Chevette Scooter: America's Original Econobox!

[Davewilly]

Nice job!

[Faust]

Man, thanks a lot, guys!

It never ceases to amaze me how good the memories people have of this car are! They were a bit before my time driving-wise, but I sure remember seeing them around a lot, and my brother's best friend's dad had a dark blue '84(?) Scooter.

I'm glad people appreciate the base and everyday cars; I really like to build cars that I remember seeing. I don't think it's fair to let the beaters that got us all to school, parties, etc. go unsung. That's why I like to build things like the Chevette, Cavalier, Probe, etc. I'll have to get some photos of other parts of my less-than-extensive collection!

Now I really hope that they repop the "Pony Express" Pinto! Go loser-beaters!

By the way... winter storing a Chevette seems weird, yes. However, the preservation of any car should always be rewarded and appreciated!

[Chris White]

Thanks for the memories Adam !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[om617]

Very nice build.

[realgone58]

Awesome! I love it!! When I was a kid, I had not only one, but two friends whose parents had one of these things. One was a '76 red metallic 2 door, and the other was a light green metallic '78 4 door. I'll never forget that I never wanted to go anywhere with them because I would be "squished" in the Chevette.

[Faust]

Oh man, Alan, that's hilarious! I remember feeling the same way about my buddy who's parents had a Tempo! It never seemed to have room in it either. We'd always be squished in the back if we went somewhere with them, too. Oddly, we didn't mind being squished in the back of a Pulsar when my other buddy's dad took her out and cranked it for all it was worth!

I would love to find an earlier version of this kit, so I can do the older models justice too. Gotta give it up for Chevettes!

[Rob Hall]

I remember the early Scooters didn't have a back seat... they also didn't have a glove box door and had very plain interior door panels. My Dad briefly had an '81 Chevette Scooter which he used as a dinghy for the family RV. Riding in that thing as a kid was quite a change from our usual family cars--plush Town Cars and Thunderbirds. He traded it on a Ford Escort diesel 4dr after a couple of years.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Rob Hall

[BSB Racing]

Cool!

Wish we would have kept it, I would have put a V8 in it!

I was at a Cruise night and one showed up with a 454, tubbed out, full cage, gloss black, racing seat, harness, two four barrel carbs out the hood, etc. For a Chevette it was a piece of art. When he fired it up to leave and put it in gear the whole thing twisted! LOL Had a big crowd around it all night long.

[MrObsessive]

The more I look at this, the more I like it! I was never a big fan of Chevettes.......in fact I got stuck with one for a very brief time when I was a cab driver back in the late '80's.

That sure is a nice clean build! Those little cars must be mighty tough as I still see one occasionally from time to time. Speaking of that, I got a crazy but true Chevette story for you.........

Back in the mid '80's, my cousin owned a four door '81. She really liked the car, but unfortunately knew nothing about taking car of it properly. One day she called me saying that the car wouldn't go over 55 MPH on the highway. I told her that it could be a couple things---------a clogged fuel filter, a fuel pump going bad, or the worst case------a compression leak in the engine. Well, a few days later she called me back, and she says that the Chevette was fixed.

I asked her what was wrong with it, and she said that when she went to get a fill-up the serviceman checked the oil, and there was nothing showing on the dipstick. I said WHAT??? How in the heck did you drive to Grantville (a 20 mile round trip from Harrisburg PA), and then back without throwing a rod?? She said that once the fella put oil in it, the car ran with no problem after that!

I had a lot of respect for Chevettes after that............

[Faust]

Dang, Bill...

That is one tough Chevette! Kinda scary that the maintenance on that one wasn't done a bit more conscientiously, but I guess in the long run, it didn't matter, eh?

Amazing! They may not be the kings of style, but when it comes to fighting on, the little blighters never seem to give up easily!

Do you mean that you had a Chevette AS a cab?? Isn't that kind of small?

Edited January 30, 2014 by Faust

[cortinanut]

When I was growing up, our paper delivery guy made his rounds in a Scooter--gray, I think, with no back seat. It seemed tailor made for such duty. Wonder how long it held up.

[Modelmikey]

Cool build, I'd like to see MPC reissue this one, not sure if it would be a big seller though! Although Ebay prices seem crazy high for these! I love the odd/rare stuff built up. On a side note back in the spring I saw a mint (I live in the rust belt so that makes even more rare) Pontiac Acadian, I think a Canadian only version.

[robertw]

I like it, but then I have a soft spot for these oddball little cars. Your choice of colour scheme is very appropriate at portraying the utilitarian nature of these little economy cars. I'd be proud to display that model in my "Cars Only an Owner Would Love", collection.

Well Done

[Tom Geiger]

One day she called me saying that the car wouldn't go over 55 MPH on the highway. I told her that it could be a couple things---------a clogged fuel filter, a fuel pump going bad, or the worst case------a compression leak in the engine. Well, a few days later she called me back, and she says that the Chevette was fixed.

Similar story - funny ending. A while back my neighbor had a '76 or so Cutlass. He said it was very sluggish and wouldn't go over 50. He worked on it himself, so in increments, he had done a tune up with plugs, cap and rotor., and when that didn't work he went back and changed the wires and fuel filter. He was about to change the fuel pump and he came over to my garage to borrow some tools. He told me his story to date, and I went over to look at the car. I figured it out in two minutes. His floor mat was bunched up under the gas pedal! John was a real hot head so the last thing I saw was him throwing the mat in the middle of the street and jumping up and down on it!

