ewokracing
Part of things
Snuffling for food in a river
Posts: 502
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Ok, long story short. I'm an Aussie and I'm in Australia, but I know what Chevette's are from all the pommy car magazines I've read over the years.
My question is, how many are still around? What's an L spec version all about?
I think I have accidentally found what is probably one of two in Australia...
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They're just a Gemini with a different nosecone...
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tdk
Part of things
Posts: 967 
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My first car! A 4 door 1.2 litre Chevette L in regatta blue. Related to lots of other GM stuff of the same era, Holden Gemini and Piazza, for example. See here. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_T_platform_(1973)Engine, as I recall, was dead tough but gutless, 1.2 (or maybe 1.3) litre with a single carb. Mine had a gear-ring on the starter fail but was surprisingly tough and didn't rust much either. Pretty uninspiring in standard form, I always wanted an HSR of course. What do you want to know? |
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My bro had a 1256 Shoveit a couple of years ago, was give it take his first car. Apart from being tragically slow, it wasn't that bad in fairness to it.  Picked it up from Blackpool and drove 120 miles home no issue, called Arny for obvious reasons  |
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ewokracing
Part of things
Snuffling for food in a river
Posts: 502
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They're just a Gemini with a different nosecone... ahhhhh no no, it's a 2 door hatchback and it is the 1.2 litre I suspect, single carb as well. Has a crack in the windscreen so the owner is hoping that a Gemini one will fit though. I reckon it looks different.  |
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Just reread this and I would ignore it. But I am posting it as its taken 20 minutes of my life. So there  If you do not mind pootling around slowly in a very basic car and its cheap enough. Buy it. Great little things. Becoming rarer here as far as I can see and just becoming collectable. Perhaps try New Zealand for the screen? Mods wise if you are into that - The hatchback with front hsr type spoiler and some aftermarket wheels transforms them looks wise. I have always though they look better with bumpers off buts that's just me. PCD is metric 4x100 so you will find plenty of wheels to put on it. Engine wise you are better of finding a smaler japanese 4 pot to go in it. Back axles will not take huge BHP though. They hnadle well, better with upgrades as independant all round. With a Panhard IIRC. The engines eat back main oil seals when the crankshafts wear and endfloat gets too big. As long as they have oil they seem to keep going in my experience. Friend strapped a oil catch tank under his as the neighbours were very upset with the oilslick. Top spec 1256 put out about 75hp IIRC. As with any 70's 80's car give them lots of love and they are brilliant. I have tripped over a Chevette forum sometime back.... I'v had 2 of these as bangers in my time. One was bog standard 1256 and did me as a commute car whilst the petrol drinking engine blowing weekend car sat on the drive. Bought for £100 in the late 90's did 2or 3 MOT's with it and sold it to a New Zealand lad for £60. He was driving to Oxford next day. I told him it leaked oil like a sieve and the head gasket was gone... Never knew if he made it but I suspect he did. The other was a blydstien headed big valve jobbie with a 28/32 weber and a 4 branchj. Went really well. (I was only 18 and 80 to 90 bhp was impressive to me then lol). Favorite trick was handing passengers the gearstick as the threads holding them on always broke. Trip down memroy lane. Thank you :-)
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My first car was a chevette that I passed onto my brother. He fitted a blydenstein head with +90 though pistons and fitted a 244 camshaft. He also had the blydenstein inlet manifold that is cast into the rocker cover with a single Dellorto 45 carb. It also had the straight cut close ratio matching gear box. For a 1.3 it went very well, the only problem being if you revved it too high it would pull the rocker posts out of the head. He then sold it all to a guy in Ireland and now rallies a genuine HS but with the HSR body kit fitted. The torque from the 2.6 16v is immense for an old icecream van engine.
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They're just a Gemini with a different nosecone... ahhhhh no no, it's a 2 door hatchback and it is the 1.2 litre I suspect, single carb as well. Has a crack in the windscreen so the owner is hoping that a Gemini one will fit though. I reckon it looks different. Coupe windshields are shorter than sedan ones. A regular sedan\hatch windshield from a Gemini\Kadett\Chevette should fit just fine. |
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richr
Part of things
Posts: 119
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Love the shoveit probably as I passed my test in one.
Would have liked a hatch with the 2.3 slant engine as my old firenza 2.3 had tons of torque once wound up a bit
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ewokracing
Part of things
Snuffling for food in a river
Posts: 502
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ahhhhh no no, it's a 2 door hatchback and it is the 1.2 litre I suspect, single carb as well. Has a crack in the windscreen so the owner is hoping that a Gemini one will fit though. I reckon it looks different. Coupe windshields are shorter than sedan ones. A regular sedan\hatch windshield from a Gemini\Kadett\Chevette should fit just fine. Coolby, the only problem is that Gemini's are nearly gone from Australian roads and we never got the Kadett or Chevette. |
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johnd
Part of things
Posts: 839
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Sure someone could post one?
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Coolby, the only problem is that Gemini's are nearly gone from Australian roads and we never got the Kadett or Chevette. Gemini sedans are still very common, you would get a windscreen in most wrecking yards in Melbourne. I just checked, Imlach's self serve auto parts have got two, and Pick-a-Part have got two. |
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ewokracing
Part of things
Snuffling for food in a river
Posts: 502
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Excellent! |
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