Portland CL: '81 Chevette 5-speed Diesel for DIRT CHEAP

Buy it, sell it, negotiate, haggle, drag it out from under the workbench or behind the garage and make it someone else's problem!

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redmondjp
Posts: 204
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Redmond, WA

Portland CL: '81 Chevette 5-speed Diesel for DIRT CHEAP

#1

Post by redmondjp »

I know this isn't a Nissan, but daaang, this is a super-cheap diesel rig for folks near Portland:

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/car/272195972.html

1981 chevy chevette - $375

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply to: sale-272195972@craigslist.org
Date: 2007-02-02, 1:45AM PST


Running, driving, good tags till june, 4 door, diesel, 5 speed, $375 obo. Call kon @ 360-713-8616

ImageImage
ImageImage
This item has been posted by-owner.
Location: gresham
1982 Datsun 720 King Cab, SD22, 86K miles (sold)
1981 Rabbit LS 4-door, 1.6D, 130K miles (sold)
1996 Passat TDI 4-door sedan, 197K miles
lacolocho
Posts: 44
Joined: 17 years ago
Location: Portland, OR

gone

#2

Post by lacolocho »

Looks like it was deleted already. Probably sold.

Anybody have any idea what kind of motors were in those?
I've never even heard of a diesel Chevette
redmondjp
Posts: 204
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Redmond, WA

#3

Post by redmondjp »

Yup! Ad deleted . . .

Gotta jump on the good deals quick!
glenlloyd
Posts: 640
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Des Moines, Iowa

Re: gone

#4

Post by glenlloyd »

lacolocho wrote:...Anybody have any idea what kind of motors were in those?

I've never even heard of a diesel Chevette
Chevrolet used an Isuzu 1.8 diesel engine in these. They also sold the Isuzu P'up based "Luv" with the Isuzu 2.2 diesel as well.

I'm sure someone snatched this econobox fast. As disposible as these cars were, with the very fine Isuzu engine it could achieve remarkable fuel efficiency.

steve a
97 Jetta TDI, 86 VW Golf D
89 VW Fox diesel, 92 MB 300SD W140

gir - won't the sploding hurt?
zim - silence!
moose60
Posts: 168
Joined: 17 years ago
Location: Seattle WA

#5

Post by moose60 »

These were also known as the Isuzu I-Mark.

I know a man here in Seattle who owns one. He says that it drives quite nicely, the same as many other econo-boxes. His has an automatic trans, and I think that he gets a little over 40MPG in mixed driving.

Sounds like someone got a deal down in P-Town.
Byron

82 Datsun 720 KC SD22

MPG Machine
glenlloyd
Posts: 640
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Des Moines, Iowa

#6

Post by glenlloyd »

moose60 wrote:These were also known as the Isuzu I-Mark.
An I-Mark of this vintage is a very rare bird, especially with a diesel engine. With diesel it would have had to come after 1982. I can't say for certain that I have ever seen the gen 1 T-body I-Mark in person. The gen 2 I-Mark / Spectrum was far more plentiful, especially in my neck of the woods.
moose60 wrote:I know a man here in Seattle who owns one. He says that it drives quite nicely, the same as many other econo-boxes. His has an automatic trans, and I think that he gets a little over 40MPG in mixed driving.
That is impressive, especially with the automatic trans. VW always claimed that if your Rabbit was getting less than 44 mpg mixed driving there was a problem.
moose60 wrote:Sounds like someone got a deal down in P-Town.
Me thinks someone might have!

steve a
97 Jetta TDI, 86 VW Golf D
89 VW Fox diesel, 92 MB 300SD W140

gir - won't the sploding hurt?
zim - silence!
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asavage
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Location: Oak Harbor, Wash.
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#7

Post by asavage »

Adam is selling an I-Mark diesel.
Image
984 Isuzu I-Mark 4-door sedan with 133k miles. 1.8 liter diesel (non-turbo), automatic transmission. Runs and drives well decent shape though the heater core is leaking (spells like coolant). Wait until summer and you'll have a car that's priced like a motor-scooter with mileage that's not too far off - about 45MPG on biodiesel. Compares favorably to Volkswagen Rabbit / Jetta / Golf and the other small Japanese diesels like the Corolla and Stanza.

