1986 Chevrolet Nova 1.8
Summary:
Awesomely reliable, low cost vehicle
Faults:
Replaced water pump @ 220K miles.
Replaced timing belt @ 220K miles.
General Comments:
Wow, I don't know what to say. Bought the car for $200 from a friend just for my 70 mile a day commute, and ended up loving the car. Of course it had its faults, like every other car out there, but compared to previous vehicles I have owned, the pros outweigh the cons every time.
I put over 50K miles on the car in just over a year, and this car performed flawlessly. Always started, though sometimes it took a little bit if it was below zero, but it never let me down. Like someone else said, this is the little car that could. I had to replace the water pump because it started leaking out of the weep-hole, and while I was in there, I replaced the timing belt. Other than that, the only thing I did to the car was routine maintenance.
When I sold the car, it was still going strong on the original clutch, which seemed to me impossible, but I had all of the maintenance records since new (bought it from the original owners), and nowhere in there did they mention a new clutch.
This car was just amazing; sure, the seats weren't that comfortable, but they weren't uncomfortable, the windshield leaked when it rained hard, but I fixed that with some silicone. The car was rusty, and dented, but it has been one of the best vehicles I have ever owned. It took everything I threw at her with a rusty, trusty grace, and always kept chugging along. Heck, the AC still worked!!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 11th February, 2009