Why Yes, 90s Chevrolet is Best Chevrolet

"-Amateur" (amateur) 08/04/2016 at 14:17 • Filed to: None

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I like ALL 31 flavors at Baskin-Robbins which applies to my taste in cars. But there is always ONE flavor you pick over all the others. Mine is vanilla. Mine is Chevrolet.

I’m a millenial. Born to late to explore the earth. Born to soon to explore the galaxy. Born just in time to not buy new cars and use public transportation instead according to fancy people in suits. The reality is I’m too poor to buy new cars since my bachelor’s degree in Business is clearly the new high school diploma and I absolutely hate public transportation with a passion not seen by mortals.

I’m very much a car fanatic. I love all car makes and models. The Cimarron is cool because it’s like a top trim Cavalier. The new Lexus design philosophy is so in your face and over the top that I can’t help BUT to love it. The Nissan Murano Cabriolet is still absolute shit though.

But for me, Chevrolet is a friend, a mentor, and my anchor. I’ve had the bowtie 3 times now. A 1991 Lumina Euro, a 1995 Beretta and yet again ANOTHER 1995 Beretta. When the 90s ended I was 13. I was too young to remember a lot of the cars that came out then and the only car commercial I remember then was those Pontiac Grand Prix commercials where “wider is better” followed by a cheesy edit stretch of the cars front track.

Only in my late 20s do I have the means to appreciate something that 10 year old me could never have. These 90s Chevrolets that were reasonably priced when new and are now cheap as dirt and horribly maintained and in very low demand. That’s great news for me. I ate Ramen noodles 3 times in the past 3 days. It isn’t because it’s a cheap source of malnourishment but rather I really enjoy the taste. Chevy is Ramen noodles.

Going beyond the horrible build quality of the interiors where the seams never lined up ever and the soft dashes that would instantly warp when parked in the sun or even the white paint coats of the latter part of the decade that would peel off inexplicably, these cars made up for it in spades in styling.

GM’s Exterior Studio 3 styled the Corvette, Camaro, and Beretta under the same roof.

Granted a lot of Chevrolet’s cars were holdovers from the 80s, They still just had that look to them. To me, the sheetmetal is just gorgeous. As a millennial, I like the complexity and design of today’s cars but it just doesn’t stir me up like these cars do. I’ve though about this too and honestly to this day I don’t have an answer to why? It’s like love, it’s something you feel inside and can’t really explain to someone who has never fallen in love before.

Chevy’s cars from the 60's and 70's still had flair but as a millenial, I still like the creature comfort of electronic fuel injection and a good old trusty OBD 1 system...or in my case, the abomination that is GM’s OBD 1.5.

The three bowties I’ve owned has been there during my high school days. They were there when I asked my first girl out to a dance or when I carpooled friends to our cross-country and track days. They were there when I joined the military. The second Beretta was bought with the money I saved from serving a combat tour in Afghanistan so that one is special because I worked my ass off for that money and was lucky enough to live through it to enjoy it.

The bowtie was there for my sister’s wedding and was there for the birth of my niece. The bowtie was there when I first opened up a Haynes manual and put her under the knife, to constantly having to put her under the knife because it’s not a Toyota, to now I can do an engine swap and have it running in two days.

The bowtie was there during my bad days where I literally just drove the car which always uplifted my mood. The bowtie is ... still here .

90s Chevrolet is best Chevrolet.

Chariotoflove > -Amateur 08/04/2016 at 14:26

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Chevy is Ramen noodles.

This is profound.

The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!) > -Amateur 08/04/2016 at 14:38

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The Chevrolet Beretta was a great looking car in the plain, handsome 90's style that I too grew up with (27 y/o checking in). They looked good when new and will look good 25 years from now, if they all haven’t rusted into the ground at that point.

Amoore100 > -Amateur 08/04/2016 at 14:57

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This. I need it. Give it to me.

Dave the car guy , still here > -Amateur 08/04/2016 at 15:05

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My 1992 Cavalier RS wagon with 3.1 engine was by far in the best 10 out of about 35 cars I’ve had. It ran decent got fair gas mileage and went 120k for me and another 59k for the second owner. It met its end when it was driven into the rear of a tractor trailer in a snow storm. The engine was sold because it never had any of the problems associated with most 3.1 engines and still didn’t use oil because I ran it on synthetic from new until sold.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > -Amateur 08/04/2016 at 15:22

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Buick Roadmaster is best Chevrolet.

Noah - Now with more boost. > -Amateur 08/04/2016 at 15:23

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I’ll take a Caprice. Or a C4. The caprice would be completely stock other than a brake upgrade and some kind of LS swap, for sleeper hoonage shenanigans. C4 would be a track rat.

gawdzillla > -Amateur 08/04/2016 at 15:29

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best thing that happened to Chevy in the 90's is the LS1 (and all cars related to the LS1), nothing else

97+ vette, check
99+ silverado, check,

98+ camaro is ... meh at best, but excellent for swap donor

Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed > -Amateur 08/04/2016 at 15:37

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I’ll take a Impala SS please.

mazda616 > -Amateur 08/04/2016 at 15:42

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I had a ‘92 Beretta as my first car. I loved it despite its anemic 2.2 four-cylinder and 3-speed automatic combo. Even did a few mods to it.

My mom had a ‘91 Corsica LT that she bought new. It was supposed to be my first car but my ex-stepfather sold it in 2001 right after my mom passed away. :(

-Amateur > Dave the car guy , still here 08/08/2016 at 14:50

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Those 3.1s also sounded really good. A nice meaty growl!

-Amateur > mazda616 08/08/2016 at 14:53

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I like the GTU/Indy kit you put on it! I have the 2.2 and yes it’s slow but trusty. I do like all the ample room for repairs since the engine bay on these cars were massive!

Dave the car guy , still here > -Amateur 08/08/2016 at 15:26

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Hard a snarl to it in the mid range like a european car. I only had about $700 total into all the changes on the car. That included a set of American racing wheels I got on sale. Ran slightly faster than most Beretta and Z24. Some guys at the dealership used to ask me to borrow it because it was that fun. It had the factory Z51 option with upper / lower front strut bars and after some urethane bushings all around I could outrun my friends MR2.

Rufant > -Amateur 12/03/2016 at 21:31

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Nice one.

Good topic. Good writing.