[gestapo]

i just had a bad experience w/a 72 c-10 it had alot of engine modifications with lots of horsepower, and i didn't know how to tune it up, so it was constatly down and just recently i cracked the engine block... sooo i am selling it before i find any more surprises the idiot that built the motor jerry rigged and am steering away from trucks now and looking at a chevelle. i would love to have a chevelle but i don't know if my parents will let me get another older carberated car b/c of the truck. i still want something that can spin the tires though i don't want a 4 banger import.

my question is this though is there one year that is more desirable that another in chevelles? can a chevelle be a good daily driver? and is it possible ( i know ANYTHING is possible but...) to get a good chevelle for around $5k?

sorry for the long post but any info would be greatly appreciated,
<<chris

 

[406chevelle]

They can definitly be reliable. Just find one thats all-original (forget modified ones), low miles if possible, and not totally clapped out. I am going to go out on a limb and say 71/72's are the most reliable.



[This message has been edited by 406chevelle (edited 01-26-2000).]

 

[Morris]

Yes an older car can be a very dependable daily.When shopping for an older car have someone with you who knows what to look for.An automobile is only as good as the care it has been given regardless of age.In choosing a chevelle you have done good.But remember a real good chevelle regardless of year will not be free.As for popular year,there are many opinions,64-72 are the best.

 

[70Chevelle2]

I am 16 and bought a 70 Chevelle last spring for $5k.I got it cheap because my insurance agent was going through a divorce and had to give half to his wife of what he got.I drive it every day.Rain or shine.It was snowing today and it started up just fineGood luck in finding something and always look for something all original.

 

[sean mullens]

Yes,they absolutely can my 71 malibu is my sole transportation and I wouldnt have it any other way. Driving to work everyday is a blast I truly look foward to it.You wont get that with your average car.Just be prepared to work on it to keep it in optimal reliable condition.Its well worth it.

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71 malibu 350/350
TC member#566

 

[Carl Brune]

I've been driving my 65 since the early 80s, and it's the only I've ever had. I've only had three times when I've been in a stuck "call AAA" situation with this car (rear axel bearing, fuel pump, rear break hose). I would say that an old Chevelle can be a reliable daily driver. I think that it does require a commitment. Over the same time I've dealt with my share of little things, electrical gremlins, replacing "tired" parts, etc... Being as knowledgable as possible about your car is a big help. I don't think that the year (64-72) matters much, it's really the condition of the car. Good luck --- Carl

 

[gUmBaLL68Malibu]

I didn't know a 4 banger could spin the tires

. My car is a daily driver it works ok only broke down on me once when we put new spark plugs on and on the dizzy the point that we put the plug on fell into the dizzy and we figured ok just 1 less cylinder till i can get it fixed no biggie. Well i get about 3 blocks away and it dies. But that was when i first got the car since then i have had no problems where i could not drive it.

 

[lev]

I'm 20, I have a 70 chevelle, she's a daily driver, never had TOO many problems. Since these cars are older, they have a little more maintenance needs. BUt all the stuff is easy, and I've done evrything myself. I say do it.

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70 Malibu
350/300hp
Soon to be 396/325hp

 

[Madgyver]

A friend found a 66 malibu 4dr all original for 3k with 65,000 original miles 283w/PG. And he's using it as a Daily driver. other than some minor changes like new alt.,starter, u-joints and plug wires, the car is a charm with a nicely paint exterior with all the chrome trim. it turns a lot of heads. my advise to you is to look for what you want a go after it. Look hard and careful and it will be gratifying.

Madgyver-

 

[Philip]

We used our 70 for a family car for years. It was an L-48 with a 4 speed, so not the typical family ride. We had very little trouble with it, less than our friends had with the later model cars. And the repairs were much cheaper. BTW I sold that #'s 70 for $4k. So you should be able to find a nice driver in your price range.

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Philip Valentine
Gold Member #42
"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another."
[email protected]

 

[Gene Chas]

Gestapo, ????

Sure a Chevelle can be reliable. After going through every mechanical system in my 67 ( which was bought for $5500 BTW), I;d drive the car anywhere with no worries. I don;t, it's not a daily driver, but I have no worry what so ever.

My advice is go through every mechanical system when you finally find a car. Don;t assume a thing. I found no fuel filter in the trick Summit dual feed/pressure guage deal, the A arms were on backwards, cheap grade 3 hardware store bolts used where I'd use min 5 or 8's, the brake system was shot, etc, etc,. Rubber items are always suspect and you might find some hack work along the way. I know I did.

So it took me nealry all of last summer just to bring it up to mechanical snuff. Thankfully, these cars are relatively easy to work on and you should get to know the basic mechanics of the car. You might need to pull a "McGiver" quick fix one day. Even so, I had to punt a few times and hire a real mechanic to help.

The trouble with driving the 67 all the time is the gas. L88's aren;t exactly misers you know.

But 4 banger can't get the front wheels airborn, can they???

Gene Chaas
Gold Member 62
67 SS396/L88

[This message has been edited by Gene Chas (edited 01-27-2000).]

