The poor, yet awesome, Chevette was so misunderstood. By the owners, by the media and especially by the manufacturer. The whole "hot hatch" thing was just starting to blow up when the Chevette hit the scene, and the front drive Rabbit was the progenitor. With the, at the time, American regular thought of front engine, rear wheel drive, the Chevette had the massive opportunity to completely own the segment.
Instead, Chevrolet shoved a heavy Isuzu sourced / designed I4 1.4 L mated to a heavy GM Hydramatic automatic transmission. I'm sure that Isuzu engine had to be out of fork trucks in Japan, because I don't believe they ever made more than 80 HP. Which just barely motivated the drivetrain, then add weight of body and passengers and the whole thing was just wrong. Dad owned a two door, "Scooter" with a Borg-Warner 5 speed. It was a little bit of fun, and was slightly better than the Hydra 180. My aunt bought a four door with the AT and got stuck at the bottom of a foot hill in Tennessee. Had to set my cousin out on the side with some luggage and met him at the top. Also the early engines were really weird. Had valves on both sides of the "new fangled" overhead cam. Which means the I4 sat, at the top, in a V configuration with two valve covers. Like some odd miniature V8. I still want to find a fully un-hooned early manual Chevette and squeeze a Subaru boxer engine under the hood. Like an EJ20 with turbo, 2.0 L, get me some 125-140 HP at the rear wheels. That would be a hot hatch. EdB On Thu, Mar 17, 2016 at 10:32 PM, Andrew Strasfogel via Mercedes < mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > Yeah, but the Chevette had no pretense to being a trendy car. It was an > entry level basic hatchback with neither pizazz nor cachet. Suited me just > fine in my Early Days. > > On Thu, Mar 17, 2016 at 9:43 AM, Curt Raymond via Mercedes < > mercedes@okiebenz.com> wrote: > > > Says the guy who loved his Chevette... > > -Curt > > > > From: Andrew Strasfogel via Mercedes <mercedes@okiebenz.com> > > To: Mercedes Discussion List <mercedes@okiebenz.com> > > Cc: Andrew Strasfogel <astrasfo...@gmail.com>; MG <trainpain2...@aol.com > > > > Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2016 11:42 PM > > Subject: Re: [MBZ] Mercedes Digest, Vol 124, Issue 81 > > > > I drove an 80s Volvo wagon once. The plastic interior is oogy (see > Misery > > by King), > > > > On Wed, Mar 16, 2016 at 7:02 PM, MG via Mercedes <mercedes@okiebenz.com> > > wrote: > > > > > I wouldn't mind having a Volvo but it would have to be a Diesel and a > > > station wagon. I saw one in front of me in town the other day. Newer > and > > > quite a bit wider on the outside but still looked like the same width > > > inside as my 300TD. Looks like a lot of cars loose about a foot or so > > just > > > in the doors and sides that they put on them now. > > > > > > Manfred > > > > > > Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2016 16:56:09 +0000 (UTC) > > >> From: Dave <dbl...@comcast.net> > > >> To: mercedes <mercedes@okiebenz.com> > > >> Subject: Re: [MBZ] Secret message for Jim C > > >> Message-ID: > > >> <1127505816.1731838.1458060969418.javamail.zim...@comcast.net> > > >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > >> > > >> Yep that is the one, I bought mine from a Microsoft co-worker for > 1200, > > >> It traveled only 7 miles a day for years and the thermostat was in > > pieces > > >> so was fouling plugs. I've been sorting it out for the last 8 months > or > > so > > >> while my kids take turns driving it. It is now with #2 daughter who > just > > >> sold her first car that she has been driving for about 4 years, a 1986 > > 190E > > >> (Mercedes content) > > >> Used to work for a guy in Loveland Co. that called them Ovlovs, that > was > > >> in the '80s. > > >> > > >> > > >> Will a '96 do? > > >>> http://tulsa.craigslist.org/cto/5447756312.html > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> On Mon, Mar 14, 2016 at 7:28 PM, MG via Mercedes < > > mercedes@okiebenz.com> > > >>> wrote: > > >>> > > >>> Just drove 100mi today with my 83 300TD towing a trailer loaded with > > >>>> another trailer carrying a smoker made of a 250 gal propane tank. It > > has > > >>>> only 268,000 mi on it. But it will still run 70 with that small a > > load, > > >>>> even up hills, such as they are around here. > > >>>> > > >>>> Manfred > > >>>> > > >>>> BTW what's a '94 Ovlov 960 worth these days and where in the world > did > > >>>> you > > >>>> find one? :-) > > >>>> > > >>>> > > > _______________________________________ > > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > > > > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > > > > _______________________________________ > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________ > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > -- "Das beste oder nichts." - *Gottlieb Daimler* _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
