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Posted by Andy B
on 10/12/2009, 6:16 pm
24.210.45.63
So, I'm a pretty big fan of Chevettes. I assume a lot of you are too, or you'd have junked yours years ago. I've been thinking. If you were a GM exec, and decided to remake the Chevette--same body style, same engine--and price it at $7000, what would you change/upgrade? A couple of rules: it must use the same body and engine. Also, design it as an in-town car, as to redesign it as a highway commuter would require so many changes that it would no longer be a Chevette. Also, consider that it needs to be crazy cheap, cheap enough to successfully compete with a Hyundai. Since we're making stuff up here anyway, I'd like to stipulate that GM would have some new carburetor tricks up its sleeve to improve MPG by 10%.
I'll start. Number one thing I'd upgrade is the brakes. I wouldn't go 4-wheel disc, because that would be too expensive. I would keep the basic drum design, but use more robust parts. Plenty of cars out there use disc/drum combos and have good brakes. I'd also use a diagonal split on the brake lines instead of front/rear. I think that's pretty much SOP these days, and it's a good idea. I'd tighten up the steering a little bit. Not a lot, though. It's not a sports car. The loose steering can work in tandem with the light rear end to zoom down city streets or gravel roads quite nicely. I won't offer much opinion on the emissions systems, as most of what I know comes from hillbillies who recommend ripping it all out, and I had an '86 where someone did it. It ran like crap. I will say that I'd add a little more diagnostic capability to the computer. A better automatic tranny is obvious, for those who insist on handicapping an already basic car. Slightly better cooling would be nice, but not at the expense of the good little heater they have.
Anybody else?
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