Children of a lesser Chevy

[Camino LS6]

What lesser known, or under-rated, or short production Chevys have a special place in your heart?

One of mine is the '75 Monza with a V8 and a manual.

[GMTruckGuy74]

I have a soft spot in my heart for the Chevy SSR. I love seeing them on the road still to this day, and maybe one day in the future I can buy a decent used one to park alongside the decent used GMC Syclone I buy too

[fightingbee]

'91-ish Z34 with a manual. Never even seen one in person but sounded like fun.

The stillborn Beretta convert.

Citation X-11, though it's gotta be a hatch IMO.

Edited March 12, 2009 by fightingbee

[z28luvr01]

I have a soft spot in my heart for the Chevy SSR. I love seeing them on the road still to this day, and maybe one day in the future I can buy a decent used one to park alongside the decent used GMC Syclone I buy too

+1

I'll add the IROC-Z and, thanks to Camino, the 73-77 Chevy A-bodies.

[Camino LS6]

Monza in action at Carlisle:

By CaminoLS6

[Camino LS6]

'58 Sedan Delivery:

By CaminoLS6

[Camino LS6]

Rare "Heavy Chevy" Chevelle:

By CaminoLS6

[Oracle of Delphi]

I have a special place in my heart for my grandfather's 1961 black Impala it had the Impala Logo on the radio speaker in the center of the back seat and the interior was bright red. My grandfather, my mother and I took that car from Texas to Virginia to see my uncle who was in the Navy in Virginia when I was about 11 or so. The car was almost 20 years old then, and not one problem. Anyway it's special to me ...

Here's what it looked like minus the sign ...

[Camino LS6]

I have a special place in my heart for my grandfather's 1961 black Impala it had the Impala Logo on the radio speaker in the center of the back seat and the interior was bright red. My grandfather, my mother and I took that car from Texas to Virginia to see my uncle who was in the Navy in Virginia when I was about 11 or so. The car was almost 20 years old then, and not one problem. Anyway it's special to me ...

Here's what it looked like minus the sign ...

Those bubbletops are sweet.

[Oracle of Delphi]

Those bubbletops are sweet.

Yeah it was, I wish I had it now. My grandfather got a new Chevy every year, odd years a car, even years a truck. But the 61 he kept ...

[Camino LS6]

Yeah it was, I wish I had it now. My grandfather got a new Chevy every year, odd years a car, even years a truck. But the 61 he kept ...

Those cars had that "just right" size and stance, if they had stayed like that we wouldn't have needed a Chevelle lineup.

Not that I'm complaining, mind you.

[Oracle of Delphi]

1955 Chevy Nomad

[Camino LS6]

By CaminoLS6

[Sixty8panther]

'61 Bubbletop Hardtop Chevys are sweet and natrually the Impala is the best looking of the bunch.

Other "under-rated Chevy cars/trucks?" ...as of current era?

- Silverado 454 pickup of the early 1990s.

- C4 Corvettes

- last gen. B-bodys, yes the Impala SS is worth good $$$ but there's

not much lacking in a much cheaper low-mileage 9C1 or even a

clean LT1 powered Caprice Classic.

- 1980s Elaminos can also be had for pennies on the dollar.

[vonVeezelsnider]

You're not going to like my answer...

After having a Dustbuster they just get into your blood.

[SAmadei]

- 1980s Elaminos can also be had for pennies on the dollar.

I'd like to know where. I was searching for a decent one for months... everything is either 5K+ or has a serious flaw... mostly rust.

I like the limited edition 199 degree Chevettes...

Those are stock, right?

[CARBIZ]

My parents had a '67 Caprice COUPE. They were a rare bird. It also had bucket seats! I would love to buy one, but they are rarer than hen's teeth. Here is a pic of it at our house, taken back in '74. You have to look hard, I was taking a picture of the house, not the car. (I was a kid - what did I know?)

It had a cool dash, power windows and drove like crap. It looked better than the yellow '67 Newport we also had at the time.

[DBeaSSt]

- last gen. B-bodys, yes the Impala SS is worth good $$$ but there's

not much lacking in a much cheaper low-mileage 9C1 or even a

clean LT1 powered Caprice Classic.

^^ What he said ^^

The wagons too of course.

[regfootball]

the mid 90's GM wagons.

the notchback cutlass salon and 442 / centurys of around 1980.

