Unexpected purchase - Chevette

[Alexg]

On Friday night I was handed £1020 for my Escort and planned to bank the money to pay off my overdraft at the earliest possibility. Unfortunately that plan was scuppered Saturday evening when I opened up Facebook and was greeted with a white Chevette 'barnfind' on my timeline. It was listed on the 'Classic Car Scrapyard Finds' page and was highlighted because our very own Trigger had commented on it. I had a quick glace, thought it was rather smart, and prepared to move on when I spotted it was in Maidstone. A quick chat with the vendor revealed it was about 10 minutes from my house, I made immediate plans to view.

 

Despite it's locality it took me ages to find the thing, it was down a private road I never knew existed. I soon knew I was there however when, on spying my Allegro and assuming it was me coming to view, I was flagged down by the seller called Jon. I had a poke around a chat and shook hands at £650. £100 was paid with arrangements to help get it to my folks house (they have a spare driveway) about 2 miles away.

 

I arrived Monday 11.00 with a tow rope where I was informed his mate would drive it for me. After chugging the Chevette into life a convoy of me, a Chevette with an MOT from a decade ago and the vendor in a 307 made slow progress through a busy stop start area of Maidstone. I could hear the roar through the holed backbox as the driver of the Chevette kept the throttle planted trying to stop it cutting out when stationary.

 

50 yards from my house the Chevette conked out after running out of stale petrol. We pushed it onto the drive, I handed over the cash waved goodbye and had another poke about. The nearside sill has two holes that need dealing with, the offside front brake is sticking, the back box needs replacing and a good service is required. It is smart though, and appears solid with some bonus old giffer repairs. It's a local car with 40k on the clock and just 2 owners, the last since 1984.

 

Here are some crappy I-phone pics grabbed in the rain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have ordered some servicing parts but am struggling to find a backbox. Hopefully it'll be on the road again within a month.

[Junkman]

Wowser.

[Tayne]

That interior is deliciously miserable.

[KruJoe]

Ooh, do like.

It's a LONG time since I saw a two door.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Sexy!

[Tetleysmooth]

Top shite-ing that man.

[Cavcraft]

Cor, that's well fit mate! Looks like the properly mingebag spec (E?) model too. Shame no tartan seats but those ones are almost as funky so no biggie. Look forward to reading more about this, nice one.

[dollywobbler]

Absolutely brilliant! These seem to have got pretty rare of late. I rate them as much better than a Viva. Great cars.

[trigger]

I love this car and I'm chuffed to see that one of "us" got it and not one of the mongs that wanted to red top it on the CCSF's group, it kept winking at me and even the wife said she liked it and that I could have it but the distance got the better of me.

 

Keep us updated with the progress on it as I'd love to read all about it.

[blakey79]

Wow, just like my Grandad's, but im sure his had Black and white checked interior.

[Rusty_Rocket]

That's lovely! I like the white/ blue colour scheme, there should be more blue interiors these days

I live in Maidstone too so will look out for you!

[FredTransit]

PANDA CAR! Love it.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Would anybody agree that chevettes have the stingiest, most dismal-looking interior of all time? Someone pointed this out to me when I was about 14 and even at that tender age I found myself agreeing. Having said that, I still would! I have not actually driven one any distance but am let to believe they are a pretty ace steer.

[DVee8]

That's money well spent.When does the work start?

[michiel]

Blue vinyl. Nice.

[gricer]

Try Vauxhall Green Parts for a back box.

 

http://www.vauxhallgreenparts.co.uk/

 

Alternatively, the shiter's paradise that is Collectors Car Parts of Heathrow

 

http://www.collectorscarparts-heathrow.co.uk/

 

I got a NOS Viva back box from there last year.

 

Chevettes are like cramped, mingebag Vivas!

[garethj]

When I was in University in about 1990 one of my mates had a Blue one just like this, it lacked the sporting look of the hatchback and everyone calling it the Vauxhall Shove-it didn't help his confidence.

 

Thoroughly miserable motoring, congratulations!

[cort16]

That's ace. I love the povo black bumpers. It looks like it could be made mega tidy without that much effort and the vinyl seats mean you've not got 10 years of mould/sweaty bum stains to deal with.

[barefoot]

Would anybody agree that chevettes have the stingiest, most dismal-looking interior of all time?

 

No you're wrong, that honour goes to base Cavalier 1's in red, where everything, but everything is red.

 

Bit of a posher Chevette brings you a clock and a centre console not to mention (obviously) blue velour on the seats & doors.

[meggersdog]

No you're wrong, that honour goes to base Cavalier 1's in red, where everything, but everything is red.

^^^A red two door with the 1256 engine ^^^

 

 

That chevette looks ace.Well saved.

[Danblez]

You Sir, are a Grade A WINNA!

[vulgalour]

That's ace. I love the povo black bumpers.

 

I'd assumed the chrome was shot and they'd been given a lick of black paint to smarten things up. Happy to be proved wrong, and I think it looks quite smart with plain black bumpers as opposed to the chrome I'm used to seeing. Top purchase.

[Angrydicky]

That's a bit of alright that is.

[cort16]

The mingbag mk2 Escrotes of the time came with black bumpers so I just assumed these are the same. Possibly not though but it does add to the general look of depression we all find so appealling.

[FiatPhil]

Top bombing. Congratulations!

 

If I recall correctly the black bumpers were an effort by Vauxhall to modernise the look of the car towards the end of it's production - without them needing to put much effort in! A lot of newer designed cars of this era had solid plastic bumpers.

[Alexg]

Thanks for the positivity guys. I've joined the Chevette forum, and purchased a Haynes manual and a new set of points, plugs, leads, filters etc from eBay. Spend, about £30. The forum reckon rear exhaust sections do come up, but they're hardly plentiful. One appeared on eBay last night £30 start with an instant bid. So I spent the day at work googling part numbers when BINGO

 

http://www.micksgarage.com/exhaust-part ... 1300/1778/

 

£16 posted!? Hell, I'll pay the extra couple of quid for express delivery. Let's hope they actually do have it.

 

Bumpers are hand painted black in true old giffer fashion but I haven't checked to see if they were once chrome. I do like them in black though. If all the bits arrive I'll give her a good service and fresh pez on Wednesday. Then book her in for some welding and a pre-MOT inspection

[purplebargeken]

That is one bloody ugly, shite from new, dismal poxy car.

 

Fuggin brilliant buy! Love it.

[Negative Creep]

Blimey, a barnfind that actually lives up to the name!

[Wilko220]

What a stunna!

Definitely the best thing ever to come out of that dreadful Facebook site...

[Lord Sterling]

That is a right stunner. We had a Green Chevette hatchback when I were a lad, it was a car to tide us over until we bought another car to replace Ma's Fiesta (which got written off after being stolen for the 2nd time) when we purchased the replacement car, a 1989 F-reg Rover 820i Fastback, the Chevette got left outside (in the days when you could leave an untaxed, uninsured car out on the road) I used it a few times to chill inside with my mates. Later on it disappeared, don't know what happened to it.