1980 Vauxhall Chevette L 1.3 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A great little car that I wish they were still making now

Faults:

Corrosion on front wings.

Corrosion on sills.

Oil leak on front crank pulley.

Gearbox lay shaft bearing failure.

Clutch judder.

Starter motor solenoid faulty.

O/s inner sills badly corroded. this caused the jacking point to collapse and the car had to be scrapped.

General Comments:

The performance of the car is adequate for its age.

The fuel economy is very good.

It was the most reliable car I have ever owned.

Corrosion was the factor which ultimately ended its use

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 17th May, 2007

1980 Vauxhall Chevette GL 4 cylinder 1.3 60bhp from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Yaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!

General Comments:

The Chevettes were at one stage seen everywhere all over Ireland, but today nearly all of them have disappeared.

I intend therefore to carry out the small amount of work on the car in order to restore it to showroom condition.

This is my first car, and I reckon it's the best out of all the other countless cars I've driven, from bangers to Bentleys.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th May, 2004

2nd Aug 2004, 07:17

Actually, Bentleys are a bit better.

4th May 2006, 16:46

I have a Vauxhall Chevette L Automatic. I love it very much.

My exhaust has dropped off, can anyone help?

7th May 2006, 08:23

I've got one. Bronze 1980 GL 4-door, reg. no: 8629 FI (Tipp.) I don't drive it much because I've no licence, but I've had it around fields and it handles really well. A very driver-friendly car. Also very easy to work on. Far better than most of my friends' so-called "decent" cars. I really miss the way they used to be everywhere. Blame it all on that bloody scrappage scheme of the mid-1990's.

Fantastic car.

1980 Vauxhall Chevette GL sedan 1.3 OHV from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Cheap, economical and won't let you down!

Faults:

Original engine broke a ring after 100000km.

Big end bearings were also shot.

Replaced with whole new motor.

Replaced thermostat because it was running a bit over mid gauge, now runs between 1/4 and 1/2 gauge no matter what the temperature!

General Comments:

Very reliable, one of the tidiest orginal ones in New Zealand, only 100000km since new with 1 family owner, only thing wrong when I got it was the engine so I replaced the whole lot except gearbox.

All electrics work even the heated rear window!

Gearbox is very nice with a short throw.

Advice to others: Take care of the exterior! A lot of reviews complain of rust, keep it in a garage and wash and polish it regularly, rust occurs because people don't wash the debris of the paintwork.

I have not one problem with rust, and it shines like the day it rolled out of Vauxhall motors!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th May, 2004

1980 Vauxhall Chevette GL 1.3 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A rear wheel drive bargain!!

Faults:

The wings needed replacing.

The fuel pump had an intermittent fault.

General Comments:

This was my first car and probably my best car.

It was cheap to run and ultra reliable.

The build quality was much better than the new MK2 Astra I replaced it with.

It was so easy to maintain and tune that it never needed to go to a garage for servicing.

The suspension and handling would give most equivalent modern cars a run for their money.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 31st July, 2002

10th Feb 2005, 20:18

I agree with your comments, I worked in the UK, for a Vauxhall franchise and I ran a 1979 (NOV) Astra GL 1.3 in a bright yellow colour. It was 75 bhpwhich was good for the engine size. it was like driving a sports car, and had plenty of grunt. I was very interested in your report, being so long after, and wen the car was no longer new. I am happy that the owners got such longevity out of the car. I am still amazed to this day at the performance and comfort of the car.

All the best.