Faust Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 It seems that some people aren’t content to wait for the final product, so I figured I’d better give everyone some updates on how the Chevette I’m building is coming. If you want to see for yourself just how lame a Chevette can be, go and check it out here! http://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/chevette-update-1-the-start-of-something-beige/'> http://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/chevette-update-1-the-start-of-something-beige/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PappyD340 Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Good start Adam, my brother-in-law had a chevette, didn't have enough power to pull a greasy string out of a cat's rearend!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faust Posted November 25, 2013 Author Share Posted November 25, 2013 Thanks, Larry! I'm actually just cutting engine bits now. Took me a while to find the Carb... it was loose in the box and hiding under one of those flappy things. Is the engine on a Chevette blue? Say what you want about MPC, but man, I can't get enough of their car kits. Their engines are so much better than everyone elses, and the interior texturing is great too. I'm on a bit of an MPC bender right now, trying to get as many as I can. I've got about 9 in the stack, so that's pretty good for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 (edited) Engine is blue... what little you can see of it! I did notice that the kit inner fenders aren't correct. The actual ones are shaped around things like the battery and coolant reservoir. They also have the shock towers visible. I think the ones in the MPC Cavalier may be a bit more convincing. It all depends on how far you want to go for this build. Oh, the car in the photos above has air conditioning. I don't think your Scooter would! Edited November 25, 2013 by Tom Geiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 What little you can see of the engine is blue. Looking forward to your build... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris White Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Do us proud, I drove a 77 Chevette, and the 81 (or 83 can't remember) Pontiac Acadian T1000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exnyman Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 (edited) looking forward to this build. I used to have an 83 CS 2 door. I bought it as a commuter scooter since at the time I drove through two states and five counties to get to work. It did everything I asked of it, never broke down, never refused to get me where I was going, and with the 5 speed manual, was a virtual snow plow, I never got stuck! I finally sold it with just shy of 200,000 miles on it as the floors were starting to rust through. Oddly, the body exterior was showing no signs of rust, and it still looked great inside and out. At the time, my Dad had just retired, and I bought him a matching 81 to use as a little runabout. Same story, no problems and he loved having a smaller car to run errands with. They may not have been powerhouses but, they were reliable little cars! Of course, there are serious Chevettes out there that can be a little powerhouse....this one looks so cool and stock, other than the redline tires.... http://www.chevyhardcore.com/news/video-what-is-that-thing-chevette-why-does-it-sound-like-that/ Edited November 25, 2013 by exnyman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Ellis Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 They have a lot of Chevettes in Brasil. Some with the sedan roof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faust Posted November 25, 2013 Author Share Posted November 25, 2013 Okay, so the engine is blue, even the valve cover! That's messed up... That's why I strip ALL plated parts on a car kit. You're right, Tom, about the fenderwells not being done right on the Chevette. I also agree about the Cavalier; I've built it too, and it was better than this. This is a bit of an older kit, though; I've found that MPCs really get better as they get newer, even by a year or two. Given that this is the 1975 kit with tweaks (I assume) it's not bad. I don't like moulded in exhaust and driveline, though, I'll admit. By the Omni 024 in 1979 these were separate items. Still, it's a Chevette, who am I to argue? Thanks for the detail shots! I will do my best to make Chevette Nation proud. These little oddballs seem to have a strong following; I remember there were lots of them, and it took them a while to die off. I still see one or two every now and then. Ugly, maybe. Tough, seems like it for sure! I'm having a blast with this one. Most fun car I've built yet! Don't worry, I'll keep you guys posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 (edited) Adam, you are right. The 1980s MPC kits of those small forgotten cars are actually really nice kits. I built the Cavalier and have all the others in my stash. You got me intrigued, so I went downstairs to my brochure collection (which is in boxes) and found that I had both a 1976 and 1980 Chevette brochure, but none between those dates. Ron Hamilton mentioned that he'd like to do a Chevette 4 door and I noticed that there is a 3" difference in the wheel base. Amazing that they'd do a complete new chassis etc for 3 friggin inches! Upon looking at the 1976 brochure, there was a bright green