10th Sep 2002, 11:20

I purchased my 1987 Chevy Spectrum used in 1991 with 26,000 miles. I took good care of it, making sure to change the timing belt when required and other belts and hoses as necessary. I got 3,000 mile oil changes. The car has never let me down in 11 years. I have 197,800 miles on it. It has always run smoothly except when I needed a sensor replaced (can't think of the name of it). I was able to plow through heavy snow, and it handled perfectly on icy roads. The only drawback is that the seats are not very comfortable for long trips.

25th Sep 2002, 22:49

I just "adopted" a 87 Chevy spectrum and am so excited!!! it is a second car, and has lots of "character". The man who owned it was a retired jet pilot who dedicates his life now to the fight of fascist ideology in america...don't worry, this has to do with the car!

The car is from NM, so there is NO rust at all, and since he has the pilot mentality, the engine was re-milled about 20K ago, although it throws some oil. Since New Mexico has no inspection, there is NO muffler, (just 4' of straight pipe) no headlights (the car spent two days in a mountain stream in California) and no back seat. The passenger side of the dashboard was removed with an electric saw to add more room to the seat area, and the hatchback is removable so that it can be used as a convertible truck. The hood was removed, and replaced with a bright white one. He feels that his non-conformist car sculpting will be a sign of his freedom from fascist attitudes. Now the car is in Vermont, and I am going to have to get busy adding Nokia snowtires snow tires, 100W rally lights, a hood-paint job, some kind of muffler (who knows??) and a modified trailer tail light kit that operates on switches for blinkers and brake-lights. yup. If anyone has any good ideas, or inspired names for this beast, please e mail me at keep_it_real_@hotmail.com.

2nd Jan 2003, 13:36

Have driven my '87 Spectrum for 14 years. I got it with 28,000 miles on it and the odometer currently reads 195,000.

The valve gasket went bad at 145,000 miles. and I had the head rebuilt while I it was removed, but it has otherwise avoided major repairs.

When at 170,000 miles the amount of gear I needed to haul outgrew the car, I did what any of us would do: I added a trailer hitch.

I've been able to haul my wife & daughter, my upright bass, and enough food clothing and gear for us to take an 11-day, 1,500 mile road trip in whatever passes for comfort in a tiny, tiny car.

The five-speed transmission has made this vehicle particularly good in snow and foul weather. The fuel economy and cost of replacement parts has been outstanding.

14th Jan 2003, 11:13

I picked up my '87 Pontiac Sunburst for only $100 and have put over 30 000 miles on this car in only a matter of 4 months. The only problem I have is that the transmission slips as I go up hill, but on straight road, this car runs fantastic. It idles rough, so I turned up the idle and works fine... when I picked this car up, I thought I was making a bid at the auction on another vehicle. As it turned out, I got the Sunburst for $100 with virtually no rust and an overall good appearance and operation.

The only problem had when I picked it up was that the battery clamps were badly worn and didn't make proper contact; so for the first few days till I realized what the problem was, I was continuously having to jump-start the car.

Not a sporty looking car by any means, but fantastic on gas... approx 400 miles to the tank.

The only problem now after driving across the country is the springs in the wiper motor are worn and the transmission slips while going uphill... leaving the car to go slow... but these will be repaired soon and then my $100 car will be able to be sold for $1500 turning a nice profit.

22nd May 2003, 10:38

I bought my 1987 Chevy Spectrum in 1996. I've driven it ever since, and it now has over 200,000 miles on it. It has been fairly trouble-free, and continues to run well. It picks up a fair amount of road noise, and its idle is not particularly quiet, but other than that, I like it. The manual transmission on it is really nice and smooth. The seats are comfortable, and because of the hatchback, I have been able to move some amazingly large things in it.

8th Jul 2003, 13:21

A better deal than expected...

My mom bought me a 1987 Chevy Spectrum back in 1990, the vehicle was 3 years old with 24,000 miles on it. It started when I went to the hospital with my little brother, my Nissan got stolen while there. My mom felt guilty and thus my Long relationship with this car. It looked like crap on the outside, a little paint and tenderness made it bearable. I've now had this car 13 years, I will not part with my turbo charged hamster wheeled box. It has out performed many other small vehicles. A valve job was in order after all she is 17 y/o. The machine shop mechanic is very well in tune with various engines. He stated to me that this engine is usually broken in at about 135,000 miles. I am looking forward to another 13 years with my baby. By the way she has 140,000 on her now.

19th Oct 2006, 21:41

I have an 1987 Chevy Spectrum. It is an awesome commuter car. It is gutless little thing, especially going up hills, but it does make it. (Obviously not the turbo!) It is a 5 speed manual, so that helps. I had the carburetor re-done when I bought it & have had no idling problems. I having a hard time finding parts for it, as I believe it was not a very high selling, or popular car. It is popular with me. Wish it was the turbo though.

22nd Jan 2010, 20:08

I had an 86 model and I loved it. It was not a speed demon by any means, but it ran great and got 40 mpg. It survived two crashes and still looked good and ran good. Never had one single problem with it.

I got the bug and traded it for an 89 model, and I hated it. The 89 was automatic and only got 27 mpg. Also, it had power steering, and it was impossible to hold it in a straight line. I regret getting rid of my 86, wish I still had it today.