The Chevette: Chevrolet's Forgotten "vette"
Almost 35 years ago, as a young student, I had the opportunity to own a “vette.” It was the most unlikely of cars I would have driven. But it was the not the “vette” you are thinking of, but that other “vette” that most Americans are embarrassed of. But I don’t think there is anything to be embarrassed of regarding the Chevrolet Chevette.
Thapson
Reluctant Driver
I had no intention of driving coming to the United States to pursue my studies back in the 80s. But things turned out very differently as I realized public transportation was almost non-existent. The little there was, was very inconvenient.
It was fall and things were cooling down really quick and I couldn’t hitch rides all the time as Americans are individualistic and their schedules very tight. So, I had to reach into my emergency fund to look for a car.
The Camaro Guy
Now how does one buy a car when you are alone and know absolutely no one in a new country? Let me tell you, it’s like leaping into the darkness! Then in October, a guy in the dorm offered to sell me his car. He’d lost money betting on the Red Sox winning the World Series. Now people wanted to collect. He had a 1980 Chevrolet Camaro. It wasn’t in the best condition. But it drove okay and I was familiar with it as he had given me rides occasionally. It cost me around $1,200, which was a little too much. But having no advisor, I “had no choice.”
This was the car I purchased back then:
“To my surprise, Americans coveted their Japanese cars and they were too expensive to buy second hand.”
Being inexperienced with American cars, I would have preferred a Japanese one I was familiar with. To my surprise, Americans coveted their Japanese cars and they were expensive to buy second hand. Too much for the poor “starving” student I was. I consoled myself that buying American in the US was the “right thing to do.” So, there I was, a nerdy and reserved me, driving a Camaro everywhere. We’ll talk about that experience another time. However, I did get a lot of admiring looks from girls, and approval from the guys. It was kind of strange as I was just looking to get from A to B as inconspicuously as possible. I wasn’t the cool “party guy” the car was likely portraying me as.
Abandoning the Camaro …
I owned the Camaro for about 8 months, when I switched over to the Chevette. Now how did that happen you ask? It started with a guy named Craig who joined school in early February. We hit it off immediately and became buddies. He was shocked I was driving a Camaro – I didn’t fit the profile remember? Craig was a mechanical guy and just one ride, and look under the hood was enough. The engine was tired and, according to him, there was potential for problems ahead. I needed a smaller, more versatile car that would be easy on the wallet, and maintenance too. Seeing my requirements, lifestyle, and budget, he recommended the Chevy Chevette. Funny thing is, also Joe, the previous owner of the Camaro had gone on to buy a Chevette. One of Craig’s two cars too was a Chevette. It was a diesel version with the 1.7 Liter Isuzu engine.
… and Adopting the Chevette
We looked through the classifieds and found a place where we could trade my Camaro in for a later model Chevette. At the dealership, I was distracted by a Subaru station wagon. But it neither started, nor ran well. We turned to the Chevette. It was a 1.5 Liter GM dark blue “Scooter” version with spoiler up front, and black bumpers which gave it a (dare I say?) “sporty” look. A four-speed manual gearbox, three door hatchback, with enormous space to spare if you dropped down the rear seat rounded off the car.
Limited Bells and Whistles
There was no power steering or brakes which Americans likely preferred. But I knew this was the car for me. The motor sounded lively and ready to go. We took it for a spin as I gingerly changed gears with my right hand. I came from a country where you used the left hand for this purpose. But, one trip round the block and it was all good. I was now the proud owner of a 1984 Chevy Chevette “Scooter.” Initially, it felt small but that space was well utilized compared to the Camaro. Among my classmates the consensus was that the Chevette was a “dog” of a car. But I didn’t care. Unfortunately, my camera was dying by now. So the following pictures don’t do justice to the Chevette I bought. Also these were taken when the car was not washed with some dirt still on it:
The Chevrolet Chevette
The Chevette was one of the earliest Americans attempts to build a small car to counter Japanese imports. The history of the Chevette goes through GM’s European and South American divisions. It evolved from the earliest designs going right back to 1978. It was most influenced by the German Opel. Now I don’t want to go into the history of the car itself as that’s a story unto itself. But let me tell you about my “Scooter”. Apart from having only one wing mirror on the left, there was nothing I disliked about the car. I loved its buzzy engine which would whine audibly when you downshifted from high speed. I loved the feel of being close to the machine I was driving.
