1985 Chevrolet Celebrity Base review from North America

For this particular car, the head gasket needed to be replaced almost every 100 000 kilometers. I was not sure whether this consistency was normal, so I did some research only to find out that this was rather commonplace for this model and several others from the same generation (such as the Cavalier, Chevette, etc.).

The gas tank had given me no trouble until the fall of '99 when it started to leak, so I had that replaced, along with new feed/return lines at roughly 480 000 kilometers.

The water pump went mysteriously at just over 120 000 kilometers, but it was replaced and has given me no problem since.

At present day (July 2002), the power steering pump is showing extreme signs of wear and cuts in and out occasionally. It will need to be replaced no later than fall.

The air conditioning went after only 220 000 kilometers. The retrofit cost of installing an "R-134 A" unit was going to be over $1000 to complete.

This is a remarkable car that, after almost 18 years of solid, everyday use, is still going strong.

I am still on the original block, head, and most amazingly, the original transmission.

Routine oil and filter changes, plus careful and delicate driving habits are a good reason why the "green machine" is still alive and well, but I also have reason to believe that these are extremely durable and reliable cars for the money, as I have a friend with an '86 Celebrity with approximately 459 000 kilometers on it.

One last positive point about the Celebrity, is its amazing rust resilience. It lives in Canada, where the winters are harsh and the roads are constantly being salted. The body panels are still good and free of holes!!!

The complaints are few, but a large one is the extremely slow signal lights.

The paint on these cars is very low quality, especially the silver/grey and the soft green.

But what am I complaining about? This car can't be beat! I'll never part with it!