1989 Chevrolet Celebrity 4-door 2.8 MPI V6 from North America

Summary:

Great first car -- I miss it to this day

Faults:

Ignition coils burned out once, still ran on 4 cylinders!

That was the only thing I remember going wrong.

Seats would have been perfect if they reclined.

Nothing else out of the ordinary wear/tear stuff.

General Comments:

This was the car I learned to drive in and after acquiring it from my mom when she bought a Grand Prix, I put over 20K miles on it just that year.

The 2.8 V6 gets a bad rap from the rear wheel drive crowd, but that same engine really moves in a front wheel car.

I did have to replace the shocks, struts, some suspension bushings, brakes, tires, plugs/wires, but that stuff goes on any vehicle. After doing those items it was like new all over again, save for the rust spots below the locks and on the rear of the trunklid.

It always got 26-27mpg on the highway and was a really smooth ride. Even the factory cassette player sounded good, for a factory unit.

But, being a stupid kid at the time, I jumped it over a steep railroad crossing and smashed the tranny pretty good when I landed -- the impact cracked the case. A used tranny was $400 and I didn't think it would be reliable, yet after trading the car in at a loss for an '88 Dodge D50 pickup (BIG pile of crap, BTW) I still saw the Celebrity's new owners driving around in it for years later, allegedly on a used tranny. Should have hung on to it.

Maybe I'll find a low mileage 2-door V6 5speed someday, would enjoy having one again. I'll take it slower over the train tracks, though.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th July, 2008

1989 Chevrolet Celebrity 2.8L from North America

Summary:

The very best car I have ever owned

Faults:

Brakes need replacing every year.

Steering fluid pump replaced.

Had to replace its computer.

General Comments:

Never had to replace engine or tranny... original engine and transmission for its entire life.

Powerful, very quick acceleration.

Nice, bench seats.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th June, 2008

23rd Jun 2008, 22:21

I agree with you 100% that the Chevy Celebrity is a great car to own, because I have had my Celebrity for about 4 years, and I have only had to do the regular maintenance such as brakes, tune up, oil changes, etc.

I did notice that you said that you had to replace your computer in your Chevy Celebrity. I would like to know how did you determine the computer was bad? Did it go out while you were driving, or did you hit a pot hole in the road, or did you go out to start your Celebrity and it wouldn't start?

Please reply and thanks for your time.

1989 Chevrolet Celebrity 2.8L from North America

Summary:

Reliable

Faults:

Alternator had a short in it. Drained the battery after about 2 minutes of run time.

Control panel had an issue with switching heat/AC from floor to panel etc.

Had a short in the left blinker at one point.

The fabric on the ceiling doesn't stick anymore, and it's hanging down.

General Comments:

I love this car. It was first owned by my Grandma and was treated like a baby on wheels.

V6 engine, air conditioning, cruise control, and a huge trunk ta-boot make this car very worth my $500.

I get annoyed by the fact that the control panel doesn't have a floor/defrost option.

Windshield wipers are a bit old with a slower speed and when you shut them off they want to go one more time, which just wears them out faster.

I have manual windows and door locks. It's the only thing I hate about the car.

I love the bench seat because I like the extra space it provides in the center along with the steering wheel mounted auto transmission. It may be old fashioned, but I enjoy it.

The back seat doesn't have very much room. They could have taken a foot out of the trunk space and made it a bit more roomy. The trunk still would be huge.

I feel like I'm in a steel cage when I drive. Although I don't have ABS brakes or air bags, I feel safe driving it. With its steel frame it may only get 24 mpg hwy, but I'm safe in the knowledge that if I was in an accident with another car, there's would probably end up worse off than mine!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th May, 2008