coupe that looked like my sister in laws car. Then I noticed I have a can of Tamiya paint in a close color... this is getting dangerous! Edited November 26, 2013 by Tom Geiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faust Posted November 26, 2013 Author Share Posted November 26, 2013 Your stash must be awesome! Yeah, there is a difference in the wheelbase between the two and four doors. I found a 1979 brochure online and downloaded it. Do it, Tom! Power to the Chevette Nation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skymnky721 Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 Id put a 454 w/a 671 Gmc blower on it,,in it. would be a fun little car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantacmet Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 Why not? There's a guy around here who has a supercharged nitrous injected YUGO dumping about 250HP. I know in Idaho there is a Chevette motivated by a blown 350, and a buddy mine has a cousin drives around a Chevette with a 500CID Caddy engine in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skydime Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 (edited) Oh I've missed my internet working properly. Looking good so far Adam. And as far as the blue engine thing. I actually do think I remember both my mom and dad having blue engines if my memory serves right. Edited November 26, 2013 by Skydime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie8575 Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 It's nice to see a Chevette going together. Charlie Larkin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faust Posted December 4, 2013 Author Share Posted December 4, 2013 (edited) Okay, so I’m not just sitting here doing nothing with my Chevette, I’ll have you know! I’ve been working hard, and I figured it was time for another update. Check out my Scooter’s progress here: http://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/chevette-update-2-its-whats-inside-that-counts/'> http://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/chevette-update-2-its-whats-inside-that-counts/. For those who need inspiration to get building, a beige Chevette Scooter may not be it, but it sure gets my blood pumping! Next up: The chassis and engine! Edited December 4, 2013 by Faust Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PappyD340 Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 NICE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faust Posted December 4, 2013 Author Share Posted December 4, 2013 Thanks! Typical MPC interior. Just nice all around, with good fitting seats (cast in one piece, no less!), nice carpet texture and nice dash detail. I think the stitching (such as it is) on the door panels is also a nice touch; definitely worlds above the same era of intgerior in a Monogram or Revell, or even AMT. I could have done with REAL tires, but these are better than the monstrosities that came with the AMT Monza 2+2! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Cool progress. I couldn't see in the photos, did you open the glove box? I saw my sister in law for Thanksgiving and the conversation went to her old bright green Chevette. Her eyes lit up and she talked about it for at least 10 minutes. She fondly remembers it, I didn't know how she'd feel about that distant past. So now I seriously need to build her Chevette. Probably target finishing it for Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Hamilton Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Oh yes! I remember them well, and you are hitting it pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skydime Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Interior is looking great so far. You are definitely on the right path. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faust Posted December 4, 2013 Author Share Posted December 4, 2013 No, Tom, I didn't bother opening the glove box. I figured that most people wouldn't even notice it due to the black dashboard anyway, so I just left it. I didn't paint the lock, though, so it wouldn't show up. Man, waxing nostalgic over a Chevette during Thanksgiving dinner is not what one would normally expect! It's nice that she remembers it so fondly (likely she swore at it a few times or more back in the day, though!) and even better that you can build a kit of it for her! As I'm finding out, this kit is not a hard build at all. I normally build a car and something else (Gundam or plane, usually), but I was pretty hot for this one, so I thought I would blitz it. I don't know if it can be done in a month, but I'd say you have a good shot at it! I started mine on the 16th or 17th of November, and with some hustle, I think I can be done by the middle of the month. Go for it, man!! Greatest Christmas Present ever! I feel good that this whole affair is going to give two Chevettes the chance to escape their boxes! Thanks, Ronald, for the compliments! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Interior looks great... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie8575 Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Adam, what did you use for the interior color? That looks as close to camel/buckskin as I've ever seen. Charlie Larkin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Looking good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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