 

[ken2]

I have been driving my 71 El Camino to work for the last 4 years ( no more than average maintenance), before that I drove my 65 El Camino for 16 years. The reason I changed cars was because there is a lot more room inside the 71

 

[garyB]

Chris,
Let me take a different approach. You said you didn't know how to tune the S10. All the previous responses are totally correct and I agree with them all but, they all realize that these cars need maintanance. If you have trouble maintaining an S10 I wonder if you have the time, inclination and talent to maintain a 30 year old car. Any car can be a reliable daily driver with the proper care. What you need to determine is your own mindset and mechanical abilities. Are you willing and capable to do the work yourself? Can you afford to pay someone else to do the required work? If so, this site will be one of your best resources for a 64-72 chevelle. If not, you might want a newer car.

Sorry for the long answer but I just went through this same thing with my son. After several attempts at older cars he gave up and bought a 92 Civic. Good decision for him. I love him but he has no temperment, inclination or ability to work on cars. I guess he figured - Hey, if my old man can do it how hard can it be? It took him four cars and a lot of money to find this out.

good luck

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1967 Malibu
1967 Impala SS396 Conv.
"Let me show you how the guards used to do it."

 

[RickS]

The amount of work you need to put into it to get a reliable daily driver is going to depend on the car you get. I had a 67 Pontiac LeMans (basically the same as a Malibu) that had 83K miles when I got it and I didn't have to do any required maint except change the oil and replace the water pump in the 6 years I drove it. If you can find a fairly low mileage car in good shape, you shouldn't have to do much to keep it up and running. Working on these cars is much easier than working on a newer car too!

Good Luck!

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Rick Sutter
Member #383
'67 Chevelle Super Sport
www.sutternet.com/chevelle.asp

 

[32767chvl]

I agree with all of the above. I had a 67 that I bought a number of years ago for a meager $300, with the intention of doing a full resto in the future. The major problem with the car when I bought it was the body. Engine ran ok, and the powerglide held up pretty well. After a few years, the suspension rotted out to nothing, (Bushings were just about gone.) and the exhaust fell off the car. This was a vehicle that I would drive daily, back and forth between NJ and DC at least once a month while I went to school. During that time, the only thing I put into it was gas and oil. Learn the basics, like changing plugs, oil, filters, and the rest will come later. My greatest source of knowledge of the Chevys came from the "How to Rebuild Your Small Block Chevy" book. It's a little complex from the start, but once you start doing some of the work yourself, you'll get the hang of it. I'd rather work on my old Chevelle, (Another 67) than even change the oil in my new Dodge truck.

 

[Dave66]

Yes, mine is warming up right now. Driven 350 miles per week. It is 20 degrees F currently.

Look for an original car that has been pretty well maintained. Or look for a car that is not a race car but has been built to be a streetable hot rod. Even so if the engine is original it may crap out on you - mine had 95,000 miles then spun a bearing which created a void that I filled with a crate engine.

 

[drptop70ss]

I think old cars can be daily drivers, if they arent reliable then they cant be driven at all. Thing is, why bother? When I used to drive a nova SS every day, I couldnt afford to have multiple cars, and good cars werent cheap. Now I leave the hotrods for nice weather only, and drive a nothing special 91 grand am to work and for trips. Good gas milage, A/C, 5 speed and comfortable. This is a clean nice car and cant be worth more than $2000. So I dont care about rock chips, snow, rain, or the stuff that happens from general driving. I think the biggest thing is gas milage though, $5 a day to just cruise around a little with the big blocks, $10 for a week of driving all over with the grand am. Bottom line is newer cars are available cheap, so why not make the chevelle into a beautiful car and keep it that way by not driving it all the time, which is why they need to be restored in the first place.

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70 chevelle ss396 conv
66 chevelle ss396 hdp/conv
55 chevy prostreet

 

[Shawn]

GaryB, that's a C-10 he was talking about (not an S-10)so it is about 30 years old. Just wanted to let ya know about that.

Yes, Chevelles can be very reliable but they have to be maintained like anything else. I have a '70 El Camino that sat in a field for 2 years and I drive it all the time. It looks terrible and has rust everywhere but makes a good driver. Try to find one that had the engine already rebuilt as you'll have much better luck I think.

I forgot to mention this but this past summer I passed an '90 Nissan that broke down and it sure makes you feel good to know that here I am with a 30-year-old car that drives fine and there is a car that's barely 10-years-old and breaks down just like that.

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1970 Chevy Custom El Camino aka Kaileigh
Green Mist & Silver w/Green Vinyl Top
350ci/300HP 4bbl & Factory Dual Exhaust
Non-SS with Factory Rallies!
TH-350 Automatic - 2.73 Posi Rear
My El Camino Home Page - www.dreamelectric.com

[This message has been edited by Shawn (edited 01-28-2000).]

 

[chev-hell]

mine is

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members.aol.com/jnkb2cool/chevelle9.jpg members.aol.com/jnkb2cool/350.jpg
John Krenn
1970 malibu SS look-a-like well kinda
307/200-4r (soon to be 355)

Ft.Worth, Tx

 

[Gene Chas]

Man, there's a mid 80's Elky sitting in the weeds, pass it every day that I pick the kid up from daycare. Got one of those Hilborn air cleaners sticking out of the hood. Doens't look rotted. Been for sale a long time.

Man, there's a nice daily driver!

( Actually I was thinking ProStreet with w 540 BBC. )