[K.C.]

67-68 Impala SS Wagon with 427 and 4 speed.

[ocnblu]

The '61 Impala is one of my favorites. A lot of nice stuff in this thread, yes sir.

[cletus8269]

the almost new for 72 chevelle

takes a few tweaks and can give you

[Croc]

You're not going to like my answer...

After having a Dustbuster they just get into your blood.

Funny, everyone I knew with one of those back in the 90s couldn't wait to get rid of them at the end. Just fell apart completely after a few years. I've always liked the dustbuster design, but those things just had problem after problem...

Edited March 14, 2009 by Croc

[ehaase]

By CaminoLS6

I liked the 1973 Laguna, which was available as a sedan, coupe, and wagon.

[wildpaws]

Lots of nice cars in this thread including many of my favorites such as the Nomad wagon.

Clyde

[SAmadei]

the almost new for 72 chevelle

Sorry to be anal, but that is a '73 or later.

takes a few tweaks and can give you

The styling on those boxy '78-'83 Malibus really have come around. I remember watching the boxy fad of the late '70s-early '80s unfold, and I thought "Ugh, how could it get worse?". Yeah, everything turned into crap underpowered FWD jellybeans.

Now the "grandma" boring cars like the '78-'83 Malibu, '75-79 Nova and other B-bods and G-bods look awesome. Everytime I see a nice Malibu box coupe, the mind just reels with ideas.

It sucks thinking about the nice RWD X, A, G and B bods that I could have had for a song. I had dibs on at least THREE Mailbu coupes and a wagon. Wish I had a time machine shaped like a two-car garage.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Sorry to be anal, but that is a '73 or later.

I believe that the Chevy pictured was supposed to be the new-for-1972 model, but the strike GM endured in 1970 postponed a lot of their new model introductions to 1973 instead. So 1972 ended up being a carry-over year for many model lines. So yes, it is a '73 or later model pictured, but his reference is to what is should have been.

[ocnblu]

Yup. I'd love to see prototypes of the (eventual) '73 A-bodies and A-specials before the 5 mph bumpers were tacked on. Edited March 15, 2009 by ocnblu

[cletus8269]

I believe that the Chevy pictured was supposed to be the new-for-1972 model, but the strike GM endured in 1970 postponed a lot of their new model introductions to 1973 instead. So 1972 ended up being a carry-over year for many model lines. So yes, it is a '73 or later model pictured, but his reference is to what is should have been.

thats right johnny, tell him what he's won.

well we have a 1967 yenko stinger corvair

and a 1981 Turbo Z

[Oracle of Delphi]

Actually I'm glad the previous generation of the A body was carried over for the 1972 model year, because what came in 1973 sucks ass as far as I'm concerned ...

[gm4life]

Actually I'm glad the previous generation of the A body was carried over for the 1972 model year, because what came in 1973 sucks ass as far as I'm concerned ...

The '70-'72 A-Bodies were the best looking by far. Although some of the '68-'69 models weren't bad either. For me a 1972 GTO Hardtop 455 H.O. in Lucerne Blue with Rally II's or Honey Combs and the Sports Stripe. If I got a Chevy it would be a Chevelle Hardtop a '71 SS with an LS6, if it were a Buick a '70 Hardtop Buick Skylark GSX 455 Stage I, if I got an Olds it would be a '72 Hurst/Olds Cutlass 442 'vert in white/gold and a 455 of course.

[cletus8269]

here are 2 write ups to look at... if not with your head tilted sideways

the first is a 62 impala 409 2x4bbl. follow the link to the twilight zone. (even 68 would want this)

the other is a link to a buyers guide for 1976 laguna s-3's

[!!!TED!!!]

Chevrolet Celebrity Eurosport VR!

I will be in the minority on this, but I love 1991-92 Caprice sedans. That bloated/skirted aero look is awesome. They compromised the original design intent by opening up the rear wheel wells in '93.

Im not a truck guy, but the S-10 SS is pretty cool (and rare!).

Production #’s

1994 - 5,670

1995 - 1,619

1996 - 1,240

1997 - 1,459

1998 - 1,324

[SAmadei]

Actually I'm glad the previous generation of the A body was carried over for the 1972 model year, because what came in 1973 sucks ass as far as I'm concerned ...

