Chevrolet Chevette

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Chevrolet Chevette

1977 Chevrolet Chevette Rally
Manufacturer	General Motors Corporation Chevrolet Division
Production	1975–1987
Model year(s)	1976-1987
Assembly	Lakewood Assembly, Atlanta, Georgia
Successor	Chevrolet Sprint Geo Metro/Chevrolet Metro
Class	Subcompact
Body style(s)	2-door Hatchback 4-door Hatchback
Layout	FR layout
Platform	T-body
Engine(s)	1.4 L I4 1.6 L I4 1.8 L Isuzu diesel I4
Transmission(s)	4-speed Saginaw manual 5-speed Borg-Warner T-5 manual 3-speed automatic
Related	Pontiac T1000 aka Acadian Opel Kadett, Vauxhall Chevette Isuzu Gemini

The Chevrolet Chevette was introduced in September, 1975 and produced for the 1976 through 1987 model years. It is Chevrolet's version of GM's worldwide T platform which was also sold as the Vauxhall Chevette, Opel Kadett, Isuzu Gemini and the Holden Gemini, among others.

Contents 1 History 2 Annual changes 3 Successors 4 Gallery 5 Beyond commuter duty 6 See other 7 References 8 External links

[edit] History

The T-car was first launched in Brazil under the Chevette name in 1974, as a two-door sedan; the Brazilian Chevette line eventually included a 4-door sedan, a 2-door hatchback, and a 2-door station wagon (named Marajó), as well as a pickup (named the Chevy 500), and was produced until 1994. Chevettes are also a car used in racing in Dirt Track Racing. It has its own series. The Chevette was the last rear-wheel drive subcompact for the United States and Canada, although in Mexico, it was last survived by the 2004 Volkswagen Beetle.

Initially avaialable only as a 2-door hatchback with 1.4 or 1.6 L OHC gasoline I4 engines, the Chevette engines produced between 53-70 rear wheel horsepower. A 4-speed manual transmission was standard; a 3-speed automatic transmission was optional. Rally and Woody packages were optional, as well as a loss-leader Scooter, a 2-seater (rear seat optional) with painted, instead of chromed bumpers, and basic exterior and interior trim. The Canadian market also had a Pontiac version of Chevette named Acadian.

The Chevette essentially replaced the Vega as Chevrolet's enty-level subcompact import-fighter. The Chevette was functional and inexpensive, and was the best-selling small car in America for the 1979 and 1980 model years. It lacked the technological advances of the Vega, such as an aluminum-alloy engine block. Like the Vega, it has the rear-wheel drive layout, which dropped out of favor with the popularity of front-wheel-drive subcompacts such as the Volkswagen Rabbit.

1976-1978 Chevettes can be identified by round headlights and a chrome-rimmed, tri-color tailights. In 1987, Chevette's final year, a version was offered at US $4,995 to compete with the Hyundai Excel and Yugo GV.

[edit] Annual changes

• 1977: Rear seat made standard equipment on base Scooter model. Sandpiper trim package introduced.

• 1978: Revised grille with a grid design, grille and headlight frames chromed, a 4-door hatchback on a longer wheelbase was added, the 1.4 L engine and Woody were dropped. Fuel door added. Available in Canada was an OHC 1.8l engine and a sport package.
• 1979: Holley 2-barrel carburetor now standard on all models. Front fascia face-lifted with a flat hood, no longer wrapping down to bumper, a large chrome grille with Chevrolet "Bow-Tie" emblem and new square headlights.
• 1980: Rear fascia revised with a squared-off hatch, wraparound taillights with combined turn signals and black frames and plastic, round gas filler door.
• 1981: New Diesel engine option with a late 1981 availability - (1.8 L Isuzu unit). New styled steel wheels with center caps; hubcaps discontinued. US models received a new Computer Command Control feedback system on gasoline engines. Pontiac T1000 introduced which shared all body stampings with Chevette, featuring a black grille and standard chrome window trim. Power steering was a new option as well as a 3.36 axle ratio.
• 1982: New 5-speed manual transmission option on gasoline-powered cars (standard with diesel). Scooter available in 4-door hatchback. New GM THM180C (THM200C for diesel model) automatic transmissions, which include a locking torque converter for greater fuel mileage.
• 1983: Makeover for the front and rear fascias, Chevette CS introduced. Black finished grill and trim moldings replalces chrome. Scooter and base Chevettes feature black end-caps for the bumpers while Chevette CS models include color-keyed caps and white grill surround accents. Chevette S model features black-painted styled-steel wheels and red-accented black grill and moldings.
• 1984: Scooter discontinued. The T1000, Pontiac's version of Chevette, renamed 1000.
• 1985: Base Chevette discontinued.
• 1986: Federally-mandated, third brake light mounted on rear hatch glass.
• 1987: Diesel engine discontinued. 1987 was the final model year for Chevette, and production ended on December 23, 1986.^[1]

[edit] Successors

The Chevrolet Sprint and Chevrolet Spectrum were Chevrolet's remaining subcompacts and were replaced by the Geo Metro in 1989, In the United States, the Pontiac 1000 was replaced by the Korean-built Pontiac LeMans for 1988, and in Canada, the Acadian was replaced by the Firefly (introduced in 1985). The front-wheel drive Chevrolet Cavalier was launched upscale from the Chevette for the 1982 model year.

[edit] Gallery

1978 Chevette	1983-1985 Chevette CS 4-door	1983-1985 Chevette CS 4-door	1986 Pontiac Acadian
1980-82 Pontiac Acadian 4-door (Canada)	1979 Chevrolet Chevette (USA)	1979 Chevrolet Chevette 2-door	1977 Chevette 2-door

[edit] Beyond commuter duty

Being a low-cost, lightweight, and readily available compact, Chevettes occasionally find their way onto dirt track racing or drag racing, The Chevette's rear wheel drive, and compatiblty with many common GM components, made upgrading for racing and performance purposes easier than many subcompacts. In Europe, where the Vauxhall Chevette HS was successful rally car, a common swap is the lightweight Rover V8 engine, requiring somewhat extensive fabrication. Common in the US and also requiring extensive fabrication is the GM 60-Degree V6 engine and the Chevrolet Small-Block engine. The GM Ecotec engine, is also suitable and can be fitted with sidedraft Weber carburetors in place of the engine's standard fuel injection system.

[edit] See other

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chevrolet Chevette

• American Chevette Online
• Car Domain: Chevrolet Chevette

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Subcompact	Monza					Sprint				Geo Metro						Geo Metro / Metro									Aveo
	Chevette
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Compact	Citation													Geo Prizm					Prizm							Cobalt
																											HHR
			Cavalier						Cavalier							Cavalier
Mid-size	Malibu							Corsica / Beretta										Malibu							Malibu				Malibu
			Celebrity								Lumina					Lumina
Full-size	Impala														Impala SS						Impala						Impala
	Caprice											Caprice
Personal Luxury	Monte Carlo															Monte Carlo					Monte Carlo
Sports	Camaro		Camaro											Camaro																	Camaro
	Corvette				Corvette													Corvette								Corvette