Chevette Ideas?
 

I'm looking at some dirt cheap Chevettes and I was wondering what should be done to them. The pitiful horsepower ratings don't help but they are efficient. What engine/transmission swap ideas do you have? Or rear end swaps? Obviously a boat tail or a kammback would work out well too, a grille block, a lower front valence, pizza pans. But what could be done to the drivetrain? I love saving gas but I need to move faster. If I found one with a T-5 that would be nice of course but they're not too common.

V-6 swaps are popular.

60 degree motors are narrower and fit better.

However, if it were me, I would use a GM 3.8 90 degree

With a light foot it would deliver 30 plus mpg easily.

It would also haul a$$ when the go pedal is pushed.

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Find one with a Diesel and 5 speed

The 60 degree V-6 would be cool but I feel like that's overdoing it.

The diesel is even slower than the gasoline engines.

1982 Chevette 2 Door 1.8L Diesel 5 speed:
0- 1/4mile (s): 21.6
speed at 1/4mile: 101 km/h / 63 mph
0- 1km (s): 40.1

1982 Chevette 2 Door 1.6 L 5 speed:
0- 1/4mile (s): 19.8
speed at 1/4mile: 112 km/h / 70 mph
0- 1km (s): 36.6

I thought all Chevettes were little more than a brown stain on the ground up there in the frozen tundra by now.

regards
Mech

My aunt had one, the windows eventually got tinted with smoke stains from 100 MM menthol cigarettes. She still lived just past 102.

regards
Mech

What is this? ANY engine + ANY trans + ANY rear end can be put in. Only you know how ridiculous you want to get with it.

The good thing about the Chevette is exactly that nearly anything can be shoehorned into it, no matter if it's a random stationary 3-cyl or a small-block V8. I have often lurked about using one as a base for a fuel-savings project car, preferably with a Diesel backed by the stock 5-speed transmission they used back here, just not sure about the differential ratio.

I thought this was a fuel saving not go fast forum :D
Ok get the diesel and throw a turbo on it.
Or get a TDI from a VW and use that.

I've seen where a couple of enthusiasts swapped in small diesels under the hood of compact pickups, S-10s and Rangers. They picked up serious fuel economy and I don't hear too many complaints about the vehicle being terribly slow.

Since the 'Vette is starting from the position of already being terribly slow, I think you could upgrade to a much more modern diesel, gain some power, retain all or gain some fuel economy, and actually get out of your own way. A turbodiesel can be tuned to make some major grunt down low and take good advantage of a tall rear end.

This is just me but: the crude nature of the Chevette just screams for a mill from a tractor. A Kubota or Yanmar or, if you can find one, a Caterpillar C1.1 up to a C2.2. The 2.2 poops out up to 60hp and can probably be tuned up to something more, but I can totally see that mustard yellow mill peeking up out of the engine bay of a Chevette.

Plus with 60hp you'd be enjoying a nice 50% power bump.

It isn't a "go fast" forum, but it isn't a "fuel economy at the expense of safety" forum, either. Other drivers are out there and we're not trying to be jerks to them. It'd be nice if everybody slowed down for the sake of fuel economy, but since that isn't about to happen we have to take the realities of other drivers' behavior into consideration.