...

Rust would be the biggest thing I would be concerned about. I don't know when the last time I saw one around here on the road. Even the few that were sitting went away when scrap went up. I don't know if any brake upgrades for Fieros would work on one, but if the stock brakes come up short that might be a path to look into.

An Omni/Horizon id what I would be hunting, but that's just me. Dad had one in '80 that was as bare bones as it could be. He has a Miata now.

And since nobody mentioned it (and that's very weird for this place), what about an early Miata? The soft top could be a problem for the train station.

Rob_Mopar wrote: An Omni/Horizon id what I would be hunting, but that's just me. Dad had one in '80 that was as bare bones as it could be.

1984 Dodge Omni (Corydon,IN) I'll drive it out and drive the 'vette back.

I'm no help at all am I

Rob_Mopar wrote: And since nobody mentioned it (and that's very weird for this place), what about an early Miata?

He makes a good point. Find another $500 Miata ( I know, you can never find one when you need to find one). Add a $500 hardtop and you not only have a great DD but its worth $2500 when hes through!

VW Rabbit / GTi perhaps?

Horizon: http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/1749373348.html

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/1752043585.html

Yeah, even as an experienced FWD Dodge guy, I'd have to say that anything in the eighties with a carb from the big three is going to suck.

All of them will have some sort of BS computer-controlled carb and the Holley 5200 based units used on the Ford and Chrysler 4-cylinders were utter crap. The Weber 34/36 they Holley's were based on were marginally better thanks to piss poor castings that warp at the first sign of heat.

1988 and later Horizon/Omni's had TBI injection and while more "complex" they are pretty damned reliable and cheap to repair.

the very early Omni/Horizon used either VW 1.7 or Peugot 1.6L motors, which were uninspiring but pretty reliable from what I could tell.

I would also look at the 1986 and later K-cars, as they were dead simple and easy to work on and parts are very easy to swap around.

For those of you suggesting VW/Volvo, I just have to say one word: CIS

If he thinks "new" cars are complex, the CIS nonsense will drive him crazy if it gets wonky on him (and it will)

I'd say find an older Tercel or Sentra/Pulsar...or GLC....or Mirage/Colt...or maybe the best choice IMO: a Rabbit. The Chevette was a POS when it was new. Now its just a really old POS.

Craigslist/craiglook is your friend.

I drove an 84 Tercel in college--rubber floors and plastic seats. Dead nuts reliable. Even handled OK with some 175/70-13 Yokohamas. I also had a twin-stick Colt--fun car but it rusted when there was rain in the forecast.

My father feels somewhat the same way about cars that JThw8's father does. His favorite ride? Still a "beater" Chevy, a Corsica. Yeah, it's somewhat more sophisticated than a Chevette....what isn't? But they last forever, if you get one with a V6. And as an added feature they have anti-lock AND an airbag....does a Chevette even have an airbag? Plus, parts are reasonably easy to source, and rust wasn't quite the issue it was/is with older Chevettes.

ps, all those CL examples were decent alternatives...the Civic being my pick....but I'm biased as I owned a '89 Civic sedan.