Big time agree with you there, PCS. The '68-'72 A-bods are, IMHO, the greatest design ever, and the previous '64-'67 A-bods are REAL close. The '68-72 are, IMHO, right-sized, came in an endless variety of body styles, are timelessly styled, relatively lightweight, with endless performance upgrades.

While I still prefer the '73-'77 A-bods over every FWD car made by GM since 1974, they are way too heavy and the styling suffered from the safety requirements. I will still likely have one someday... probably a funky El Camino.

Cletus, I thought you meant the "almost new for '72" was a comment on the '72 being a near clone to the '71s.

!!!TED!!!, I like the Caprices, as well, though I prefer the wagons with the faux skirt rear wheel opening. I prefer the sedans with the open wheel. As a wagon owner, have you ever TRIED to change a rear tire with those low cut wheelwells?!? It's impossible without jacking the car into the sky.

[CARBIZ]

Chevrolet Celebrity Eurosport VR!

I will be in the minority on this, but I love 1991-92 Caprice sedans. That bloated/skirted aero look is awesome. They compromised the original design intent by opening up the rear wheel wells in '93.

Im not a truck guy, but the S-10 SS is pretty cool (and rare!).

Production #’s

1994 - 5,670

1995 - 1,619

1996 - 1,240

1997 - 1,459

1998 - 1,324

I'm with you on that one, Ted. I was not fond of the rear C pillar and tail light design of those bloated Chevys, but when I saw the wagon in the '91 brochure, it was love at first site, so I factory ordered one in two-tone, then had the windows blacked out, American Racing wheels put on and bazookas in the rear powered by a Panasonic pull-out Cd player and 200W amp. My friends at the time thought I'd lost my mind when I ordered this beastie, until they saw it finished up. I used it to haul my boat and canoe, sleep in the back and I spent a lot of time with my BF at the time in the back when we were dating. (He lived in Barrie; I lived in Collingwood at the time.)

A true shagging wagon:

[cletus8269]

Im not a truck guy, but the S-10 SS is pretty cool (and rare!).

grr i have much disdain for the ss s-10's having owned a 1990 ss454. those s10's were nothing but a badge and a paint job to me.

Cletus, I thought you meant the "almost new for '72" was a comment on the '72 being a near clone to the '71s.

its cool, i didnt exactly make my post as clear as i should have.

Edited March 16, 2009 by cletus8269

[Camino LS6]

I love this thread.

[knightfan26917]

I love this thread.

*nods*

So do I, after looking through all the posts and pics. Holy cow ... some fine automobiles, indeed.

Cort | 35swm | "Mr Monte Carlo"."Mr Road Trip" | pig valve.pacemaker ...MidW Event = 04/04/09

WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"I wouldn't trade those days for nothin'" ... Mark Wills ... '19 something'

[cavalier36]

Id say the 1999 Camaro I had.

[67impss]

'67 Imp SS 427

'65 Chevelle 2d Wagon

'82 X11 (fixed rack location) , '81 was M/T car of the year!

'65 & up Corvair

Z34 Euro Lumina's

Oh yeah those Dust busters got under your skin not into your blood

[vonVeezelsnider]

Funny, everyone I knew with one of those back in the 90s couldn't wait to get rid of them at the end. Just fell apart completely after a few years. I've always liked the dustbuster design, but those things just had problem after problem...

We had a loaded (everything but the power sliding door) 1994 Trans Sport with the 3.8L V6... for five years and 140K miles. It needed an alternator and a transmission rebuild (towards the end), and tie rod ends, but that was about it. Pretty solid, and we regretted trading it in.

[BuddyP]

'91-ish Z34 with a manual. Never even seen one in person but sounded like fun.

I had a '92 Grand Prix GTP manual bak in the mid 90's. It was a fun car (same plateform/motor/tranny as Z34)

I still have a soft spot for the mid 90's IROC Z's

Edited April 1, 2009 by BuddyP

[Camino LS6]

Yup. I'd love to see prototypes of the (eventual) '73 A-bodies and A-specials before the 5 mph bumpers were tacked on.

So would I!

After doing my wagon, I am quite convinced that they planned to do the colonnades without the huge bumpers.

[z28luvr01]

Yes, the extra length is just so tacked on. Before he found a set of bumper filler pieces for the 1973 MC, he was toying with the idea of cutting the bumper mounts and pulling the bumpers close to the body.

[Camino LS6]

I am very tempted to try that on the Camino.