Oh and why not... A while back my daughter told me that from time to time the ignition key would not release from the ignition. One time she actually had to leave it in her work parking lot with the key in it. But when I checked out the car I couldn't duplicate the problem, so I told her to grab me the next time it happened. She came home from work one night and said it was happening. So I go out to check and sure enough the key wouldn't turn to the lock position. I do a brief survey and found the problem... she had a super large coffee cup in the cup holder right in front of the shifter. The cup was blocking the shifter from going into park! Duh! We had a good laugh.

[MrObsessive]

Do you mean that you had a Chevette AS a cab?? Isn't that kind of small?

Yup! This was back in 1989 so the car was maybe an '85-'86. It was a four door, and we didn't get very many airport trips as it WAS just too small to carry any appreciable luggage. It was very good on gas however and that's what the owner of the company wanted. Cheap, economical taxis that didn't cost an arm and a leg to fix.

[Brett Barrow]

My parents' first new car was a bright red '80 Chevette. My older brother drove it through high school, but wrecked it before I started driving or it probably would have been my first car. We used to sing Prince's "Little Red Corvette" changing the words to Chevette, of course!

Nice model, and that's one I hope Round 2 reissues one of these days.

Edited January 30, 2014 by Brett Barrow

[Faust]

Man, a Chevette Taxi... frightening! Well, it is until I look around and see that there is a number of Prius Taxis in service here in London, Ontario. That's not much better than a Scooter, and much heavier to run around, not to mention bulkier and, to my eyes, uglier. It's also FWD, which to me is sacrilege for a taxi.

This is model is very much a "car only owners would love", kit. However, at the same, I can't help but think that there might be a few owners who also wouldn't want to remember the Chevette days. Thank goodness for Nostalgia!

If they would repop this, I'd love to see someone do customs like a pickup and Sedan, like they got elsewhere, but with the US Grille!

[Tom Geiger]

Do you mean that you had a Chevette AS a cab??

Back when Hyundai first sold cars in USA, Keansburg Taxi Company in Keansburg, NJ decided to buy a half dozen or so. They were all different colors with logos on the doors and roof lights. They didn't last long!

[Rob Hall]

Man, a Chevette Taxi... frightening! Well, it is until I look around and see that there is a number of Prius Taxis in service here in London, Ontario. That's not much better than a Scooter, and much heavier to run around, not to mention bulkier and, to my eyes, uglier. It's also FWD, which to me is sacrilege for a taxi.

Actually, the Prius taxies are quite spacious inside..I've ridden in a couple here and in San Francisco (w/ 4 people + driver inside)..not as cramped as I thought it would be. FWD makes sense for a taxi, as they can have less of a center hump in the floor...

[Tom Geiger]

Actually, the Prius taxies are quite spacious inside

Many cities have requirements that a certain % of their taxi fleet be low emissions, thus the Prius fleets. I was up in Boston not too long ago and it seemed all the taxis were Camry hybrids. In Philadelphia, the taxis are about 3/4 aging Crown Vics, and 1/4 Altima hybrids. In NYC I remember seeing Camrys and Ford Escape hybrids.

[Faust]

Good point about the center hump, actually! I'm so used to it that I don't even think of a car without it!

Still, I have a hard time imagining a Chevette taxi... Better than an Escort or Citation, though, I'd think, for reliability if nothing else!

[charlie8575]

Adam- GREAT job! Beautiful, well-executed model.

Bill- I'm having a great deal of trouble envisioning you in a Chevette?!

Charlie Larkin

[MrObsessive]

Bill- I'm having a great deal of trouble envisioning you in a Chevette?!

Charlie Larkin

Charlie, believe you me it was a TIGHT fit! I was a lot bigger then in the late '80's/early '90's, and it's the reason I was with them no more than a month or so. To me, the cars were just torture to drive! The other cab company I switched to had nice big Chevy Caprices, and while they weren't as economical, were MUCH more comfortable to drive, especially on out of town trips.

[lordairgtar]

I liked the build of this somewhat iconic vehicle. I owned one. I was very poor and homeless. I paid $50 for the car which was a 1980 four door Chevette, got a job delivering pizzas. As I was moving up the income ladder, this car helped me move my meager possessions to an apartment I was able to rent. After that, I worked for a school bus company and soldiered on with the 'vette. And I too know the zen of starter replacement in these little hell cars. As income got better, the cars that replaced the little white Chevette got better, and larger.

[Faust]

I'm amazed at the sheer depth of attachment that people had for the Chevette, and I thank you, lordairgtar, for sharing that. I'm glad that a car like the Chevette could be such an important part of one person's life story, and now I'm really glad that I was able to build this one and have people remember some good times, some hard times and those things that got them, not just from Point A to Point B, but to here from there in life, too.

That's a pretty good accomplishment for a little car like the Chevette!

Does anyone know how rare this kit is? I got mine a while ago, and I didn't think much of it, but it seems like it's not that common. I can't even really find one on EBay? Is that because one one wanted one by the time it came out?