Adam
206.419.9295
http://dieselHead.net

* Location: Mercer Island - Seattle
I wonder why his "Location" changes. Sometimes it's North Seattle, other times it's like above.

AFAIK, the diesel Chevette and the diesel I-Mark have nothing in common (except, perhaps, the diesel engine).

I hadn't heard that VW made that claim, but my two Gen1 Rabbit diesels were very consistent at 43-45 MPG. The only time one of them dropped below 41 was when it had all that bore taper. It was quite hard to start by that time too.
moose60
Posts: 168
Joined: 17 years ago
Location: Seattle WA

#8

Post by moose60 »

Yup,Adam is the guy with the I-Mark.


His location changes because he will sometimes sell a car from his shop on Aurora Ave N, or his home, which is on Mercer Island. He said that the car wound up at his house because he actually likes driving it.


I was just guessing about the I-Mark/Chevette linkage (twins separated at birth? apparently not) based on LUV/PUP experience.

I have heard similar things about the early VW diesels. I think that I'd heard under 40MPG, don't buy it, cause it's dead.
Byron

82 Datsun 720 KC SD22

MPG Machine
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asavage
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#9

Post by asavage »

moose60 wrote:I was just guessing about the I-Mark/Chevette linkage (twins separated at birth? apparently not) based on LUV/PUP experience.
An easy assumption to make, but in the case of the Chevette, it wasn't "badge-engineered" like the P'UP/LUV.
I have heard similar things about the early VW diesels. I think that I'd heard under 40MPG, don't buy it, cause it's dead.
Exactly so. A Rabbit diesel that gets less than 40 is on its last legs.
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
glenlloyd
Posts: 640
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Des Moines, Iowa

#10

Post by glenlloyd »

asavage wrote:An easy assumption to make, but in the case of the Chevette, it wasn't "badge-engineered" like the P'UP/LUV.
I wondered about that as well. Isn't the link between the two via the Isuzu Gemini? The P'up diesel is another small truck that you can't easily buy anymore.

steve a
97 Jetta TDI, 86 VW Golf D
89 VW Fox diesel, 92 MB 300SD W140

gir - won't the sploding hurt?
zim - silence!
lacolocho
Posts: 44
Joined: 17 years ago
Location: Portland, OR

.

#11

Post by lacolocho »

That Chevette looks so much better than an I-Mark. Too bad they changed the body style.
Exactly so. A Rabbit diesel that gets less than 40 is on its last legs.
That's a bit of oversimplification. There's so many other things that could be making it get less than 40mpg. Fuel leak, bad injectors, IP modded to give extra fuel, etc.
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asavage
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Re: .

#12

Post by asavage »

lacolocho wrote:Fuel leak, bad injectors, IP modded to give extra fuel, etc.
While I'll agree with you on the fuel leak, if the injectors are so bad, or the IP's been modified to the extent that it's not returning >40 MPG, I'll stand by my statement.
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
lacolocho
Posts: 44
Joined: 17 years ago
Location: Portland, OR

.

#13

Post by lacolocho »

on the VW diesels there's a really simple adjustment on the outside of the IP that a lot of people do to get more power. It's really simple to turn back as well.
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asavage
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#14

Post by asavage »

It's a really simple adjustment to hole pistons and blow head gaskets. You do get more power -- for a very short time. Ever see a pyrometer reading on one of those? I have. And, if you've got a (non-leaking) diesel Gen1 Rabbit that's getting less than 40 MPG, it's on its last legs.

I've owned two diesel Rabbits.
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
glenlloyd
Posts: 640
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Des Moines, Iowa

Re: .

#15

Post by glenlloyd »

lacolocho wrote:That Chevette looks so much better than an I-Mark. Too bad they changed the body style.
I beg to differ.

steve a
97 Jetta TDI, 86 VW Golf D
89 VW Fox diesel, 92 MB 300SD W140

gir - won't the sploding hurt?
zim - silence!
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