The Chevette is 43 today

"someassemblyrequired" (someassemblyrequired) 02/10/2018 at 19:56 • Filed to: It's a car-like thing

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In news you really didn’t need, the first Chevette (a Vauxhall) rolled off the line on February 10th, 1975 at Vauxhall’s Luton plant. US Chevette production would begin in the fall of ‘75, and quickly become the enthusiasts choice for four #$@!ing wheels and a seat, thanks to rear wheel drive and a semi-decent suspension setup. Also you could tell your friends you had a ‘vette.

Urambo Tauro > someassemblyrequired 02/10/2018 at 20:23

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Thirty miles to the gallon, and zero-to-sixty... sometimes.

daender > someassemblyrequired 02/10/2018 at 20:26

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They also made for hilarious V8-swapped drag builds like the Vega before it.

someassemblyrequired > daender 02/10/2018 at 20:40

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I hear a 3800 swaps in easily and will result in an autocross beast.

gmctavish needs more space > someassemblyrequired 02/10/2018 at 21:19

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Because my dad makes strange car choices, he had a 70 something Corolla, which he replaced with a LandCruiser, which he then replaced with.....a Chevette, and a 3/4 ton truck he can’t remember the make of.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > someassemblyrequired 02/10/2018 at 21:41

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On the one hand, there’s a reason they were known as the Shove-it.

On the other hand, box flares and a slant 4 forgive all sins.

(first image: me. Second image: Jason Byrne )

fhrblig > someassemblyrequired 02/10/2018 at 22:04

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The Chevette was an utter piece. I know that enthusiasts want to revise history and pretend it was cool because all things RWD must obviously be cool, but it wasn’t. Lots of people we knew owned them and every last one of them was an unreliable penalty box that they hated. Slow, noisy, poorly built. But at least they were also boring to look at.

Stephenson Valve Gear > fhrblig 02/10/2018 at 22:13

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Harumph! My parents had two of them over the years, and my sister had the Scooter model. I can confirm everything you wrote. The only thing worse was my ‘81 Ford Courier pickup, which I am convinced came with rusted out front fenders straight from the factory.

someassemblyrequired > gmctavish needs more space 02/10/2018 at 22:28

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How terrible was that LandCruiser??

fhrblig > Stephenson Valve Gear 02/10/2018 at 22:30

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Everything from the late 70s and early 80s came with rust standard. So do current Nissans.

someassemblyrequired > fhrblig 02/10/2018 at 22:38

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Oh believe me, I have first hand experience, I learned to drive stick on a base Pontiac Acadian (T1000 in the states). No power steering or power brakes, plus a long throw shifter came standard. Yep they were hot garbage, but at the time, there wasn’t a lot of domestic competition. Omnis/Horizons were awful, Escort came much later (and wasn’t any better). The Tercel was the one to have, but people still bought domestic. I wouldn’t call them unreliable though, they were tanks in the day (except in a collision). And they were cheap.

gmctavish needs more space > someassemblyrequired 02/10/2018 at 22:39

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Ha, he loved it, and I think he wishes he still had it sometimes. He moved from the middle of nowhere to Edmonton, and got tired of the heavy clutch and horrible fuel economy in the city, and also needed more room for tools for work

someassemblyrequired > gmctavish needs more space 02/10/2018 at 22:43

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Can understand, they usually started, were great on gas and got you where you wanted to go. Which is about all you really want from a car.

gmctavish needs more space > someassemblyrequired 02/10/2018 at 22:47

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Yeah he just got it because it was cheap as balls even though it was only a year or two old, and was able to spend more on whatever the 3/4 ton was lol

someassemblyrequired > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 02/10/2018 at 22:48

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It’s sad, but I would love to drive an HSR, just to compare with the crappiness of a base model T-car. How could 135 horsepower in a Chevette not be a good time?

someassemblyrequired > Urambo Tauro 02/10/2018 at 22:51

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No A/C, no FM and no regrets

fhrblig > someassemblyrequired 02/10/2018 at 23:05

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See, now that’s something I could get behind.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > someassemblyrequired 02/10/2018 at 23:36

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Well the one in the photos is for sale at the moment if you’re keen. A snip at US$60k or so including spares package.

Or if you’re really keen, you could spend twice as much on Jimmy Mcrae (Colin’s dad)’s works one.

Or cheap out and get a regular HS for 25k or so.

Considering how obscure (if competitive) they are, they’re priced surprisingly close to equivalent RS Escorts.

someassemblyrequired > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 02/11/2018 at 18:59

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Even at those prices all three cars are probably deals.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > someassemblyrequired 02/11/2018 at 22:24

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Well they’re never going to make any more of them. And even once those of us who remember them in action are too old, I suspect the romance of the “maximum sideways” RWD rally cars is never going to go out of fashion.

someassemblyrequired > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 02/11/2018 at 23:02

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Yep, couldn’t agree more, these will always have a strong following.