Some Gremlins
It had some gremlins however. The vent controls died very soon having me pull or push the controls in advance before starting off. Its carburetor was finicky and we spent a good time in smoothing out the idle. During winter, once it started, the car would invariably stall on the next red light or Stop sign when I took my foot of the gas. But after that restart, things would be fine. The rough idle issue remained with me until I worked part time in the University Transportation section. One of the mechanics fixed it for good by disconnecting a computer module. The car never stalled after that, but I suspect its economy suffered slightly. But I wasn’t complaining as I preferred the smoothness.
Not many detailed images are available of the Chevette. Here’s a set from a proud owner in Ohio that should give one a better perspective. Unfortunately I have no URL for this or I would be happy to provide it. This one is an older diesel model.
Just Right for Me
I always had the rear seat lowered and loved the huge space when doing so. It was used to carry a whole lot of stuff. I carried different pieces of furniture, mattresses, weightlifting equipment, odds and ends, you name it. The original AM radio was replaced with a Sanyo AM/FM/Cassette unit and matching speakers into the rear interior walls. The Chevette had wonderful acoustics! Both the front driver and passenger seats had “in-built” head restraints. I drove up and down Highway 90 in parts of Massachusetts, down 95, and all the way along the Long Island Expressway. The car never died on me. I never got stuck in the snow or slid around on the ice despite it being a real wheel drive. I guess that was because I respected the weather and drove accordingly. I changed the starter, brake pads, muffler, and clutch pad over the years I had it.
Timing Belt
The biggest job I had done on the car was when, the day after Thanksgiving in 1988, the timing belt broke. I was driving on the highway and suddenly the car stalled. Luckily it was a standard, so after throwing it into neutral and trying to restart it while in driving, I coasted into the breakdown lane. That was the first time such a thing happened to me. I was not warned of it, else I would have changed it early enough. It was fairly easy to work on and parts were easily available. What more could a student living on a tight budget want? While some people thought it was a lousy car, I knew better as it was perfect for me. I kept the car for five years and it went beyond 100K miles.
Bye Bye to my Baby
I treated it like a baby, and it never let me down. When I was leaving the States, I was sad to part with it and sold it to another student for $500. I could probably have gotten more as it still ran very well, but the guy was also a student. I apprised him of all the quirks in the car and how to deal with them. So, he had a good history of the car as well as an introduction to the mechanic who knew it well. While the Camaro was cool, I never missed it once I had the Chevette. Seeing one always brings back pleasant memories of simpler times. I saw one (a Canadian Pontiac Acadian version) at a classic car show in my neighborhood and had a long chat with the guy displaying it.
Chevette – Not Appreciated Enough
I don’t know if the Chevette was a big enough success for GM. They did sell over 2 Million of them. It was discontinued it around 1987. Even among American small cars of that time, the Chevette was not respected enough. It was regarded as troublesome, low powered, and uncomfortable. But I think that wasn’t a fair assessment. GM had a good thing in this car and should have continued refining it.
Not a Bad Attempt
It looked fairly good for the time, was versatile, and affordable for the first-time economy buyer. I’m no expert, but introducing fuel injection, refining it further, and improving the quality of some components would have won more buyers. But that would have increased its cost. Maybe GM was treating it as an experiment in small cars and gave up too easily. History should be more appreciative to the Chevette than it has been. It’s treated more as a “joke” in popular culture – which is not right. This car was quite common in its heyday and served well for many people during their younger tight-budget days.
vauxpedia / YouTube.com
Chevette in Popular Culture
The fact that the Chevette shows up, albeit subtly, in movies and TV shows is testament to how it’s an American icon of sorts. Here are just some scenes in case you missed it. These come to you courtesy of the Internet Movie Cars Database.
And this scene from the movie “Suspect” (1987). Notice how the Chevette windshield remains intact despite the rock thrown against it. Cher driving this car was an interesting sight too. Funny thing is, for some reason, someone has reversed the clip and everyone’s driving on the “wrong side of the road.” Oh well.
x.Joanny / YouTube.com
So, instead of being embarrassed, the Chevette should be celebrated as part of the evolving American automotive experience. I certainly am not embarrassed to say I owned one back in the time and how it served me pretty well during those days – even though my wife doesn’t agree. But that was a different time and different circumstances.
I’ll touch on my brief experience with the Chevy Camaro sometime in the future.
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