might be getting a chevette!

[G_Body_Enthusiast]

i found a chevette for sale and i might be buying it. it has the original 4 cylinder engine, its automatic (what exactly is a THM180C?) has about 77K miles but is flat black with orange flames (its gonna get murdered out with flat black anyway so i dont care)

i wanted something that can be driven daily as eventually my GP isnt going to stay a daily driver forever. the plan is for it to be a weekend cruise car.

i also want a chevette because it is RWD, does not have EFI, is a GM and offers daily driving while offering good gas mileage over the GP by a long shot. we're suppose to go see it sunday and test drive it. unless its a total POS we'll most likely get this thing next week. that and the doors have full frames for the windows, the doors are light so no hinge issues, has a hatchback so i can use it as a parts hauler for most parts i might need. and they kept the trim down to a bare minimum, the year im looking at doesnt have chrome, thankfully, it has a black grille.

i used to laugh at these things but they actually have lots of potential and fits what i want without having to use some FWD compact car that has fuel injection. and the carb isnt a dualjet. its some holley carb, looks kinda weird but might be rather easy to take apart and work on if need be.

i'm researching chevettes now to learn about them so i know something about them before i go check this thing out so i know what to look for.

i might put in an electric fan to get rid of the stock fan to reduce drag on the engine, less drag means less gas being used.

 

[BrownGP83]

I think a Big block sounds like a great idea! :lol:

 

[Blake442]

Buy it up!

 

[G_Body_Enthusiast]

i may very well buy it up. as long as its not a POS, i need something that runs pretty decent, dont have much to invest into another car, otherwise i might as well put the money into my GP.

as for a big block...not gonna happen. i want the car as a daily driver/parts hauler. so i need good gas mileage. that and im not putting that much into a chevette and not my GP.

the GP comes first in terms of performance but i may do upgrades to increase gas mileage and fuel efficiency.

 

[StreetDogg316]

lol, My sister used to have a Chevette, I had no idea that they were RWD. It was a rust bucket, But it ran very good..... Untill she wrecked it.. I like the Big Block idea myself, Gonna need the power to haul all those parts for your GP :wink: And since the Chevette is such a small/lightweight car, It won't suck down as much gas V.S. if you put it in a bigger car.. And just think, Who would ever think that a Chevette could lift the front wheels off the ground? Talk about a sleeper.. If I could find a good one with little to no rust, I would do it

 

[axisg]

they were tuff tuff cars with no doubt but the performance was sub-par even when they were new.

Stay away from the automatics so you can squeeze every little ounch out of 70hp which isn't going to get you anywhere fast ( or even up to highway passing speed ).

The stock buick 3.8 V6 is a healthy little swap, almost tripling the HP and as long as you keep your foot out of it the car may last.

 

[shotgun]

I put a Pontiac 301 in one. Still have the car.

The rear is the weak link , if it starts to hook SNAP.

I found 180 hp to be it's limit.

Add a rear sway bar and those thing can handle pretty darn good.

Also they are a 4 x100 bolt pattern, same as 95% of imports.

I added lightweight 15 inch rims from a Miata and 205/55 15 (I think) along with the sway bar was a fun car.

Click below, went 13.80s with a used 301.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

You have several unique options with the T body cars as other brands and nations got the better variants. The original Isuzu Impulse was based on the T car chassis, and it came with a turbo engine, so there is a swap possibility there. I would also research the Holden Gemini as some of them have been built up with Mazda Rotaries in Australia, and also the Lotus version of the Vauxhall Chevette in Great Brittan. The Isuzu I-Mark is another variant, and there were also pickup truck and station wagon variants in Brazil. Anyhow, the Chevette is not my favorite small, RWD car. I think the Japanese did it much better with cars like the Datsun PL510, but those are priced far higher than the Chevette due to their cult status. A really good car to consider would be a BMW E30 3 series from the 80's as they are cheap, RWD, and have a very competent chassis.

 

[G_Body_Enthusiast]

well bad news...the guy sold it to someone else. didnt even give me a chance! the search continues...but we may just put the money into the GP and forget getting another car. chevettes are hard to come by anyway.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

In all honesty, be glad you didn't get it. Chevette's are truly horrible automotive experiences. I have to say that it is easily the worst car I have ever driven, and the slowest-both to 60 and top speed (which is 60). If you want a good small car that is unusually reliable (and gets 30-50mpg), get a 5 speed 1991-1999 Nissan Sentra or 200sx. Owning one that has seen reasonable maintenance will cure you of ever wanting a Chevette again. (Achille's heel? Front crank seal past 100k, and warp prone front rotors unless you swap them out) Rust and accident damage are about all that will kill one. Otherwise, expect 300-400k miles. Not only that, but they are comfortable, handle well, and have acceptable acceleration and can actually hit 100mph (one of mine did!). The Chevette was too narrow for it's RWD drivetrain, and makes you pay for it by smushing your feet too far over.